Fact Sheets

• Summary: Oil Spill Prevention and Response in the U.S. Arctic Ocean

  • Feb 08, 2012, 17:05 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  In 2010, the Pew Environment Group commissioned Oil Spill Prevention and Response in the U.S. Arctic Ocean, a comprehensive study of the challenges and potential consequences of oil and gas exploration and production in the U.S. Arctic Ocean. The study examined what might happen if a catastrophic spill occurred in the Arctic.More

   

• Addressing Major Gaps in Arctic Science

  • Sep 26, 2011, 11:45 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  The Pew Environment Group and Ocean Conservancy commissioned Dr. Robert Spies to convene independent Arctic experts to review the U.S. Geological Survey’s (USGS) Circular 1370: An Evaluation of the Science Needs to Inform Decisions on Outer Continental Shelf Energy Development in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, Alaska.More

   

• Protecting Fisheries in the High Arctic

  • Jan 20, 2011, 15:50 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  The Arctic Ocean is one of the planet’s most pristine marine regions, protected by its ice pack from the effects of commercial fishing, oil and gas development and shipping.More

   

• Common Misconceptions About Arctic Offshore Oil Spill Response

  • Nov 23, 2010, 16:00 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  View a fact sheet detailing a number of common misconceptions about the impact of an oil spill in the ArcticMore

   

• Historical Oil Spill Fact Sheets

  • May 21, 2010, 12:00 EST
  • Global Shark Conservation, Offshore Energy Reform, Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Click on the links below (PDF) to view fact sheets providing data on the impact of significant oil spills of the past.More

   

• Alaska Spills Highlight Ever-Present Risks from Oil Industry

  • May 10, 2010, 13:30 EST
  • Offshore Energy Reform, Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Alaska’s oil and gas industry has experienced several high-profile oil spills over the past few months, highlighting the risk associated with oil and gas exploration and production, pipeline operation and vessel activity.More

   

• Oceans North U.S. - Protecting Life in the Arctic

  • Mar 12, 2010, 16:05 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  The Pew Environment Group’s Arctic Program works to conserve the robust ecosystems and vibrant Native communities that depend on North America’s Arctic waters. In Alaska, these include the Beaufort, Chukchi and Bering seas.More

   

• Oil and Gas Leasing In Alaska's Arctic Waters

  • Sep 16, 2009, 16:00 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  The Alaska region of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)  includes more than a billion acres of ocean habitat, much of which is Arctic waters. These waters are central  to the lives of Arctic peoples and to the survival of 23  species of marine mammals, 100 species of fish and  more than 50 species of birds.More

   

• Precautionary Management for Arctic Fisheries

  • Jul 23, 2009, 16:20 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  The Arctic Ocean faces changes unparalleled on the planet.More

   

• One Page Description: Safeguarding the Arctic

  • Feb 10, 2009, 16:30 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  The Arctic is home to several of the Earth’s least disturbed large marine ecosystems.More

   

• Threats to America's Arctic

  • Sep 16, 2008, 16:10 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  America’s Arctic, located entirely in Alaska, is one of the most beautiful and forbidding places on earth.More

   

Reports

• More Science Needed to Protect U.S. Arctic Ocean

  • Sep 26, 2011, 11:40 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Further research is needed to guide conservation and development decisions in America’s Arctic Ocean, according to a new white paper commissioned by the Pew Environment Group and the Ocean Conservancy.More

   

• Becoming Arctic-Ready

  • Sep 09, 2011, 09:50 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  A report released today by the Pew Environment Group concludes that Canada’s system of regulating and licensing offshore oil and gas development requires major reforms to create an Arctic-ready future to protect this region and its people from environmental harm.More

   

• Oil Spill Prevention and Response in the U.S. Arctic Ocean: Unexamined Risks, Unacceptable Consequences

  • Nov 10, 2010, 12:10 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  This report examine the risks, challenges and potential consequences of oil spills associated with oil and gas exploration and production in the outer continental shelf (OCS) of the United States Arctic Ocean. The April 2010 Deepwater Horizon well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico prompted a reconsideration of the potential for a major blowout from proposed oil exploration or production in the Arctic OCS. This report was developed to contribute to the policy discussion regarding the risks and consequences of such spills.More

   

