Novel approach to study fish DNA collected from water samples enables researchers to estimate biomass of multiple Alaska fish species simultaneously. Around the world, standard ways to measure fish abundance and biomass to manage commercial, recreational and subsistence fisheries rely heavily on deriving estimates from fish caught in research surveys and commercial fishing nets and […]
DNA extracted from ancient bones has helped scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks shed light on the surprising resilience of Pacific walruses in the face of historical overhunting. The research, published in the journal Scientific Reports, has important implications for the future of the iconic Arctic species amid modern environmental challenges, including the disappearance of […]
Analysis of a massive database of pink salmon DNA has revealed unexpected details about the abundant salmon species, including its ability to return to spawn at nearly the same spot within streams as their parents. Samuel May, a postdoctoral fellow at the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, led a project that […]
Scientists in northern Alaska are learning about polar bears by scraping snow samples from the tracks they leave behind. That snow contains tiny flecks of the massive creatures — mostly cells shed from their foot pads. From the DNA within those cells, scientists have been able to identify individual polar bears. Lisette Waits of the […]