Climate & Environment/Science

Dead fish floating on the surface of a river

As chum and chinook salmon numbers dwindle in Western Alaska, salmon bycatch in the pollock industry was a main concern addressed by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, or NPFMC, from June 6 to 14.

NOAA plans to debut the Oculus Coastal Glider summer 2022 to study the Bering Sea.

The FSB’s teleconference in April covered issues relevant to Units 22 and 23. Those topics included a decision to conserve Alaska hare in Units 22 and 23, a redefinition of Alaska hare, closures and rescinded closures in moose hunting, and a special action for musk ox permits.

A landscape image of the Bering Sea coast near Nome, showing open water and scattered icebergs.

Sea ice extent in the Bering Sea has been up and down this spring. But within the last two weeks, sea ice models show a collapse of conditions.

About 350,000 square miles of "critical habitat" for ringed seals would be protected under the proposal Photo: NOAA Fisheries.

After a failed attempt in 2020, NOAA Fisheries is currently surveying ice-associated seals in the Bering Sea. Their research will concentrate on waters between the Norton Sound and St. Matthew Island.

Since 2018, the U.S. Coast Guard has been running a Port Access Route Study, or PARS, for the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas to determine how vessel traffic in the region should be routed.

Aerial shot of ice coverage on Norton Sound

Sea ice in the Eastern Norton Sound is breaking up as temperatures continue to warm and strong winds threaten to shift the Bering Sea ice pack even more.

Nome in Winter. Photo: Laura Collins, KNOM.

The main Bering Sea ice pack has begun its retreat to the north after extending to the Pribilofs earlier this month. This winter’s freeze-up has been reminiscent of more historical sea ice conditions.

The Alaska Department of Fish & Game is studying the dwindling population of Alaska hares or more commonly, jackrabbits in Western Alaska. Researchers don’t yet know why the population has been decreasing.

On Front Street, Nome, flags in the wind

“What is uncommon, is we had that pattern hardly change at all in the past few days. And that led to screaming, screaming winds…across the Seward Peninsula,” Rick Thoman said on February 3rd.