Climate-driven environmental changes in the Arctic have been rapid and profound over the past two decades challenging subsistence activities and cultural practices in coastal communities. Coastal communities in the Bering -Chukchi sea region rely heavily on marine life for subsistence and raw material – as they have for millenia. Over the past two decades communities in the region have had to adapt hunting, food processing, and food storage to unprecedented changes in sea ice, winds, precipitation, and extreme storms. Additionally, climate models project continuing decreases in sea ice season and coverage, increases in Arctic cyclones and intensity of Atmospheric Rivers in this region, and communities will be forced to further adapt to these projected changes.

We weave observations, model results, and perspectives from Indigenous knowledge holders and western scientists to understand current and future climate-driven changes in the region. We explore implications of projected climate changes for adapting subsistence activities.