Coastal lagoons along Alaska’s Beaufort Sea are rapidly changing ecosystems where river wanter, carrying terrestrial inputs, melting sea ice, and marine waters converge. These environments are sensitive sentinels of climate change, recording how warming alters hydrology, food webs, and carbon cycling. During my M.S. research and with colleagues from the UT Austin, UA Fairbanks, and USFWS, I investigated long term trends in hydrology, trophic connections, and the role of terrestrial carbon subsidies in sustaining lagoon ecosystems.