The report's stories cover a wide swath of the our recent basic and applied research accomplishments, and showcase how we transition knowledge and material products to operational use.

APL-UW Principal Oceanographer Caitlin Whalen is the recipient of the 2026 Rosenstiel Award. The award was presented on 27 April by Igor Kamenkovich, Chair of the Ocean Sciences Department at the Univ. of Miami Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science.

News from the National Snow and Ice Data Center has drawn attention in spring 2026. When a previous record low maximum was observed in 2017 APL-UW polar scientists discussed seasonal weather effects and the long-term trends for Arctic sea ice. Watch the YouTube video.

Laboratory researchers are team members planning next-generation NASA missions. EDGE will be the first swath-mapping laser altimeter, providing coverage and resoltuion of the Earth's surface features greater than ever before.

Two teams led by APL-UW engineers are developing low-cost, air-deployable profiling floats that could be dropped in large numbers to achieve sufficient density to study small-scale, upper ocean dynamics. Read the NOPP release.