Alaska
Alaska
The Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center (AK CASC) works with natural and cultural resource managers, policy makers, Alaska Native Tribes, and researchers to provide actionable science, tools, and techniques for climate adaptation. The AK CASC specializes in creating climate models to help forecast species, ecosystem, and human community responses to climate change.
Alaska CASC
Alaska CASC
Learn more about the Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center below.
Filter Total Items: 105
Climate Adaptation Technical Services (CATS)
CASC Climate Adaptation Technical Services (CATS) is a new, multi-year pilot effort to respond to management needs on climate adaptation. The program provides partners with tailored climate adaptation science, advice, and training to help them rapidly incorporate climate adaptation science into planning and decision making. Overview The CATS team seeks to learn, through iterative...
Emergent threats from the interactions of heat extremes and wildland fire across Alaska
Project Overview Increasing heat and drought extremes are influencing the severity of wildfires in Alaska which, in turn, has led to an increase in smoky days. As a result, local communities are experiencing a rise in respiratory and cardiovascular issues. The researchers supported by this Alaska CASC project will collaborate with environmental health and fire management experts to...
Building community-based monitoring partnerships between rural schools and wildlife refuges in Alaska
Project Overview In Alaska, winters are becoming shorter and more unpredictable, leading to changes in lake and river ice, impacting access to hunting grounds, fuel wood transportation and recreation for local communities. Researchers supported by this Alaska CASC project will revitalize and modernize a freshwater ice observation network with a youth-centric partnership that teams...
Hydrologic Futures Web Tool Development Project
Project Overview Many websites that visualize climate change data can often be confusing and misleading to decision makers when they are researching information to devise management plans for water, wildlife, and other natural resources. Researchers supported by this Alaska CASC project will improve the ability of biologists, water managers, and other resource managers to effectively and
Impacts to Ecosystems and Fisheries in Northwest Alaska from “Rusting Rivers”
Project Overview In Northwest Alaska, “rusting rivers” are becoming increasingly apparent as climate change causes ancient spring seeps to re-emerge after permafrost melts. While they have become more common over the past few years, very little is understood about their impacts on stream food webs. Researchers supported by this Alaska CASC project will bridge the knowledge gap by...
Research to Action for Yukon River Salmon: Adapting to Climatic, Food-Web, and Habitat Changes
Project Overview Salmon populations in the Yukon River Basin have plummeted to historic lows, disrupting fisheries, fueling conflicts, and impacting communities that have relied on salmon for generations. Researchers supported by this Alaska CASC project will combine traditional knowledge, field data, and modeling to identify the key drivers of salmon decline and create tools to guide...
Alaska's Changing Habitats: A Multi-System Approach for Understanding Climate Impacts in High Latitude Regions
Scientific information can be used to help individuals, communities, and governments alike make more informed decisions. However, for people to become aware of the science that could inform their decisions and its relevance to their lives and decisions, it must be communicated effectively. Multiple obstacles prevent this from happening, including scientists’ lack of time and...
Developing High-Resolution CMIP6 Climate Scenarios for Alaska
Project Overview Climate change is impacting nearly every aspect of life in Alaska, but global climate models lack the spatial resolution needed to predict changes to local hazards like avalanches and wildfires. Researchers supported by this Alaska CASC project will downscale CMIP6 climate models to produce finer-scale data that can be used by federal, state, and tribal leaders to make...
Effects of Stream Type and Extreme Flow Events on Riverine Ecosystems and Salmon in Southeast Alaska
Project Overview Streams in Southeast Alaska are changing rapidly due to climate change. Warmer temperatures are bringing more rain, less snow, and causing glaciers to retreat, all of which affects stream flow and food sources for young salmon. Researchers supported by this Alaska CASC project will study whether juvenile salmon can adapt by moving between different types of streams...
Understanding Ridge-to-Reef and Icefield-to-Ocean Ecosystem Function in a Changing Climate
Steep, mountainous watersheds, dramatic climate gradients, and tight links between the land and sea are common features of both the Pacific Islands and Southeast Alaska. In these "ridge-to-reef" and “icefield-to-ocean" ecosystems, environmental changes that occur at higher elevations have downstream impacts on the waters below. Today, these two ecosystems are undergoing changes in...
Building a Coastal Flood Hazard Assessment and Adaptation Strategy with At-Risk Communities of Alaska
Coastal flooding and erosion caused by storms and sea-level rise threaten infrastructure and public safety in Alaska Native communities. Though the problem is well known, there are few tools that can assess local vulnerability to coastal flood hazards. Even fewer tools can be customized with specific community information to support local adaptation planning. The main goal of this...
Building Tribal Capacity to Adapt and Respond to Climate Change in Southern Southeast Alaska
Climate adaptation planning provides a framework for Tribes to exercise sovereignty over wild resources important for the subsistence way of life and economic and cultural activities that are being impacted by climate change. The climate adaptation planning process includes identifying key resources that are currently being impacted by climate change, or that may be impacted in the...