The Arctic This Week Take Five: Week of 23 March, 2026

Scientists Urge Canada to Track and Regulate Arctic Ocean Noise

Eye on the Arctic reported on March 25 that scientists highlighted the need for Canada to monitor underwater noise in the Arctic. The study, published in npj Acoustics and conducted by researchers from the University of Bath, aimed to identify the sources of noise in Arctic waters around Cambridge Bay, Nunavut. The research used data collected by Ocean Networks Canada to show an increase in man-made noise levels from shipping, aircraft, and local activity. While much noise comes from large ships, the study found that snowmobiles, machinery, overhead airplanes, and small boats constitute other relevant factors. (Eye on the Arctic)

Take 1: Growing noise pollution in Arctic waters is tightly linked to the rapid expansion of shipping and economic activities in the region. As sea ice continues to melt, Arctic routes such as the Northwest Passage are becoming more accessible, enabling increased commercial shipping, tourism, and resource exploration. In addition to visible effects on the Arctic environment as a result of pollution and increased human presence, marine species below the surface are severely impacted by the sounds emitted by such activities. While limited on land, sound travels much faster and further underwater. This entails that even distant industrial activities can significantly affect marine animals. For instance, researchers studying whales around the Bering Strait could detect sounds from air guns originating from Northern Norway. Cetaceans, such as belugas, narwhals, and whales, depend on acoustic signals for navigation, feeding, and social interactions. External noise can disrupt these signals, which can affect migration patterns, communication, and reproduction. Research has shown that chronic exposure to elevated noise levels leads to higher stress levels in marine mammals, which further compounds existing environmental and ecological pressures caused by climate change. This often results in animals trying to escape the disturbances, which can encourage them to abandon their usual food sources and breeding places. As such, tailored, coordinated, and preventive policy action is needed, whereby economic development can be balanced with environmental stewardship and respect for marine ecosystems. (BBC Science Focus, Eye on the Arctic, Nature)

Nunavut Expands Arctic Transport Network with Modernization of Rankin Inlet Airport

As reported by Nunatsiaq News on March 23, Nunavut’s transportation and infrastructure minister, George Hickes, confirmed that Rankin Inlet’s new airport terminal is scheduled to open in April 2026. The new 2,650 square-meter facility will be able to accommodate up to 508 passengers and is funded jointly by the federal and territorial governments. The project is part of a broader initiative to upgrade six airports across Nunavut between 2020 and 2028, although initial delays occurred due to supply issues. (Nunatsiaq News) 

Take 2: Rankin Inlet’s new, soon-to-be-opened airport terminal exposes a basic weakness that continues to define much of the North American Arctic, namely a lack of connectivity due to limited or insufficient infrastructure. In Nunavut, local communities depend largely on air and seasonal sealift for mobility, goods, and services as there are no adequate roads connecting the territory to southern Canada. Air access largely shapes the cost and reliability of food shipments, access to employment and education, as well as the ability to reach health services that are not locally available. Airports are thus more than mere transport assets; they represent essential public infrastructure. When infrastructure is weak or outdated, travel becomes more difficult, costs remain high, and access to essential services is delayed or uncertain. This has pushed many local residents to move to urban centers far removed from their native communities. Inadequate transportation thus directly shapes daily life in the Canadian High North. The contrast with parts of the European Arctic is telling. Northern Norway, for instance, benefits from a strong and well-developed airport and road network that supports regional accessibility and connectivity. Meanwhile, the Canadian north continues to be confronted with limited and aging infrastructure with unequal coverage across the region. Rankin Inlet’s airport modernization is therefore an important development but serves as a simultaneous reminder of how much remains to be done. If Canada is serious about strengthening the resilience of its Arctic communities, a broader and more long-term infrastructure effort is needed. (Nunatsiaq News, Nunavut Tunngavik, Transport Canada)

EU and Iceland Deepen Arctic Security Cooperation

High North News shared on March 23 that the European Union and Iceland signed a new security and defense partnership. The agreement includes, among other issues, enhanced cooperation in the Arctic and North Atlantic, focusing on strengthening situational awareness, upholding rules-based order, and improving resilience and civil preparedness. Both parties further highlighted closer coordination on maritime security and critical infrastructure protection in northern regions. (High North News)

