Background Articles

The purported sighting caused a stir on St. Paul Island, a birding haven sometimes called the "Galapagos of the North" for its diversity of life. That's because stowaway rats can quickly populate and overrun remote islands, devastating bird populations.

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.

Alaska's largest sockeye salmon run exceeded expectations in numbers but featured the smallest fish on record, posing challenges for commercial harvest.

Permafrost Pathways started two years ago with the goal of mapping the permafrost thaw and putting that data into the hands of the communities themselves. As human-caused climate change continues to warm the region and the permafrost melts more and more, the project is expanding.

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.

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 slide Sunday afternoon just above the Southeast Alaska city’s downtown sent tons of debris and mud onto a half-dozen homes, killing one person and injuring three.

Landslides have killed at least 12 Alaskans in the past decade and destroyed homes and critical infrastructure.

A new study shows how federal grant funding has actually become an obstacle to climate adaptation.

An additional half an inch of rain could fall through the end of the week as Anchorage is seeing one of its wettest summers on record.

In 2023, tularemia occurred in a wildlife volunteer after exposure to a deceased, infected harbor seal, the first known report of tularemia acquired through contact with a marine mammal, and the first detection of F. tularensis in a marine mammal.

The Northeast, which has warmed faster than the rest of the country, saw the biggest jump in mosquito days. Look up how mosquito season has changed in your town.

Findings from European scientists were published in a journal late last year.

During this summer, the Norwegian archipelago of Svalbard has been melting five times faster than normal. "Svalbard is a hotspot for Arctic warming", experts warn.

A family with a 70-year history of setting nets in Cook Inlet has observed significant changes in salmon size and population, with a notable decrease in average earnings for fishermen.

Floodwaters from the Mendenhall River rushed under Sam and Amanda Hatch’s home last August at then record-levels. After the water receded, their house sank several inches into the saturated soil, shifting its foundations. As they rebuilt, the Hatch family decided to elevate their house by four feet on piers to avoid flooding in the future. Scraping together deals and favors, Sam Hatch said the whole process cost around $135,000. It was completed a month ago, he said.

The EPA settled with Red Dog Mine for failing to identify hazardous waste for over four years, marking the mine's largest violation in its 30-year operation.