Seward, Alaska (February 2, 2015) – The Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) is pleased to announce that Mishka, a rescued sea otter, was safely transferred to her new home at the Seattle Aquarium. Mishka was transported by a FedEx plane to the Seattle Aquarium and made her public debut on Super Bowl Sunday. ASLC staff members travelled with Mishka in order to make her transition as stress free as possible.  Over the next few weeks, Seattle Aquarium staff will systemically acclimate Mishka to her new environment before introducing her to another resident sea otter. Mishka, Russian for “little bear,” was rescued by the ASLC’s Wildlife Response Program on July 12, 2014. She was found as a newborn in Port Moller, Alaska after being entangled in a fishing net. Due to the maternal care required by young otters, they are deemed non-releasable by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Mishka, now a healthy 26-pound, 6-month old female, received round-the-clock care during her stay at the Alaska SeaLife Center. Since July, Mishka has more than doubled her weight and transitioned from bottle-fed formula to eating a diverse diet, including capelin, surf clams, crab, mussels, and squid. After a final health check, ASLC veterinary staff cleared Mishka to be transferred to her new home in Seattle. The Alaska SeaLife Center is the only permanent marine rehabilitation center in Alaska, responding to wildlife such as sea otters and harbor seals. The Center’s Wildlife Response Program responds to sea otters with the authorization of USFWS. Once a sea otter is admitted to the Center, it is closely monitored by the veterinary and animal care staff at ASLC. Alaska SeaLife Center President and CEO Dr. Tara Riemer explained, “We have no federal or state funding to care for sea otters, and we rely on donations to keep this program going. We especially thank Shell Exploration and Production, ConocoPhillips Alaska, and BP Alaska for their generous contributions to the Center in support of wildlife rescue and oil spill response readiness.” About the ASLC Opened in 1998, the Alaska SeaLife Center operates as a private, non-profit research institution and public aquarium, with wildlife response and education programs. It generates and shares scientific knowledge to promote understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s marine ecosystems. The ASLC is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums, and the Alliance of Marine Mammal Parks and Aquariums. To learn more, visit www.alaskasealife.org. About the Seattle Aquarium The Seattle Aquarium is one Washington State’s leading environmental education and stewardship institutions, and the region’s gathering place for discussion and sharing information about marine conservation. It maintains a number of research initiatives in cooperation with federal, state, zoological, and university partners. The Aquarium is located on Pier 59, at 1483 Alaskan Way. To learn more, visit www.seattleaquarium.org.

Seward, Alaska (December 16, 2015) - Egg, a giant Pacific octopus, was released back into the waters of Resurrection Bay on Dec. 16. Giant Pacific octopus are the largest known species of octopus in the world.   Egg was first found on Easter Sunday, 2012, making him the Alaska SeaLife Center’s Easter “Egg”. Back then Egg weighed less than 10 grams, or 0.02 pounds. At his last weigh in before his release, Egg weighed 31.9 kilograms – over 70 pounds!   Researchers at the Alaska SeaLife Center are trying to learn more about the juvenile stages of octopuses like Egg. They were able to observe Egg grow for nearly four years until he reached sexual maturity at which point he was released back into the waters of Resurrection Bay to find mates and begin a new generation.   For an underwater video of Egg’s release, visit the Alaska SeaLife Center on Facebook.     About the ASLC Opened in 1998, the Alaska SeaLife Center operates a private, non-profit research institution and public aquarium. ASLC's mission is to generate and share knowledge to promote understanding and stewardship of Alaska's marine ecosystems. The ASLC is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. To learn more, visit www.alaskasealife.org. 

Program Resources Virtual Visit:  Seabird Superpowers! Pre-visit materials: Puffin puppet - Print out this page and follow the instructions (link below) to create a puffin that you can use to follow along during the program! Puffin puppet instructions - Use these instructions to create your puffin puppet. Post-visit materials: Puffin adaptations coloring sheet - Print and label the puffin adaptations to review what you learned during the program, then color your puffin and add some superpowers of your own! Bird behavior observation science activity - Want to learn even more?  Join researcher Amy Bishop to experience how scientists observe seabirds in the field! 

  animatedcollapse.addDiv('A', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() Watch the video below to listen to Yosty wrap up her investigation with the Gulf Watch Alaska scientists. VIDEO: Yosty's Conclusion Yosty reviews her investigation with the Gulf Watch Alaska scientists. (1:06) Video Transcript What Seth and other scientists have discovered is that the lack of cooling was so severe that it created a large area of warmer-than-usual water in the North Pacific. This area of warm water, called “the blob” by some scientists, had a reduced level of mixing between the lower and upper ocean layers. The puzzling impacts of this phenomenon are what the scientists of Gulf Watch Alaska are starting to piece together. It may have played an important part in the massive die-offs of seabirds like the common murre, because as we learned from Kathy scientists suspect that the murres were not receiving enough food to pile on their important fat reserves. Sonia mentioned that the bloom of phytoplankton was less productive than it had been in the past. And as we know, that could have a ripple effect throughout the entire food web, impacting everything from the tiniest of plankton to forage fish like herring and on up to their predators such as the murres. With the decrease in marine nutrients, apex predators like the mightiest of whales or even humans could be impacted by this situation. The potential consequences of “the blob” may seem frightening, but Gulf Watch scientists will be keeping an eye out for this and similar anomalies to better understand the health of the Gulf of Alaska. By combining their different areas of expertise, the Gulf Watch scientists were able to begin solving the mystery of the dying seabirds in the Gulf of Alaska but many questions remained. The Gulf Watch team will continue working together to understand not only how the ecosystem continues to recover from the Exxon Valdez oil spill, but also how the Gulf of Alaska continues to change as a result of other types of changes, both natural and human-caused in the ocean through interactions of Earth systems. Help the scientists of Gulf Watch Alaska continue to monitor ‘The Blob’ as the seasons change. Click here to access the Alaska ‘Blob’ Tracker.     Who is watching the Blob?   Expertise (n): expert skill or knowledge in a certain area of study    

Seward, Alaska (May 21, 2021)–  The Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) is saddened to announce the passing of the juvenile ringed seal admitted to the Wildlife Response Program on May 12.   The ringed seal, found in Dutch Harbor, arrived malnourished, dehydrated, and wheezing. Wildlife Response staff vigilantly treated the animal, but unfortunately he passed during the night of May 16. “I thought he had come to us in time as he had an attitude and resisted us when we handled him. However, he was suffering from parasitism, malnutrition, emaciation, dehydration, and a bacterial infection and unfortunately succumbed to those problems,” states ASLC Director of Animal Health, Dr. Carrie Goertz.    The general findings after the preliminary necropsy revealed he was severely immunocompromised, showed signs of bacterial infection likely pneumonia or bronchitis or both, and organ congestion, which is consistent with shock possibly from decreased lung function or infection. The specific cause of death is still unknown and the team at ASLC awaits results from more extensive testing.    The Alaska SeaLife Center thanks Ravn Air for generously donating a flight for this seal from Dutch Harbor. Without their help the animal would not have made it to the Center as quickly. The Center also thanks donors that gave to the seal’s care. The Wildlife Response Program can offer second chances for animals like this ringed seal because of generous program contributors.   About ASLC  Opened in 1998, the Alaska SeaLife Center operates as a 501(c)(3), non-profit research institution and public aquarium in Seward, Alaska. The Center generates and shares scientific knowledge to promote understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s marine ecosystems. The ASLC is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. To learn more, visit www.alaskasealife.org.  

