Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of conservation and management interest to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The USGS and collaborators provide information about Arctic ecosystems that are used by Arctic residents, management agencies, and industry.
Return to Ecosystems
The objectives of the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative are to:
- Quantify the responses of wildlife species and their habitats to ecosystem change in the Arctic through research and assessments,
- Provide projections of likely future wildlife and habitat responses, and
- Make information publicly available to inform land and species management decisions and Alaska Native subsistence and co-management council actions.
Arctic Ecosystem Assessments
The USGS conducts natural hazard and resource assessments of the Earth’s ecosystems and the response of those ecosystems to environmental change, human activities, and land use. Information on recent assessments can be found in the fact sheet on USGS Arctic Ecosystems Assessments and in the publications below.
Additionally, a list of upcoming assessments is listed below:
- Behavioral responses of Central Arctic Herd to mitigation measures
- Effects of climate-induced variability on the behavior, distribution and demography of the Porcupine Caribou Herd
- Range expansion of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Arctic Alaska relative to ecological change
- Population status of two rare taxa endemic to the central Bering Sea, Alaska: McKay’s Bunting and Pribilof Rock Sandpiper
- Assessing the effects of saxitoxin ingestion by Common Murres
- Demographic trend of the Pacific walrus, 2016-2024
- Quantifying body condition and relationships with reproductive success in Pacific walruses
Decisions Informed by the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative
Below are some examples of how this program is informing decision-making:
- Science for Oil and Gas Leasing-related Decisions
- Evaluating the efficacy of aerial infrared sensors to detect artificial polar bear
- Effect of spring phenology on current and future space use patterns of the Porcupine Caribou Herd in northern Alaska and Canada
- Summary of wildlife-related research on the Arctic Coastal Plain
- Catalogue of polar bear maternal den locations in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas
- Caribou use of habitat near energy development in Arctic Alaska
- Seismic survey design and impacts to maternal polar bear dens
- Determining priority habitats for molting waterfowl in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska
- Science Informing Endangered Species Act Decisions and Recovery Planning
- Regional walrus abundance estimate in the United States Chukchi Sea in autumn
- Analyses on Subpopulation Abundance and Annual Number of Maternal Dens for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska
- Polar bear distribution and habitat resource selection data
- Ringed seal remain the main prey of southern Beaufort Sea polar bears
- Science Informing the Status and Trends of Migratory Birds
- Response of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: implications for geese in a warming Arctic
- Provided spatial and temporal maps of population change of waterbirds on Alaska’s North Slope
- Tracking data for three loon species in the Arctic
- Spatial distribution of band recoveries of black brant
- Data and model-based estimates from Pacific brant fall age ratio surveys at Izembek Lagoon, Alaska
- Science Informing the Status of Northern Ecosystems
- Survey of Arctic Alaskan wildlife for influenza A antibodies
- Ice wedge degradation impacts water budgets and nutrient cycling in Arctic ponds
- Surface water connectivity controls fish food web structure in Arctic Coastal Plain lakes
- Response of Arctic forage plants to changes in temperature and spring thaw date
- Willow drives changes in arthropod communities of northwestern Alaska and the ecological implications of shrub expansion
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Spatial and Temporal Maps of Population Change of Waterbirds on Alaska's North Slope
USGS Coastal Plain and NPR-A Research Bibliography
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Avian Point Transect Survey Data, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2012
Avian Habitat Data; Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2012
Juvenile Shorebird Morphological Data Collected in Alaska and Canada
Serological Survey Data for Francisella tularensis and Brucella spp. Exposure in Wildlife on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska
Bivalve Shell Growth Indices, Chukchi Sea, Alaska, 1867-2015
Metabolic Rates Measured in Three Captive Adult Female Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) While Resting and Diving
Tissue Concentrations and Congener Profiles of Harmful Algal Toxins in Seabirds, Forage Fish, and Other Organisms
Tracking Data for Pacific Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)
Walrus Haulout Aerial Survey Data Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019
Data Used to Assess the Acute Physiological Response of Polar Bears to Helicopter Capture
Arthropod Abundance and Shrub Cover and Height on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2015-2016
Fish Communities of the Nearshore Beaufort Sea, Alaska, Across Three Decades, 1988-2019
Below are publications associated with this project.
