Gradual sea ice reduction and reconfiguration of the coast, have increased the rate of erosion near Port Heiden over the course of several decades. Draining of Goldfish Lake brings memories, loss of community landmark, and many emotions.
This year was one of the warmest and wettest in recorded history and permafrost thaw is causing the ground at the community cemetary to thaw and erode. The community is seeking guidance on best practices for relocation of remains.
Nils Thomas discovered "sinkhole" in the middle of Finnmarksvidda. Scientists have long warned against this, and now it happened.
Instead of halibut, fisherman are increasingly catching less valuable Pacific cod, voracious bottom feeders whose numbers in recent years have exploded.
The number of chinook salmon that reached the Whitehorse fish ladder this year hit a 40-year low, and it's not clear why. Just 282 chinook passed through the fish ladder this year, compared to 690 last year. "We did see some large pre-spawn mortality die-offs in a tributary of the Yukon River — the Koyukuk in Alaska. This was for summer chum, and not chinook — but we expect that that higher water temperature also affected the chinook migrating through."
While there is no risk to human health, the species of moth can decimate forests
A variety of stranded marine mammals were observed in the Port Heiden area between August 17 and 26th.
Federal fisheries experts paint devastating picture of the challenges facing Pacific salmon and point to climate change as the main culprit.
"Camphor Trees typically seem healthy in this region and are invasive. Massive simultaneous failure of most branches seems unusual."
The Whitehorse fish ladder is seeing a slower start to the season than usual, with fewer fish than average having passed through at this point compared to previous years.
"Jakolof Creek is dry almost all the way up to the switchbacks and continues to recede. The early run of red salmon may have made it to the lake, but that is probably the only run that has."
Southeast Alaska has suffered from a drought and warmer-than-normal temperatures for about two years now. The month of July broke more records.
More than 50 birds and a seal were found along the shoreline.
In early October 2013, local fishers Eli Nukapigak and Edward Nukapigak Jr. alerted wildlife officials to the discovery of “sick fish” in their nets near Nuiqsut. The aanaakłiq had fuzzy grayish-white patches on their bodies, fins, and heads. Cottony masses almost covered the eyes of some fish. None of the fishers in the community recalled seeing this condition before.
"We were lucky to have the berm in place. The next day, the water levels went down and the erosion was noticeable."
During the summer of 2019, warm water temperatures lowered the amount of dissolved oxygen in rivers and caused salmon across the state, including Mountain Village, to die before they were able to spawn.
Caution: Blue Green Algae has been detected in the Lower Klamath River and contact with water is not advised. Samples in the South Slough located in the Estuary of the River and near the confluence of Tulley Creek and the Klamath River recently detected low levels of toxic algae.
Salmon are dying along the Andreafsky River and Lower Yukon River before spawning out. Water surface temperatures have been unusually warm, at one point reaching 70 degrees Fahrenheit.
"I am worried that unless we do something, the algae will kill the lake, or at least our enjoyment of it."
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