Andrew Newman is a senior scientist for ERAP at NSF NCAR. He explores actionable, interdisciplinary science across regional hydroclimatic change, surface-water resource management, and climate and health studies. Andy is a member of the Arctic Rivers Project, a collaborative, five-year research initiative that studied how a warming climate affects rivers, fish, and Indigenous communities in Alaska and the Yukon Territory. 

The findings showed that rapidly warming temperatures and thawing permafrost are severely disrupting the Yukon River basin, causing thinner, unpredictable river ice that compromises vital winter travel corridors and isolates Indigenous communities. These environmental shifts, combined with localized stream acidification from permafrost degradation, have triggered a sharp decline in river biodiversity and heightened bioenergetic strain on subsistence fish species, directly threatening regional food security. Ultimately, the project successfully blended Western science with Indigenous knowledge to map these climate threats, while establishing a crucial framework for equitable, community-driven climate adaptation.

The Arctic Rivers team is being awarded AGU’s Science and Society Team Award, which recognizes a team of researchers and their partners representing both scientific and societal interests, with the goal of jointly addressing societal needs. 

Congratulations, Andy. This is important work and we're so proud of your effort.