Alaska is known for its spectacular wildlife, among the most iconic being the awe inspiring Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus) and the hyper-carnivorous polar bear (Ursus maritimus), living symbols of the frozen north, found in no other state. With the rapid increase of greenhouse gasses and global warming their icy habitat is shrinking at an alarming rate, threatening the survival of these magnificent marine mammals.

The Arctic is warming three times faster than the global average. This is mainly because melting snow and ice are exposing darker surfaces and increasing the amount of solar energy absorbed in these areas. With the overwhelming challenges the arctic is facing do we have what it takes to “keep Alaska chill?”

Also depicted in the artwork are a ribbon seal (Histriophoca fasciata) and a salmon snailfish (Careproctus rastrinus). The wording around the circle reads:

As above, so below, the shifting aurora’s curtain beneath the ocean’s green.