Climate & Environment/Science

A final proposal introduced by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) earlier this month would make more than 13 million acres of public lands in the western Bering Sea region open to development. As KNOM’s reports, dozens of Alaska Native Tribes say their concerns haven’t been adequately addressed in the proposal.

According to climatologist Rick Thoman, this latest Bering Sea storm is expected to cause coastal erosion in the region, “for sure.”

Despite a disappointing salmon season and continuous ecosystem-wide change in the Bering Sea region, recent pink salmon runs across the region have been much larger than ever before.

Late last week a strong Bering Sea storm hit the region, bringing winds up to 50mph, blowing snow, and high-water. Some communities saw significant erosion while others were mostly unscathed.

Recent findings from researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey show that there may not be a correlation between harmful algal blooms and these ongoing seabird die-offs in the Bering Strait.

NOAA & EcoFOCI sent out one of few research cruises around the Bering Strait earlier this season. The cruise brought back information on the Bering Sea cold pool and marine mammals’ movements.

Sea ice extent in the Bering and Chukchi Seas is the lowest it has been in the last five years. One climatologist forecasts sea ice will form late and the extent will be below average.

In late July, foreign debris began to wash up on Bering Strait shores. Almost three months later, NOAA and local groups are working together to determine which vessel is the source of the trash.

Approximately 1,000 individuals across Western Alaska and the state are opposed to IPOP’s potential gold mining project in the Bonanza Channel, Safety Sound area.