USGS Alaska Q&A Series Active
By Alaska Science Center
February 1, 2024
USGS scientists and collaborators talk about their work in Alaska through a series of Questions and Answers (Q&As). The links below contain interviews, photos, and other information about the work and collaborations of the USGS Alaska Science Center.
Filter Total Items: 15
Q&A: Bird Flu - Ongoing Threat of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Alaska and North America
The USGS has cooperated with federal, state, and tribal partners to conduct research on Avian Influenza (AI) viruses and to assist with response to outbreaks of highly pathogenic AI (HPAI) since 2006. Read ahead for information about HPAI, the occurrence of HPAI among wildlife, USGS-led research and surveillance efforts, and potentially helpful online resources.
Q&A: Environmental Indicators to Determine Polar Bear Population Status
Declines in sea ice extent in the Arctic are impacting multiple facets of northern ecosystems. Loss of sea ice has significantly changed the way wildlife and people can access those ecosystems. Here, we talk with federal and state biologists about how declines in sea ice in the Chukchi Sea region are changing the way they must study the health and status of polar bear populations.
Q&A: Marine Ecosystems Research at the USGS Alaska Science Center
The USGS Alaska Science Center is a leader and collaborator in marine ecosystems research on topics ranging from ocean bottom-dwelling invertebrates and small pelagic forage fish (food for Pacific walrus, sea otters, and marine birds) to polar bears (an apex predator in the Arctic). Here, we highlight current research by the USGS Alaska Science Center that focuses on marine ecosystems of Alaska.
Q&A: Vessel Cruise for Estimates of Pacific Walrus Demography
Adult female and juvenile Pacific walruses reside in the northern Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea in the late spring and summer. In June of 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the USGS will again conduct a walrus research cruise on the Research Vessel Norseman II. The cruise will depart from Nome, Alaska on May 31, 2024, and return to Nome on June 28, 2024. The research cruise will be...
Q&A: Legacy Research Data
The term “legacy data” refers to project data that are complete, or may be resurrected in the future, that were previously stored in old or obsolete formats and thus, difficult to access. These data are an important record of past ecosystem status and part of the USGS commitment to deliver actionable information relevant to decision makers. Here, we discuss these data with the Alaska Science...
Q&A: USGS Alaska Science Opportunities for Alaska Pacific University Students
In Alaska, the USGS has its primary office located on the campus of Alaska Pacific University (APU). This co-location provides USGS staff and APU students and faculty numerous opportunities for science collaboration and training. Here, we provide more information about these opportunities and talk with USGS and APU staff who are helping to coordinate the program.
Q&A: USGS and the 2023 Anchorage Bike to Work Day
For the 2023 Anchorage Bike to Work Day , the USGS Alaska Science Center will host a “treat station” along the Lanie Fleischer Chester Creek Trail where people can learn about the USGS streamgage on the creek and about common birds of Chanshtnu.
Q&A: Improving Aerial Surveys of Geese in Alaska with Aerial Imagery
Thousands of geese gather at Izembek Lagoon in southwestern Alaska every fall where they “stage”, meaning that they rest and eat in preparation for migration to lower latitudes. Izembek Lagoon is especially important for Pacific brant geese, as the entire Pacific Flyway population is thought to use the lagoon in fall. This provides an opportunity to efficiently survey the population to track...
Q&A: Estimates of Abundance for Pacific Walrus
The Pacific walrus ranges across the Bering and Chukchi seas during the year. This wide geographic distribution makes it difficult to estimate Pacific walrus population abundance. However, recent technological advances in genetics and drone imagery have generated precise regional and range-wide abundance estimates.
Q&A: The Molecular Ecology Lab at the USGS Alaska Science Center
The Molecular Ecology Lab at the USGS Alaska Science Center provides genetic information on the health and status of biological resources for diverse local, state, and federal partners. Hypothesis-driven research projects are designed to fill data gaps and inform decisions for Department of Interior and other management agencies. The Molecular Ecology Lab research portfolio currently includes...
Q&A: Arctic Rivers Project
Alaska is home to numerous cultural and linguistic Indigenous groups and the largest number of Federally Recognized Tribes in the United States. Indigenous Alaskans, often living in rural remote communities, are facing multiple impacts due to climate change. As infrastructure, landscapes, and subsistence resources continue to be impacted by warming temperatures, the safety, well-being, and...
Q&A: Recent Research on Southern Beaufort Sea Polar Bears
Polar bears are found throughout the circumpolar Arctic and roam across miles of sea ice and land. There are 19 recognized subpopulations of polar bears across the Arctic with two in Alaska: the Chukchi Sea and the Southern Beaufort Sea. The sea ice habitat of these subpopulations is changing with substantial recent declines in the extent of sea ice off the coast of Alaska. These changes are...