• An Initial Estimate of the Cost of Lost Climate Regulation Services Due to Changes in the Arctic Cryosphere

  • Feb 05, 2010, 16:00 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Ice and snow are defining features of the Arctic. At no point in at least 800,000 years has the Arctic been without sea ice.More

   

• Arctic Treasure: Global Assets Melting Away

  • Feb 05, 2010, 11:10 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Ice and snow are defining features of the Arctic. At no point in at least 800,000 years has the Arctic been without sea ice.More

   

Other Resources

• Videos: U.S. Arctic Program

  • May 01, 2012, 17:55 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  These videos and reports give you an insight into the people and issues that Pew’s U.S. Arctic Program works with every day.More

   

• International Polar Year Conference

  • Apr 22, 2012, 16:30 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  A group of academics, advocates, scientists, decision makers, indigenous peoples, and industry representatives will attend the International Polar Year (IPY) 2012 Conference in Montreal from April 22 to 27.More

   

• New Book, Movie Highlight Arctic Wonders

  • Apr 20, 2012, 16:00 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Take a virtual trip to the Arctic Ocean by viewing our photo gallery of the region’s marine wonders.More

   

• Sea Ice Conditions in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas

  • Apr 02, 2012, 13:35 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Andrew R. Mahoney of the University of Alaska Fairbanks provides a scientific anaylsis of sea ice conditions in the Arctic's Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.More

   

• U.S. Arctic Ocean Experts Call for Action to Improve Offshore Drilling Safety

  • Mar 02, 2012, 17:00 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Reforms made by the Obama administration after the Gulf of Mexico oil spill were critical to improving the safety of offshore drilling, but more remains to be done, concluded a panel of experts during a briefing held at Pew’s offices Feb. 24 in Washington, DC.More

   

• America's Arctic Ocean Wildlife at Risk

  • Feb 02, 2012, 10:50 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  The Beaufort and Chukchi seas off northern Alaska make up America’s portion of the Arctic Ocean, a spectacular and unique marine ecosystem in the United States. Bowhead whales, walrus, ice seals, polar bears, and millions of migratory birds thrive here. While these Arctic marine mammals are uniquely adapted to living on and around sea ice, their world is changing rapidly. More

   

• Scientists Call on Obama Administration to Use Science as Guide for Arctic Drilling

  • Jan 29, 2012, 22:30 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  More than 500 distinguished scientists signed a letter urging the Obama administration to use science to guide decision making on oil and gas activities in the remote and fragile U.S. Arctic Ocean.More

   

• Northern Exposure: Pew in the Arctic

  • Jan 19, 2012, 13:45 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  As melting ice opens up the once-impenetrable Arctic, Pew wants science to guide the size of man’s expanding footprint in the remote region.More

   

• Pew Comments on Shell's Chukchi Plans

  • Dec 07, 2011, 17:00 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Read Pew's comments on Shell Offshore Inc.’s 2012 OCS Lease Exploration Plan, Chukchi Sea, Alaska, and 2012 Chukchi Sea, Regional Exploration Oil Discharge Prevention and Contingency Plan.More

   

• Are We Really Ready to Drill in America's Arctic Ocean?

  • Dec 02, 2011, 16:00 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  After last year’s BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, President Obama promised cleaner, safer energy development. Yet the administration is on the brink of approving industry plans to drill up to 10 exploratory oil wells in the extreme, remote, and fragile Arctic Ocean, beginning this summer.More

   

• Arctic Ocean Drilling Plans Stir Oil Spill Fears

  • Nov 08, 2011, 16:00 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  This week, as the effects of the Deep Water Horizon oil spill still lingers, the Obama administration released its new five year offshore oil exploration plan that could open up sensitive areas of the U.S. Arctic Ocean to drilling.More

   

• PBS Looks at Dangers of Offshore Drilling in the Arctic

  • Oct 27, 2011, 13:35 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  The lingering lessons of the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon spills are more vital than ever as the U.S. contemplates drilling in the extreme, remote, and ecologically fragile Arctic Ocean. This video highlights efforts to achieve a balance between energy, the environment, and native traditions.More

   

• What Does Ecosystem-Based Management Mean in the U.S. Arctic?

