One of the major challenges in understanding changes in coastal processes in western Alaska is the lack of measured ocean data in the region. This project leveraged existing human resources, and physical and computational infrastructure to collect and disseminate oceanographic observations in the Bering Sea. From instrument restoration, transport and deployment, through data streaming, recovery and dissemination, this project considered the end to end supports necessary to gather, promote, and serve oceanographic data along Alaska’s Western coast. Real‐time sea‐state conditions were transmitted via both high and low bandwidth sites, directly benefited emergency managers and local communities, particularly in dealing with small craft hazards and predicting storm surges and coastal erosion. In addition to these immediate benefits, the data produced provide a wealth of information through which public and private planners and scientists could identify long‐term trends, aid in planning safe transit, coastal development, and community safety efforts.
