Impacts to Ecosystems and Fisheries in Northwest Alaska from “Rusting Rivers”
Active
By Climate Adaptation Science Centers
December 31, 2023
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 providing important information about how, and for how long, rusting rivers impact aquatic life in streams. The results will be presented directly to communities, industry, and state and federal managers in Northwest Alaska and throughout the Arctic for more effective decision making.
Project Summary
Today, the effects of climate change have become most apparent in the Arctic, particularly in Northwest Alaska. In streams and rivers, possibly the most obvious of these impacts, and certainly the most striking, are the hydrologic connections and spring seeps that emerge as the permafrost thaws. These seeps deposit reddish-orange colored water into streams and rivers, giving them a “rusted” appearance. Although these “rusting rivers” are becoming increasingly common in this region, their increased occurrence over the past few years is so unprecedented that very little is understood about their impacts on stream food webs and the fish that rely on them.
This project aims to bridge this gap by providing important information about how rusting rivers impact aquatic life in streams. This is especially important as the fish in these streams, such as Dolly Varden (a relative of salmon and trout), are a crucial food resource for Alaska Native communities in the region, yet early results indicate that formerly healthy, fish-producing streams may be entirely lacking in fish or other aquatic life within a year of “rusting”. If this is the case, and if rusting rivers are to become more common, entire fisheries may be at risk.
Therefore, information about rusting river impacts is crucially needed to help inform local communities, resource managers and fisheries as the climate continues to change. To do so, this project will generate a master's degree program, as well as multiple scientific papers, focused on the impacts of rusting rivers on food webs, which will be presented directly to communities, industries, and state and federal managers in Northwest Alaska and throughout the Arctic.
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 providing important information about how, and for how long, rusting rivers impact aquatic life in streams. The results will be presented directly to communities, industry, and state and federal managers in Northwest Alaska and throughout the Arctic for more effective decision making.
Project Summary
Today, the effects of climate change have become most apparent in the Arctic, particularly in Northwest Alaska. In streams and rivers, possibly the most obvious of these impacts, and certainly the most striking, are the hydrologic connections and spring seeps that emerge as the permafrost thaws. These seeps deposit reddish-orange colored water into streams and rivers, giving them a “rusted” appearance. Although these “rusting rivers” are becoming increasingly common in this region, their increased occurrence over the past few years is so unprecedented that very little is understood about their impacts on stream food webs and the fish that rely on them.
This project aims to bridge this gap by providing important information about how rusting rivers impact aquatic life in streams. This is especially important as the fish in these streams, such as Dolly Varden (a relative of salmon and trout), are a crucial food resource for Alaska Native communities in the region, yet early results indicate that formerly healthy, fish-producing streams may be entirely lacking in fish or other aquatic life within a year of “rusting”. If this is the case, and if rusting rivers are to become more common, entire fisheries may be at risk.
Therefore, information about rusting river impacts is crucially needed to help inform local communities, resource managers and fisheries as the climate continues to change. To do so, this project will generate a master's degree program, as well as multiple scientific papers, focused on the impacts of rusting rivers on food webs, which will be presented directly to communities, industries, and state and federal managers in Northwest Alaska and throughout the Arctic.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 6724daced34e4f57573f2826)
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 providing important information about how, and for how long, rusting rivers impact aquatic life in streams. The results will be presented directly to communities, industry, and state and federal managers in Northwest Alaska and throughout the Arctic for more effective decision making.
Project Summary
Today, the effects of climate change have become most apparent in the Arctic, particularly in Northwest Alaska. In streams and rivers, possibly the most obvious of these impacts, and certainly the most striking, are the hydrologic connections and spring seeps that emerge as the permafrost thaws. These seeps deposit reddish-orange colored water into streams and rivers, giving them a “rusted” appearance. Although these “rusting rivers” are becoming increasingly common in this region, their increased occurrence over the past few years is so unprecedented that very little is understood about their impacts on stream food webs and the fish that rely on them.
This project aims to bridge this gap by providing important information about how rusting rivers impact aquatic life in streams. This is especially important as the fish in these streams, such as Dolly Varden (a relative of salmon and trout), are a crucial food resource for Alaska Native communities in the region, yet early results indicate that formerly healthy, fish-producing streams may be entirely lacking in fish or other aquatic life within a year of “rusting”. If this is the case, and if rusting rivers are to become more common, entire fisheries may be at risk.
Therefore, information about rusting river impacts is crucially needed to help inform local communities, resource managers and fisheries as the climate continues to change. To do so, this project will generate a master's degree program, as well as multiple scientific papers, focused on the impacts of rusting rivers on food webs, which will be presented directly to communities, industries, and state and federal managers in Northwest Alaska and throughout the Arctic.
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 providing important information about how, and for how long, rusting rivers impact aquatic life in streams. The results will be presented directly to communities, industry, and state and federal managers in Northwest Alaska and throughout the Arctic for more effective decision making.
Project Summary
Today, the effects of climate change have become most apparent in the Arctic, particularly in Northwest Alaska. In streams and rivers, possibly the most obvious of these impacts, and certainly the most striking, are the hydrologic connections and spring seeps that emerge as the permafrost thaws. These seeps deposit reddish-orange colored water into streams and rivers, giving them a “rusted” appearance. Although these “rusting rivers” are becoming increasingly common in this region, their increased occurrence over the past few years is so unprecedented that very little is understood about their impacts on stream food webs and the fish that rely on them.
This project aims to bridge this gap by providing important information about how rusting rivers impact aquatic life in streams. This is especially important as the fish in these streams, such as Dolly Varden (a relative of salmon and trout), are a crucial food resource for Alaska Native communities in the region, yet early results indicate that formerly healthy, fish-producing streams may be entirely lacking in fish or other aquatic life within a year of “rusting”. If this is the case, and if rusting rivers are to become more common, entire fisheries may be at risk.
Therefore, information about rusting river impacts is crucially needed to help inform local communities, resource managers and fisheries as the climate continues to change. To do so, this project will generate a master's degree program, as well as multiple scientific papers, focused on the impacts of rusting rivers on food webs, which will be presented directly to communities, industries, and state and federal managers in Northwest Alaska and throughout the Arctic.
- Source: USGS Sciencebase (id: 6724daced34e4f57573f2826)