Background Articles

The 4 million deaths of common murres during the intense marine heatwave was the biggest wildlife toll in modern history, the study says

A study revealed that 4 million common murres died during the North Pacific marine heatwave known as the 'Blob,' marking the biggest bird die-off in recorded history.

Despite reduced overall ice coverage in Canada's Northwest Passage, the Arctic shipping season is shortening due to increased mobility and breakage of sea ice creating navigational hazards.

The report reveals an unusual increase in polar bear presence on land in Northwest Alaska due to declining sea ice, posing challenges for human-bear interactions and travel safety, while warming temperatures and shifting seasons complicate traditional travel and hunting practices.

A fishing vessel capsized in the Gulf of Alaska during a storm, leaving seven empty survival suits but no sign of the five-member crew.

Alaska's seafood industry is facing significant challenges due to climate change, geopolitical factors, and economic pressures. Efforts to address these issues are underway, but solutions are complex and require substantial investment and policy change.

Scientists observed North Atlantic right whales in Cape Cod Bay with abundant food, offering hope for a strong feeding and breeding season.

The article emphasizes the importance of voting for climate-conscious leadership in the wake of unusual and severe flooding in an Arctic community during winter.

Power was restored in Rytkuchi, Chukotka after a storm caused village-wide flooding.

The seafood industry around the world has faced market turmoil. Few Alaska communities have been hit harder than King Cove.

Despite rapidly freezing Arctic waters, Moscow continues to send more than 20 years old ships without ice class to the Northern Sea Route. 'They are compromising security,' a Norwegian professor in ice navigation says.

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.

This research compiles over a century of local flood data in Alaska to improve future flood risk prediction and planning, addressing the lack of accessible historic flood information for community and regional use.

The melting of polar ice sheets due to climate change is causing Earth's rotation to slow down and its axis to shift, potentially surpassing the moon's influence on these dynamics and affecting technologies like GPS.

The long-term decline is believed to be due to the accumulated effects of fishing and unfavourable environmental conditions, such as high sea temperatures, according to the findings of independent experts based on Erpur Snær's data, who has been monitoring puffins for a long time.

Adult abundance “well below” fishery thresholds on both beaches. This outcome was not unanticipated, as the department said when opening the fishery in Ninilchik last year that adult abundance met necessary thresholds for allowing harvest — at least meeting or exceeding 50% of the historical average — but juvenile abundance was low, meaning there would likely not be enough adult clams this year or next.

Nome experienced a record-breaking influx of 1,800 cruise ship passengers from the MS Westerdam, enjoying a variety of local tours, cultural presentations, and the Berry Festival during their full-day port of call visit.

Alaska's impending water quality regulations may necessitate advanced treatment for contaminants like phthalates in wastewater, posing challenges for local systems to comply with stricter EPA standards.

The institute started monitoring the cyanobacteria situation at the beginning of June and will continue until the end of September.

The EPA is pushing Alaska to update water pollution rules due to Alaskans' high seafood consumption, with state officials acknowledging the need for revised standards.