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Observations

Two Bears Are Shot In Building on HPR
A brown bear and one of her two cubs were shot and killed by a Sitka resident early Thursday after the animals entered into a storage building in the 4200 block of Halibut Point Road, in the vicinity of the Sitka Sound Cruise Terminal, and were trying to get into freezers.
Sitka, Alaska, United States

Juneau water levels recede after moderate Mendenhall Lake and River glacial outburst
The National Weather Service has canceled a flood warning issued Saturday as waters continue to recede Monday morning.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media
Adelyn Baxter, KTOO - Juneau and Clarise Larson, KTOO - Juneau

Juneau glacial outburst flooding begins; Mendenhall Lake and River set to hit near-record levels
Minor flood stage will begin Monday morning, with flood water expected to crest sometime early Tuesday.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
KTOO

Downtown Juneau apartment building evacuated following landslide
A landslide in Juneau, Alaska, prompted the evacuation of an apartment building, with no injuries reported but further slides expected due to heavy rain.
Juneau, Alaska, United States
Alaska Public Media

Climate Change Linked to Berry Declines
Observations and research across Alaska indicate shifting berry ripening times and unpredictable yields, with climate change as a key factor affecting these important subsistence and cultural resources.
Sitka, Alaska, United States
Gemini , Jerry Hupp, Jordan Tanguay , Katie Spellman

Close encounters with curious Juneau killer whale a reminder of city's wild nature
Before she knew what was happening, a large female killer whale lifted Bloom’s paddleboard up out of the water. “And at that moment it was like terror,” Bloom said.
Alaska Public Media

Arrival of heavy rain means risk for structures, boats and avalanches even higher after record snow
Heavy rain forecasted after record snowfall in Juneau increases risks of structural damage, boat sinkings, and avalanches, prompting officials to urge residents to clear drains and snow from properties and vessels.
Juneau Empire

Lingering storm may dump more than two feet of snow; avalanche, other warnings issued
Snowfall totals for the 24-hour period ending at about noon Monday were 10.4 inches at Juneau International Airport. Rain is forecast from Tuesday night through at least next Monday as temperatures hover between the mid-30s and about 40, according to NWS Juneau.
Juneau Empire

Storm leaves behind 29.3” of snow at airport, avalanche hazards, closed schools and state offices
A severe storm in Juneau resulted in 29.3 inches of snow at the airport, causing avalanches, road closures, and the shutdown of schools and state offices.
Juneau Empire

Eaglecrest opening delayed again, target date now TBD
Eaglecrest Ski Area's opening is delayed again due to warm weather and rain, with no new target date set for the season start.

How Alaska wildlife officials saved a humpback whale found 'hogtied' to a 300-pound crab pot
Alaska wildlife officials collaborated with whale experts to successfully rescue a humpback whale that was entangled in crabbing gear off the coast of Gustavus, Alaska, preventing it from dying.
Gustavus, Alaska, United States

Humpback whale calf found dead near Juneau was killed by a large boat, biologists say
A humpback whale calf found dead near Juneau, Alaska was killed by a large boat, according to biologists who found deep lacerations on the calf's body and pectoral fin likely caused by a propeller, highlighting the risks of vessel strikes and the need for reduced speeds and increased distance between boats and whales.

Dead humpback whale calf washes up near Juneau, may have been struck by vessel
A dead humpback whale calf named Tango was found washed up near Juneau, Alaska, and an investigation is underway to determine if it was struck by a vessel.

"Small" landslide occurs downtown; one home impacted, no injuries reported
Officials evacuate nearby homes, caution residents in high-slope areas.

Record flooding from Suicide Basin destroys one home, swamps others and cuts off access
A home collapses into the Mendenhall River on Saturday due to a record amount of flooding from Suicide Basin since an annual cycle of water release began there in 2011. Officials said nobody was injured when the house collapsed, but other structures along the riverbank are at risk. (Screenshot from video by Sam Nolan).

