Environmental Occurrence of Avian Influenza Virus Relative to Bait Trapping of Waterfowl
Study finds that bait trapping was associated with localized increases in avian influenza virus
Study finds that bait trapping was associated with localized increases in avian influenza virus
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
Delineating ecologically-distinct groups for annual cycle management of a declining shorebird
1. Patterns of migratory connectivity are increasingly used to understand and manage threats throughout the annual cycle of migratory species. Strong migratory connectivity refers to when individuals from different populations remain spatially separated across the annual cycle, which may expose populations to unique sets of threats and conditions that cause differential population trends...
Measuring polar bear health using allostatic load
The southern Beaufort Sea polar bear sub-population (Ursus maritimus) has been adversely affected by climate change and loss of sea ice habitat. Even though the sub-population is likely decreasing, it remains difficult to link individual polar bear health and physiological change to sub-population effects. We developed an index of allostatic load, which represents potential physiological...
Estimating spatially explicit survival and mortality risk from telemetry data with thinned point process models
Mortality risk for animals often varies spatially and can be linked to how animals use landscapes. While numerous studies collect telemetry data on animals, the focus is typically on the period when animals are alive, even though there is important information that could be gleaned about mortality risk. We introduce a thinned spatial point process (SPP) modelling framework that couples...
Science
Tidewater Glacier Influence on Marine Ecosystems
Where glaciers meet the sea in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), they create unique and productive marine habitats. Ringed by the continent’s tallest coastal mountains, 20% of the GOA coastal watershed is covered by glacial ice and the annual freshwater discharge into the GOA from glacial melt is comparable to that of the Mississippi river.
Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research
Nearshore ecosystems include many resources that are of high ecological, recreational, subsistence, and economic value. They also are subject to influences from a wide variety of natural and human-caused perturbations, which can originate in terrestrial or oceanic environments. Our research is designed to evaluate sources of variation in the nearshore and how they influence resources of high...
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology
Alaska's coastal and offshore waters provide foraging habitat for an estimated 100 million birds comprising more than 90 different species; from loons and seaducks that nest inland, to petrels and puffins that breed on islands off shore. All these birds depend on the sea to provide a wide variety of food types— from clams, crabs and urchins nearshore— to krill, forage fish, and squid offshore. The...