In spring 2026, a two-person team completed a nearly 3,200-kilometer snow machine traverse across Arctic Alaska, from Bethel to Utqiaġvik. The expedition, called COAST-X 2026, was part of the NSF-funded ACTION project, which seeks to strengthen communication between Arctic coastal communities and scientists. The route crossed tundra and sea ice, with temperatures and wind chills reaching −40°C, and required permissions from more than 40 land management entities.
Along the way, the researchers visited 15 communities, including Chevak, Nome, Shishmaref, Kotzebue, and Utqiaġvik. They met with tribal councils, school groups, and residents in stores and subsistence cabins. Informal conversations proved especially valuable: in Elim, a resident advised a safe sea ice route to Nome, and in Point Lay, the tribal president warned about thin coastal ice near the spits.
The traverse was motivated by well-documented environmental changes affecting Alaska's western and northern coasts. Coastal erosion, severe storms, and thawing permafrost are damaging homes, roads, water systems, and subsistence resources. The researchers emphasized that Alaska Native communities have observed these changes for generations and are increasingly contributing to research design, monitoring, and authorship.
By combining direct observation with local knowledge, the expedition aimed to produce actionable science for decisionmaking. The source article notes that useful Arctic science must connect physical processes, infrastructure, governance, and community priorities through sustained, reciprocal partnerships with Indigenous peoples across Alaska.