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Alaska Science Center Seminar Series

By Alaska Science Center

The USGS Alaska Science Center has a monthly seminar series that runs from October through May. This series highlights the multiple research programs that are taking place across all disciplines at the center.

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Join us for the 2026-2027 Seminar Series

Talks will not be recorded because some of the information provided in these seminars is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revision. It is being provided to meet the need for timely best science. Some of the information has not received final approval by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and is provided on the condition that neither the USGS nor the U.S. Government shall be held liable for any damages resulting from the authorized or unauthorized use of the information.

 

Title: Changes in polar bear behavior influence interactions with people in an Arctic industrial landscape

Date: October 14, 2026
Time: 10:00 a.m. (Alaska Daylight Saving Time)
Presenter: Todd Atwood, Research Wildlife Biologist

About the Talk: Conflict between people and wildlife has the potential to adversely affect economic and subsistence activities, threaten public safety, and ultimately erode support for conservation efforts. Alaska’s central Beaufort Sea coast is home to a relatively large industrial footprint associated with oil and gas extraction activities. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in this region have become reliant on coastal habitat in summer and fall when sea ice is largely absent from the continental shelf. We examined how changing sea ice phenology and availability influenced human-polar bear interactions based on reports from the oil and gas industrial footprint over two decades. The linkage between sea ice dynamics and patterns of land use by polar bears can be used to inform proactive strategies for mitigating human-polar bear interactions. 

Microsoft Teams:

Meeting ID: 279 471 906 458 425
Passcode: kU3wW9Vi
 

Location: Leslie Holland-Bartels Conference Room, Glenn Olds Hall Building, 4210 University Drive, Anchorage (Click here for a map). Please park at the Carr-Gottstein Building.

Webinar information: A webinar will be available for all talks for those who cannot make it in person. For additional details or to be added to the electronic notification list, please contact Joe Eisaguirre.

 

2026-2027 Schedule 

(will update as information becomes available) 

DateTitlePresenter
October 14, 2026 @ 10:00 a.m.Changes in polar bear behavior influence interactions with people in an Arctic industrial landscapeTodd Atwood
November 2026More information will be available soonTony Fischbach
December 2026More information will be available soonLouis Sass
January 2027More information will be available soonChristina Ahlstrom
April 2027More information will be available soonBrian Uher-Koch

Previous Seminars

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