NEWPORT, Ore. – Researchers can now determine the age and sex of living beluga whales in Alaska’s Cook Inlet thanks to a new DNA-based technique that uses information from small samples of skin tissue. Accurate age estimates are vital to conservation efforts for Cook Inlet belugas, which were listed as endangered following a significant population decline in […]
JUNEAU, Alaska — Alaska’s population decreased by 3,831 people — 0.5 percent — from July 2019 to July 2020, based on population estimates released today by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. This was the fourth straight year of decline for the state’s population, which peaked at 740,637 in July 2016 and was […]
Scientists partnered with tech industry experts to develop the first machine learning application for acoustic monitoring of Alaskan beluga whales. An innovative machine learning application will help scientists collect information essential to protect and recover the endangered Cook Inlet beluga whale population. In 1979, the Cook Inlet beluga population began a rapid decline. Despite being protected as an […]
A total run of 1.4 million sockeye salmon, along with 60,000 Chinooks, are expected to return to the Copper River in 2020, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G). The state forecast released on Jan. 28 compared with the recent 10-year average (2010-2019) of 2.1 million wild sockeyes returning to the […]
Whale Population Plummeting in Project Area, New Federal Data Show ANCHORAGE, Alaska— Conservation groups Friday threatened to sue the Trump administration for approving oil exploration in Alaska’s Cook Inlet after new federal data found a dramatic decline in the area’s population of endangered beluga whales. The formal notice of intent to file an Endangered Species Act lawsuit […]
Today, NOAA Fisheries released its biennial abundance estimate for endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales. Scientists estimated that the population size is between 250 and 317, with a median estimate of 279. The population is estimated to be smaller and declining more quickly than previously thought. Abundance estimates can vary from year to year due to a […]
JUNEAU, Alaska — Alaska’s population decreased by 3,048 people — 0.4 percent — from July 2018 to July 2019, based on estimates released Wednesday by the Alaska Department of Labor and Workforce Development. This was the third straight year of decline for the state’s total population, which peaked at 739,649 in July 2016 and […]
Written by: Michelle Ma | University of Washington Killer whales prefer to eat only the biggest, juiciest Chinook salmon they can find. The larger the fish, the more energy a whale can get for its meal. Each year these top ocean predators consume more than 2.5 million adult Chinook salmon along the West Coast. […]