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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. 

News

USGS Measures Glacial Flooding in Juneau, Alaska

USGS Measures Glacial Flooding in Juneau, Alaska

Science Spotlight: USGS Monitoring of Glacial Outburst Flood in Juneau Alaska

Science Spotlight: USGS Monitoring of Glacial Outburst Flood in Juneau Alaska

Project Spotlight: USGS Scientists Work with Kenai Peninsula Communities to Define Baseline Water Data Amid Climate Uncertainty

Project Spotlight: USGS Scientists Work with Kenai Peninsula Communities to Define Baseline Water Data Amid Climate Uncertainty

Publications

Power source, data retrieval method, and attachment type affect success of dorsally mounted tracking tag deployments in 37 species of shorebirds Power source, data retrieval method, and attachment type affect success of dorsally mounted tracking tag deployments in 37 species of shorebirds

Animal-borne trackers are commonly used to study bird movements, including in long-distance migrants such as shorebirds. Selecting a tracker and attachment method can be daunting, and methodological advancements often have been made by trial and error and conveyed by word of mouth. We synthesized tracking outcomes across 2745 dorsally mounted trackers on 37 shorebird species around the...
Authors
Emily Weiser, Richard Lanctot, Daniel Ruthrauff, Sarah Saalfeld, Lee Tibbitts, José Abad-Gómez, Joaquin Aldabe, Juliana de Almeida, José A. Alves, Guy Anderson, Phil Battley, Heinrich Belting, Joël Bêty, Kristin Bianchini, Mary Bishop, Roeland Bom, Katharine Bowgen, Glen Brown, Stephen Brown, Leandro Bugoni, Niall Burton, David Bybee, Camilo Carneiro, Gabriel Castresana, Ying-Chi Chan, Chi-Yeung Choi, Katherine Christie, Nigel A. Clark, Jesse Conklin, Medardo Cruz-López, Stephen J. Dinsmore, Steve Dodd, David C. Douglas, Luke Eberhart-Hertel, Willow English, Harry Ewing, Fernando Faria, Samantha Franks, Richard A. Fuller, Robert E. Gill, Marie-Andrée Giroux, Cheri Gratto-Trevor, David Green, Rhys Green, Ros Green, Tómas Gunnarsson, Jorge Gutiérrez, Autumn-Lynn Harrison, C. Hartman, Chris J. Hassell, Sarah Hoepfner, Jos Hooijmeijer, James Johnson, Oscar Johnson, Bart Kempenaers, Marcel Klaassen, Eva Kok, Johannes Krietsch, Clemens Küpper, Andy Kwarteng, Eunbi Kwon, Jean-Francois Lamarre, Christopher Latty, Nicolas Lecomte, A.H. Loonstra, Zhijun Ma, Lucas Mander, Christopher Marlow, Peter P. Marra, Jose Masero, Laura McDuffie, Rebecca L McGuire, Johannes Melter, David Melville, Verónica Méndez, Tyler Michels, Christy Morrissey, Tong Mu, David Newstead, Gary W. Page, Allison Pierce, Theunis Piersma, Márcio Repenning, Brian Robinson, Afonso Rocha, Danny Rogers, Amy L. Scarpignato, Shiloh Schulte, Emily Scragg, Nathan Senner, Paul Smith, Audrey Taylor, Rachel Taylor, Böðvar Þórisson, Mihai Valcu, Mo Verhoeven, Lena Ware, Nils Warnock, Michael Weber, Lucy J. Wright, Michael Wunder

River ice controls permafrost bank erosion across an Arctic delta River ice controls permafrost bank erosion across an Arctic delta

Bank erosion in Arctic rivers helps shape channel geometry, mobilizes carbon from permafrost and influences sediment delivery to the Arctic Ocean. On Alaska's Arctic coastal plain, rivers begin flowing during snowmelt in late spring while extensive river ice persists in channels, such that hydraulics are altered and water is kept cool. The effects of river ice on permafrost bank erosion...
Authors
J Arcuri, Irina Overeem, Marisa Repasch, R. Anderson, S. Anderson, Joshua Koch, Frank Urban

The effects of carnivory and herbivory on the energy balance of Arctic grizzly bears The effects of carnivory and herbivory on the energy balance of Arctic grizzly bears

Omnivores often face tradeoffs between selecting for spatially dispersed energy-dense vertebrate prey versus densely distributed herbivorous resources that have limited energetic value per unit intake. Arctic grizzly bears (Ursus arctos) are large omnivores within a resource-limited ecosystem that are known to exhibit smaller body masses and occur at lower densities than grizzly bears in...
Authors
Anthony Pagano, Karyn Rode, Kerry Nicholson, William Leacock, Craig Stricker, Charles Robbins

Science

Shorebird Research

With its vast size and geographic position at the northern end of several migration pathways, Alaska is a critically important site for the world’s shorebirds. Thirty-seven shorebird species regularly breed in Alaska. Most of these species conduct epically long migrations to take advantage of Alaska’s abundant food resources and breeding habitat, making Alaska a global resource for shorebirds...
Shorebird Research

Shorebird Research

With its vast size and geographic position at the northern end of several migration pathways, Alaska is a critically important site for the world’s shorebirds. Thirty-seven shorebird species regularly breed in Alaska. Most of these species conduct epically long migrations to take advantage of Alaska’s abundant food resources and breeding habitat, making Alaska a global resource for shorebirds...
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Ecosystems Analytics

Ecosystems Analytics is a group of quantitative biologists and research statisticians with a diverse range of expertise and experience (summarized below). We collaborate with internal and external partners to answer challenging ecological questions that are a high priority of the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center, sister agencies within the Department of the Interior (DOI), and various...
Ecosystems Analytics

Ecosystems Analytics

Ecosystems Analytics is a group of quantitative biologists and research statisticians with a diverse range of expertise and experience (summarized below). We collaborate with internal and external partners to answer challenging ecological questions that are a high priority of the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center, sister agencies within the Department of the Interior (DOI), and various...
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Alaska Science Center Weekly Findings

Alaska Science Center Weekly Findings

Recent findings by USGS Alaska Science Center staff and their collaborators.
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Multimedia

Black and white three-ring binders with content labels.
Shelf of legacy seabird data
Shelf of legacy seabird data
White and brown carboard boxes stacked on top of each other.
Physical data ready for archive
Physical data ready for archive
map of placer tailing samples in Alaska.
Alaska locations of USGS placer tailings sampling sites
Alaska locations of USGS placer tailings sampling sites
Three scientists stand on a bridge above a flooded river holding a rope attached to scientific equipment in the water below.
USGS Measures Glacial Flooding in Juneau, Alaska
USGS Measures Glacial Flooding in Juneau, Alaska
Yellow sunset over mountains and water.
Sunset over Katmai
Sunset over Katmai
Two boats anchored to a rocky shoreline.
Waiting for passengers at Katmai National Park and Preserve
Waiting for passengers at Katmai National Park and Preserve
A hand in a purple glove holds a black tube.
A retrieved HOBO temperature logger at Katmai National Park and Preserve
A retrieved HOBO temperature logger at Katmai National Park and Preserve
A yellow and black bumble bee feeding on a yellow flower.
Bumble bee pollinating a wild celery (Angelica lucida) flower at Katmai National Park and Preserve
Bumble bee pollinating a wild celery (Angelica lucida) flower at Katmai National Park and Preserve
A brown sea otter sleeping on its back in blue/green water.
Sleeping sea otter
Sleeping sea otter
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