Dillingham students recently launched a weather balloon with cameras into the outer limits of Earth’s atmosphere. The balloon rose more than 117,000 feet — about four times higher than Mount Everest.
Science & Tech
Spruce pollen blooms look ominous, but they’re nothing to sneeze at
For those who suffer from seasonal allergies, spring means red eyes, mucus and fits of sneezing. This year, Southeast Alaska has seen a remarkable tree pollen bloom.
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.”
Counting the hooligan swimming through Haines streams
Little is known about the long-loved, oily subsistence fish known as hooligan. The only ongoing research on Southeast Alaska hooligan is the result of a nine-year study by the Chilkoot Indian Association.
In Utqiaġvik, learning about climate change includes studying your backyard
“They get the traditional, ecological perspective on sea ice and how it’s changing and shifting from the whaling crews and whaling captains,” teacher Kevin Neyhard said. “And then … we drill cores through the ice to learn about it from that perspective.”