NASA completes summer mission in Alaska

ANCHORAGE - The Coast Guard says NASA has concluded a summer research mission in Alaska, working from an ice breaker.

The agency spent weeks on board the Coast Guard Cutter Healy, the nation's largest ice breaker.

Scientists collected ice and water samples, with a goal of taking a close look at how conditions in the Arctic are affecting ocean chemistry and ecosystems that play a critical role in global climate change.

The Seattle-based Healy was expected to arrive in Seward Wednesday before heading out on another mission, a collaboration with the Canadian Coast Guard to map the floor of the Arctic Ocean.