Originally posted on U.S. Coast Guard Blog
As the cruise ship Crystal Serenity and her 1,700 passengers and crew began her maiden northerly voyage from Alaska to New York this past week, Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft and Arctic Caucus co-chairman Sen. Angus King held engagements in Greenland to personally observe and better understand the changes occurring in the Arctic. Diminishing sea ice is opening the Arctic to human activity, and Greenland’s melting ice sheet is leading to more icebergs and higher sea levels. These changes have implications for the U.S. and international community in various arenas to include mass rescue, pollution response, resource exploitation, human welfare, economic prosperity and national security.
Editor’s note: This is the first of three posts regarding Coast Guard Commandant Adm. Paul Zukunft’s engagements in Greenland. For the rest in the series, visit the Arctic Operations series tag on the U.S. Coast Guard Blog.