USGS scientists and collaborators talk about their work in Alaska through a series of Questions and Answers (Q&As). The links below contain interviews, photos, and other information about the work and collaborations of the USGS Alaska Science Center.
Filter Total Items: 15
Q&A: Bird Flu - Ongoing Threat of Highly Pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) in Alaska and North America
The USGS has cooperated with federal, state, and tribal partners to conduct research on Avian Influenza (AI) viruses and to assist with response to outbreaks of highly pathogenic AI (HPAI) since 2006. Read ahead for information about HPAI, the occurrence of HPAI among wildlife, USGS-led research and surveillance efforts, and potentially helpful online resources.
Q&A: Environmental Indicators to Determine Polar Bear Population Status
Declines in sea ice extent in the Arctic are impacting multiple facets of northern ecosystems. Loss of sea ice has significantly changed the way wildlife and people can access those ecosystems. Here, we talk with federal and state biologists about how declines in sea ice in the Chukchi Sea region are changing the way they must study the health and status of polar bear populations.
Q&A: Marine Ecosystems Research at the USGS Alaska Science Center
The USGS Alaska Science Center is a leader and collaborator in marine ecosystems research on topics ranging from ocean bottom-dwelling invertebrates and small pelagic forage fish (food for Pacific walrus, sea otters, and marine birds) to polar bears (an apex predator in the Arctic). Here, we highlight current research by the USGS Alaska Science Center that focuses on marine ecosystems of Alaska.
Q&A: Vessel Cruise for Estimates of Pacific Walrus Demography
Adult female and juvenile Pacific walruses reside in the northern Bering Sea and Chukchi Sea in the late spring and summer. In June of 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the USGS will again conduct a walrus research cruise on the Research Vessel Norseman II. The cruise will depart from Nome, Alaska on May 31, 2024, and return to Nome on June 28, 2024. The research cruise will be...
Q&A: Legacy Research Data
The term “legacy data” refers to project data that are complete, or may be resurrected in the future, that were previously stored in old or obsolete formats and thus, difficult to access. These data are an important record of past ecosystem status and part of the USGS commitment to deliver actionable information relevant to decision makers. Here, we discuss these data with the Alaska Science...
Q&A: USGS Alaska Science Opportunities for Alaska Pacific University Students
In Alaska, the USGS has its primary office located on the campus of Alaska Pacific University (APU). This co-location provides USGS staff and APU students and faculty numerous opportunities for science collaboration and training. Here, we provide more information about these opportunities and talk with USGS and APU staff who are helping to coordinate the program.
Q&A: USGS and the 2023 Anchorage Bike to Work Day
For the 2023 Anchorage Bike to Work Day , the USGS Alaska Science Center will host a “treat station” along the Lanie Fleischer Chester Creek Trail where people can learn about the USGS streamgage on the creek and about common birds of Chanshtnu.
Q&A: Improving Aerial Surveys of Geese in Alaska with Aerial Imagery
Thousands of geese gather at Izembek Lagoon in southwestern Alaska every fall where they “stage”, meaning that they rest and eat in preparation for migration to lower latitudes. Izembek Lagoon is especially important for Pacific brant geese, as the entire Pacific Flyway population is thought to use the lagoon in fall. This provides an opportunity to efficiently survey the population to track...
Q&A: Estimates of Abundance for Pacific Walrus
The Pacific walrus ranges across the Bering and Chukchi seas during the year. This wide geographic distribution makes it difficult to estimate Pacific walrus population abundance. However, recent technological advances in genetics and drone imagery have generated precise regional and range-wide abundance estimates.
Q&A: The Molecular Ecology Lab at the USGS Alaska Science Center
The Molecular Ecology Lab at the USGS Alaska Science Center provides genetic information on the health and status of biological resources for diverse local, state, and federal partners. Hypothesis-driven research projects are designed to fill data gaps and inform decisions for Department of Interior and other management agencies. The Molecular Ecology Lab research portfolio currently includes...
Q&A: Arctic Rivers Project
Alaska is home to numerous cultural and linguistic Indigenous groups and the largest number of Federally Recognized Tribes in the United States. Indigenous Alaskans, often living in rural remote communities, are facing multiple impacts due to climate change. As infrastructure, landscapes, and subsistence resources continue to be impacted by warming temperatures, the safety, well-being, and...
Q&A: Recent Research on Southern Beaufort Sea Polar Bears
Polar bears are found throughout the circumpolar Arctic and roam across miles of sea ice and land. There are 19 recognized subpopulations of polar bears across the Arctic with two in Alaska: the Chukchi Sea and the Southern Beaufort Sea. The sea ice habitat of these subpopulations is changing with substantial recent declines in the extent of sea ice off the coast of Alaska. These changes are...