  • Sep 22, 2011, 11:45 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Ecosystem-based management (EBM) offers a promising management tool for addressing cumulative impacts from multiple stressors in the U.S. Arctic. Arctic Ocean ecosystems are experiencing rapid environmental change, such as changing sea ice conditions, reducing important habitat for Arctic species and presenting challenges to traditional subsistence practices.More

   

• Comments on Shell's 2011 Revised OCS Lease Exploration Plan, Camden Bay, Beaufort Sea, Alaska, and Revised Beaufort Sea, Regional Exploration Oil Discharge Prevention and Contingency Plan

  • Jul 25, 2011, 11:10 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Shell’s proposed plan would be the first OCS exploration proposed for approval in the Arctic Ocean since the tragic Deepwater Horizon spill in the Gulf of Mexico. While BOEMRE has taken steps to enhance containment, safety and oversight of deep water drilling operations in the Gulf since, improvements for the Arctic OCS planning areas are still under consideration, and not yet implemented.More

   

• Don't Put America's Arctic Ocean at Risk

  • Jul 19, 2011, 09:25 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Drilling for oil in the Arctic Ocean is a dangerous undertaking. Sub-zero temperatures, high seas, hurricane-force winds, long periods of fog and shifting and unpredictable sea ice make oil spill prevention and containment extremely challenging. Decades-old methods for cleaning up spills using skimmers, booms, burning and dispersants are inadequate in harsh Arctic conditions.  More

   

• Comments to Inform BOEMRE's Preparation of an Environmental Assessment of Shell Offshore Inc.’s Revised Exploration Plan for the Beaufort Sea

  • Jul 15, 2011, 10:35 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  The Pew Environment Group U.S. Arctic Campaign and Ocean Conservancy submitted the following comments regarding issues the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Regulation and Enforcement should consider as it prepares an Environmental Assessment of Shell Offshore Inc.’s revised exploration plan for the Beaufort Sea.More

   

• Campaign Ad: Are We Really Ready to Drill Here?

  • Jun 20, 2011, 14:30 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  The Pew Environment Group ran the following ad in order to urge President Obama to consider the risks associated with opening U.S. Arctic waters to oil drilling.More

   

• Ship's Log: Arctic Whale Survey

  • Jun 20, 2011, 12:00 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Welcome to our “Ship’s Log” for Lancaster 2011: Arctic Whale Survey, a month-long scientific expedition to study one of the greatest whale migrations in the world. From the deck of a 45-foot, ice-reinforced trawler, expedition members will observe narwhal, belugas and bowhead whales – the first time on record that a boat this size has attempted this journey so early in the spring. During the month-long voyage from Greenland, two scientists and an Inuk hunter will be part of a team collecting important new data about Arctic whales and seabirds.More

   

• Arctic Expedition to Study Whale Migration Begins

  • Jun 08, 2011, 09:00 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  An eight-member expedition sponsored by Oceans North Canada left Greenland on June 7th on a monthlong voyage to collect scientific data about one of the world's greatest migrations of narwhal, bowhead and beluga whales.More

   

• How an International Fisheries Agreement Would Help Protect the High Arctic

  • May 13, 2011, 15:50 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Henry Huntington, science director for the Pew Environment Group's Arctic campaign, explains why an international fisheries agreement is needed to protect the waters of the central Arctic Ocean and how collaboration with Arctic countries, scientists, the fishing industry and indigenous peoples would achieve this important goal.  More

   

• Deepwater Horizon Anniversary Stirs Fear of Alaska Spill

  • Apr 19, 2011, 09:05 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  As industry and government look to expand drilling in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, many Alaska Natives who live along the nation's northernmost coast worry about what an oil spill would do to the ocean they call their garden.  More

   

• Phone Briefing: One-Year Anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill

  • Apr 15, 2011, 13:45 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  On Friday, April 15, 2011, the Pew Environment Group hosted a phone briefing to look at the one-year anniversary of the BP Deepwater Horizon oil spill. During the call, experts including U.S. Arctic Program director Marilyn Heiman and Coast Guard Admiral Thad Allen (Ret.) discussed what steps are still needed on offshore energy reform and the challenges of spill prevention and response in the extreme, remote and fragile U.S. Arctic Ocean.More

   