Exploring effects of vessels on walrus behaviors using telemetry, automatic identification system data and matching
High winds and melting sea ice trigger landward movement in a polar bear population of concern
eDNA Metabarcoding Analyses of Diet in Yellow-Billed Loons of Northern Alaska
Increasing Alaskan river discharge during the cold season is driven by recent warming
Observed and forecasted changes in land use by polar bears in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, 1985–2040
A serological survey of Francisella tularensis exposure in wildlife on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska
Sclerochronological records of environmental variability and bivalve growth in the Pacific Arctic
Life-history attributes of Arctic-breeding birds drive uneven responses to environmental variability across different phases of the reproductive cycle
Energetic and health effects of protein overconsumption constrain dietary adaptation in an apex predator
Response of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: Implications for geese in a warming Arctic
Willow drives changes in arthropod communities of northwestern Alaska: Ecological implications of shrub expansion
Arctic insect emergence timing and composition differs across thaw ponds of varying morphology
- Overview
Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of conservation and management interest to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The USGS and collaborators provide information about Arctic ecosystems that are used by Arctic residents, management agencies, and industry.
Return to Ecosystems
The objectives of the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative are to:
- Quantify the responses of wildlife species and their habitats to ecosystem change in the Arctic through research and assessments,
- Provide projections of likely future wildlife and habitat responses, and
- Make information publicly available to inform land and species management decisions and Alaska Native subsistence and co-management council actions.
Arctic Ecosystem Assessments
The USGS conducts natural hazard and resource assessments of the Earth’s ecosystems and the response of those ecosystems to environmental change, human activities, and land use. Information on recent assessments can be found in the fact sheet on USGS Arctic Ecosystems Assessments and in the publications below.
Additionally, a list of upcoming assessments is listed below:
- Behavioral responses of Central Arctic Herd to mitigation measures
- Effects of climate-induced variability on the behavior, distribution and demography of the Porcupine Caribou Herd
- Range expansion of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Arctic Alaska relative to ecological change
- Population status of two rare taxa endemic to the central Bering Sea, Alaska: McKay’s Bunting and Pribilof Rock Sandpiper
- Assessing the effects of saxitoxin ingestion by Common Murres
- Demographic trend of the Pacific walrus, 2016-2024
- Quantifying body condition and relationships with reproductive success in Pacific walruses
Decisions Informed by the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative
Below are some examples of how this program is informing decision-making:
- Science for Oil and Gas Leasing-related Decisions
- Evaluating the efficacy of aerial infrared sensors to detect artificial polar bear
- Effect of spring phenology on current and future space use patterns of the Porcupine Caribou Herd in northern Alaska and Canada
- Summary of wildlife-related research on the Arctic Coastal Plain
- Catalogue of polar bear maternal den locations in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas
- Caribou use of habitat near energy development in Arctic Alaska
- Seismic survey design and impacts to maternal polar bear dens
- Determining priority habitats for molting waterfowl in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska
- Science Informing Endangered Species Act Decisions and Recovery Planning
- Regional walrus abundance estimate in the United States Chukchi Sea in autumn
- Analyses on Subpopulation Abundance and Annual Number of Maternal Dens for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska
- Polar bear distribution and habitat resource selection data
- Ringed seal remain the main prey of southern Beaufort Sea polar bears
- Science Informing the Status and Trends of Migratory Birds
- Response of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: implications for geese in a warming Arctic
- Provided spatial and temporal maps of population change of waterbirds on Alaska’s North Slope
- Tracking data for three loon species in the Arctic
- Spatial distribution of band recoveries of black brant
- Data and model-based estimates from Pacific brant fall age ratio surveys at Izembek Lagoon, Alaska