Scientists say Tongass trees could bounce back from budworm infestation
Scientists with the U.S. Forest Service believe that the blackheaded budworm, whose numbers surged over the past three years, is now in decline.
Chichigof Islands

It’s not easy being evergreen in Juneau, as infestation of budworms lingers
Juneau, Alaska, is experiencing a persistent infestation of budworms that is causing significant defoliation, despite the outbreak tapering off in other regions.

Fluctuating Juneau weather set the stage for an avalanche at Eaglecrest
The upper mountain at Eaglecrest Ski Area in Juneau was closed on Friday following a large avalanche Thursday morning. No one was hurt.

Juneau’s Basin Road Trestle closed until further notice after rockfall
A boulder tumbled down the face of Mount Roberts early Wednesday, damaging one side of the Basin Road Trestle’s wooden railing and closing the road. Mattice says slides are more common in the fall, but warm, wet conditions this winter contributed to the rockfall — especially this weekend’s heavy rains.

How far has the Mendenhall Glacier retreated in the last 12 months?
Juneau resident James Wycoff noticed on his regular walks to Nugget Falls that the face of the glacier seemed to be retreating faster this year than he’s ever seen before. The Mendenhall Glacier’s terminus retreated more than 800 feet.
Mendenhall Glacier
KTOO

City set to begin cleanup after landslide
The City and Borough of Juneau on Tuesday began the multi-day process of cleaning up after a Monday night landslide in the area of Gastineau Avenue.The landslide damaged three homes and displaced residents, but there were no injuries reported.

Southeast Alaska’s budworm infestation is still going, and they seem to be moving on to spruce trees
Last summer’s unusually warm weather fueled an explosion in the western blackheaded budworm, leaving masses of browning trees in many areas of Southeast. The worm, which is the larval stage of the budworm moth, is known to feed on the new growth of trees, leaving them with a brownish-red appearance.
Sitka, Alaska, United States
KCAW - Alaska Public Media

Low early-run king numbers prompt restrictions
Off to a very slow start.

Crews work to contain fuel spill after tugboat runs aground north of Sitka
The grounding ruptured one of the tug’s fuel tanks, which can hold around 13,000 gallons of diesel fuel.

Landslide briefly blocks access to hydro dam after record rainfall in Sitka
Rainfall in Sitka broke records on Wednesday, and February is shaping up to exceed the month’s typical rainfall by leaps and bounds.
KTOO

Whale’s body spotted near Tenakee Inlet
The humpback whale was first reported dead or stranded on Killisnoo Island on Feb. 10th, by Alaska Marine Highway System personnel, said Sadie Wright, a large whale entanglement response coordinator with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries division. The animal with a long history in the area has been necropsied.

Atmospheric river brings record rain, swollen rivers and unstable snowpack to Juneau
The nearly 3.5 inches at the city’s official monitoring station was a daily record – the most rain that’s fallen on January 21st ever – and also a monthly record – the most rain that has ever fallen in January.

Meltdown: Heavy snow chased by rain prompts closures, concerns
Concern builds as rain increases weight of snow pack

Moose spotted off Lena Point, delighting residents
Wild moose chase. Moose are rarely seen close to town.

An invasive parasite is taking over Alaska blue mud shrimp. Researchers want to kill it.
Orthione griffenis, or O. griffenis, eventually kills its host shrimp, and soon the remaining shrimp can’t find each other to reproduce, rendering a blue mud shrimp population extinct.

Tiny insects ate the needles off a half million acres of Tongass hemlocks. Most of the trees will be fine.
Dead crowns in the canopy and rusty-colored branches are woven in with the otherwise healthy, green temperate rainforest. About a third of the trees around here were hit by the voracious sawfly. The larvae get mistaken for caterpillars. Adults are a kind of non-stinging wasp, a little smaller than a pinky finger.

Warm temperatures, precipitation prompt avalanches in downtown Juneau
Avalanche danger is considerable in Juneau due to warming temperatures. Several large slides have occurred on Mt. Juneau in close proximity to residential areas.

