Unified Interior Regions
Region 11: Alaska
Alaska Science Center
4210 University Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
Phone: (907) 786-7000
Volcano Science Center
4230 University Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
Phone: (907) 786-7497
Climate Adaptation Science Center
4230 University Drive
Anchorage, AK 99508
Phone: 907-301-7830
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USGS research activities relevant to Alaska have yielded more than 9400 historical publications. This page features some of the most recent newsworthy research findings.
Search USGS publications for Alaska
Arctic Science for Decision Maker
2019 USGS Alaska Annual Science Report
Range overlap and individual movements during breeding season influence genetic relationships of caribou herds in south-central Alaska
North American caribou (Rangifer tarandus) herds commonly exhibit little nuclear genetic differentiation among adjacent herds, although available evidence supports strong demographic separation, even for herds with seasonal range overlap. During 1997–2003, we studied the Mentasta and Nelchina caribou herds in south-central Alaska using...
Roffler, Gretchen H.; Adams, Layne G.; Talbot, Sandra L.; Sage, George K.; Dale, Bruce W. Diversity of nitrogen isotopes and protein status in caribou: implications for monitoring northern ungulates
Nutritional condition is an important determinant of productivity and survival in caribou (Rangifer tarandus). We used samples of excreta (n = 1,150) to estimate diet composition from microhistology and 2 isotopic proxies of protein status for 2 ecotypes of caribou in 4 herds in late winter (2006–2008). Isotopes of nitrogen (δ15N in parts per...
Gustine, David D.; Barboza, Perry S.; Lawler, James P.; Adams, Layne G.; Parker, Kathy L.; Arthur, Steve M.; Shults, Brad S. Small population size of Pribilof Rock Sandpipers confirmed through distance-sampling surveys in Alaska
The Rock Sandpiper (Calidris ptilocnemis) is endemic to the Bering Sea region and unique among shorebirds in the North Pacific for wintering at high latitudes. The nominate subspecies, the Pribilof Rock Sandpiper (C. p. ptilocnemis), breeds on four isolated islands in the Bering Sea and appears to spend the winter primarily in Cook Inlet, Alaska....
Ruthrauff, Daniel R.; Tibbitts, T. Lee; Gill, Robert E.; Dementyev, Maksim N.; Handel, Colleen M. Assessment of pingo distribution and morphometry using an IfSAR derived digital surface model, western Arctic Coastal Plain, Northern Alaska
Pingos are circular to elongate ice-cored mounds that form by injection and freezing of pressurized water in near-surface permafrost. Here we use a digital surface model (DSM) derived from an airborne Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (IfSAR) system to assess the distribution and morphometry of pingos within a 40,000 km2 area on...
Jones, Benjamin M.; Grosse, G.; Hinkel, Kenneth M.; Arp, C.D.; Walker, S.; Beck, R.A.; Galloway, J.P. Contrasting extreme long-distance migration patterns in bar-tailed godwits Limosa lapponica
Migrating birds make the longest non-stop endurance flights in the animal kingdom. Satellite technology is now providing direct evidence on the lengths and durations of these flights and associated staging episodes for individual birds. Using this technology, we compared the migration performance of two subspecies of bar-tailed godwit Limosa...
Battley, Phil F.; Warnock, Nils; Tibbitts, T. Lee; Gill, Robert E.; Piersma, Theunis; Hassell, Chris J.; Douglas, David C.; Mulcahy, Daniel M.; Gartrell, Brett D.; Schuckard, Rob; Melville, David S.; Riegen, Adrian C. Functional ecology of saltglands in shorebirds: Flexible responses to variable environmental conditions
1. Birds of marine environments have specialized glands to excrete salt, the saltglands. Located on the skull between the eyes, the size of these organs is expected to reflect their demand, which will vary with water turnover rates as a function of environmental (heat load, salinity of prey and drinking water) and organismal (energy demand,...
Gutierrez, J.S.; Dietz, M.W.; Masero, J.A.; Gill, Robert E.; Dekinga, Anne; Battley, Phil F.; Sanchez-Guzman, J. M.; Piersma, Theunis Genetic and morphological divergence among Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) populations breeding in north-central and western North America
Cooper's Hawk (Accipiter cooperii) populations breeding in the northern portion of the species' range exhibit variation in morphological traits that conforms to predictions based on differences in prey size, tree stand density, and migratory behavior. We examined genetic structure and gene flow and compared divergence at morphological traits (PST...
Sonsthagen, Sarah A.; Rosenfield, Robert N.; Bielefeldt, John; Murphy, Robert K.; Stewart, Andrew C.; Stout, William C.; Driscoll, Timothy G.; Bozek, Michael A.; Sloss, Brian L.; Talbot, Sandra L. Microanatomy of passerine hard-cornified tissues: Beak and claw structure of the black-capped chickadee (Poecile atricapillus)
The microanatomy of healthy beaks and claws in passerine birds has not been well described in the literature, despite the importance of these structures in avian life. Histological processing of hard‐cornified tissues is notoriously challenging and only a few reports on effective techniques have been published. An emerging epizootic of beak...
Van Hemert, Caroline R.; Handel, Colleen M.; Blake, J.E.; Swor, R.M.; O'Hara, T. M. Microsatellite marker isolation and development for the giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini)
We isolated and developed 18 novel microsatellite markers for the giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) and examined them for 31 individuals from Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska. These loci displayed moderate levels of allelic diversity (averaging 11 alleles per locus) and heterozygosity (averaging 65%). Seven loci deviated from Hardy...