- Science Informing the Status of Northern Ecosystems
- Survey of Arctic Alaskan wildlife for influenza A antibodies
- Ice wedge degradation impacts water budgets and nutrient cycling in Arctic ponds
- Surface water connectivity controls fish food web structure in Arctic Coastal Plain lakes
- Response of Arctic forage plants to changes in temperature and spring thaw date
- Willow drives changes in arthropod communities of northwestern Alaska and the ecological implications of shrub expansion
- Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Spatial and Temporal Maps of Population Change of Waterbirds on Alaska's North Slope
A main objective of the USGS Changing Arctic Research Initiative is to quantify and provide projections of the responses of wildlife species and their habitats to ecosystem change in the Arctic. The following project provides information for Department of Interior agencies, industry, and other stakeholders related to this objective.USGS Coastal Plain and NPR-A Research Bibliography
Selected Bibliography of USGS Research Conducted in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge (ANWR) Coastal Plain (1002 Area) and/or the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska (NPRA)Compiled as of 12/18/2018 - Data
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 34Avian Point Transect Survey Data, Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2012
This data package contains three tables: 1) avian point-transect survey data collected on the Seward Peninsula in 2012, 2) locations of all survey sites, and 3) an avian taxonomy table for reference.Avian Habitat Data; Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2012
This data package contains two tables with habitat measurements from each sampling point used in avian point-transect surveys on the Seward Peninsula in 2012 and the locations of those sites. Measurements include percent cover and canopy height of alder (Alnus spp.), dwarf birch (Betula spp.), ericaceous shrubs (e.g., Empetrum, Vaccinium spp.), herbaceous, lichen (e.g., Cladonia spp.), and willowJuvenile Shorebird Morphological Data Collected in Alaska and Canada
This dataset consists of shorebird chick measurements (wing, primary feather 10, diagonal tarsus, and bill length) and body mass for various shorebird species captured in Alaska and Canada during 1978-2022. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey - Alaska Science Center, and collaborators from many government agencies and research institutions have studied shorebirds at numerous sites across NSerological Survey Data for Francisella tularensis and Brucella spp. Exposure in Wildlife on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska
This dataset consists of one table with diagnostic screening results from a study of Francisella tularensis bacteria exposure in tundra-nesting geese and mammals and Brucella spp. exposure in mammals sampled from multiple locations on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2014-2017. The table provides sample collection and location data of geese, arctic fox, red fox, caribou, small mammal, and polarBivalve Shell Growth Indices, Chukchi Sea, Alaska, 1867-2015
This dataset contains the growth index from annual growth bands in the shells of two bivalve clam species (Astarte borealis and Liocyma fluctuosa) captured in the Chukchi Sea, Alaska. The growth index is based on a measurement of the annual growth increment width that has been detrended for age-related differences in growth.Metabolic Rates Measured in Three Captive Adult Female Walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) While Resting and Diving
This dataset contains measurements of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production of 3 adult female walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) while resting and diving at the Oceanografic Aquarium in Valencia, Spain. Oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production was measured for walruses via a respiratory dome while resting at the water surface and after swimming and diving.Tissue Concentrations and Congener Profiles of Harmful Algal Toxins in Seabirds, Forage Fish, and Other Organisms
These data are in four tables and contain results from screening tissues of marine organisms for the presence of harmful algal bloom (HAB) toxins: saxitoxin and its related congeners (STX) and domoic acid (DA). Samples collected by USGS or submitted to our laboratory by partners or other stakeholders are screened using commercially-available enzyme linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). A subset ofTracking Data for Pacific Walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens)
