Center for Marine Biodiversity and Conservation

Icebergs are dynamic floating masses of ice that play a critical role in global ocean circulation, marine ecosystems, and sea level rise (Cenedese and Straneo, 2023; NOAA, 2024). Formed over thousands of years, traveling southward through “Iceberg Alley” off the coast of Newfoundland, these ancient ice masses are shaped by wind, waves, sunlight, and seawater (Cenedese and Straneo, 2023; NOAA, 2024). Rising global temperatures accelerate the rate of iceberg calving and their longevity, thereby altering the sea level, the marine trophic web and the global meridional overturning circulation (Vernet et al., 2012; Arrigo, 2014; Sévellec, Fedorov and Liu, 2017; NOAA, 2024). 

Despite their ecological significance, icebergs are often perceived as distant, remote symbols of the Arctic, far removed from daily life. This perception hinders the general public’s understanding of the dynamic role icebergs play in the global ocean system. 

Drifting Giants is an interactive multimedia StoryMap designed to communicate the environmental importance of icebergs to a general audience through photography, video, scientific visualizations, and storytelling. By combining ocean science with digital media, the project aims to increase public understanding of the impacts of climate change on the Arctic and inspire ocean stewardship.

See media created for this project: https://storymaps.arcgis.com/stories/efa75ee8d8324129ba6a18a36b7f4e40