In some places surrounding the central and western Aleutian Islands, reefs are crumbling from urchins burrowing through the weakened calcium carbonate structures.
"Alaska Sea Grant"
Pandemic creates turbulent waters for Alaska’s growing oyster industry
“Everything is so unknown,” said Meta Mesdag, the owner of Salty Lady Seafood Co.
Dead whales wash up near Unalaska, but pandemic complicates necropsies
The state pathologist says they will process samples from the two dead whales to confirm things like species and sex, but they likely won’t be able to determine cause of death.
‘Pulse’ of marine debris in Bering Straits likely coming from Russia
NOAA says the debris may have been released in one place and time.
Biologists hope dead sea lion will shed light on endangered Aleutian population
Samples from the dead sea lion were shipped off island to the state pathologist, who will do a full workup
Mysterious Bering Strait seabird die-off enters fourth year
Most of the dead birds have been murres or horned puffins, and residents say they’re finding far fewer murre eggs.
‘One mussel could kill someone’: officials warn of extremely high shellfish toxin levels in Unalaska
“Right now, the levels are high enough that just one mussel could kill someone,” said Sarah Spelsberg, a physician assistant at Iliuliuk Family and Health Services, Unalaska’s clinic.
Bowhead whales are changing migration patterns, researchers say
The fall whaling season in Utqiagvik didn’t happen last year — veteran whalers said they had never gone that long without seeing a bowhead whale near Point Barrow during that time.
Marine heatwaves will cripple salmon, cod and pollock at twice the rate previously predicted, study says
As these heatwaves continue, they may have far more devastating implications to fisheries than previously predicted.
As a bat-killing disease spreads westward, volunteers gather data on Southeast Alaska populations
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game launched a project in 2014 to get accurate data on the region’s bat populations. Now they’re racing against the clock before a deadly bat disease reaches Alaska.