How do researchers monitor Alaska’s most active volcanoes from afar? Technology has gotten to the point where the crew can do most monitoring from anywhere, even from home.
Zoë Sobel, Alaska's Energy Desk
St. Paul’s fur seal pups at lowest level in 100 years
Since 1998, pup production on St. Paul Island has dropped more than 50 percent. The cause of the ongoing decline is a mystery.
No lichen, no problem: St. Paul’s reindeer thrive without essential food
On St. Paul, reindeer are responsible for decimating the lichen, but around the world there’s a different culprit, climate change. What’s happening on St. Paul could be a preview of how more northern reindeer herds may adapt to a warmer planet.
Before and after photos of Bogoslof Island show big changes after recent eruption
The small Aleutian island of Bogoslof is even smaller after recent eruptions have changed its shape dramatically.
Monitoring Bogoslof: How life responds to volcanic destruction
Bogoslof Island is now a natural laboratory where researchers can see how the island and its ecosystem respond to volcanic activity.
Police arrest two in Unalaska in counterfeit money case
Two men have been charged with fraud for making counterfeit money, Unalaska Department of Public Safety said. Henry Zablan and Nicholas Hough were taken into police custody over the weekend and later charged with fraud.
Researchers aim to protect the Bering Sea’s rare blue king crab while preserving fisheries
As the blue king crab population crashes, fishermen on St. Paul Island face more restrictions to reduce bycatch. But the rules to protect the crab also make it difficult to do research on the species.
Mysterious sea lion decline persists in western Alaska
The farther west you go, the worse it looks for Alaska’s Steller sea lions. At the end of the Aleutian chain, the population is dropping about 7 percent a year.
Charting new courses: student mariners prepare to navigate a warmer Arctic
As temperatures rise, Arctic ice is retreating, making trips through the Northwest passage – from Alaska to Maine – a new summer reality. But until now, mariners navigating Arctic ice have had limited formal training. A professor at Maine Maritime Academy is working to change that.
Homegrown and hydroponic: Veggies are St. Paul’s new subsistence food
When you think of the Pribilof Islands, what food comes to mind? Probably not produce. The people of St. Paul Island are working to change that. With a federal grant, they’ve built a greenhouse. It’s so productive, they’re giving away the produce.