Recent debates surrounding expanded shipping in the Northwest Passage have centered around the voices of global powers for the attainment of economic growth. However, these works have not adequately explored the local ramifications of this decision and what it would mean in intimate port communities. This thesis addresses the wide-ranging implications of expanded shipping in the Northwest Passage for the local community of humans and non-humans in Portland, ME. Specifically, I will argue that vigilant attention must be drawn back to the material experience of global supply chains in a world that feels increasingly abstract. Using the work of anthropologists such as Anna Tsing and Alexis Shotwell, this thesis strives to explore the tenor of maritime life post-disaster.