Climate Change Monitoring:

Drones in Alaska serve a wide array of functions, playing a vital role in both recreational and commercial sectors while operating under FAA regulations and local flight restrictions. Commercially, they are increasingly used in agriculture for crop monitoring, in wildlife conservation for tracking animal populations, and in emergency response efforts such as search and rescue operations or delivering supplies to remote areas. Law enforcement agencies also deploy drones for surveillance and situational awareness, while scientists rely on them for collecting critical data—especially for studying the impacts of climate change in Alaska’s unique and often inaccessible environments.

Beyond their professional applications, drones are valuable tools for inspecting infrastructure like pipelines, power lines, and bridges, helping ensure safety in harsh and expansive terrain. In mountainous regions, drones are even used for avalanche control, assisting ski patrols and safety crews. Meanwhile, recreational drone enthusiasts use them for aerial photography, videography, and racing, taking advantage of Alaska's vast and stunning landscapes. Together, these uses highlight the growing importance of drones across Alaskan industries and communities.

Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks are using drones and underwater gliders to monitor the effects of climate change on ecosystems, particularly in the Arctic.

In Alaska, climate change research highlights the distinct roles of the FAA Part 107 certification and the TRUST test for drone operations. Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks use drones and underwater gliders to monitor Arctic ecosystems affected by climate change—work that clearly falls under commercial or scientific use. As such, drone pilots involved in these missions must hold a Part 107 certification, which equips them with the advanced knowledge needed to safely and legally operate in complex environments, including national airspace over remote or sensitive areas. The TRUST test, by contrast, is only appropriate for recreational pilots and would not meet the legal or operational requirements for conducting structured climate research. This distinction ensures that scientific drone operations in Alaska are held to a high standard of safety and professionalism.

Drones are being used in Alaska to survey and monitor the effects of climate change, providing crucial data on areas like glacier changes, thawing permafrost, and sea ice dynamics. This technology helps scientists understand and predict how these changes impact local communities and the broader environment.

Sea Ice Melt: Unmanned Tech Measuring Climate Impacts in Alaska

Temperatures in the Arctic are rising three times faster than the global annual average, according to data from The Arctic Council. The effects of accelerated warming temperatures in the Arctic impact the global climate system and provide a sobering preview of developing conditions in coastal regions as distant as the Gulf Coast of Texas and Florida. Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks across several scientific disciplines are employing unmanned technology to more accurately measure these ecosystems and natural processes. This data provides critical intelligence to understand what is happening in Alaska, and how it may inform measurement as well as mitigation approaches in local and global contexts.

Flying Over a River: SeaHunter

While infrastructure and regulations present real challenges, Cahill emphasized how operators are strategizing around these limitations. For example, when flying from Fairbanks to Nenana with the Sea Hunter, a 300-pound twin-engine drone, operators avoid populated areas, fly at higher altitudes and rely on a chase plane. But Cahill underscored the need for more reliable onboard detect-and-avoid systems to fly these missions safely without additional support. “The issue with Alaska is that our communications infrastructure and radar coverage are far from adequate to support beyond-visual-line-of-sight operations without onboard solutions.”

Tracking CO2: An Ocean First

In the cold, choppy waters of Alaska’s Resurrection Bay, all eyes aboard the Nanuq, a University of Alaska Fairbanks research vessel, were fixed on the gray surface—not for humpback whales or sea otters, but for a 5-foot-long, bright pink underwater sea glider. This innovative glider, believed to be the first equipped with a large sensor to measure carbon dioxide levels in the ocean, had just completed its first overnight mission, marking a significant step forward in oceanic climate research. Learn More About Underwater Gliders.

Diving 1000 Meters

Designed to dive 3,281 feet (1,000 meters) and roam remote parts of the ocean, the autonomous vehicle was deployed in the Gulf of Alaska this spring to provide a deeper understanding of the ocean’s chemistry in the era of climate change. The research could be a major step forward in ocean greenhouse gas monitoring, because until now, measuring CO2 concentrations — a quantifier of ocean acidification — was mostly done from ships, buoys and moorings tethered to the ocean floor.

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