After 115 Days at Sea: Northwest Passage Expedition Delivers Urgent Evidence of Arctic Climate Change
Exploring the Arctic: Beauty and Danger in a Changing Climate
For centuries, the Arctic has been the backdrop of iconic expeditions, many of which have ended in tragedy. This region exudes an irresistible frozen charm, akin to the enchanting call of mermaids that has lured sailors into treacherous waters.
The Arctic landscape captivates with its stark beauty — the shimmering reflections of the sun on the frozen ice, the towering majesty of icebergs, and the mesmerizing dances of the aurora borealis. Encounters with polar wildlife add to the enchanting allure, creating a breathtaking but perilous setting. However, the Arctic is not just an inviting wonderland; it is a harsh environment where the slightest miscalculation can lead to dire consequences.
As our planet warms, the dynamics of the Arctic are rapidly changing though. What was once viewed as a frozen frontier to conquer is now facing significant threats from human activity. The dramatic shifts we observe today may have repercussions far and wide, returning to haunt us as we upset the delicate balance of the ecosystem.
In this era of climate change, it is crucial to recognize both the beauty and the fragility of the Arctic. Understanding the impacts of our actions on this precious environment is essential for safeguarding its future and, ultimately, our own.
The Abel Tasman crossing the legendary Northwest Passage in one season (2024)
A Historic 17-Week Journey of Exploration and Scientific Discovery
A new Arctic expedition embarked on an extraordinary mission, destined to become a landmark in the history of exploration. The Northwest Passage Ocean Science Expedition is not just an adventurous endeavour to traverse the iconic Northwest Passage; it also seeks to raise awareness about the six Planet Tipping Points present in this region and document the profound impacts of climate change on this remote wilderness.
The route of the expedition (on the left) across the six tipping points (on the right)
Once deemed impassable, the Northwest Passage is becoming increasingly navigable, symbolizing the dramatic changes occurring in this polar environment. Climate change has already caused the loss of at least 75% of Arctic summer sea ice, unprecedented in the annals of human history. This expedition aims to bear witness to these extreme and catastrophic changes happening far from our immediate surroundings (yet impacting us all) while collecting crucial scientific data in a region that remains largely understudied.
Setting sail from Bergen, Norway, on June 10th, the four-month-long journey took the crew to Iceland, Greenland, and the Canadian Arctic Archipelago, concluding in Homer, Alaska, on October 8th. Led by Polar and Ocean Explorer Keith Tuffley, the team navigated 8,500 nautical miles (15,800 km) aboard the “Abel Tasman,” a 75-foot (23-meter) Bermuda Schooner specially designed for such expeditions. They successfully crossed the legendary Northwest Passage in a single season, passing through three oceans - across the Atlantic, across the Arctic, and to the Pacific.
The Abel Tasman was expertly managed by skipper Isak Rockström and first mate Alex Rockström, who are notably the sons of Professor Johan Rockström. An internationally recognized scientist, he developed the original Planetary Boundaries framework in 2009 and serves as the Expedition’s Patron and Science Advisor.
Throughout their voyage, the crew encountered many challenges: gales, unstable weather patterns, thick fog, unpredictable currents, and difficult anchorage conditions. Yet, these obstacles were only a hint of the rapid changes they began to witness in the ocean, ice, and land — serving as a vital early warning system for our planet’s health.
During this remarkable journey at sea, the team collected environmental DNA (eDNA, in collaboration with Nature Metrics) and microplastics samples (in collaboration with The Ocean Race), tested seawater temperature, salinity, and CO2 concentration, and recorded underwater acoustics (in collaboration with the University of Catalunya in Barcelona) — amassing over 115 days’ worth of data on Arctic biodiversity.
As climate change continues to affect this unique and fragile ecosystem, the knowledge gleaned from this expedition will be invaluable in guiding conservation efforts and enhancing our understanding of global environmental changes.
The Northwest Passage Expedition Crew
The Planet's Climate Tipping Points: From Scientific Discovery to Ecosystem Recovery in the Arctic?
