Background Articles

A new report reveals a rise in polar bears on land and dangerous travel conditions in Northwest Alaska due to climate change.

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.

The H5N1 bird flu virus has recently been detected in Alaskan wildlife, primarily affecting species like geese, ducks, and eagles. No human cases have been reported, but it poses a significant risk to domestic poultry flocks.

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.

Unusually large amounts of sea ice have brought more polar bears from Northeast to South Greenland, with many unable to return due to currents.

The unusually hot summer weather in the Moscow region this year may trigger an increase in populations of invertebrate species, the regional Environmental Ministry said this week.

ADF&G has confirmed the spread of the invasive European green crab in Alaska, urging increased monitoring and public awareness to mitigate its destructive impact on local ecosystems.

A potential rat sighting on St. Paul Island, which has maintained a rat-free status for over two decades, prompts urgent conservation efforts to protect local seabirds and wildlife.

An increase in chum salmon in the Canadian Arctic, potentially linked to climate change, may be the same fish missing from Western Alaska, raising ecological concerns.

Sea ice loss, warming waters and the northward expansion of fish species like pollock are all contributing to a pattern in the Bering Strait region known as “borealization.” That means the Arctic ecosystem is becoming more like the boreal region to the south.

Beavers are transforming Alaska's Arctic tundra, creating both challenges for local communities and ecological opportunities, as their population and dam-building activities alter landscapes and affect permafrost.

Alaska experts are grappling with the challenge of controlling the highly invasive Japanese knotweed, which is resistant to conventional eradication methods and threatens local ecosystems.

Geneviève Degré-Timmons, a PhD candidate, is studying why caribou use burned lands and when they stop using them, and has created a painting to represent the cycle of the boreal forest and caribou interactions within it.

The Okanagan Basin Water Board is proposing a temporary ban on out-of-province boats entering British Columbia's waterways to prevent the introduction of invasive mussels that could cause significant harm to the ecosystem and cost the province millions of dollars annually.

Chum salmon spawning in the Arctic may provide food for native fish species, helping them survive in the biologically unproductive waters, as scientists study the changing ecology of the region due to warming temperatures.

Most of the humpbacks were seen near the Inupiat village of Point Hope, indicating a feeding hotspot in that area. While sightings farther north have been less numerous, there has still been an increase in recent years. The study suggests that climate change and the reduction of Arctic sea ice may be a factor in the expansion of humpback whale range.

Common garter snakes are no longer rare in southwestern Newfoundland, and researchers are conducting genetic work to determine their origin.

Moose in Southeast Alaska are being harvested in new areas, indicating a potential expansion of their population and distribution.

A "weed smackdown" at an Anchorage park is part of a long-running campaign to stop the spread of plants that are harming the natural ecosystem.

An invasive species of mollusks, typically found in Southeast Alaska and established in Girdwood in 2015, have been reported in the Anchorage Bowl this year. “The European black slug is not necessarily new to Alaska,” Slowik said. “It was introduced into Cordova about the 1980s and it really stayed there for a long time.”