Toussaint, Rebecca K.; Sage, G. Kevin; Talbot, Sandra L.; Scheel, David Migration of Sakhalin taimen (Parahucho perryi): Evidence of freshwater resident life history types
Sakhalin taimen (Parahucho perryi) range from the Russian Far East mainland along the Sea of Japan coast, and Sakhalin, Kuril, and Hokkaido Islands and are considered to primarily be an anadromous species. We used otolith strontium-to-calcium ratios (Sr/Ca) to determine the chronology of migration between freshwater and saltwater and identify...
Zimmerman, Christian E.; Rand, P.S.; Fukushima, M.; Zolotukhin, S.F. Paired serologic and polymerase chain reaction analyses of avian influenza prevalence in Alaskan shorebirds
Surveillance has revealed low prevalence of avian influenza viruses (AIV) in shorebirds except Ruddy Turnstones (Arenaria interpres) on the North American Atlantic coast. Similarly, of five species of shorebirds surveyed in Alaska in 2010, Ruddy Turnstones had the highest AIV antibody prevalence; prevalence of AIV RNA was low or zero.
Pearce, John M.; Ruthrauff, Daniel R.; Hall, Jeffrey S. SYBR green-based real-time reverse transcription-PCR for typing and subtyping of all hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes of avian influenza viruses and comparison to standard serological subtyping tests
Continuing outbreaks of H5N1 highly pathogenic (HP) avian influenza virus (AIV) infections of wild birds and poultry worldwide emphasize the need for global surveillance of wild birds. To support the future surveillance activities, we developed a SYBR green-based, real-time reverse transcriptase PCR (rRT-PCR) for detecting nucleoprotein (NP) genes...
Tsukamoto, K.; Javier, P.C.; Shishido, M.; Noguchi, D.; Pearce, John M.; Kang, H.-M.; Jeong, O.M.; Lee, Y.-J.; Nakanishi, K.; Ashizawa, T.Browse a selection of videos, audio clips, images, and more from a wide range of science topics covered by USGS!
"Science for a Changing World" - watch the short film here!
Documentary on walruses here!
Watch the first-ever footage of a polar bear on Arctic sea ice!
Join USGS geologists as they collect lava samples from Kilauea Volcano.
Watch researchers in the Arctic!
Arctic Research and Policy Act Boundary Map: Circumpolar
Arctic Research and Policy Act Boundary Map: Circumpolar
Pavlof - DOL
The Pavlof team (Ketner/Wech/Wellik) activated a new camera at station DOL on Tuesday (July 4). This camera looks north and provides good coverage of the volcanic complex in this region. Read more about Pavlof volcano.
Arctic Research and Policy Act Boundary Map: Alaska Terrestrial
Arctic Research and Policy Act Boundary Map: Alaska Terrestrial
Peulik Volcano
Camera is located at Whale Mountain, showing a flank of Peulik, Becharof Lake, the Gas Rocks, and Chiginagak in the distance. Current image interval is 60 minutes. This camera lens is often covered by snow and ice.
Dall Sheep Habitat, Denali National Park, Alaska
Ed Pfeifer of the USGS Southwest Geographic Science Team recording field notes in alpine tundra during a field study of Dall sheep habitat in Denali National Park, Alaska, on July 29, 2009
Remote Sensing of the Arctic Coast of Alaska Using Airborne Lidar Data
Fact sheet: "Remote Sensing of the Arctic Coast of Alaska Using Airborne Lidar Data"
Redoubt - CI
Camera installation and maintenance are courtesy of Hilcorp. The camera is located on Platform Anna, approximately 38 miles SE of Mt. Spurr; it was originally pointed at Mt. Spurr. This camera is NE of Redoubt, and has been repositioned (mid-March, 2012) to show both Redoubt (right) and Iliamna (left) in its view.
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Unalakleet video camera 1 snapshot
Two video cameras overlook the coast from atop a windmill tower in Unalakleet, Alaska where they look westward over Norton Sound. Every half hour during daylight hours, the cameras collect snapshots and video for 10 minutes. Today’s most recent image from camera 1 is shown here. Please note that it takes 10 minutes for the images to be posted, once they are collected by
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Redoubt - DFR
Camera is co-located with seismic station DFR, approximately 7.6 miles (12.2 km) NE of Redoubt. Read more details about Redoubt volcano.
Unalakleet video camera 2 snapshot
Two video cameras overlook the coast from atop a windmill tower in Unalakleet, Alaska where they look westward over Norton Sound. Every half hour during daylight hours, the cameras collect snapshots and video for 10 minutes. Today’s most recent image from camera 2 is shown here. Please note that it takes 10 minutes for the images to be posted, once they are collected by
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Sampling Stream Water in Denali National Park, Alaska
Ed Pfeifer of the USGS Southwest Geographic Science Team collecting water samples during field work for a study of Dall sheep habitat in Denali National Park, Alaska.
Stay up-to-date with what is happening in the Alaska Region by checking out our different social media accounts. You can also contact Alaska Regional Office staff or Center Directors for more information.
Contacts
Locations
Alaska Science Center
Phone: (907) 786-7000
Fax: (907) 786-7020
Alaska Climate Adaptation Science Center
USGS Volcano Science Center
Phone: 360-993-8900
Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO)
http://www.avo.alaska.edu/contact.php
Phone: 907-786-7497
USGS Cascades Volcano Observatory (CVO)
vhpweb@usgs.gov
Phone: 360-993-8900
Fax: 360-993-8980
USGS California Volcano Observatory (CalVO package delivery)
askcalvo@usgs.gov
Phone: 650-329-5083
Yellowstone Volcano Observatory (YVO)
yvowebteam@usgs.gov
Phone: 360-993-8906
Anchorage Field Office - Water
Phone: 907-786-7000
Fairbanks Field Office - Water
Phone: 907-479-5645
Juneau Field Office - Water
Phone: 907-586-7216
