In the continuous permafrost zone, thermokarst processes are altering and accelerating as the climate changes. Surface subsidence is accelerating and thermokarst lakes are draining, while gullies are expanding and thaw slumps are widening. On the Baldwin Peninsula in West Alaska, such processes are evident and have direct consequences for the local environment as well as the city of Kotzebue. Furthermore, these landscape dynamics have far-reaching effects on biogeochemical cycles, as microbial activity in thawed sediments of thermokarst landforms decomposes organic matter and releases greenhouse gases, further contributing to global warming. To investigate these processes, sediment cores were collected in March 2024 along two transects that extend from upland areas through thermokarst disturbances into the near-shore zone of the Kotzebue Sound. Taliks were identified and sampled in two thermokarst lakes, a semi-drained lake, and a drained lake basin. These unfrozen sediments are of particular interest concerning organic matter decomposition and greenhouse gas production. A one-year long incubation experiment coupled with pre- and post-incubation n-alkane biomarker analyses on the sediments, aims to decipher organic matter patterns and potentials. First findings from this laboratory work will be presented at the 15th DACH Permafrost Conference.