      Starting August 21 through Saturday, August 27, 2022 (ending at 8 PM)   Every donation of $25 or more for ASLC pinniped research will receive a limited edition sticker decal that shows you are a supporter of this critical research! This exclusive sticker was created specifically for this event by local Alaskan artist Sea Spray AK. (Donations must be made through this link to receive a sticker!)     Scientific Research was the founding reason that the Alaska SeaLife Center was created in 1991, and it remains a staple in our mission to this day. Two of the amazing scientific research projects at the ASLC that both focus on pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) are in need of your help!   Federal grant funds that support scientific research have diminished over the years, making the financial support for important scientific research more and more competitive. Less support has been coming to the ASLC science teams for research that is unique to the Alaska SeaLife Center and our partner scientists.   The important research our scientists have been working on for the endangered populations of Steller sea lions and ice seals have both been heavily impacted by funding reductions. With changing oceans and climates, the pinniped research at the ASLC has never been more important.   The Chiswell Island Steller Sea Lion Remote Video Monitoring Project has been collecting data for over 20 years at the ASLC, and years of hard work has just now started to give us a big picture look at the changes happening in our oceans.    The Alaska SeaLife Center is also home to the PHOCAS project, a special partnership between ASLC and the University of California Santa Cruz. PHOCAS stands for the Physiology and Health of Cooperating Arctic Seals. This program involves trained Alaskan ice seals that are studied at ASLC and Long Marine Laboratory. Scientists and veterinarians with expertise in seal science are working together to gather needed information about the behavior, development, health, and physiology of spotted, ringed, and bearded seals. The project will provide insight into how these seals may respond to changing ice and climate conditions in Alaskan Arctic and subArctic waters.    Every year the climate and our oceans are changing, and the science team working with arctic species of ice seals at the ASLC is collecting critical data on how these elusive arctic species will be impacted. If this project does not have enough funding to continue, all who care for the survival of these irreplaceable arctic species will be impacted.       From August 21 - 27, 2022 ASLC social media pages will be filled with stories and updates from the Center's pinniped scientific research teams.   Follow us on Facebook  Follow us on Instagram  Follow us on YouTube   Every donation of $25 or more for ASLC pinniped research will receive a limited edition sticker decal that shows you are a supporter of this critical research! This exclusive sticker was created specifically for this event by local Alaskan artist Sea Spray AK. (Donations must be made through this link to receive a sticker!)   Please join us this week on social media to learn more about this important research and help sustain this incredible scientific work that will inform policymakers for years to come.       

The ASLC’s Wildlife Response Program facilitates important research, provides disaster readiness, rescues and rehabilitates animals in need, and raises empathy and awareness for marine life across the globe. Your donation is vital in helping us continue and expand these mission objectives. When: Sunday, September 10 through Saturday, September 16, 2023 (ending at 8 p.m.) Every donation of $25 or more to the ASLC Wildlife Response Program will receive a limited edition sticker as a testament to your support! Check back for a donation link starting Sunday, September 10. As the only institution in Alaska authorized to rehabilitate marine mammals, the ASLC is the best hope of survival for many injured, stranded, and abandoned animals. Under the care of our wildlife response team, many species (including sea otters, seals, beluga calves, walrus calves, fur seals, and countless bird patients) have been given a second lease on life.   Our team also studies deceased marine animals to better understand the cause of death and gain insight into the health of Alaskan wildlife populations.   In addition to covering the live animal response and care during the ‘busy’ summer season from May to September, the Wildlife Response Program plays a critical role in responding to oil spills and other environmental hazards that may pose a threat to local wildlife. Our team remains in a ready state year-round to provide basic oiled wildlife care for affected animals, and deploy mobile treatment and rehabilitation enclosures. As climate destabilization threatens the health of our oceans and the life it harbors, the importance of our mission work grows. Continued funding bolsters our ability to address and respond to ocean changes as they occur, and ensures that irreplaceable arctic species (and the people that care for them) have a place in Alaska’s future. On behalf of the ASLC, our passionate wildlife response staff, and the ocean life they protect and nurture — we thank you for your donation.   Our program operates under permits and agreements issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).     International donations: please donate through our general donations page and select "wildlife response." This will still count towards the Roundup for Wildlife Response campaign!   Tune in for a week of inspiring wildlife response stories on the ASLC social media pages from September 10 - 16, 2023! Please follow us on social media to learn more about this important program and help sustain this incredible work for years to come.    Follow us on Facebook  Follow us on Instagram  Follow us on YouTube  

The Alaska SeaLife Center Soirée, the Center’s Anchorage-based fundraiser, will be held at the Anchorage Museum. This two-hour cocktail reception includes heavy appetizers and a chance for guests to mingle with other mission supporters. Sponsors get the first chance at limited tickets for this 21+ event. For more information contact Nancy Anderson: nancya@alaskasealife.org

Sustaining donors are individuals who donate monthly. By choosing to donate each month, you give the gift of stability by ensuring a sustainable flow of resources no matter the season.  Just as a salmon smolt thrives in the community of its school, the Alaska SeaLife Center relies on the School of Sustainers, brought together by the shared value of conserving and stewarding Alaska’s marine ecosystems.      If you choose to join the School of Sustainers, please know that we keep your information secure and you have the ability to cancel your donations at any time. If you would like to cancel or alter your recurring gift, get in touch with our development department by calling 907-362-4340 or sending an email to development@alaskasealife.org.    Your monthly gift is more than a donation – it’s a powerful current that keeps the mission in motion.       

60 North Science  

60 North Science