The Arctic plays a critically important role in maintaining life on Earth. It helps cool the planet by reflecting sunlight and driving global ocean currents that distribute heat across the globe. However, this essential region and the millions of Inuit people and Arctic wildlife that call it home are under imminent threat. Through innovative ocean science and careful documentation of findings, the expedition aims to highlight what we stand to lose if we fail to act.
The Planetary Boundaries were first proposed in 2009 by Potsdam Institute for Climate Director, Johan Rockström, and a group of 28 internationally renowned scientists.
Scientific data reveals the alarming reality of rapid warming in the Arctic, coupled with a swift decline in sea ice and escalating ocean temperatures. The Arctic is warming nearly four times faster than the rest of the world and is now approximately 3°C warmer than it was in 1980.
At current levels of global warming, climate scientists warn that we risk crossing critical thresholds that could propel the world onto an irreversible path. To help us gauge these thresholds, scientists have identified 16 Global Tipping Points, which serve as measurable indicators of this crisis. Notably, six of these tipping points are located in the Arctic, underscoring its significance in climate science. These include:
The Labrador-Irminger Seas Convection Collapse
The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation Cessation
The Loss of the Greenland Ice Sheet
The Collapse of Arctic Winter Sea Ice
The Abrupt Thaw of Boreal Permafrost
The Northern Expansion of Northern Forests
The route of the Northwest Passage Ocean Science Expedition has been deliberately designed to encompass these six tipping points, providing a unique opportunity to observe and document one of the planet’s most critical bellwether regions.
As Professor Johan Rockström emphasizes, “Four of the sixteen Planetary Boundaries have already been breached. As these breaches escalate, we are likely to see social instability on a global scale.”
Earth’s systems are intricately interconnected, meaning that crossing one tipping point could increase the likelihood of crossing others, leading to an irreversible “tipping cascade.” If the planet becomes destabilized, there is a significant risk that the complex fabric of our society may unravel.
The Climate Stripes: A Symbol of Our Planet’s Hottest Day on Record in 2024
During its voyage, the Abel Tasman proudly unfurled its new “Climate Stripes” gennaker sail. This innovative concept, conceived by the leading team preparing for the expedition and inspired by the work of Professor Ed Hawkins, aims to communicate the alarming speed at which our planet is warming in a simple yet powerful visual format.
Each stripe on the sail represents a year’s average temperature relative to the long-term average, dating back to 1850, which marks the earliest point for high-quality surface temperature observations over both land and ocean. Remarkably, this is the first time the Climate Stripes have been displayed at sea.
The climate stripes show the change in average annual global temperatures since 1850. Red stripes indicate hotter years and blue stripes indicate cooler years.
In a twist of fate, the first successful sail of the gennaker took place in the same waters where the infamous Franklin Expedition's ships, Erebus and Terror, became trapped in pack ice for nearly two years from 1846 to 1848 before being abandoned and ultimately sinking. While the Franklin Expedition encountered a summer filled with impenetrable ice in the Victoria Strait, the current expedition navigated through waters that were predominantly ice-free.
The Abel Tasman’s gennaker serves as a stark reminder of the ongoing impacts of climate change, while simultaneously inspiring the urgent actions and systemic changes we must undertake to stabilize the Earth’s climate.
As Keith Tuffley passionately states, “Our collective goal, for the sake of humanity, must be to BRING BACK THE BLUE!”
Keith Tuffley worked in investment banking for many years before moving to climate activism.
He joined The B team after a call from Richard Branson and helped set up the UN SDGS & Net Zero 2050 campaign in 2015.
He is now very involved in making the link between the natural world and the business world.
“22 July will be a day that will forever be etched in my memory.
It was memorable as it was the hottest day ever recorded on our planet. By coincidence we were sailing across Disko Bay Greenland, one of the most important places on earth for climate change.