More snow may be coming, but the end may be in sight
March had a formidable amount of snow with more than 33 inches of recorded snowfall. But its not enough to break the 2007 record of more than 62 inches. At least one segment of town probably doesn't mind the snow. Eaglecrest Ski Area recently cleared 500 inches this season.

Skier survives avalanche in the crater of Mt. Edgecumbe near Sitka
The man was buried between 5-8 minutes before two other skiers in his group located him with avalanche transceivers.

Sitka team conducts first humpback whale necropsy in 5 years
The Coast Guard reported the dead 47-foot female humpback to NOAA on Sunday evening. It had washed ashore on the south end of Kruzof Island. The whale looked healthy and its belly was full of fish — most likely herring. But they did find some evidence of blunt trauma.

Juneau officials recommend residential evacuations, warning of dangerous ‘historic avalanches’
Juneau’s urban avalanche forecast describes “extreme” danger Saturday evening. Centennial Hall will open as an emergency shelter at 8 p.m. Saturday.
Anchorage Daily News

High pressure system torpedoes temperatures
A high pressure system in western Canada is driving temperatures in Southeast Alaska through the floor, possibly hitting below zero at the Juneau International Airport for the first time in years.

Rufous Hummingbird (Selasphorus rufus) sighted in Sitka
"This is the earliest I have ever seen a hummingbird in this region."

Massive mountain rockslide near Juneau shakes the earth on Christmas Eve
Around Christmas, there were reports of an earthquake and major mountain rockslide in the wilderness near Juneau. But what came first? The earthquake or the slide?

Leading the charge: City welcomes fleet's 1st electric bus
Bus is expected to be rider-ready in February.

Record-breaking rainfall leaves muddy mess across Southeast Alaska
High winds, flooding and landslides caused moderate to severe damage in communities across Southeast Alaska Wednesday, as an atmospheric river stalled over the region and brought record-breaking rain.

Search underway for bear following ‘predatory’ attack on a neighborhood dog in Sitka
The bear tore through a chain link enclosure around midnight on November 4, and killed a 125-pound mixed-breed dog belonging to Georgiana Smith — who immediately informed her Indian River-area neighbors of the incident on the Sitka Bear Report Facebook page.

Juneau’s unsecured garbage and ‘bumper crop of yearling bears’ are a deadly combination
Alaska Department of Fish and Game officials say a bunch of young bears and a dwindling natural food supply are forcing the bruins to search human garbage for food before they hibernate for the winter.

A pair of stranded killer whales (and a sick sea lion) has biologists looking for answers
“For the killer whales, I honestly don’t know if this is normal or not,” said Mandy Keogh, the Regional Marine Mammal Stranding Coordinator for NOAA Fisheries in Alaska. Dead killer whales simply aren’t seen that often.

Dead beluga calf poses questions for biologists
It is thought to be either an aborted fetus or a very young calf. The calf is one of six belugas that have been found dead this year, five in the last month.

Juneau Raptor Center dealing with rain of injured eagles
Eight raptor casualties in a matter of weeks is a worrisome spike.

Black bear injures Juneau man after following him through open door
With few fish and limited berries, bear encounters are high in Alaska's capital city this year.
Anchorage Daily News

Planet Alaska: The lool always knows
This summer, fireweed has been telling us to prepare for winter. It's been telling us the season is off kilter, too. Here in Juneau we've had fireweed plants that are blooming halfway up the stalk growing next to fireweed with barely any buds.

Some salmon return, but ‘not nearly enough’
Chum salmon have started returning the Douglas Island Pink and Chum Inc. Hatchery on Channel Drive, but it’s still not enough to establish a broodstock. As the hatchery struggles to ensure future stocks, fishermen are taking what fish they can just for cost recovery.

Record-breaking temperatures across Southeast Alaska raise fire risk
Ketchikan became the first city in Alaska to hit 80 degrees this year on Saturday, as three other cities in Southeast Alaska also set temperature records.

