The past two summers have seen record-low sea ice levels in the Arctic. Scientists with NASA and the National Snow and Ice Data Center say that as of last Friday, sea ice covered 1.74 million square miles of the Arctic — the second lowest level on record. The melt-off means increased shipping traffic through the Northwest Passage, a route that goes over the top of the world and has long been talked about as an alternative to the Panama Canal. But it also means an increase in the number of cruise ships and recreational boaters in the region. One such boat stopped in Kodiak this week.
Casey Kelly, KMXT – Kodiak
Download Audio (MP3)
