There is no deepwater port in the U.S. Arctic, the GAO report notes. Most ports north of the Aleutian Islands are shallow, and coastal areas in Arctic Alaska lack surface links to roads or rail systems.
Less than 1 percent of navigationally significant waters in the U.S. Arctic have been surveyed with modern technology, said a federal report released on Friday.
The report, from the Government Accountability Office, said commercial maritime activity in Arctic waters off Alaska will likely be limited over the next 10 years. A variety of reasons are responsible for that, including high operating costs, limited demand from tourists for Arctic cruises and uncertainties and setbacks in plans for offshore Arctic oil drilling, the GAO report said.
Lack of facilities and infrastructure to support Arctic shipping has also emerged as a limiting factor on shipping activity, the GAO report said.