Where's the snow? Warm weather to keep most of Eaglecrest closed this weekend
Night-time temperatures have been cold enough for snow but the snow quickly melts by morning.

Heavy rain causes flooding, mudslides in Juneau
Areas of the Southeast Alaska city “received between 3 and 7 inches of rain” in 24 hours over the weekend. The sodden ground caused mudslides in some areas, and wrecked roads and ditches around John Street and Peters Lane in Douglas.
Anchorage Daily News

Lightning strikes Alaska Airlines jets in Southeast
Alaska Airlines said flights 64 and 65 had lightning strikes from storms that moved through the northern Panhandle and also knocked out power in Juneau.

Pacific Pomfret (Brama japonica) Caught in Southeast Alaska
Although native to southern Alaskan waters, Pacific pomfret (*Brama japonica*) are not often caught by salmon fishers.
Cross Sound
Tom Okey, Richard L Thoman Jr, Justin Bate, Jason Gasper

Bears try to move in, Angoon sets boundaries
Furry visitors have kept the residents of Angoon on their toes for the past few weeks. Several bears have made a habit of passing through town.
Angoon, Alaska, United States

What the haze? Here's the deal with all the smoke in Juneau right now
A hazy shade of summer.

Eating shellfish you’ve harvested yourself is risky - and can be deadly
In Southeast Alaska this summer, researchers have seen extremely high levels of harmful toxins in mussels and clams plucked from beaches.

Unidentified Algal Bloom in Coastal Water
An unidentified algal bloom, resembling large clumps of grease or sawdust, stretched from Kingsmill Point all the way up to Pybus Bay. Didn't see any impact to fish or wildlife in the area.
Amy Holman, Kayla Schommer, Dean Stockwell, Jeanette Gann, Erica Lujan, Rose Masui, Chris Whitehead

3 more gray whale carcasses found in Alaska amid spike in deaths along West Coast
An alarming number of gray whales have been found dead this year from Mexico to Alaska, triggering a federal investigation into what’s causing the die-off.

'Potentially lethal' toxins found in Juneau shellfish
A group that monitors shellfish toxin levels is warning Juneau residents not to consume shellfish from locations in the Auke Bay area.

Spruce pollen blooms look ominous but are nothing to sneeze at
For those who suffer from seasonal allergies, spring means red eyes, mucus and fits of sneezing. This year, the Lynn Canal has seen a remarkable spruce pollen bloom.

Mottled Sea Star (Evasterias troscheli) Die-off Juneau
Approximately 700 dead mottled sea stars (*Evasterias troscheli*) found with appendages intact, which indicate that mortality event may be related to stormy weather.
DuPont beach Juneau, Alaska, United States

Southeast Alaska researchers get rare opportunity to study a sperm whale
The species has been spotted in the Inside Passage before. But sightings are infrequent. A whale found recently near Juneau is thought to have died from a vessel strike.

Lots of Female King Crabs (Paralithodes camtschaticus)
Large number of Red King Crabs (*Paralithodes camtschaticus*) found on the beach during an extreme low tide. According to fisheries researchers, crabs move to shallow water to hatch and release eggs.

Amid environmental grief, finding hope in a graveyard of yellow cedar
One ecologist wonders, for the yellow cedar forests and the people who care about them, what comes after climate change and environmental loss in Southeast Alaska?
Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau

Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) Sighting
Laysan Albatross (*Phoebastria immutabilis*) seen in the north during typical nesting season.

Brown Booby (Sula leucogaster) North of Usual Range
Brown Booby (*Sula leucogaster*) sighted far north of its usual tropical habitat.

Gray Catbird (Dumetella carolinensis)
Gray Catbird found northwest of its normal range.

Calls of bear sightings are up around Juneau. But why?
Last year, Fish and Game and the Juneau Police Department received roughly 470 calls about bear activity. By the end of August this year, they had already fielded more than 600.

