AAOKH Observations

Observations and contributions of Indigenous Knowledge Holders are the foundation of the AAOKH network

Arctic coastal communities have long recognized that weather and sea ice conditions are not what they once were. The ocean is freezing later in the fall and the ice is melting earlier in the spring, shorefast ice is less stable, there is far less of the thicker multiyear ice than in the past, coastal storms are increasingly impacting Arctic shorelines, and conditions overall are less predictable.  Collectively, daily-weekly observations provide a broad-scale view of changing coastal Arctic conditions with insights into community-specific changes and their impacts.

How our network benefit science and communities

• Observations from the AAOKH network communicate community-based perspectives of the environment rooted in Indigenous worldviews and deep connections to place. 
• These observations and insights can inform local to regional decision-making and strengthen western scientific models to be more relevant to coastal Arctic communities.
• Community-based observations made since 2006 can be used to address community priorities and scientific research, upon approval of data use agreements laid out by AAOKH observers

About the observing database

Since 2016, AAOKH observers have contributed over 12,000 observations. These are added to a database curated by the Exchange for Local Observations and Knowledge of the Arctic (ELOKA) program.

The database, which includes thousands more observations, is a combination of AAOKH observations and the Seasonal Ice Zone Observing Network (SIZONet) that operated from 2006-2016.  It serves as an interface between the two distinct knowledge systems of western science and Indigenous knowledge.

We invite you to explore the AAOKH observing database to learn about environmental trends and knowledge of the Alaska Arctic.