No obvious cause of death for this adult and juvenile otter.

Starfish wasting observed in Kassan for the first time in several years.

Sand dunes disappear with more frequent and powerful storms in Western Alaska. These storms have impacted bird nesting grounds and tundra plants.

An unusually large Noctiluca bloom in Kasaan Bay. Noctiluca scintillans is a non-toxic algae bloom, generally considered harmless to humans.

A crab was caught on the ice just offshore in Nome. It had a small invertebrate in the gills of the crab.

Four dead seals have washed up on a beach in Trinidad, California, with locals noting an unusual occurrence as they have not seen this many washed up at once in recent years.

Water floods the Kotzebue lagoon. Grasses can be seen in July and a month later in August the water has risen 4-6 ft.

Out commercial fishing on the water in the inter Kotzebue Sound the weather was calm and there were miles and miles of a strange floating orange layer on the surface.

White cysts in the muscle of salmon could be caused by Henneguya salminicola also called "tapioca disease". It affects the texture of the meat but is not a health concerns for people. White cysts could also however, be from a tape worm. That is a human health concern. Guidance on how to check the cysts to confirm and how to prepare food so it is safe to eat, is provided.

"My son found this helmet floating here in Prince William Sound."

"In our country Afghanistan I have observed that the level of water is decreasing day by day."

There are miles of dead fish washing up on the beach. That's not all. Just breathing the air can be harmful.

A rare sighting is possible indicator of prey abundance.

December should have sea ice development in Norton Sound. But no sign of ice yet this year. Several storms have moved northward across the western Bering Sea and brought strong winds and bouts of above freezing weather to the Teller area and all of the Bering Strait region.

Ali Ralson was riding her 4 Wheeler towards Cape Blossom and came upon a beach full of fish. It appears that most of the fish are stickleback although there may be other species involved too. This would suggest an environmental issue that would impact multiple fish species rather than a pathogen. One potential cause could be harmful algal toxins.

The aftermath of Typhoon Merbok left fuel tanks floating and home flooded, but locals also saw an opportunity.

Storms can bring a bounty to the beach - driftwood sometimes or in this case, clams! But be careful out there. There are new concerns about emerging levels of harmful algae in Western Alaska waters, which could impact shellfish and human health.

On September 17, 2023 Typhoon Merbok hit the coast of Tununak, Alaska. Here are some photos taken by Roseanne Panruk, after the storm caused by Typhoon Merbok

The cormorants moved in when the peregrins did not return this year. "We believe (they did not return) because of the bird flu."