‘The ocean is their garden’: Whalers to measure wave height and direction before going out into the sea

The ocean is their garden’ showcases the Backyard Buoys project, which equips North Slope whalers with compact, affordable wave buoys to deliver real-time sea-state data. Backed by a $4.98 million NSF grant, it blends Indigenous knowledge and scientific tools to boost safety, self-determination, and climate resilience in Alaska’s subsistence communities.