This metadata document describes the data contained in the "processedData" folder of this data package. This data package contains all data collected by the Argos System from 921 satellite transmitters attached to adult Pacific walruses in the Bering and Chukchi Seas, in U.S. and Russian waters, 1988-2019. The raw data were processed to accomplish two goals: flag implausible location estimates andWalrus Haulout Aerial Survey Data Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019
This dataset consists of the complete set of aerial imagery and data from walrus haulouts collected by unoccupied aerial system (UAS) surveys near Pt. Lay, Alaska, during the autumns of 2018 and 2019. The data include: 1) georeferenced digital aerial imagery and flight logs from UAS surveys, and 2) orthoimages derived from the aerial imagery and flight logs by standardized structure from motion alData Used to Assess the Acute Physiological Response of Polar Bears to Helicopter Capture
This dataset is in five tables with data from ecophysiological studies of free-ranging polar bears of the Southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation. They were equipped with high-resolution activity sensors, body temperature loggers, and GPS satellite-telemetry collars, to compare physiological state and activity of bears during natural behavior with that experienced by bears during helicopter recaptureArthropod Abundance and Shrub Cover and Height on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2015-2016
This data set contains information (in three tables) with numbers and biomass of invertebrates (primarily arthropods) collected in pitfall-trap arrays and sweep-net samples on a series of plots (n = 13 total) at one coastal and one interior study site on the Seward Peninsula in northwestern Alaska during the summers of 2015 and 2016. Associated data on the horizontal cover and height of shrub vegeFish Communities of the Nearshore Beaufort Sea, Alaska, Across Three Decades, 1988-2019
This dataset contains two tables comprising catch per unit effort (CPUE) data and length measurements from fish surveys conducted in the nearshore Beaufort Sea, Alaska, between 1988 and 2019. Historical data collected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) includes fish catch and fish length data (measured from a subset of the total catch) from two eras, 1988-1991 and 2003-2005, in the east - Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 63Exploring effects of vessels on walrus behaviors using telemetry, automatic identification system data and matching
Arctic marine mammals have had little exposure to vessel traffic and potential associated disturbance, but sea ice loss has increased accessibility of Arctic waters to vessels. Vessel disturbance could influence marine mammal population dynamics by altering behavioral activity budgets that affect energy balance, which in turn can affect birth and death rates. As an initial step in studying these lAuthorsRebecca L. Taylor, Chadwick V. Jay, William S. Beatty, Anthony S. Fischbach, Lori T. Quakenbush, Justin A. CrawfordHigh winds and melting sea ice trigger landward movement in a polar bear population of concern
Some animal species are responding to climate change by altering the timing of events like mating and migration. Such behavioral plasticity can be adaptive, but it is not always. Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from the southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation have mostly remained on ice year-round, but as the climate warms and summer sea ice declines, a growing proportion of the subpopulation is summeriAuthorsAnnie Kellner, Todd C. Atwood, David C. Douglas, Stewart Breck, George WittemyereDNA Metabarcoding Analyses of Diet in Yellow-Billed Loons of Northern Alaska
Environmental DNA is a burgeoning tool used to address wide-ranging scientific questions, including determining diets of difficult-to-sample predators. Loons are large piscivorous diving birds that capture and consume prey underwater, making it nearly impossible to visually determine their diet via observation alone. Identifying species' diets is important for understanding basic life history traiAuthorsDamian M. Menning, Brian D. Uher-Koch, Melanie J. Flamme, Trey Simmons, Joel Schmutz, Sandra TalbotIncreasing Alaskan river discharge during the cold season is driven by recent warming
Arctic hydrology is experiencing rapid changes including earlier snow melt, permafrost degradation, increasing active layer depth, and reduced river ice, all of which are expected to lead to changes in stream flow regimes. Recently, long-term (>60 years) climate reanalysis and river discharge observation data have become available. We utilized these data to assess long-term changes in discharge anAuthorsD Blaskey, Joshua C. Koch, M. Gooseff, A.C. Newman, Yang Cheng, Jonathan A. O'Donnell, K MusselmanObserved and forecasted changes in land use by polar bears in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, 1985–2040
