Oceans

Winter storms and blustery weather buffeting the Bering Sea this month have reduced sea ice coverage by almost 25% since late January. Sea ice in the Bering Sea is typically solid and stable this time of year, but scientists and communities are observing large areas of open water, and where there is ice, much of it is shifting.

For those who wonder what the Bering Sea will be like decades from now, last year may have been a glimpse of the future. It brought something many did not expect: the disappearance of the undersea “cold pool,” which is the nursery for Alaska’s pollock fishery.

The largest ever oyster farms in Southeast Alaska could be coming soon. Silver Bay Seafoods wants to lease 182 acres of seafloor in Sitka Sound. The state sees potential for a thriving industry, but local reception has been cool.

Ice seals use sea ice to raise their young, and sea ice is in rapid decline. Logically, that should spell doom for seals in the Arctic. But one researcher says the animals have adapted well so far.

“Across the board, everybody has a story about something that they haven’t seen before,” said Dan Martin, a 53-year-old captain of a Bering Sea pollock trawler. We took a fishing trip with Martin to find out what he’s experiencing as the Bering Sea heats up.

Researchers in Sitka have been looking at the impact of microplastics on local shellfish. Their findings illustrate a possible connection between microplastics in mollusks and household laundry.