The Blob - A Marine Heat Wave in Alaska, 2013-2016

Location: Alaska ocean waters south of the Bering Strait.

Description: This project includes observations from the LEO Network which may be associated (directly or indirectly) with the event know as the The Blob.

Local Observations – Insights on Community Impacts

Local observations are indicators of the impacts being experienced in communities across Alaska. Over 100 observations were posted to the LEO Network between October 2013 and December 2016 that could potentially be attributed to the Blob. The observations describe a variety of unusual events related to seasonality, weather, ocean conditions, plants and wildlife. Re-occurring themes include the changes and challenges for people engaged subsistence activities, and increased variability and uncertainty for hunters, from failures one year to bumper harvests the next. The lack of winter sea ice in Western Alaska delayed or prevented ice-based harvesting of fish, crab, seal and whale. Low snow resulted in stream drying and mass mortalities of pink salmon in south central Alaska. Meanwhile bumper pink runs were documented in Aleutian communities. Low snow pack and high air temperatures were attributed to wild berry harvests failures across the State in 2015. While in 2016, an exceptionally early spring and moderate rainfall resulted in early berries and an exceptional harvest across species and across the State. For shellfish harvests, the warm waters translated into persistent high levels of harmful algae in Southern Alaska, and concerns about emerging food safety challenges as far North as the Bering Strait. Through these local observations new perspectives were presented about changes in the acquisitions, preservation, quality and quantity of wild foods.

This project contributed to the study published December of 2017 in the Journal of the American Meteorological Society entitled, The High Latitude Marine Heat Wave of 2016 And Its Impacts on Alaska by John Walsh et al. The paper in a pdf format is attached.

References:

Kakoona, Andrew, and Olivia Lee, Hajo Eicken. "Open Water in Our Ocean." LEO Network (leonetwork.org). Observed 30 December 2016. Accessed 24 February 2017.

John, Anna R, and Hajo Eicken, Moses Tcheripanoff. "Still No Sea Ice." LEO Network (leonetwork.org). Observed 1 March 2016. Accessed 24 February 2017.

Brubaker, Ryan, and Stephen Payton, Michael Opheim . "Low Stream Water for Pink Salmon ." LEO Network (leonetwork.org). Observed 5 September 2016. Accessed 24 February 2017.

Krueger, Kelly. "Low Waters For Fish in Kodiak." LEO Network (leonetwork.org). Observed 25 September 2015. Accessed 24 February 2017.

Osterback, David . "So Many Pinks (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha)!." LEO Network (leonetwork.org). Observed 15 July 2015. Accessed 24 February 2017.

John, Anna R. "Early and Abundant Salmonberries (Rubus chamaemorus)." LEO Network (leonetwork.org). Observed 10 July 2016. Accessed 24 February 2017.

Kazimirowicz, Sylvia. "Berry harvest failure." LEO Network (leonetwork.org). Observed 25 September 2014. Accessed 24 February 2017.

Barnowski, Bobbie Ann . "PSP Levels Rising." LEO Network (leonetwork.org). Observed 1 May 2013. Accessed 24 February 2017.

Porcincula, Karis. "High PSP in Clams." LEO Network (leonetwork.org). Observed 15 February 2015. Accessed 24 February 2017.

Gay, Santina, and James Berner, Soumik Basu, Mike Brubaker. "Are Ocean Conditions Right for Vibrio parahaemolyticus? ." LEO Network (leonetwork.org). Observed 6 September 2016. Accessed 24 February 2017.

Background: The Blob is the warm water event in the Pacific that occurred between roughly the fall of 2013 though December 31, 2016. In Alaska, it was associated with a vaBiety of impacts, including changes to the physical conditions of the sea water, unusual weather, changes in seasonal conditions, increases in algal blooms (including harmful algae like that which causes PSP), unusual fish and bird species, changes in the range of marine life and potentially stress, illness and die-offs of marine mammals and birds from starvation, exposure to harmful algae any other causes. All of these types of events were reported by LEO Network members between October 2013 and October 2016. This project provides an overview with the intent of providing some local observation context to the Blob in Alaska.

Funding: Project participants.

Partners: ANTHC, National Weather Service, AOOS, UAF, Kasitsna Bay Laboratory (NOAA)

Observing Guidance: This project is currently closed, and not accepting additional observations.

Source Data: LEO Network observations.

Outputs: Analysis of event impacts in Alaska. BAMS Paper

Media

Does the 'Blob' foretell North Pacific's future? A scientist says yes