marine mammals
The science of Steller stubble
An Alaska Sea Grant-supported project is within a whisker of answering some critical research questions about Steller sea lions. Literally. University of Alaska researchers are collaborating with the Aleut Community…
Read MoreCombining local knowledge and new technology to study spotted seals
Spotted seals are a vital part of Alaska’s Arctic marine ecosystems and a crucial resource for many coastal Iñupiaq communities. Yet despite their cultural and ecological significance, these elusive marine…
Read MoreAlaska Sea Grant showcases research at community event
Alaska Sea Grant participated in the annual Arctic Research Open House, held May 16 at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Troth Yeddha’ campus. The free event invites the public to…
Read MoreInvestigating the interactions between sea otters and oyster farms
Alaska is home to about seventy-five percent of the world’s sea otters. Sea otters are a keystone species, as they have a substantial impact on the ecosystems they inhabit. The…
Read MoreResearch investigates toxins in Arctic food webs and marine mammals
A new bulletin published by Alaska Sea Grant summarizes research to inform the public and help them understand the risk of paralytic shellfish toxins in Arctic Alaska food webs and…
Read MoreImproving sea ice forecasts for safer subsistence harvests
Alaska Native people have lived along the coasts of the Chukchi and Bering seas in northwest Alaska for thousands of years. The rich bounty of the ocean, including marine mammals,…
Read MoreRecord low level of Bering Sea ice causes profound, widespread impacts
“This is an extreme event with immediate and long-lasting repercussions. It’s indicative of very rapid change in the entire northern Bering Sea ecosystem. It has ramifications for everyone in the region,” said lead author Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy at the University of Alaska Fairbanks
Read MoreSeattle Times: Why are birds and seals starving in a Bering Sea full of fish?
Federal and university scientists, including Alaska Sea Grant’s Gay Sheffield, are trying to better understand why some birds and marine mammals have been unable to find enough food, and whether toxic algae blooms — increasing as the water warms — could have contributed or caused some of the die-offs.
Read MoreNew York Times publishes op-ed, co-authored by Gay Sheffield, on how sea ice loss imperils life in Alaska
The New York Times published a column by Vera Trainer, Rick Thoman and Gay Sheffield today about the dramatic extent of sea ice loss in Alaska and how it is…
Read MoreVolunteers trained to respond to whale entanglements
When whales get entangled in fishing gear or other marine debris, it’s a potentially life-threatening event that takes a group of trained specialists to provide help. And with whale entanglements…
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