Genetics Shines New Light on Cod Populations and Distributions in Alaska

Genetics Shines New Light on Cod Populations and Distributions in Alaska

  Researchers identify distinctive genetic stocks of Pacific cod in Alaska and use that information to build a cost-effective genetic tool to answer important ecological questions for the species. A team of researchers from NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center, the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and Alaska BioMap, Inc., recently published the most comprehensive population genetic assessment of […]

Cod vs. Crab: It’s Not Just Cod Abundance—Size Influences Predation on Crab

Cod vs. Crab: It’s Not Just Cod Abundance—Size Influences Predation on Crab

  A new study uses spatial models to precisely map how Pacific cod prey on commercially important snow and southern Tanner crabs in the eastern Bering Sea.   A new study by NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center biologists illuminates predator-prey dynamics between Pacific cod and commercially important snow and Tanner crabs. Scientists examined diet data collected […]

International Survey Counts Bowhead and Beluga Whales in the Beaufort Sea

International Survey Counts Bowhead and Beluga Whales in the Beaufort Sea

  Applied research collects data needed to ensure food security for Indigenous subsistence hunters in the United States and Canada. In 2025, NOAA and the Alaska North Slope Borough successfully completed a survey to count bowhead and beluga whales in the U.S. and Canadian Beaufort Seas and Amundsen Gulf. This international, multi-agency, multi-species project was the result of 3 […]

Northern Fur Seal Deaths on St. George Island, Linked to Harmful Algal Bloom

Northern Fur Seal Deaths on St. George Island, Linked to Harmful Algal Bloom

  Research confirms saxitoxin poisoning in seals and the presence of harmful algal species. In August 2025, two biologists from NOAA Fisheries’ Alaska Region Protected Resources Division traveled to St. George Island to conduct routine maintenance on NOAA facilities. Upon their arrival, they began receiving reports from residents about a high number of northern fur seals found […]