Arctic Ocean

No new offshore drilling

The Arctic Ocean is one of the most extraordinary and important places on Earth. Its icy waters support polar bears, whales, walrus, seals, and millions of seabirds, and are central to the cultures and food systems of Alaska’s coastal Indigenous communities. Beyond the Arctic, this ocean plays a critical role in regulating the global climate, with sea ice reflecting heat and helping stabilize weather patterns that affect the entire planet.

Today, the Arctic is changing faster than almost anywhere else. Climate change is driving rapid sea-ice loss and warming waters, putting wildlife and subsistence traditions at risk. At the same time, proposals to open vast areas to offshore oil and gas drilling threaten to industrialize one of the world’s most fragile marine ecosystems, increasing the risk of pollution and irreversible damage. Together, these forces put the future of the Arctic Ocean, and everything it sustains, on the line.

Protect the Arctic Ocean

WHAT'S AT STAKE

Wildlife

The Arctic Ocean is home to polar bears, bowhead and gray whales, narwhals, walrus, seals, and millions of seabirds.

Indigenous communities

For thousands of years, Alaska Native coastal communities have relied on the Arctic Ocean for food, culture, and connection to place. Rapid changes to sea ice and ocean health now threaten subsistence traditions that cannot be replaced.

Climate stability

The Arctic Ocean helps regulate Earth’s climate by reflecting heat and stabilizing global weather. As sea ice disappears and industrial activity expands, those protections weaken, accelerating climate impacts worldwide.

KEEP FIGHTING

A new five-year plan proposes opening 128 million acres of currently protected Arctic Ocean waters to offshore drilling, putting communities, ecosystems, and the global climate at serious risk.

Protect the Arctic Ocean

News