The carcass of a Steller sea lion washed up this weekend in Unalaska’s Morris Cove. The dead marine mammal was an adult male, almost 8-feet long, according to Melissa Good of the Alaska Sea Grant program.
Aleutians
Is Bogoslof Volcano done erupting?
Bogoslof Volcano is back at a low-level “advisory” for the first time since it began erupting more than three months ago. The Alaska Volcano Observatory downgraded Bogoslof’s alert level Wednesday, bringing it just one notch above “normal.”
Scientists agree starvation killed hundreds of puffins, but did PSP play a role?
Scientists agree seabirds are a good indicators of overall ecosystem health, but they can’t agree on the cause of the Pribilof puffin die-off.
Air Force destroys World War II shell discovered in Unalaska
The U.S. Air Force made a special visit to Unalaska Tuesday after a hiker found unexploded ordnance from World War II. A bomb squad destroyed the artillery shell in a controlled explosion.
Unalaska terminates new fire chief charged with sexual assault in Illinois
The man hired to serve as Unalaska’s new fire chief has been fired after he was charged with sexual assault in Illinois. David “D.J.” Dunn was scheduled to arrive Monday in Anchorage before starting work on the island next week.
Who runs the lab? In Unalaska, it’s this woman
Nicole Beier always knew she wanted to work in science, but never imagined she’d end up in Unalaska. In a city of men, she’s managing three labs responsible for testing drinking water, salt water, and wastewater as well as fish inspections.
House Majority Leader Chris Tuck pushes reforms to improve voter turnout
House Bill 1 would give people the option to permanently vote by mail and allow for same day registration, among other things. It’s intended to help rural Alaska especially — which tends to vote blue — which could help Democrats in statewide races.
Railway demolition unearths new discoveries from World War II
About 75 years ago, the U.S. Navy built a marine railway in Unalaska, which was basically an underwater railroad that helped the military haul boats out of the Bering Sea during World War II.
Steller Watch lets anyone with internet access play wildlife biologist
Bogged down with nearly half a million pictures, scientists are turning to the public for help. They’re asking citizen scientists to click through pictures and indicate if they see Steller sea lions.
Alert levels lowered for Bogoslof and Cleveland volcanoes
Bogoslof is back at the intermediate “watch” level, following a powerful eruption Tuesday night. Cleveland Volcano — 45 miles west of Nikolski — has been quiet since a small eruption last month.