As we navigated across the iceberg-laden bay towards Ilulissat Icefjord, we were witness to the spectacle of thousands of fast-melting icebergs that had calved from the Jacobshavn / Sermeq Kujalleq glacier. It is one of most active glaciers in the world, producing 10% of the whole of the Greenland Ice Sheet’s calved ice, more than any other glacier in the northern hemisphere.
One of our most fascinating science projects has been underwater acoustics, and with our expert sound recordist Sebastian Sanchez we were able to make ultra-high quality recordings of the underwater world as we nestled quietly next to icebergs. Have you ever listened to thousands of icebergs melting at an unprecedented, accelerated rate? It brings a new sensory dimension to our warming, heating, melting planet.
While we marvelled at the beauty of this area, we were struck by the significance of what we were witnessing - on the hottest day ever recorded, we were seeing (and hearing) the single biggest source of melting ice outside of Antarctica.
The Ilulissat Icefjord has been a focal point for scientific study on climate change & glaciology for over 250 years. Yet this year’s record heat underscores an urgent message: the Greenland Ice Sheet is rapidly melting and is approaching a critical Tipping Point. If temperatures rise beyond 1.5°C the melting of the Ice Sheet could become self-amplifying and irreversible. This is serious, it is imminent, and it has truly global ramifications.”
The Arctic Is YOUR Business
A key objective of the expedition is not only to provide scientific evidence and educational materials but also to engage the business and finance community directly.
While the global financial and commercial centers may seem worlds away from the Arctic, businesses play a crucial role in regulating the Earth's systems. The emissions they produce, the resources they extract, and the decisions and investments they make significantly influence environmental outcomes.
Acousting sampling on an iceberg
The global economy heavily relies on a healthy planet, and businesses are increasingly exposed to climate and nature-related risks. In fact, over half of the world’s GDP is highly or moderately dependent on nature and its services.
The Arctic serves as an urgent indicator of the stark realities of global warming. The region is facing mounting threats from oil exploration, seabed mining, microplastic pollution, and overfishing.
Raising awareness within the business and finance sectors about the scale and urgency of these challenges is a vital component of the Northwest Passage Ocean Science Expedition's mission.
As Keith Tuffley emphasizes, “We want to use this voyage to show the private sector why it’s imperative to take action now. We already have the solutions to address these global challenges; we simply need to act at scale and with urgency.”
Embracing Change: Our Responsibility in the Arctic
Once, the Arctic was seen as a formidable region to conquer — a Goliath to humanity's David. Today, however, we face a new challenge: adapting our lifestyles and activities to honour the planet's boundaries and protect the fragile balance of our ecosystems. This requires us to better understand and embrace our environments in a more harmonious way, which often involves accepting the need to adjust our behaviours and practices to align with nature.
Through adversity, we learn and grow. Many polar explorers have shared their journeys to the Arctic, recounting tales of introspection and the profound courage, wisdom, and resilience needed to survive in some of the harshest conditions on Earth. The challenge we confront today is not so different.
It demands tremendous courage, wisdom, and resilience — not only to adapt to external pressures but also to master our own tendencies for the sake of humanity's future. In this journey, we must cultivate the inner strength essential for navigating the complexities of climate change and fostering a sustainable relationship with our planet.
Importantly, everyone has a role to play in this vital quest. Tackling climate change can transform into a joyful journey that unites us all, inspiring collective action and collaboration as we work towards a healthier planet. Together, we have the power to create a new Earth, founded on sustainability and shared purpose.
Images Credit: Northway Passage Ocean Science Expedition
Learn more about the expedition here
Crew members:
Keith Tuffley, Expedition Leader
Sylvestre Campe, Film Director
Cléo Campe, Field Producer
Karina Oliani, Expedition Doctor/Mountaineer
Kester Haynes, Paramotor Adventurer
Isak Rockström, Skipper of the S/V “Abel Tasman”
Alex Rockström, First Mate of S/V “Abel Tasman”
Sebastian Sánchez, Sound Recordist
Ramon Gonçalves, Cameraman