Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Alaska Region

USGS in Alaska conducts science for decision-making in five major areas: natural hazards; energy & minerals; water quality, streamflow & ice; wildlife, fish & habitat; and geospatial mapping. The Alaska Regional Office provides management and strategic coordination among the Alaska Science Center, the Volcano Science Center, & other partners operating in AK.

News

Alaska Park Science: USGS and National Park Service Partners in Research

Alaska Park Science: USGS and National Park Service Partners in Research

DOI scientists engage with Southeast Alaska Indigenous Guardians to discuss local sea otter ecology and economics

DOI scientists engage with Southeast Alaska Indigenous Guardians to discuss local sea otter ecology and economics

AquaDePTH: Merging Aquatic Disease Surveillance Data into One Useful Tool

AquaDePTH: Merging Aquatic Disease Surveillance Data into One Useful Tool

Publications

Global glacier mass change in 2025 Global glacier mass change in 2025

Glaciers lost 408 ± 132 Gt of mass during the hydrological year 2025, equivalent to 1.1 ± 0.4 mm sea-level rise. Since 1975, glacier mass loss has totalled 9,583 ± 1,211 Gt, equivalent to 26.4 ± 3.3 mm of sea-level rise, with six of the highest mass-loss years on record occurring in the past seven years.
Authors
Michael Zemp, Ethan Z. Welty, Samuel U. Nussbaumer, Jacqueline Bannwart, Isabelle Gärtner-Roer, Albin Wells, Andreas Peter Ahlstrøm, Brian Anderson, Liss Marie Andreassen, Mohd. Farooq Azam, Jamie Barnett, Carlo Baroni, Nicholas Edward Barrand, Andreas Bauder, Eric Bernard, Etienne Berthier, Giulia Bertolotti, Tobias Bolch, Mylène Bonnefoy-Demongeot, Matthias H. Braun, David Burgess, David Cappelletti, Jonathan L. Carrivick, Luca Carturan, Daniele Cat Berro, Jorge Luis Ceballos, Guillermo Cobos, Rolando Cruz, Nicolas Cullen, Bolívar Cáceres, Johanna Dahlkvist, Otgonbayar Demberel, Simon de Villiers, Roberto Dinale, Eugene Drozdov, Inés Dussaillant, Luzmila Dávila, Nelly Elagina, Hallgeir Elvehøy, Alexander Erofeev, Daniel Falaschi, Andrea Fischer, Mauro Fischer, Caitlyn Florentine, Koji Fujita, Stephan Peter Galos, Ayon Garcia, Noel Gourmelen, Federico Grosso, Afanasiy Gubanov, Andri Gunnarsson, Anne Guyez, Lea Hartl, Martin Hoelzle, Jorge Huenante, Romain Hugonnet, Matthias Huss, Bernhard Hynek, Takuro Imazu, Rodolfo Iturraspe, Livia Jakob, Sharad Joshi, Neamat Karimi, Nina Kirchner, Bjarne Kjøllmoen, Jack Kohler, Stanislav Kutuzov, Ivan Lavrentiev, James Matthew Lea, Amerigo Lendvai, Huilin Li, Shenghai Li, Zhongqin Li, Andreas Linsbauer, Sebastián Marinsek, Enrico Mattea, Christoph Mayer, Christopher McNeil, Luca Mercalli, Alexandra Messerli, Carolyn Michael, Umberto Morra di Cella, Francisco Navarro, Hofiz Navruzshoev, Anton Neureiter, Gennady Nosenko, Massimo Pecci, Mauri Pelto, Victor Popovnin, Rainer Prinz, Carla Puigdomenech, Heather Purdie, Finnur Pálsson, Alberto Rossotto, Lucas Ruiz, Louis Sass, Erik Schytt Mannerfelt, Riccardo Scotti, Donghui Shangguan, Brenda Shepherd, Delphine Six, Andrey Smirnov, Ireneusz Sobota, Markus Strudl, Shin Sugiyama, Emmanuel Thibert, Laura Thomson, Thorsteinn Thorsteinsson, Levan Tielidze, Florian Tolle, Pavel Toropov, Paolo Tuccella, Gulomjon Umirzakov, Ryskul Usubaliev, Lauren Vargo, Wei Yang, Bernhard Zagel

Investigating the role of lake environments and food chains on the transfer of mercury to lake trout Investigating the role of lake environments and food chains on the transfer of mercury to lake trout

Mercury contamination can pose threats to fish, wildlife, and people. Methylmercury, found in fish, can be particularly detrimental, especially to children. This study explores the sources and concentrations of mercury and proposes how people can become aware and limit their exposure.
Authors
Sarah M. Laske, Krista K. Bartz, Daniel Young

Brewing change in the (glacier) percolation zone Brewing change in the (glacier) percolation zone

Alaska's glaciers are losing mass at the fastest rate of any region globally, significantly affecting both the volume and distribution of water across the landscape. Though glaciers in the Alaska region (as defined by glaciologists this includes both Alaska and portions of adjacent Canada) range from sea level to nearly 6200 m (20,320 ft), the majority of glacier area in the Alaska...
Authors
Louis Sass, Christopher McNeil, Emily A. Baker, Zanden Arthur Frederick, Michael Loso

Science

2025 USGS Benchmark Glaciers Executive Summary

2025 Data Now Available: Explore how the USGS Benchmark Glaciers have changed in 2025
2025 USGS Benchmark Glaciers Executive Summary

2025 USGS Benchmark Glaciers Executive Summary

2025 Data Now Available: Explore how the USGS Benchmark Glaciers have changed in 2025
Learn More

Fish and Aquatic Ecology

Fish and aquatic habitats in Alaska support important commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries and provide forage fish that support wildlife populations. The USGS Alaska Science Center conducts interdisciplinary research to inform local, state, federal, and international policy makers regarding conservation of fish, aquatic species, and their habitats. We work collaboratively with hydrologists...
Fish and Aquatic Ecology

Fish and Aquatic Ecology

Fish and aquatic habitats in Alaska support important commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries and provide forage fish that support wildlife populations. The USGS Alaska Science Center conducts interdisciplinary research to inform local, state, federal, and international policy makers regarding conservation of fish, aquatic species, and their habitats. We work collaboratively with hydrologists...
Learn More

Landbird Research in Alaska

On this page, learn about USGS work with the Alaska Landbird Monitoring Survey (ALMS), Beak Deformities in Landbirds, and Boreal Partners in Flight (BPIF).
Landbird Research in Alaska

Landbird Research in Alaska

On this page, learn about USGS work with the Alaska Landbird Monitoring Survey (ALMS), Beak Deformities in Landbirds, and Boreal Partners in Flight (BPIF).
Learn More
Was this page helpful?