It was a rare find: a dead sperm whale washed up on a beach in Alaska’s famed Inside Passage in Southeast Alaska. Sperm whales, which are endangered, usually hang out in deeper, offshore waters. This one—a 48-foot long male—was found beached on the east side of Lynn Canal, north of Berners Bay near Juneau. This is the first […]
New approach will deliver more timely, actionable data on changing ocean conditions. The Bering Sea is home to some of the nation’s largest and most profitable commercial fisheries, including Alaskan pollock and Pacific cod. It’s also one of the fastest warming parts of the world, with fish stocks becoming increasingly vulnerable to marine heat […]
Sometimes during regular fishing operations, seabirds accidentally get caught in fishing gear, resulting in injury or death. While this occurrence (also known as bycatch) is unfortunate, it does provide an opportunity to monitor seabird population characteristics and trends over time. Observers deployed by the North Pacific, Pacific Islands and At-Sea Hake Observer Programs collect […]
[dropcap]S[/dropcap]cientists are developing advanced imaging technology that will enable drones to collect information essential for managing Alaska’s depleted population. This innovation will dramatically reduce the expense and risk of monitoring fur seals, and virtually eliminate disturbance to this sensitive population. “We were lucky to have partners who were experts in unmanned aircraft systems (drones) and imaging […]