At the Alaska SeaLife Center, our mission to generate and share scientific knowledge comes to life through the research we contribute to and share with others. From peer-reviewed publications and presentations to collaborative projects, our team works to advance understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s marine ecosystems. Select the year below to see a collection of the work shared.      2025 Journal Articles      Fraser, J., Aviste, R., Harwell, M., Liu, J. (2025). Under-resourced learning programs imperil active  stewardship of Alaska's marine systems for food security. Sustainability. 17 (6436).  https://doi.org/10.3390/su17146436     Gulland, F. M. D., Asmutis-Silvia, R., Boehm J., DiGiovanni, R., Goertz, C.E.C., Huggins, J., Lovewell,  G., Moore, K., West, K. (2025). Marine mammal stranding networks in the 21st century: whence and  whither? Marine Mammal Science. e70016. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.70016     LeFebvre, R. B., Campbell, C.M., Divine, L., Melodivov, P., Hellen, H., Burek-Huntington, K., Bowers,  E., Rouse, N., Fachon, E., Farrugia, T.J., Pickart, R.S., Lin, P., Lago, L., Bahr, F., Furst, E., Duncan, C.,  Charapata, P., Anderson, D., Kurtay, G. (2025). Saxitoxin linked to deaths of northern fur seals in the  southeast Bering Sea. Marine Mammal Science. e70028. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.70028     Linossier, J., Charrier, I., Mathevon, N., Casey, C., Reichmuth, C. (2025). Nonlinear phenomena in  pinnipeds: a preliminary investigation in the contact calls of northern elephant seal pups. Philosophical  Transactions. 380. https://doi.org/10.1098/rstb.2024.0016   Maliguine, A. M., Hollmen, T., Amundson, C.L., Konar, B.H. (2025). Changes in benthic prey  availability and quality suggest less favorable foraging conditions for threatened steller's eiders  (Polysticta stelleri) molting at Izembek Lagoon, Alaska. Polar Biology. 48(86).  https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-025-03403-8      Martinez, C., Seetahal, J.F.R., Rivas, A., Goertz, C.E.C (2025). Serum anitibody response to rabies  vaccination in northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni). Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine. 56 (3):  689-693. DOI: 10.1638/2024-0138      Ou, W., Song, Z., Goertz, C.E.C., Mooney, T.A., Dennison, S., Zhang, C., Zhang, Y., Castellote, M.  (2025). Directional sound transmission and reception of the beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas).  Bioinspiration and Biomimetics. 20 (036007). https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-3190/adc5bd      Romero, C., Nielson, O., Burek-Huntington, K., Goertz, C.E.C. (2025). Simultaneous urogenital infection  with novel upsilonpapillomaviruses and varicellovirus monodontidalpha1 in beluga whales  Delphinapterus leucas from Bristol Bay, Alaska, USA. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 163:113-120.  https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03865      Rouse, N., Burek-Huntington, K., Goertz, C.E.C., Hunter, N., Radhakrishnan, S.R., Forde, T. (2025).  Erysipelothrix in Cook Inlet, Alaska, USA: an emerging bacterial pathogen of the endangered Cook Inlet  beluga whale. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms. 163. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao0385       Sebastian, P. J., Schlesener, C., Burek-Huntington, K., Goertz, C.E.C., Rouse, N., Hunter, N., Weimer,  B.C., Johnson, C.K. (2025). Apparent expansion of virulent Vibrio parahaemolyticus in humans and sea otters. Virulence. DOI: 10.1080/21505594.2025.2603698      Sebastian, P. J., Schlesener, C., Byrne, B.A., Miller, M., Smith, W., Batac, F., Goertz, C.E.C., Weimer,  B.C., Johnson, C.K. (2025). Antimicrobial resistance of Vibrio spp. from the coastal California system:  discordance between genotypic and phenotypic patterns. Applied and Environmental Microbiology.  10.1128/aem.01808-24  2025      Sills, J. M., Ruscher-Hill, B., Pakcard, N., Jones, R.A., Southall, B., Reichmuth, C. (2025). Low frequency hearing and masking parameters in representative seals and sea lions. Journal of Acoustical  Society of America. 158 (2): 1585-1599. https://doi.org/10.1121/10.0039049      Smith, M. M., Dusek, R.J., Hollmen, T., Schoen, S.K., Van Hemert, C., Steinmetzer, K.B., Lee, A.,  Schlener, J., Patil, V., Hardison, D.R., Kulis, D., Anderson, D.M., Ridge, C.D., Hall, S. (2025). Paralytic  shellfish toxins and seabirds: evaluating sublethal effects, behavioral responses, and ecological  implications of saxitoxin ingestion by common murres (Uria aalge). Harmful Algae. 148.  https://doi.org/10.1016/j.hal.2025.102919      Ulman, S. E. G., Hollmen, T., Flint, P.L. (2025). Timing of Steller's Eider remigial molt has delayed over  26-year span. Journal of Ornithology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10336-025-02303-2       Veazey, L., Latty, C.J., Chapman, Z., Hollmen, T. (2025). Applying Computer Vision to Accelerate  Monitoring and Analysis of Bird Incubation Behaviors: A Case Study Using Common Eider Nest Camera  Footage. Remote Sensing in Ecology and Conservation. doi: 10.1002/rse2.70022       Whiting, A., Naylor, C., Hollmen, T., Burek-Huntington, K. (In Press, 2025). Connecting Inupiaq and  Veterinary Knowledge about Wildlife Diseases and Food Safety. Arctic.      Conference Presentations    Furst, E. (2025). One Health and Veterinary Medicine in Rural Alaska: Saint Paul Island. Seward Science  Symposium, Seward, Alaska.   Goertz , C. E. C., Pace, C., Hunter, N., Goertz, C.E.C., Reichmuth, C. (2025). Plasma concentrations and  persistence of midazolam in spotted and ringed seals. Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage,  Alaska.   Higgins, B., Hollmen, T. (2025). Why do Kittlitz's murrelets forage near tidewater glaciers? Alaska  Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage, Alaska.     Hunter, N., Barst, B., Gastaldi, A., Goertz, C.E.C., Bortz, E., Bishop, A. (2025). Northern sea otters  (Enhydris lutris) as indicators of changing mercury dynamics in Kachemak Bay. Alaska Marine Science  Symposium.     Hunter, N., Barst, B., Gastaldi, A., Goertz, C.E.C., Bortz, E., Bishop, A. (2025). Northern sea otters  (Enhydris lutris) as indicators of changing mercury dynamics in Kachemak Bay. Sea Otter Workshop,  Seattle, WA.     Uher-Koch, B. D., Stanek, A., Latty, C.J., Hollmen, T., von Biela, V.R.(2025). Diet of breeding Red throated and Pacific Loons in the Beaufort Sea inferred from stable isotope and fatty acid analyses.  Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage, Alaska.  Davis, J., Hunter, N., Goertz, C.E.C. (2025). Disease monitoring of stranded Pacific walrus (Odobenus  rosmarus divergens) calves: 2003-2024, Alaska Marine Science Symposium.     Uher-Koch, B. D., Stanek, A., Latty, C.J., Hollmen, T., von Biela, V.R. (2025). Diet of breeding Red throated and Pacific loons in the Beaufort Sea. Alaska Marine Science Symposium.     White, C. M., Atkinson, S., Furin, C.G., Gho, M.J., Hunter, N., Johnston, S.E. (2025). Persistent organic  pollutants in tissues of hunted sea otters (Enhydra lutris) in Icy Straight, Alaska. Alaska Marine Science  Symposium.     Book Sections     Reichmuth, C., Klein, A.M. (2025). Bearded Seal Erignathus barbatus. Handbook of the Mammals of  Europe, Springer Nature Switzerland.     Reports     Asa, C., Bergl, R., Canzoneri, N., Christie, D., D’Agnostino, J., Ferrie, G., Fuller, G., Gamble, K.,  Johnson, B., Kalenda, P., Leeds, A., Luebke, J., Maslanka, M., Martin, M., Nageotte, N., Penfold, L.,  Pukazhenthi, B., Putnam, A., Powell, D., Rank, S., Rodriguez-Clark, K., Roth, T., Russell, A., Senner, P.,  Schad Eebes, K., Sykes, J., Tobey, J., Wark, J. (2025). RTC Report: AZA 2012 Research Priority  Achievements by December 2022. C. Kendall, L. Faust, J. Fraser et al.      Cameron, M., Brady, G., Hou, B., Koslovsky, S., McClintock, B., Meranda, M., Reichmuth, C.,  Richmond, E., Ziel, H. (2025). Final Report for the NOAA ORTA Bridging Program Project: An  Extension of 2020-05 Monitoring Body Condition of Seals in Alaska Using Small UAS: 1-55.       