In the past two months, 300 dead puffins have washed up on St. Paul Island, alarming residents who had only seen six carcasses over the last decade. The die-off appears to be slowing down now, but scientists say it could be the sign of a much larger ecosystem problem.
Wildlife
In looming fight over ANWR, a big unanswered question: how much oil is there?
The coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge ranks as one of the most controversial chunks of land in Alaska. Since Congress set it aside for more study in 1980, environmental groups, politicians and industry have battled over whether to explore for oil there or to protect the wilderness forever. As the Trump administration gets ready to take the White House in January, the debate will likely flare up again. But even though the fight’s dragged on for decades, there’s still a lot we don’t know about what lies beneath the refuge.
Mysterious sea lion decline persists in western Alaska
The farther west you go, the worse it looks for Alaska’s Steller sea lions. At the end of the Aleutian chain, the population is dropping about 7 percent a year.
Two plead guilty to violations during Haines moose hunt
Two Alaska residents recently pleaded guilty to hunting violations during this year’s Haines moose hunt.
Bear unfazed by rubber bullets near Indian River in Sitka
A caller on Andrew P Hope Street requested an escort to a visitor’s car. After helping the woman safely to her vehicle, the responding officer located the bear nearby and shot at it with rubber bullets.
Mysterious beak deformities may be caused by virus, researchers say
The birds, whose beaks grow at twice the normal rate, often die from starvation because they can’t feed themselves. Researchers now believe a virus may be causing the beak deformities.