The final research cruise of 2021 in the Bering and Chukchi seas came through the region in November.
"Gay Sheffield"
Marine debris is washing up again on Bering Strait shores
An “off-the-shelf” look implies the trash was dumped recently and close to the shore.
Dead seabirds are washing ashore in Western Alaska for the fifth straight summer
Subsistence users across the region are feeling the impacts of the die-off.
‘Pulse’ of marine debris in Bering Straits likely coming from Russia
NOAA says the debris may have been released in one place and time.
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.
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.
Storms erode Bering Sea ice pack; caution is urged
Winter storms and blustery weather buffeting the Bering Sea this month have reduced sea ice coverage by almost 25% since late January. Sea ice in the Bering Sea is typically solid and stable this time of year, but scientists and communities are observing large areas of open water, and where there is ice, much of it is shifting.
New California law could jeopardize Alaska’s ivory market
To many, ivory means dead elephants wasting away in the sun. “What they don’t see is walrus ivory, legal harvest, food on the table, economic benefit to rural Alaskans,” says biologist Gay Sheffield.