Uher-Koch, B. D., Furst, E. (2025). Baseline health parameter data from Pacific (Gavia pacifica) and  Red-throated loons (G. stellata) in northern Alaska, 2023. U. G. Survey.      2024 Journal Articles    Fraser, J. (2024). Two-eyed tinkering with museum practice. Curator: The Museum Journal.  https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.12638    Fraser, J. (2024). Listening, hearing, and taking authority. Curator: The Museum Journal 67:  545-546. https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.12620    Fraser, J. (2024). Critical consciousness, heritage, and the shape of museum practice. Curator:  The Museum Journal 67: 5-6. https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.12602    Fraser, J. (2024). Passing the baton. Curator: The Museum Journal  https://doi.org/10.1111/cura.12665.    Geiger, N., Swim, Janet K., Fraser, J. (2024). With a little help from my friends: Social support,  hope and climate change engagement. British Journal of Social Psychology, 64, (1). https://doi.org/10.1111/bjso.12837    Lee, L.K.F., Hipfner, M., Frankfurter, G., Cray, C., Pearson, S.F., Fiorello, C., Clyde, N.M.T., Hudson, S.A., Parker, S.E., Stallknecht, D.E., Furst, E., Haman, K.H. (2024). Baseline health parameters of rhinoceros auklets (Cerorhinca monocerata) using serum protein electrophoresis, acute phase proteins, and biochemistry. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 11:1379980. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2024.1379980  Lum, A.M., Tuttle, A.D., Martony, M.E., Anderson, E.T., Anderson, C.E., et. al. (2024). Causes  of Morbidity and Mortality in Steller Sea Lions (Eumotopias Jubatus) under Professional Care in North American Aquariums from 1979 to 2021. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 55(3):629-637. https://doi.org/10.1638/2023-0089.    Lum, A.M., Weisbrod, T.C., Jacob, S.I., Isaza, R., Goertz, C.E., Tuttle, A.D., Deegan, T.C.,  Francis-Floyd, R., Stacy, N.I. (2024). Retrospective comparison of thyroid hormones in Steller sea lions Eumotopias jubatus under professional care with and without thyroid disease. Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, Vol. 159:199-208. https://doi.org/10.3354/dao03816  Pace, C., Goertz, C.E., Hunter, N., Abraham, T., Goertz, J., et al. (2024) Seasonal variation of  blood analytes associated with skin health in Alaskan ice seals. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 55(4):994-1004. https://doi.org/10.1638/2024-0046    Sebastian, P., Schlesener, C., Byrne, B., Miller, M., Smith, W., Batac, F., Goertz, C., Weimer, B., and Johnson, C. (2024) Antimicrobial resistance of Vibrio spp. from coastal California: discordance between genotypic and phenotypic patterns. Journal of the American Society for Microbiology- Environmental Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1128/aem.01808-24    Tengler, M.L., Dearolf, J., Bryan, A.L., Reichmuth, C., Thometz, N.M. (2024). Comparative  muscle physiology of Ringed (Pusa hispida), Bearded (Erignathus barbatus), and Spotted (Phoca largha) Seals from the Bering and Chukchi Seas. Aquatic Mammals 50 (3): 181-198. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.50.3.2024.181    Unal, E., Singh, V., Suydam, R., Goertz, C.E., Romano, T. Comparative skin transcriptome  analysis as a potential tool to investigate intra- and inter- population differences in belugas. Frontiers in Marine Science, 11:1282210. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1282210    Conference Presentations  Boveng, P., et al. (2024). Trophic roles of spotted seals in Alaska Arctic marine ecosystems. Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage, Alaska, January 29-February 2, 2024.    Burman, S. (2024). Marine mammal care and training at ASLC. Seward Rotary Meeting, Seward, Alaska, January 2024.  Burman, S. (2024). Let's PHOCAS on seals. Seward Science Symposium, Seward, Alaska, September 2024.  Burman, S. (2024). Let's PHOCAS on seals. Environmental Ecology and Behavior, University of Texas, Austin, Texas, September 2024. Virtual presentation.  Lum, A.M., Isaza, R., Goertz, C.E.C., Tuttle, A.D., Jacob, S.I., Weisbrod, T.C., Francis-Floyd, R., and Stacy, N.I. (2024) Comparison of thyroid hormones in Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) with and without thyroid disease. International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine, Galway, Ireland, May 2024.    Maliguine, A.M.*, Hollmen, T., Amundson, C, and Konar, B. (2024). Changing forage conditions for molting Steller's Eiders (Polysticta stelleri) in Izembek Lagoon, Alaska. The 7th International Sea Duck Conference, online, January 8-11, 2024.  Maliguine, A.M.*, Hollmen, T., Amundson, C, and Konar, B. (2024). Changing forage conditions for molting Steller's Eiders in Izembek Lagoon, Alaska. Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage, AK, January 29-February 2, 2024.  Maniscalco, J. (2024). Steller sea lion population dynamics. Wine by the Water, Alaska SeaLife Center. Seward, AK. April 2024.    Maniscalco, J. (2024). Steller sea lion population dynamics. Captains Reception, Alaska SeaLife Center. Seward, AK. May 2024.    Maniscalco, J. (2024). Steller sea lion population dynamics. Behavioral Ecology, Kenai Peninsula College. Homer, AK. October 2024.    Martinez, C., Steinmetzer, K., Shaw, K., Goertz, C. (2024). An Integrative Approach to Pain Management in Geriatric Seabirds (presentation). International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine, Galway, Ireland, May 2024.  Meranda, M., Thometz, N., Rosen, D., Reichmuth, C. (2024). Metabolic costs of submerged activity in three species of Arctic seals. Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage, Alaska, January 29-February 2, 2024.  Pace, C., Goertz, C., Hunter, N., Abraham, T., Goertz, J., Reichmuth, C. (2024). Seasonal variation of blood analytes associated with skin health in Alaskan ice seals. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 55(4): 994-1004. https://doi.org/10.1638/2024-0046  Serrano, N.H., Gaudette, C., Dougherty, K.A., Moledo, J.A., Passingham, R.K., Cannedy, A.L.,  Fuller, F.J., Goertz, C.E.C., Lewbart, G.A. (2024) Health Assessment of Wild Caught Pacific Halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) in Alaskan Waters. International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine, Galway, Ireland, May 2024.    Thompson, L.A., Goertz, C.E.C., Tracy, A., Romano, T.A. (2024) Generating Baseline Immune Function Data for Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas) in Bristol Bay, Alaska. International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine, Galway, Ireland, May 2024.    Unal, E., Singh, V., Suydam, R., Goertz, C. E. C., Wade, P., and Romano, T. (2024) Comparative Skin Transcriptomics Reveals Significant Seasonal and Population- Level Differences in Beluga Stocks of Alaska. International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine, Galway, Ireland, May 2024.    Veazey, L.*, Hollmén, T., and Latty, C. (2024). Using computer vision to accelerate monitoring and analysis of sea duck incubation behaviors. The 7th International Sea Duck Conference, online, January 8-11, 2024.    Watford, E.*, and Hollmen, T.E. (2024). Body condition of Pacific common eiders along the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska. Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage, AK, January 29-February 2, 2024.  Furst, E., Uher-Koch, B., Hollmen, T., Zapanta, K., and Krumbeck, J., (2024). Cloacal    Microbiome Analysis in Red-throated and Pacific Loons Breeding along the Beaufort Sea Coast. Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage, AK, January 29-February 2, 2024.    Higgins, B.*, and Hollmen, T. (2024). Temporal Change in Distribution and Quantity of Kittlitz's Murrelet Nesting Habitat in The Kenai Fjords Region. Pacific Seabird Group Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, February 21-23, 2024.    Hunter, N., Barst, B., Gastaldi, A., Goertz, C., Bortz, E., Bishop, A. Sea otters as sentinels species: Investigating changing mercury dynamics in the Gulf. Society for Marine Mammology (SMM), Perth, Australia, November 2024 (Poster).    Hunter, N., Barst, B., Gastaldi, A., Goertz, C., Bortz, E., Bishop, A. Northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) as indicators of changing mercury dynamics in Kachemak Bay, Alaska. Society for Environmental Toxicology and Toxicology, Fort Worth TX, October 2024 (Poster).    Hunter, N., Chase, L., Goertz, C. Investigating SARS-CoV-2 at the Alaska SeaLife Center by Using Serology and Biosecurity Assessments Performed by the United States Department of Agriculture. Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage  AK, January 2024 (Poster)    Martinez, C., Furst, E., Steinmetzer, K., Davis, J., Hunter, N., Beane, H., Goertz, C. (2024). Aspergillosis, an Emerging Concern at a Subarctic Facility (poster). International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine, Galway, Ireland, May 2024.    Schlener, J., Hollmen, T., Steinmetzer, K, and Smith, M. (2024). Monitoring growth of common murres from wild eggs raised in captivity. Pacific Seabird Group Annual Meeting, Seattle, WA, February 21-23, 2024.    Uher-Koch, B.D.*, von Biela, V.R., Stanek, A.E, Latty, C.J., and Hollmen, T.E. (2024). Habitat use and foraging effort of breeding Red-throated and Pacific Loons in the Beaufort Sea. Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage, AK, January 29-February 2, 2024.    Unal, E., Singh, V., Suydam, R., Goertz, C. E. C., Wade, P., and Romano, T. (2024) Comparative Skin Transcriptomics Reveals Biologically Relevant Gene Expression Differences in Endangered versus Stable Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas). Society for Marine Mammalogy (SMM), Perth, Australia, November 2024.      2023 Journal Articles Franson, J.C., Hollmen, T.E., Flint, P.L., and A.C. Matz. (2023). Trace elements in blood of sea ducks from Dutch Harbor and Izembek. Alaska.  Journal of Fish and Wildlife Management 14 (1): 41–50J. Hastings, K. K., Gelatt, T. S., Maniscalco, J. M., Jemison, L. A., Towell, R., Pendleton, G. W., and Johnson, D. S. (2023). Reduced survival of Steller sea lions in the Gulf of Alaska following marine heatwave. Frontiers in Marine Science. 10(112701). doi: 10.3389/fmars.2023.1127013. Hollmen, T. E., Flint, P. L., Ulman, S. E. G., Wilson, H. M., Amundson, C. L., & Osnas, E. E. (2023). Climate change and coastal wetland salinization: Physiological and ecological consequences for Arctic waterfowl. Functional Ecology, 37, 1884–1896. https://doi.org/10.1111/1365-2435.14363 Kirby, A. J., Balko, J. A., Goertz, C. E. C., and Lewbart, G. A. (2023). Characterization of Current Husbandry and Veterinary Care Practices of the Giant Pacific Octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) Using an Online Survey. Veterinary Sciences 10(7), 448. https://doi.org/10.3390/vetsci10070448 Maniscalco, J. M. (2023). "Changes in the overwintering diet of Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in relation to the 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave." Global Ecology and Conservation 43(e02427). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gecco.2023.e02427 Song, Z., Mooney, A., Quakenbush, L., Hobbs, R., Gaglione, E., Goertz, C. E. C., and Castellote, M. (2023). Variability of Echolocation Clicks in Beluga Whales (Delphinapterus leucas) Within Shallow Waters. Aquatic Mammals. 49(1), 62-72. https://doi.org/10.1578/AM.49.1.2023.62 Thometz, N. M., Rosen, D. A., Hermann-Sorensen, H., Meranda, M., Pardini, M., and Reichmuth, C. (2023). Maintaining control: metabolism of molting Arctic seals in water and when hauled out. Journal of Experimental Biology. 226(1): jeb244862. https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.244862   Conference Presentations Belovarac, J., Davis, J., Pace, C., and Goertz, C. E. C. (2023). Raising a Neurological Harbor Seal (Phoca vitulina) and Management into Adulthood. Association of Zoological Veterinary Technicians. Corpus Cristi, TX. October 2023. Burek Huntington, K., Sheldon, K., Andrews, R., Goertz, C. E. C., McGuire, and T., Dennison. (2023). Postmortem pathology investigation of the wounds from invasive tagging in belugas (Delphinatpterus leucas) from Cook Inlet and Bristol Bay, Alaska. Alaska Marine Science Symposium. Anchorage, AK. January 23-27, 2023.  Furst, E., Harris, S., Rautio, Al, Mulvad, G., and Reynolds, A. (2023). One Health, One Arctic, One Community:  Panel Presentation. Arctic Circle Assembly. Reykjavik, Iceland. October 2023. Goertz, C. E. C., Furst, E., Martinez, C., Davis, J., Belovarac, J., Hunter, N., and Beane, H. (2023). Handling, Sampling, and Treating Aquatic Animals. Alaska VMA Symposium. Anchorage, AK. October 2023. Goertz, C. E. C., Furst, E., Martinez, C., Davis, J., Belovarac, J., Hunter, N., and Beane, H. (2023). Alaska SeaLife Center Wildlife Response Program: What We Do, How You Can Help. Alaska VMA Symposium. Anchorage, AK. October 2023. Hanenburg, M., Goertz, C., and Reichmuth, C. (2023). All about the curves: Cooperative body condition measurements of Arctic seals support health assessments for wild populations. Joint Conference of the International Marine Animal Trainer’s Association and the Animal Behavior Management Association. Atlanta, GA. March 5-10, 2023. Hollmen, T. (2023). Making a Living in Northern Oceans: A Physiological Ecology Lens into Marine Bird Conservation. Invited plenary presentation. The 20th Alaska Bird Conference, Anchorage, AK, December 12-14, 2023. Hollmen, T. (2023). Student scientists monitor seabirds in Seward:  engaging community in observations of our Bay. Seward Marine Science Symposium. Seward, AK. September 17, 2023. Hollmen, T., Osnas, E., and Frost, C. (2023). Structured Decision Making as a Model to Integrate Different Knowledge Systems and Achieve Collaborative Conservation.  Workshop at North American Caribou Workshop and Arctic Ungulate Conference, Anchorage, AK, May 8-12, 2023. Kansman, K., Nakonechny, L., Burek Huntington, K., Potter, B., and Goertz, C. E. C. (2023). Abdominal ectopic pregnancy and myocardial calcification in a Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus). Alaska Marine Science Symposium. Anchorage, AK. January 23-27, 2023. Kansman, K., Nakonechny, L., Potter, B., Burek-Huntington, K. A., and Goertz, C. E. C. (2023). Abdominal Ectopic Pregnancy and Myocardial Calcification in a Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus). International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine. Salt Lake City, UT. May 2023. Lum, A. M., Tuttle, A.D., Martony, M. E., Anderson, E. T., Anderson, C., E., Haulena, M., Goertz, C. E., C., Raverty, S. A., Burek-Huntington, K. A., Thompson, L. A., and Dunn, J. L. (2023). Causes of Morbidity and Mortality in Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus) Under Human Care in North America from 1979-2021. International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine. Salt Lake City, UT. May 2023. Maliguine, A.M., Hollmen, T., Konar, B., and Amundson, C. (2023). Changing forage conditions for molting Steller’s Eiders in Izembek Lagoon, Alaska.  