Take 3: The new EU-Iceland security and defense partnership is best understood as part of the Union’s broader efforts at growing its geopolitical posture in the region. For years, the EU’s Arctic engagement was centered on climate, research, sustainable development, and cooperation with local and Indigenous communities. Since 2022, however, the political context of the region has changed markedly. After many years of silence – there has not been an updated EU Arctic policy since 2021 – the EU is now changing its narrative about the region by emphasizing its security dimension to better reflect current realities. The agreement with Iceland therefore contributes to the EU’s attempt to build a denser network of partnerships in the region while shifting its profile from a regulatory and economic actor towards a more security-oriented one. While the partnership text touches upon many other areas, its Arctic component is noteworthy: it sets out a framework for deeper exchanges on regional security, Arctic matters, and maritime security. Iceland is part of the crucial Greenland-Iceland-UK (GIUK) gap and occupies a strategically important access point or gateway between the Arctic and North Atlantic. That renders the island a crucial partner for monitoring maritime movement, protecting sea lines of communication, and securing undersea infrastructure. For the EU, building regional influence through partnerships such as the one with Iceland thus contributes to anchoring a more comprehensive EU presence in the European Arctic. (CSIS, European External Action Service, European External Action Service, High North News)

US to Boost Military Presence on Greenland in Line with 1951 Agreement

Stars and Stripes announced on March 19 that the United States is seeking to expand its military presence on Greenland in three additional locations, in line with defense areas agreed upon in the 1951 agreement with Denmark. In addition to granting the US permanent access to Arctic waters, the expansions would add multiple capabilities to the American defense arsenal on the island, including space systems to support the establishment of the Golden Dome missile defense system, port access for special operations and the Navy, and would reinforce defenses against cruise missiles launched from the Arctic. (Stars and Stripes)

Take 4: The US clearly does not need to pursue ownership of Greenland to expand its military presence on the island. Under the 1951 agreement with Denmark, the United States can secure access to additional defense areas, build and operate military installations, improve harbors and anchorages, and station troops and equipment as needed. The legal and political instruments for expanding a US presence in Greenland have thus long been in place. This is significant because it underscores how deeper US involvement in Greenland can be pursued through established cooperation frameworks rather than through attempts at challenging the sovereignty of an ally. The 1951 agreement was specifically designed to facilitate defense cooperation while leaving sovereignty matters intact. That makes it a far more credible and sustainable basis for military expansion than suggesting that Greenland must somehow be acquired outright. Against this backdrop, the Trump administration’s earlier rhetoric about acquiring Greenland, including suggestions that this could happen with or without the use of military power, appears strategically excessive and counterproductive. Such statements created unnecessary alarm among longstanding allies and undermined trust with Denmark and Greenland. Denmark even sent blood supplies to Greenland and prepared contingency plans to destroy key airfields in the event of a US invasion. Following strong international backlash, the United States eventually stepped back from its confrontational language and instead referred to a framework for a “future deal”. This suggests a much-needed return to a more pragmatic approach rooted in alliance management and negotiated access. (DR, Lillian Goldman Law Library, Stars and Stripes, The New York Times)

Iqaluit Hosts Qaggiq 2026 to Celebrate and Share Inuit Traditions

As reported by Nunatsiaq News on March 25, a crew of iglu builders and 15 apprentices began constructing a large qaggiq (large iglu gathering space) and two smaller iglus in Iqaluit, the capital of Nunavut, in preparation for Qaggiq 2026, a free three-day cultural gathering running from March 27 to 29. Hosted by the Qaggiavut Nunavut Performing Arts Centre, the event will bring together performers and Inuit knowledge keepers from across the region. Activities include drum dancing, throat singing, cultural demonstrations, theatre, and traditional games to celebrate Inuit culture, share traditional knowledge, and enable cultural exchange. (Nunatsiaq News)

Take 5: The return of the Qaggiq event in Nunavut is significant and reflects sustained community demand for Indigenous cultural continuity in the Arctic. According to the organizers, residents had been asking for the gathering to return since the last edition in 2021, showing that it has become a valued cultural celebration. Indigenous cultural events do more than celebrate identity. They create a space for language, intergenerational learning, cultural preservation, and social connection at a time when many Inuit communities still face the prolonged repercussions of colonization and persistent social inequality. In this context, cultural gatherings serve as a form of resilience by reaffirming community authority over knowledge, performance, and public space. Qaggiq 2026 thus shows that Indigenous culture in the Arctic is not a remnant of the past. Rather, it is active, adaptive, and public. This is also visible beyond the Canadian Arctic. Norway’s annual Riddu Riđđu Festival continues to bring together Sámi and other Indigenous artists through music, workshops, literature, and youth programs, while the Swedish Arctic Arts Summit has developed into a major platform of circumpolar cultural exchange and cooperation. Such events significantly contribute to Indigenous unity and belonging, which is central to the wellbeing of local communities. Qaggiq’s value thus lies in lived experience: not by preserving culture behind museum walls but by practicing it collectively on Indigenous lands, rendering it a reaffirmation of cultural presence and continuity in the contemporary Arctic. (Arctic Arts Summit, Arctic Today, Nunatsiaq News, RidduRiđđu)