• Lingering Oil: The Lasting Effects of Exxon Valdez

  • Mar 22, 2011, 09:30 EST
  • Offshore Energy Reform, Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Minutes after midnight on March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez super tanker ran aground in Alaska’s beautiful and biologically rich Prince William Sound. The United States had become complacent about the risks of a major oil spill, but the sight of oiled seabirds in this spectacular setting shocked the nation into action.More

   

• Campaign Ads: Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  • Mar 01, 2011, 09:45 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  The following campaign ads help to raise public awareness and build support for policies advocated by the Pew campaign Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic.More

   

• Success Story: Bristol Bay - A National Treasure

  • Feb 22, 2011, 12:05 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Protecting the nation's 'fish basket.'More

   

• Meet the Experts: Marilyn Heiman, Director, Offshore Energy Reform

  • Feb 14, 2011, 12:00 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Marilyn Heiman joined the Pew Environment Group in January 2009 as director of the U.S. Arctic Program.More

   

• Guarding Arctic Waters From the Next Oil Disaster

  • Feb 14, 2011, 12:00 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  In the wake of the April 2010 Deepwater Horizon well blowout in the Gulf of Mexico, the Pew Environment Group’s Oceans North U.S. Campaign commissioned a comprehensive study on preventing and containing spills in the remote U.S. Arctic Ocean.More

   

• Tele-Press Briefing on Upcoming Historic Polar Meetings

  • Apr 02, 2009, 17:05 EST
  • Antarctic Krill Conservation Project, Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  On April 2, 2009, the Pew Environment Group and WWF led a press conference call to preview the first-ever joint Arctic Council/Antarctic Treaty Ministerial Meeting on April 6 and the Antarctic Treaty Consultative Meeting which runs for the following 10 days.More

   

• Letter to North Pacific Fishery Management Council on Arctic Fishery Management Plan

  • Feb 04, 2009, 16:30 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  This letter to Chairman Olson at the North Pacific Fishery Management Council from members of the scientific community commends the council for taking a proactive approach to fisheries management of U.S. Arctic waters.More

   

Compilations

• Successes of the Pew Environment Group

  • Jan 01, 2011, 12:00 EST
  • Campaign for America's Wilderness, Global Ocean Legacy, Conserving New England Fish, Global Campaign to End Illegal Fishing, Global Ocean Legacy - Chagos, Global Ocean Legacy - Coral Sea, Global Ocean Legacy - Marianas, International Boreal Conservation Campaign, Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Read about our successes, from the designation of the world’s largest no-take marine reserve in the Indian Ocean to the signing of the world’s largest conservation agreement in the Canadian boreal forest.More

   

Videos

• 

  Are We Really Ready to Drill in America's Arctic Ocean?

  • Dec 01, 2011, 09:55 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  After last year's BP Deepwater Horizon disaster, President Obama promised cleaner, safer energy development. Yet the administration is on the brink of approving industry plans to drill up to 10 exploratory oil wells in the remote, and fragile Arctic Ocean, beginning this summer.More

   
• 

  Don't Put America's Arctic Ocean at Risk

  • Jul 19, 2011, 10:25 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  America's Arctic Ocean is central to the diet and culture of indigenous communities who have practiced a subsistence way of life for thousands of years. But with pressure mounting to expand offshore oil development, the nation's northernmost ocean—and the communities that depend on it—are at risk.More

   
• 

  Offshore Drilling Plans Stir Concerns over Alaska Spill

  • Apr 19, 2011, 08:45 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  As industry and government look to expand drilling in the U.S. Arctic Ocean, many Alaska Natives who live along the nation's northernmost coast worry about what an oil spill would do to the ocean they call their "garden."More

   
• 

  Alaska Oil Lingers, Decades Later

  • Mar 22, 2011, 09:00 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  Minutes after midnight on March 24, 1989, the Exxon Valdez super tanker ran aground and began leaking oil in Alaska’s beautiful and biologically rich Prince William Sound.More

   
• 

  Arctic Drilling Poses Risks, Requires Planning

  • Nov 10, 2010, 11:20 EST
  • Oceans North: Protecting Life in the Arctic

  A new study by the Pew Environment Group recommends reforms to close gaps in oversight, response planning and risk assessment associated with proposed oil and gas development in Alaska's Arctic Ocean.More