Background Articles

A new conservation initiative allows the Nuiqsut community and its Native corporation to oversee 1 million acres around Teshekpuk Lake to protect caribou habitat from oil drilling impacts.

Orcas have begun to inhabit Arctic waters due to melting sea ice, posing threats to local whale species and potentially affecting Indigenous communities reliant on these ecosystems.

Despite the inability to conduct a population count this year due to weather conditions, recent data indicates slightly improved survival rates for cows and calves in the Western Arctic Caribou Herd, offering a glimmer of hope amid ongoing concerns about the herd's decline.

Researcher Sjúrður Hammer advocates for an immediate hunting ban on fulmars, kittiwakes, and skuas in the Faroe Islands to prevent possible extinction of these seabirds due to significant population declines.

Deer populations in southwestern British Columbia have expanded beyond historical levels, causing significant harm to forest plants and bird species. This article explores the impacts and possible solutions to manage deer populations and restore ecological balance.

In Ruby, Alaska, Indigenous families face cultural and nutritional challenges as climate change and fisheries management impact the availability of chinook and chum salmon, central to their traditions.

A study identifies shrinking salmon size as a factor affecting Chinook salmon productivity in Alaska's Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers, impacted by conditions like extreme temperatures and high runoff.

A newly updated report titled 'Alaska's Changing Environment' explores the climatic shifts affecting Alaska, from landslides to late freezes, emphasizing the significant impact of climate change.

A University of Alaska Fairbanks study links king salmon decline in the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers to climate change impacts such as warming temperatures, which decrease salmon body size and breeding efficiency.

A sudden cold snap devastated peach and wine grape crops in B.C., compounding economic challenges faced by apple-growers, leading farmers to diversify or sell their land.

Charles Menadelook conducted carcass surveys in the Norton Sound Region to monitor harmful algal blooms and bird flu, aiming to protect subsistence hunters by identifying threats to regional food resources.

The Gwich'in are mobilizing to protect the Porcupine caribou herd's calving grounds from potential oil and gas drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, as promised by President-elect Trump.

The South-central Invasive Species Strike Team is actively working in Bristol Bay to manage and control the spread of invasive species, such as Bird Vetch, which threaten local ecosystems essential for subsistence in Alaska.

Flooding in Valencia, Spain, has significantly decreased the supply of clementines to Iceland for Christmas, as only a quarter of the usual volume is expected this year.

First frosts are already arriving later in some parts of the state, allowing growers to keep their crops in the field longer. Research done at the University of Alaska Fairbanks predicts the growing season could be weeks or even months longer by 2100. A new training program in the Interior aims to help Alaska Native communities grow more of their own food.

Researchers believe that if permafrost thaw continues at its current rate and mercury keeps being released, it could pose a real threat to many communities throughout northern and western Alaska.

Moose hunting in Alaska's Game Units 22C and 22D was closed after hunters quickly reached the quota, with a record 40 moose harvested in 22C in just two days.

The caribou population on the Nushagak Peninsula is thriving, with an estimated 600 caribou in the herd.

The ACAT report reveals that the Arctic Ocean Basin has the highest global concentration of microplastics, posing significant health risks to local wildlife and residents.

Climate change is affecting nearly every aspect of life, said Gwich’in Council International board member Evon Taa’ąįį Peter, who is Neetsaii Gwich’in and Koyukon Athabascan. For one thing, he told ICT, more than 60% of the forest lands of the Alaskan Gwich’in nation have burned in wildfires in the past 10 years. As of July 10, 582,000 acres had burned this year in 328 wildfires in Alaska. “I couldn’t open the windows of my house for seven days straight, I think, because it would just let smoke billow into my home, which was already too unhealthy for us to be outside. So most of us just had to remain indoors…so there’s definitely very real dramatic and in-our-face impacts from climate change across the state, even in (an urban area like) Fairbanks,” Peter said.