Ice Navigation Curriculum using the AVTEC Ship Simulator, Seward, Alaska

Alaska’s Arctic offshore has unprecedented attention for its prospects of mineral extraction, tourism, and new marine cargo delivery routes. The ship simulator operated by the Alaska Marine Training Center at AVTEC in Seward, Alaska, has capabilities for training ship crews for ice navigation duty, including simulation of variable ice conditions, winds, currents, and sea states. A curriculum developed by AVTEC in collaboration with the University of Alaska Anchorage, and Alaska Pilots satisfies proposed requirements of the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, with a view toward spill prevention, emergency operations, and Arctic port design.