Expanding to the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region

Alaska Sea Grant has hired Katie Basile as a new specialist to serve the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region. Basile will focus on supporting communities in responding to a changing environment, including issues around erosion, permafrost thaw, flooding and food security. She will also collaborate with partners to expand access to scientific tools and information. 

Based in Bethel, where she has lived for most of her life, Basile will work out of the University of Alaska Fairbanks Kuskokwim Campus.

“I’ve observed many changes in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta since I was a kid—from increases in flooding and permafrost thaw to declines in resources like salmon that are so precious to us,” Basile said. “I’m grateful for the opportunity to learn more about what coastal resilience looks like in communities across the region and how I can support their efforts.”

Jointly funded by the Alaska Ocean Observing System, Katie is interested in identifying tools and data needs in the region. She will explore ways to make the AOOS Ocean Data Explorer—scientific and management data on the biological, chemical and physical characteristics of Alaska and its surrounding waters—more accessible and user-friendly. She will support local leaders and community members to  access the data they need to inform decisions and build resilience.

“I’m driven by the intersection of storytelling and data—and the impact they have when brought together,” Basile said. “Alaska Sea Grant is an ideal place to deepen this work. This year, I’ll be facilitating a coastal resilience youth storytelling initiative and spending time in communities to better understand their needs and priorities. These conversations will be essential in shaping the program I ultimately build.”

Since 2018, Basile has been working with Alaska communities affected by erosion, producing impactful visual storytelling projects such as the award-winning short film To Keep as One in collaboration with the Newtok Village Council. Her work has been featured by PBS NewsHour, The Washington Post Magazine, NPR, The New York Times, and High Country News Magazine. She is also a We, Women Photo and IWMF grantee, and the co-recipient of a National Edward R. Murrow Award for excellence in video reporting during her time at KYUK Public Media.

“For some time now, we’ve been looking for a way to bring back our presence in Bethel and the Y-K Delta region,” explained Alaska Sea Grant director Ginny Eckert. “For the first time since 2012, we will have someone directly connected to the community, working with our team to support the priorities of a region facing some of the most urgent coastal challenges in the state.”

Basile holds a B.A. in journalism from the University of Montana and has worked as a teaching artist for more than 15 years, leading storytelling and media workshops across rural Alaska. From youth-led reporting on teacher turnover, to documenting Yup’ik kayak building, Basile’s collaborative approach to storytelling explores both traditional knowledge and modern challenges in Alaska’s remote communities.

Basile lives in Bethel with her husband and their two young sons.