Background Articles

A new AI radar system called "Bear-dar" has been developed to detect polar bears remotely and send alerts to notify people of their presence, and could potentially be used to detect grizzly and black bears as well, helping humans and bears coexist safely.

Extreme flooding on Alaska's Arctic highway in 2015 caused thaw-induced sinking in the permafrost terrain up to 3 inches deep, with the most significant effects occurring in ice-rich areas, according to a newly published study.

Toxicological studies spotlight the effects of pollutants on polar bears and whales, with new research strategies being developed to understand their impact on marine life.

Algal blooms in the Liffey River threaten Dublin's drinking water due to pollution and climate change, raising concerns about the safety of fish and the future impact on water treatment.

The Western Arctic Caribou Herd in Alaska has continued to decline, with a 7% decrease in population from the previous year, prompting concerns about the need for harvest reduction to preserve the herd.

A new atlas exploring permafrost in the Arctic aims to provide a comprehensive understanding of the changes occurring in the region, featuring maps, illustrations, photographs, artwork, and testimonials from Arctic residents and scientists.

A UK study has found that some species of seabirds are developing immunity to avian influenza, which has caused significant mortalities in wild bird populations and poses a threat to human health.

Nipissing First Nation in Ontario, Canada is using innovative methods, such as aerating water and replacing invasive species with wild rice, to heal environmental damage and improve the ecosystem.

If puffin hunting is banned, that population is expected to decrease by over 10% over the next decade. If hunting continues to be permitted, however, the population is expected to decrease by 30% or even as much as 50% within that same period.

The warming of the Arctic has caused a significant shift in the ecosystem of Great Slave Lake, with smaller diatoms replacing larger ones, potentially impacting the lake's productivity, carbon dynamics, food web, and nearby communities.

Amid declining salmon runs, Coastal Villages Region Fund has shifted away from subsidizing village-based seafood processing. Coastal Villages used to pursue that mission in large part by operating smaller commercial fisheries for salmon and halibut. Each year, the fishing season was an opportunity to earn wages at the group’s processing facilities or for local fishermen to earn cash selling their catch — an economic lifeline for many families in one of the state’s poorest regions.

The North Atlantic right whale population in Canada has stabilized, with no reported deaths since 2019, but there are still concerns about entanglements and low birth rates.

New research off Cape Breton reveals that female pilot whales are the most frequent leaders during dives, often leading from the left or right flank, which could provide insights into mass strandings and help guide whales out of stranding situations more efficiently.

The global surge of highly pathogenic avian influenza H5N1 has led to significant outbreaks and the need for vigilant surveillance and proactive measures to manage and mitigate future outbreaks.

The Environmental Protection Agency has determined that lead emissions from small planes pose a threat to public health, potentially leading to the agency's first-ever limits on lead fuel in aviation.

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.

Several bird species in the forest in Stord, Vestland, Norway are experiencing a significant decline, as indicated by the Raudlista 2021 report. Since 1980, 600 million birds in Europe have disappeared..

A new study suggests that more than 75% of Earth's near-surface permafrost will be gone by the end of the century, leading to major implications for cold-climate regions like Alaska where permafrost covers the majority of the state and thawing is already well underway, resulting in sinking and unstable infrastructure and significant costs for adaptation.

Many municipalities still have outdated sewage systems that are at risk of flooding during heavy rainfall.

The U.S. Department of the Interior released a 1,200-page supplemental environmental impact study (EIS) on the proposed Ambler Access Road in Alaska, which reveals potentially greater social and environmental impacts than previously thought, including concerns about disrupting traditional hunting and fishing lifestyles and causing permafrost thaw.