Monitoring changes in the distribution of large carnivores is important for managing human safety and supporting conservation. Throughout much of their range, polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are increasingly using terrestrial habitats in response to Arctic sea ice decline. Their increased presence in coastal areas has implications for bear-human conflict, inter-species interactions, and polar bear hAuthorsKaryn D. Rode, David C. Douglas, Todd C. Atwood, George M. Durner, Ryan R. Wilson, Anthony M. PaganoA serological survey of Francisella tularensis exposure in wildlife on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska
Tularemia is an infectious zoonotic disease caused by one of several subspecies of Francisella tularensis bacteria. Infections by F. tularensis are common throughout the northern hemisphere and have been detected in more than 250 wildlife species. In Alaska, US, where the pathogen was first identified in 1938, studies have identified F. tularensis antibodies in a diverse suite of taxa, including iAuthorsMatthew M. Smith, Caroline R. Van Hemert, Todd C. Atwood, David R. Sinnett, Jerry W. Hupp, Brandt W Meixell, David D. Gustine, Layne G. Adams, Andrew M. RameySclerochronological records of environmental variability and bivalve growth in the Pacific Arctic
The Pacific Arctic region has experienced, and is projected to continue experiencing, rapid climate change. Large uncertainties exist in our understanding of the impact these physical changes have on the region’s ecology. This is, in part, due to the lack of long-term data. Here we investigate bivalve mollusc growth increment width chronologies (sclerochronologies) to develop a long-term biologicaAuthorsDavid J. Reynolds, Vanessa R. von Biela, Kenneth H. Dunton, David C. Douglas, Bryan A. BlackLife-history attributes of Arctic-breeding birds drive uneven responses to environmental variability across different phases of the reproductive cycle
Animals exhibit varied life-history traits that reflect adaptive responses to their environments. For Arctic-breeding birds, traits related to diet, egg nutrient allocation, clutch size, and chick growth are predicted to be under increasing selection pressure due to rapid climate change and increasing environmental variability across high-latitude regions. We compared four migratory birds (black bAuthorsDaniel R. Ruthrauff, Vijay P. Patil, Jerry W. Hupp, David H. WardEnergetic and health effects of protein overconsumption constrain dietary adaptation in an apex predator
Studies of predator feeding ecology commonly focus on energy intake. However, captive predators have been documented to selectively feed to optimize macronutrient intake. As many apex predators experience environmental changes that affect prey availability, limitations on selective feeding can affect energetics and health. We estimated the protein:fat ratio of diets consumed by wild polar bears usAuthorsKaryn D. Rode, Charles T. Robbins, Craig A. Stricker, Brian D. Taras, Troy N TollefsonResponse of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: Implications for geese in a warming Arctic
Changes in summer temperatures in Arctic Alaska have led to longer and warmer growing seasons over the last three decades. Corresponding with these changes in climate, the abundance and distributions of geese have increased and expanded over the same period. We used an experimental approach to assess the response of goose forage plants to simulated environmental change. We subjected Carex subspathAuthorsPaul L. Flint, Brandt W. MeixellWillow drives changes in arthropod communities of northwestern Alaska: Ecological implications of shrub expansion
Arthropods serve as complex linkages between plants and higher-level predators in Arctic ecosystems and provide key ecosystem services such as pollination and nutrient cycling. Arctic plant communities are changing as tall woody shrubs expand onto tundra, but potential effects on arthropod abundance and food web structure remain unclear. Changes in vegetation structure can alter the physical habitAuthorsMolly Mcdermott, Patricia Doak, Colleen M. Handel, Greg A. Breed, Christa MulderArctic insect emergence timing and composition differs across thaw ponds of varying morphology
Freshwater ponds provide habitats for aquatic insects that emerge and subsidize consumers in terrestrial ecosystems. In the Arctic, insects provide an important seasonal source of energy to birds that breed and rear young on the tundra. The abundance and timing of insect emergence from arctic thaw ponds is poorly understood, but understanding these fluxes is important, given the role of insects inAuthorsSarah M. Laske, Kirsty E. B. Gurney, Joshua C. Koch, Joel A. Schmutz, Mark S. Wipfli