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WWF's U.S. Arctic Program aims to achieve 'nature-positive impacts' by 2030, focusing on four pillars: ensuring 30% of the seascape is protected, assisting 40% of coastal communities with Climate Change Adaptation Plans, ensuring 100% of wild-caught seafood is sustainably harvested, and managing Central Arctic Ocean fisheries through a precautionary and cooperative approach. The program's work includes supporting Indigenous-led conservation, developing blue finance for land protection in Bristol Bay, and establishing operational standards for shipping in the Bering Strait.

The report examines the 'blue corridors' of the Eastern Pacific Ocean, from the Bering Strait to the Antarctic Peninsula, highlighting how these migratory routes are essential for whale survival and ocean health. It details cumulative threats including ship strikes, fisheries bycatch, ghost gear, underwater noise, and climate change. The document advocates for the implementation of connected networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) and Other Effective Area-based Conservation Measures (OECMs) to meet the global 30x30 target, while proposing specific regional initiatives like the Eastern Tropical Pacific Marine Corridor (CMAR) and the Global Oceans Treaty (BBNJ) to protect whales in international waters.

The report examines the expansion of maritime activity in the Arctic, specifically the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and the Bering Strait, driven by climate change and Russia's strategy to monetize hydrocarbon reserves. It highlights a doubling of vessel transits in the Bering Strait since 2009 and warns of severe risks including oil spills, noise pollution, and disruptions to Indigenous subsistence activities. Despite geopolitical sanctions, the document argues that Russia's long-term commitment to Arctic infrastructure and the growing interest of 'near-Arctic' states like China will likely sustain the increase in traffic, necessitating urgent international cooperation and stricter shipping regulations to protect the fragile ecosystem.

The report argues that whales are sentinel species for ocean health and critical for climate regulation, but face imminent extinction risks from cumulative threats. It advocates for 'connectivity conservation' through the establishment of blue corridors and networks of Marine Protected Areas (MPAs) to safeguard migratory routes across national and international waters.

The Bering Strait is experiencing a significant increase in vessel transits due to climate-driven sea ice decline and the expansion of the Northern Sea Route. This growth elevates risks of oil spills, ship strikes on marine mammals, and pollution in a biologically productive region vital to Indigenous subsistence. While the IMO approved two-way routes and Areas to Be Avoided in 2018, the report argues that current frameworks like the Polar Code have gaps regarding heavy fuel oil and underwater noise. WWF recommends that the US and Russia collaborate to implement e-navigation technologies, a joint Sea Traffic Coordination Center, and a transboundary Area to Be Avoided around the Diomede Islands, alongside industry-led speed restrictions and zero-discharge zones.

The report details a 90-minute tabletop exercise simulating a nuclear maritime accident in the Bering Strait in 2050. The exercise identified critical gaps in Arctic infrastructure, including the fact that only 6% of Arctic waters are charted to modern standards and a lack of predictive atmospheric and ocean circulation models for winter conditions. Key findings emphasize the need for integrated indigenous emergency response infrastructure, the establishment of 'Confidence Building Measures' (CBM) with Russia to manage high-level nuclear contingencies, and the necessity of a common, multi-agency observation network to track changing Arctic storm patterns. The document argues that proactive research into radionuclide transport and the creation of an Arctic operations center are essential to avoid catastrophic failures in situational awareness and operational response.

The Arctic Resilience Interim Report 2013 provides a framework for understanding the interdependence of Arctic social and ecological systems. It identifies biophysical thresholds—such as sea-ice loss and permafrost degradation—and social thresholds that threaten the well-being of indigenous and non-indigenous peoples. The report emphasizes that resilience is not merely the ability to maintain a state but includes the capacity for adaptation and transformation. It highlights the critical role of traditional knowledge and the need for adaptive governance to manage the cumulative impacts of climate change, industrial development, and geopolitical shifts.