A 2017 NOAA survey saw huge amounts of pollock and cod in the northern Bering Sea. Was it an isolated event, or the start of a long-term trend?
Oceans
DEC permit renewal would allow more wastewater discharge from Cook Inlet oil producers
Environmental groups are protesting the state’s move to renew a federal permit that allows oil and gas producers to release discharges into Cook Inlet.
Wrangell’s king salmon derby is canceled again, leaving locals longing
While most agree that protecting the salmon run up the nearby Stikine River is critical, the absence of Wrangell’s derby for the second straight year has left a king-salmon-sized hole in some hearts.
As gray whales die along the West Coast, Alaska scientists look for answers beneath blubber
Researchers are trying to determine the cause of a gray whale die-off along the West Coast, including Alaska. And they’re looking at whether recent warming trends in the Arctic, and reduced sea ice, have affected their prey.
To get a count on bowhead whales, North Slope scientists head out onto the sea ice
“They’re just so graceful and beautiful. Every time I see a whale I get excited,” says biologist Craig George. “I’ve seen thousands and thousands. It’s always like seeing a bowhead for the first time.”
Climate change looks different in Southeast Alaska. Here’s how tribes are planning for that.
The Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska has a climate change adaptation plan. It wants the region to be included in the climate change discussion.