After 3 days, ‘stressed’ sea lion that ventured into Sitka can’t find its way back to the ocean
Why did the sea lion cross the road? Scientists don't know yet.

Cruise ship exhaust prompts complaints to state authorities
Exhaust emissions from a Norwegian Cruise Line vessel docking in Juneau prompted at least 10 complaints to an Alaska regulatory agency.

Possible algae bloom turns seawater red off Juneau
The overriding theory is that it's a bloom of algae brought on by rising water temperatures.

Authorities, residents brace for record flooding
Weather authorities and residents are getting used to responding to glacial floods in the Mendenhall Valley.

Southeast Alaska dries up in rare problem: a drought
If it sounds unusual to have a drought in a rainforest, it is. Low snow and little rain combined to deliver an almost unprecedented drought to southern

Wolves are eating sea otters near Gustavus. What does that mean for the deer?
Biologists are investigating a surprising connection between two animals that aren’t exactly well loved in parts of Southeast. Gustavus locals suspect wolves are picking off deer at a popular hunting spot on an island near the mainland.
Gustavus, Alaska, United States
By Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau

Curious by Nature: What’s bubbling in front of Jon Reiswig’s home?
For a few decades now, retired surgeon Jon Reiswig has lived with a perplexing oddity: the water in front of his North Douglas home constantly bubbles.

No slush cup this year at Eaglecrest
Eaglecrest is forgoing its annual Slush Cup competition due to low snow levels. The event was canceled in 2015 and 2016 for the same reason, but made a return last year.

As Sitkans wait for roe, news of sickness from herring eggs in Canada
Typically, cholera is associated with tropical destinations. But recently, the bacteria that can cause the disease was found in subsistence herring eggs in British Columbia. As Southeast Alaska tribes get ready to gather herring eggs, it’s left some people wondering about the future.
Elizabeth Jenkins, Alaska's Energy Desk - Juneau

February was coldest since ‘94
Weather Service expects chilly weather to continue through March.

Alaska Board of Fisheries navigates ‘uncharted territory’ for Southeast’s king salmon
The Alaska Board of Fisheries faces some tough decisions this week. One of those is how to conserve dwindling king salmon stocks in a way that won’t financially cripple Southeast salmon fishermen.

Wolf sightings have increased this year
Wolf sightings in the wetlands area have hikers worried for their safety.

Floods close bridge, but no injuries reported
The torrential rain, exceptional even by Juneau’s standards, comes courtesy of Typhoon Lan, whose remnants have left Asia.

California Sea Lion (Zalophus californianus) in Auke Bay
California sea lions are rare but occasionally show up in Southeast Alaska and have been documented in other parts of Alaska as well.

No injuries in Sitka Labor Day landslide
A landslide in Sitka early Monday afternoon stranded people on either end of the road system for about eight hours, but otherwise there no reports of damage or injuries.

Newly found disease could threaten Southeast Alaska spruce
A fungus that’s damaged trees in Southcentral and Interior Alaska has been discovered for the first time in Southeast. But there’s a chance its spread could be stopped.
Shrine of St. Terese, Alaska, United States

Possible new invasive species discovered in Juneau
There’s a new, probably non-native, invasive species in town, just discovered in late June. It’s a disease-causing fungus (*Gemmamyces piceae*) that afflicts spruce buds, often killing them altogether but sometimes just causing deformed buds and twigs.

Scientists find strange sea creatures in Alaska for the first time
Pyrosomes were first seen on the Oregon coast in 2014 and every year since. Recently they have been reported in Washington, BC and Alaska. These weird organisms that resemble large pink thimbles, could signal really big changes in the marine ecosystem.
CBS News

Scientist says hatchery strays could threaten wild fish populations
Large numbers of salmon straying from hatcheries in Southeast Alaska, as well as a low river flow, helped create lethal environments for wild salmon, according to a new report.
Alaska Dispatch News

Tiny California Sea Cucumber (Parastichopus californicus)
The smallest California cuke I have found.