The 20th Alaska Bird Conference. Anchorage, Alaska, December 12-14, 2023. Maniscalco, J. (2023). Changes in overwintering diet of Steller sea lions. Seward Marine Science Symposium. Seward, AK September 17, 2023. Maniscalco, J. (2023). The good, the bad, the ugly: A brief history of our relationship with Steller sea lions. Belugas Count!. Kenai, AK. September 23, 2023. Sebastian, P. J., Schlesener, C., Byrne, B. A., Miller, M. Smith, W., Batac, F., Burek-Huntington, K., Goertz, C. E. C., Rouse, N., Hunter, N., Weimer, B.C., and Johnson, C. K. (2023). Expansion of virulent Vibrio parahaemolyticus in humans and sea otters. 71st Annual International Conference of the Wildlife Disease Association. Athens, GA. July 29-August 4, 2023. Smith, M., Van Hemert, C., Dusek, R., Hollmen, T., Pelo, K., Lee, A., Schlener, J., Kulis, D., Anderson, D., and Hall, S. (2023). Evaluating the sublethal and chronic effects of saxitoxin ingestion by common murres. Alaska Marine Science Symposium. Anchorage, AK. January 23-27, 2023.  Steinmetzer, K. (2023). Finding successes in aviculture through the lens of covid and avian influenza. Waterfowl Conservation Workshop. International Wild Waterfowl Association. Seattle, WA. October 25-29, 2023. Unal, E., Singh, V., Suydam, R., Goertz, C. E. C., Wade, P., and Romano, T. (2023). Skin transcriptome analysis as a potential tool for health assessment in belugas. Alaska Marine Science Symposium. Anchorage, AK. January 23-27, 2023. Veazey, L., Hollmén, T., and Latty, C. (2023). Optimizing Sea Duck Research: Using Computer Vision-Based Behavior and Nest Survival Analysis. The 20th Alaska Bird Conference. Anchorage, Alaska, December 12-14, 2023. Benedict, W. M., Gaudette, C., Dougherty, K. A., Passingham, R. K., Cannedy, A. L., Beane H. S., Stacy, N. I., and Lewbart, G. A. (2023). Blood Analyte and Morphometric Reference Intervals in Freshwater Adult Free-Range Wild Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine. Salt Lake City, UT. May 2023. Furst, E., Gerlach, R., Hunter, N., and Goertz, C. E. C. (2023). Avian influenza screening at the Alaska SeaLife Center. Alaska Marine Science Symposium. January 23-27, 2023. Goertz, C., Pace, C., Hunter, N., Abraham, T., and Reichmuth, C. (2023). Seasonal variation of markers of skin health in Alaskan ice seals. International Association of Aquatic Animal Medicine. Salt Lake City, UT. May 20-23, 2023. Lee, L. K. F., Hipfiner, M., Frankfurter, G., Cray, C., Pearson, S. F., Fiorello, C., Clyde, N. M. T., Hudson, S. A., Parker, S. E., Stallknecht, D. E., Furst, E., and Haman, K. H. (2023). Baseline Health Parameters of Rhinoceros Auklets (Cerorhina monocerata) using Serum Protein Electrophoresis, Acute Phase Proteins, and Biochemistry. 71st Annual International Conference of the Wildlife Disease Association. Athens, GA. July 2023. Maliguine, A., Hollmen, T., Konar, B., and Amundson, C. (2023). Have forage conditions for molting Steller’s eiders (Polysticta stelleri) changed in Izembek Lagoon? Alaska Marine Science Symposium. January 23-27, 2023. Meranda, M., Ruscher, B., Thmetz, N., Rosen, D., and Reichmuth, C. (2023). Resting and stationary diving metabolic costs in Alaskan ice seals. Alaska Marine Science Symposium. January 23-27, 2023.  Uher-Koch, B.D., Furst, E.M., Latty, C.J., and Hollmen, T.E. (2023). Mercury and lead exposure in Red-throated and Pacific Loons breeding in northern Alaska. Alaska Bird Conference. Anchorage, AK, December 12-14, 2023.   2022 Journal Articles Richard, J. T., Schultz, K., Goertz, C. E. C., Hobbs, R. C., Romano, T. A., and Sartini, B. L. (2022). Evaluating beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) blow samples as a potential diagnostic for immune function gene expression within the respiratory system Conservation Physiology, 10(1). doi:10.1093/conphys/coac045   Schmitt, T. L., Goertz, C. E. C., Hobbs, R. C., Osborn, S., DiRocco, S., Bissell, H., & Harris, W. S. (2022). Erythrocyte, Whole Blood, Plasma, and Blubber Fatty Acid Profiles in Oceanaria-Based versus Wild Alaskan Belugas (Delphinapterus leucas). Oceans, 3(4), 464-479. doi:10.3390/oceans3040031 Joblon, M. J., Flower, J. E., Thompson, L. A., Biddle, K. E., Burt, D. A., Zabka, T. S., Adkesson, M. J., Halaska, B., Goertz, C. E. C., Rouse, N., Cahoon, S. N., Jetzke, K., Giovanelli, R. P., and Tuttle, A. D. (2022). Investigation Of The Use Of Serum Biomarkers For The Detection Of CardiacDisease In Marine Mammals. Journal of Zoo and Wildlife Medicine, 53(2), 373-382 Pace, C. N., Webber, M. A., Boege Tobin, D. D., Pemberton, S., Belovarac, J., & Goertz, C. E. C. (2022). The Northernmost and Westernmost Records of the Guadalupe Fur Seal (Arctocephalus philipii townsendi). Aquatic Mammals, 48(6), 592-601. doi.org/10.1578/AM.48.6.2022.592 Thompson, L. A., Goertz, C. E. C., Quackenbush, L. T., Huntington, K. B., Suydam, R. S., Stimmelmayr, R., & Romano, T. A. (2022). Serological Detection of Marine Origin Brucella Exposure in Two Alaska Beluga Stocks. Animals, 12(15), 1932. doi.org/10.3390/ani12151932 Sills, J. M., and Reichmuth, C.,(2022) Vocal behavior in spotted seals (Phoca larcha) and implications for passive acoustic monitoring.  Frontiers in Remote Sensing, 3:862435 2021 Journal Articles Burek Huntington, K. A., Gill, V. A., Berrian, A. M., Goldstein, T., Tuomi, P., Byrne, B. A., Worman, K., and Mazet, J., (2021) Causes of Mortality of Northern Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) in Alaska from 2002 to 2012. Frontiers in Marine Science (8:630582). Coletti, H. A., Bowen, L., Ballachey, B. E., Wilson, T. L., Waters, S., Booz, M., Counihan, K. L., Hollmén, T. E., Pister, B. (2021) Gene Expression Profiles in Two Razor Clam Populations: Discerning Drivers of Population Status. Life, 11(12), 1288. https://doi.org/10.3390/life11121288. Hermann-Sorensen, H., Thometz, N., Woodie, K., Dennison-Gibby, S., & Reichmuth, C. (2021). In vivo measurements of lung volumes in ringed seals: insights from biomedical imaging. Journal of Experimental Biology, 224(2), jeb 235507. doi:10.1242/jeb.235507 Goertz, C. E. C., Woodie, K., Long, B., Hartman, L., Gaglione, E., Christen, D., Clauss, T., Flower, J. E., Tuttle, A. D., Richard, C., Romano, T. A., Schmitt, T. L., Otjen, E., Osborn, S., Aibel, S., Binder, T., Van Bonn, W., Castellote, M., Mooney, T. A., Dennison-Gibby, S., Burek Huntington, K. A., and Rowels, T. K. (2021) Stranded beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) calf response and care: reports of two cases with different outcomes: Polar Research, 40(S1). McGuire, T. L., Shelden, K. E. W., Himes Boor, G. K., Stephens, A. D., McClung, J. R., Garner, C., Goertz, C. E. C., Burek Huntington, K. A., O' Corry-Crowe, G., and Wright, B. (2021) Patterns of mortality in endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales: Insights from pairing a long-term photo-identification study with stranding records: Marine Mammal Science, v. 37, p. 492-511. Rosen, D. S., Thometz, N. M., and Reichmuth, C. (2021) Seasonal and Developmental Patterns of Energy Intake and Growth in Alaskan Ice Seals: Aquatic Mammals, v. 47, p. 559-573. Rouse, N. M., Counihan, K. L., Boege Tobin, D. D., Goertz, C. E. C., and Duddleston, K. N. (2021) Habitat associations between Streptococcus bovis/equinus complex and Streptococcus phocae, the causative agents of strep syndrome in sea otters, and the marine environment. Marine Ecology, 43, e12689. Rouse, N. M., Counihan, K. L., Goertz, C. E. C., and Duddleston, K. N. (2021) Competency of common northern sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) prey items to harbor Streptococcus lutetiensis and S. phocae: Diseases of Aquatic Organisms, v. 143, p. 69-78.   