Anchor River at Anchor Point
USGS has 24 river webcams in AK. Here is one river's data, photos, and timelapse video.
USGS has 24 river webcams in AK. Here is one river's data, photos, and timelapse video.
Q&A: New Drone-Based Method Helps Monitor Walrus Health
Like you going to the doctor’s office - USGS is doing this with walruses!
Like you going to the doctor’s office - USGS is doing this with walruses!
Collecting High-Resolution Geophysical Data Focused on Areas with Potential for Critical Mineral Resources in Alaska
Rusting Rivers Videos
Orange streams are increasingly common in the Brooks Range of northern Alaska
Orange streams are increasingly common in the Brooks Range of northern Alaska
Alaska Forage Fish Database (AFFD)
A powerful tool for examining trends and distribution of forage fish across large marine ecosystems of the North Pacific and the Arctic
A powerful tool for examining trends and distribution of forage fish across large marine ecosystems of the North Pacific and the Arctic
USGS Science is a Critical Piece of the One Health Puzzle
The health of people is connected to healthy ecosystems
The health of people is connected to healthy ecosystems
Direct Measurements of Firn Density Evolution at Wolverine Glacier Alaska
Firn is the transitional material between seasonal snow and glacier ice
Firn is the transitional material between seasonal snow and glacier ice
Alaska Science Center
The mission of the Alaska Science Center is to provide objective and timely data, information, and research findings about the earth and its flora and fauna to Federal, State, and local resource managers and the public to support sound decisions regarding natural resources, natural hazards, and ecosystems in Alaska and circumpolar regions. We have offices in Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks.
In the Spotlight
In the Spotlight
Exploring Alaska Through Our Science - Check out our online fact sheet!
Alaska is a critical area for natural resource science. The Alaska Science Center research areas include Ecosystems, Energy and Minerals, Geology, Landscape Science, Natural Hazards, and Water.
Current Water Conditions
Current Water Conditions
Explore real-time Alaska streamflow, groundwater, and water-quality conditions and access data with our new interactive map application.
News
Sixty-seven years and still digging! A brief history of the USGS Benchmark Glacier Project
Sixty-seven years and still digging! A brief history of the USGS Benchmark Glacier Project
Alaska Science Center Newsletter – 2024 Yearly Review
Alaska Science Center Newsletter – 2024 Yearly Review
USGS invests $3.6 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to map critical minerals across Alaska
USGS invests $3.6 million in Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funding to map critical minerals across Alaska
Publications
Forecasting sea otter recolonization: Insights from isotopic analysis of modern and zooarchaeological populations
Retrospective datasets offer essential context for conservation by revealing species’ ecological roles before industrial-era human impacts. We analysed isotopic compositions of pre-industrial and modern sea otters (Enhydra lutris) to reconstruct pre-extirpation ecology and offer insights for management. Our study focuses on southeast Alaska (SEAK), where sea otters are recolonizing, and...
The importance of method selection when estimating diet composition with quantitative fatty acid signature analysis
Quantitative fatty acid signature analysis (QFASA) is a common method of estimating the composition of prey species in the diets of consumers from polar and temperate ecosystems in which lipids are an important source of energy. A key characteristic of QFASA is that the large number of fatty acids that typically comprise lipids permits the dietary contributions of a correspondingly large...
Variation in energetic balance among free-ranging polar bears during the spring mating and foraging season
Large carnivores are capable of consuming substantial biomasses that can significantly alter their body mass and condition over short periods. Here we examine the intra-seasonal variation of polar bear (Ursus maritimus Phipps, 1774) body mass, energy intake, and condition in the spring from two subpopulations. We evaluate the biological and temporal factors that may have driven changes...
Science
Avian Influenza Research
Since 2006, the USGS Alaska Science Center has been part of the State and Federal interagency team for the detection and response to highly pathogenic (HPAI) viruses in North America. Avian influenza or "bird flu" is a viral disease that primarily infects domestic poultry and wild birds. Avian influenza viruses are naturally occurring in wild birds such as ducks, geese, swans, and gulls. These...
Natural Resources Preservation Program
This is a nation-wide collaborative program, supported by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area, through which USGS and National Park Service staff address priority research needs identified by the National Park Service. On this page, we highlight research taking place in Alaska as part of this program.
Chugach Imaq Research Collaborative
Imaq comes from the Sugt’stun language meaning the ocean and the contents within it. The Chugach Imaq Project was founded by Chugach Regional Resources Commission (CRRC) to support Indigenous-led research and harvest management of marine mammals within the Chugach Region, while safeguarding subsistence needs of the Eyak and Sugpiaq tribes.