Sitka considers code changes in landslide zones
The state is currently mapping the potential risk for landslides in Sitka. This time next year, the Sitka Assembly will be presented with a community-wide map. Listen now

Sitka-based trooper kills brown bear chasing his dog
The 400-pound young boar attacked the 6-month-old puppy Wednesday morning, according to troopers and state biologists.
Alaska Dispatch News

Ghost fishing: Lost pots are a crab killer
Douglas Indian Association catalogs marine debris at the bottom of Gastineau Channel | Though it sounds like the subtitle to a Pirates of the Caribbean movie, ghost fishing is a real phenomenon. It's going on right now in Gastineau Channel.

Earthquakes caused by melting glaciers?
There is some evidence that shifts in the weight on a land mass can affect earthquakes — and glaciers are receding around the world — but seismologists and glaciologists simply cannot “connect the dots” between the two happenings.

Two-Spot Keyhole Limpet (Fissurellidea bimaculata)
A limpet not seen in the area before.

Paralytic shellfish toxin found in mollusks at Auke Bay
Researchers with Southeast Alaska Tribal Ocean Research found high levels of Paralytic Shellfish Toxin in a population of mollusks at Auke Recreation Area in Juneau on Friday.
JuneauEmpire.com

Volunteers needed to monitor bats
Millions of bats in the Eastern US and the Midwest have died from white nose syndrome disease, and it’s spreading.
Alaska Fish & Wildlife News

Low salmon projections cancel popular Southeast spring king derby
Juneau's Spring King Salmon Derby won’t happen this year, because there aren’t enough fish. State biologists predict chinook returns will be low this year.

Archaeologists say they've found the campsite used by survivors of legendary 'doomed' ship
Kruzof Island, Alaska, United States
Alaska Dispatch News

How Alaska's Jay birds spread their seeds
On a recent hike, I heard a volley of high-pitched screams coming from a thick stand of small spruces just beside the trail. They sounded very much like the cries of a red-tailed hawk, but that bird would be highly improbable in such a place and at this time of year (February). Surely it was a Steller’s jay, which is well-known to mimic redtails and some other birds as well.
JuneauEmpire.com

European Black Slug
Tenakee Springs, Alaska, United States

Early Ripe Blueberries (Vaccinium ovalifolium)

Thousands of Velella (by-the-wind sailors) Washed Up In Southeast AK

Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) in Full Bloom
Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) are in full bloom on Baranof Island.

Early Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) and Blueberry (Vaccinium corymbosum) Bloom
Early blooming salmonberry (*was'x'aan tléiGu* and blueberry (*naanyaa kanat'aayi* - Tlingit language) blossoms.
Jerry Hupp, LoriAnne Barnett, Sudie Hargis

Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) Blooming In February
Salmonberries (Rubus spectabilis) Blooming in February

Winter flooding, warm ocean likely affected Southeast humpies
This season's pink salmon were slightly bigger, but southern Panhandle runs fizzled.
Southeast Panhandle, Alaska, United States
KTOO Public Media

Biologists ponder effects of a warmer ocean as pink salmon fry leave early
Biologists suspect climate change and mild winters may have prompted April's early out migration from Auke Creek.
Auke Bay, Alaska, United States

Early Salmonberry (Rubus spectabilis) Blossoms
Salmonberry blossom seem a little early this year.

Landslide destroys Starrigavan restoration projects
High rainfall this month is being blamed for a major landslide near Sitka. The US Forest Service reports that a 100-acre slide came down in the Starrigavan Valley, about ten miles from town. The slide, and water damage to an ATV trail in the valley and other hiking trails elsewhere in Sitka -- all add up to a tough month for the agency.
KCAW

Laysan Albatross (Phoebastria immutabilis) Sighting
Rare Layson Albatross (*Phoebastria immutabilis*) sighting.

New Invasive Species Detected in Alaska
Last summer while scoping for marine invasive species we found the invasive colonial tunicate, Didemnum vexillum also know as marine vomit.
ADFG News

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