2020 Journal Articles Savage, K. N., Burek Huntington, K. A., Wright, S. K., Bryan, A., Sheffield, G., Webber, M., Stimmelmayr, R., Tuomi, P., Delaney, M. A., and Walker, W. (2021) Stejneger's beaked whale strandings in Alaska, 1995-2020, Marine Mammal Science, 37(3), 843-869. Spies, I., Orr, J. W., Stevenson, D. E., Goddard, P., Hoff, G., Guthridge, J., Hollowed, M., and Rooper, C. (2021) Skate egg nursery areas support genetic diversity of Alaska and Aleutian skates in the Bering Sea: Marine Ecology Progress Series, v. 669, p. 121-138. Spies, I., Orr, J. W., Stevenson, D. E., Goddard, P., Hoff, G. R., Guthridge, J., and Rooper, C. N. (2021) Genetic evidence from embryos suggests a new species of skate related to Bathyraja parmifera (Rajiformes: Arhynchobatidae) in the Bering Sea: Marine Ecology Progress Series, v. 670, p. 155-166. Suryan, R. M., Arimitsu, M. L., Coletti, H. A., Hopcroft, R. R., Lindeberg, M. R., Barbeaux, S. J., Batten, S. D., Burt, W. J., Bishop, M. A., Bodkin, J. L., Brenner, R., Campbell, R. W., Cushing, D. A., Danielson, S. L., Dorn, M. W., Drummond, B., Esler, D., Gelatt, T. S., Hanselman, D. H., Hatch, S. A., Haught, S., Holderied, K., Iken, K., Irons, D. B., Kettle, A. B., Kimmel, D. G., Konar, B., Kuletz, K. J., Laurel, B. J., Maniscalco, J. M., Matkin, C., McKinstry, C. A. E., Monson, D. H., Moran, J. R., Olsen, D., Palsson, W. A., Pegau, W. S., Piatt, J. F., Rogers, L. A., Rojeck, N. A., Schaefer, A., Spies, I. B., Straley, J. M., Strom, S. L., Sweeney, K. L., Szymkowiak, M., Weitzman, B. P., Yasumiishi, E. M., and Zador, S. G. (2021) Ecosystem response persists after a prolonged marine heatwave: Nature, Scientific Reports, v. 11. Tanedo, S., Hollmén, T. E., Maniscalco, J. M., and Ulman, S. E. G. (2021) Using Remote Video Technology to Study Environmental Factors Influencing Productivity of Black-Legged Kittiwakes Rissa Tridactyla: Marine Ornithology, v. 49, p. 293-299. Bishop, A., Brown, C., Sattler, R., & Horning, M. (2020). An Integrative Method for Characterizing Marine Habitat Features Associated with Predation: A Case Study on Juvenile Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus). Frontiers in Marine Science, 7: 576716 Bowen, L., Counihan, K., Ballachey, B., Coletti, H., Hollmén, T., Pister, B., and Wilson, T. L. (2020). Monitoring nearshore ecosystem health using Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) as an indicator species. Peer J 8:e8761 Counihan, K. L., Tuomi, P.A., and Hollmen, T.E. (2020) Differential Progression of Lymphoma in Two Captive Steller’s Eiders (Polysticta stelleri).  Journal of Avian Medicine and Surgery, 34(3), 302-305, doi: 10.1647/1082-6742-34.3.302   Levin, M., Jasperse, L., Desforges, J-P., O’Hara, T., Rea, L., Castellini, J. M., Maniscalco, J. M., Fadely, B., and Keogh, M. (2020) Methyl mercury (MeHg) in vitro exposure alters mitogen-induced lymphocyte proliferation and cytokine expression in Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) pups. Science of the Total Environment 725: 138308. Lian, M., Castellini, J. M., Kuhn, T., Rea, L., Bishop, L., Keogh, M., Kennedy, S. N., Fadely, B., van Wijngaarden, E., Maniscalco, J. M., O’Hara, T. (2020) Assessing oxidative stress in Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus): Associations with mercury and selenium concentrations. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part C 235: 108786, Maniscalco, J. M., Springer, A. M., Counihan, K. L., Hollmen, T., Aderman, H. M., and Toyukak, S., M. (2020). Contemporary diets of walruses in Bristol Bay, Alaska suggest temporal variability in benthic community structure. Peer J, (8), e8735.   McGuire, T.L., Shelden, K.E., Himes Boor, G.K.,  Stephens, A.D., McClung, J.R., Garner, C., Goertz, C.E.C., Burek-Huntington, K.A.,  O’Corry-Crowe, G., Wright, B., (2020) Patterns of mortality of endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales: Insights from pairing a long-term photo-identification study with stranding records. Marine Mammal Science. doi.org/10.1111/mms.12766    Mooney, T.A., Castellote, M., Jones, I., Rouse, N., Goertz, C.E.C. (2020). Audiogram of a Cook Inlet beluga whale (Delphinapterus leucas). The Journal of the Acoustical Society of America. http://asa.scitation.org/doi/10.1121/10.0002351   Safine, D.E., Lindberg, M.S., Martin, K.H., Talbot ,S.L., Swem, T.R., Pearce, J.M., Stellrecht, N.C., Sage, G.K., Riddle, A.E., Fales, K., and T.E. Hollmén. (2020). Use of genetic mark-recapture to estimate breeding site fidelity and philopatry in a threatened sea duck population, Alaska-breeding Steller’s eiders. Endangered Species Research 41:349-360.   Sattler, R., Bishop, A., and Polasek, L. (2020) Cortisol Levels for Pregnant and Non-Pregnant Steller Sea Lions (Eumetopias jubatus) in Human Care: Aquatic Mammals, 2 (46), p.146-151.   Tanedo, S.A., and T.E. Hollmen. (2020). Refining remote observation techniques to estimate productivity of Black-legged Kittiwakes (Rissa tridactyla) in Resurrection Bay in the Northern Gulf of Alaska. Marine Ornithology 48: 61-69.   Van Cise, A.M., Wade, P.R., Goertz, C.E.C., Burek- Huntington, K.A., Parsons, K.M., Clauss, T., Hobbs, R.C., and Apprill, A. (2020). Skin Microbiome of Beluga Whales: Spatial, Temporal, and Health-Related Dynamics. Animal Microbiome 2(39).   Walden, H. S., A. L. Bryan, et al. (2020). Helminth Fauna of Ice Seals in the Alaskan Bering and Chukchi Seas, 2006-15.  Journal of Wildlife Diseases 4(56): p. 863-872.     2019 Journal Articles Allen, K.N., Vazquez-Medina, J.P., Lawler, J.M., Mellish, J.E., Horning, M., and Hindle, A.G. (2019) Muscular apoptosis but not oxidative stress increases with old age in a long-lived diver, the Weddell seal. Journal of Experimental Biology, 222(12) jeb200246   Andrews, R. D., Baird, R. W., Calambokidis, J., Goertz , C. E. C., Gulland, F. M. D., Heide-Jorgensen, M. P., Hooker, S. K., Johnson, M. P., Mate, B., Mitani, Y., Nowacek, D. P., Owen, K., Quakenbush, L. T., Raverty, S. A., Robbins, J., Schorr, G. S., Shpak, O. V., Townsend, F. I., Uhart, M., Wells, R. S., and Zerbini, A., (2019) Best Practice guidelines for cetacean tagging: Journal of Cetacean Research and Management,  20, p. 27-66. Bishop, A.M., Dubel, A., Sattler, R., Brown, C.L., and Horning, M., (2019) Wanted dead or alive: Characterizing likelihood of juvenile Steller sea lion predation from diving and space use patterns. Endangered Species Research, 40, p. 357-367.   Brown, C., Horning, M., and Bishop, A. (2019) Improving emergence location estimates for Argos pop-up transmitters. Animal Biotelemetry, 7(4), p. 1-10.   Counihan, K. L., Bowen, L., Ballachey, B., Coletti, H., Hollmén, T.E., Pister, B., and Wilson, T.L. (2019) Physiological and gene transcription assays to assess responses of mussels to environmental changes. PeerJ, 7, e78000.   Goertz, C.E.C., Burek-Huntington, K.A., Royer, K., Quakenbush, L., Clauss, T., Hobbs, R., and Kellar, N., (2019) Comparing progesterone in blubber and serum to assess pregnancy in wild beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas): Conservation Physiology, 7, p. coz071.   Goertz , C.E.C., Reichmuth, C., Thometz, N.M., Ziel, H., and Boveng, P.L. (2019) Comparative health assessments of Alaskan Ice seals. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 6(4), p. 1-15. Horning, M., Andrews, R.A., Bishop, A.M., Boveng, P.L., Costa, D.P., Crocker, D.E., Haulena, M., Hindell, M., Hindle, A.G., Holser, R.R., Hooker, S.K., Huckstadt, L.A., Johnson, S., Lea, M.A., McDonalds, B.I., McMahon, C.R., Robinson, P.W., Sattler, R.L., Shuert, C.R., Steingass, S.M., Thompson, D., Tuomi, P.A., Williams, C.L., and Jamie N. Womble. (2019) Best practice recommendations for the use of external telemetry devices on pinnipeds.  Animal Biotelemtry, 7:20 Miller, M.W.C., Lovvorn, J. R., Matz, A.C., Taylor, R.J., Latty, C.J., Brooks, M.L., and Hollmén, T.E. (2019) Interspecific patterns of trace elements in sea ducks: Can surrogate species be used in contaminants monitoring? Ecological Indicators, 98, p. 830-839. Shelden, K.E.W., Burns, J.J., McGuire, T., Burek Huntington, K.A., Vos, D.J., Goertz , C.E.C., O' Corry-Crowe, G., and Mahoney, B.A., (2019) Reproductive status of female beluga whales from the endangered Cook Inlet Population: Marine Mammal Science, p. 1-10. Steingass, S., Horning, M., and Bishop, A. (2019) Space use of Pacific harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) from two haulout locations along the Oregon coast. PLoS ONE, 14(7), e0219484.   2018 Journal Articles Christie, K.S., Hollmén, T.E., Huntington, H.P., and Lovvorn, J. (2018) Structured decision analysis informed by traditional ecological knowledge as a tool to strengthen subsistence systems in a changing Arctic. Ecology and Society,23(4):42 Sattler, R., Bishop, A., Woodie, K., and Polasek, L. (2018) Characterizing estrus by trans-abdominal ultrasounds, fecal estrone-3-glucuronide, and vaginal cytology in the Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus). Theriogenology,120, p.25-32. Counihan, K.L. and Hollmén, T.E. (2018) Immune parameters in different age classes of captive male Steller's eiders (Polysticta stelleri). Developmental and Comparative Immunology, 86: p.41-46. Jacob, J.M., Subramaniam, K., Tu, S.L., Nielsen, O., Tuomi, P., Upton, C., and Waltzek, T.B. (2018) Complete genome sequence of a novel sea otterpox virus. Virus Genes, p.1-12. Mooney, T.A., Castellote, M., Jones, I.T., Quakenbush, L., Hobbs, R., Gaglione, E., & Goertz, C. (2018). Local acoustic habitat relative to hearing sensitivities in beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas). Journal of Ecoacoustics, 2. doi.org/10.22261/JEA.QZD9Z5 Counihan, K.L. (2018) The physiological effects of oil, dispersant and dispersed oil on the bay mussell, Mytilus trossulus, in Arctic/Subarctic conditions.  Aquatic Toxicology, 199: p.220-231. Churchwell, R.T., Kendall, S., Brown, S.C., Blanchard, A.L., Hollmén, T.E., Powell, A.N. (2018) The first hop: use of Beaufort Sea deltas by hatch-year semipalmated sandpipers.  Estuaries and Coast, 41(1) 280-292. Mooney, T.A., Castellote, M., Quakenbush, L., Hobbs, R., Gaglione, E., & Goertz, C. (2018). Variation in hearing within a wild population of beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas). Journal of Experimental Biology.  221(9), jeb171959.   Bishop A, Brown C, Rehberg M, Torres L, Horning M (2018) Juvenile Steller sea lion (Eumetopias jubatus) utilization distributions in the Gulf of Alaska. Movemement Ecology 6:6. Allen, K., Hindle, A., Vazquez-Medina, J.P., Lawler, J.M., Mellish, J.E. and M. Horning (2018) Age and muscle specific oxidative stress management strategies in a long-lived diver, the Weddell seal. The FASEB Journal 2018 32:1_supplement, 861.5-861.5  Hocking, D.P., Marx, F.G., Sattler, R., Harris, R.N., Pollack, T.I., Sorrel, K.J., Fitzgerald, E.M.G., McCurry, M.R., and Evans, A.R. (2018) Clawed forelimbs allow northern seals to eat like their ancient ancestors, Royal Society Open Science, 5:172393. Latty, C.J., Hollmén, T.E., Petersen, M.R., Powell, A.N. and R.D. Andrews (2018) Erratum: Biochimical and clinical responses of Common Eiders to implanted satellite transmitters. The Condor, 120(1) 185-187. Maniscalco, J.M., and Parker, P. (2018) Maternal and offspring effects on the timing of parturition in western Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus).  Canadian Journal of Zoology, 96(4), p. 333-339.   2017 Journal Articles Miller, C.N., L. Polasek, A.M.C. Oliveria, and J. Maniscalco. (2017).  Milk fatty acid composition of perinatal and foraging Steller sea lions: examination from pup stomachs. Canadian Journal of Zoology doi:10.1139/cjz-2016-0015. Sattler, R., and Polasek, L. (2017)  Serum estradiol and progesterone profiles during estrus, pseudopregnancy and active gestation in Steller sea lions. Journal of Zoo Biology 2017:1-9, https://doi.org/10.1002/zoo.21381 Burgess, T.L., Kreuder Johnson, C., Burdin, A., Gill, V.A., Doroff, A.M., Tuomi, P., Smith, W.A., and Goldstein, T. (2017) Brucella Infection in Asian Sea Otters (Enhydra lutris lutris) on Bering Island, Russia. Journal of Wildlife Diseases.  epub, DOI 10.7589/2016-09-220 Morey, J.S., Burek Huntington, K.A., Campbell, M., Clauss, T.M., Goertz, C.E., Hobbs, R.C., Lunardi, D., Moors, A.J., Neely, M.G., Schwacke, L.H., Van Dolah, F.M. (2017) De novo transcriptome assembly and RNA-Seq expression analysis in blood from         beluga whales of Bristol Bay, AK, Marine Genomics, epub, DOI 10.1016/j.margen.2017.08.001 Richard, J.T., Schultz, K., Goertz, C.E.C., Hobbs, R., Romano, T., and Sartini, L. (2017) Assessing the Quantity and Downstream Performance of DNA Isolated from Beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) Blow Samples. Aquatic Mammals,43(4), p. 398-408. Horning M, Haulena M, Tuomi PA, Mellish JE, Goertz CE, Woodie K, Berngartt RK, Johnson S, Shuert CR, Walker KA, Skinner JP, Boveng PL. (2017) Best practice recommendations for the use of fully implanted telemetry devices in pinnipeds. Animal Biotelemetry (2017)5:13. Horning M, Haulena M, Rosenberg JF, Nordstrom C. Intraperitoneal implantation of life-long telemetry transmitters in three rehabilitated harbor seal pups. BMC Veterinary Research (2017)13:139. Steingass S, Horning M. (2017) Individual-based energetic model suggests bottom up mechanisms for the impact of coastal hypoxia on Pacific harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardii) foraging behavior. Journal of Theoretical Biology 416:190-198.   2016 Journal Articles Andrews, R.D. and Enstipp, M.R. (2016) Diving physiology of seabirds and marine mammals: Relevance, challenges and some solutions for field studies. Comparative Biochemistry and Physiology, Part A: Molecular and Integrative Physiology, 202, 38-52. Belonovich, O.A., Fomin, S.V., Burkanov, V.N., Andrews, R.D., and Davis, R.W. (2016) Foraging behavior of lactating northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) in the Commander Islands, Russia. Polar Biology 39:357–363 Beltran, R., Peterson, S. McHuron, E., Reichmuth, C., Huckstadt, L., Costa, D. (2016) Seals and sea lions are what they eat, plus what? Determination of trophic discrimination factors for seven pinniped species. Rapid Communications in Mass Spectrometry. 30(9), 1115-1122 Cornick, L.A., Quakenbush, L.T., Norman, S.A.,  Pasi, C., Maslyk, P., Burek, K.A., Goertz, C.E.C., and Hobbs, R.C. (2016) Seasonal and developmental differences in blubber stores of beluga whales in Bristol Bay, Alaska using high-resolution ultrasound.  Journal of Mammology, 1-11                 Cortez, M., Goertz, C.E.C., Gill, V.A., and Davis, R.W. (2016) Development of an altricial mammal at sea:  II. Endery budgets of female sea otters and their pups in Simpson Bay, Alaska.  Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology, 481, 81-91 Goertz, C.E.C., Polasek, L., Burek, K., Suydam,  R., and Sformo, T., (2016)  Demography and pathology of a Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) mass-mortality event at Icy Cape, Alaska, September, 2009. Polar Biology, DOI 10.1007/s00300-016-2023-x Hay,G.C. …Horning, M., et al (2016) Key Questions in Marine Megafauna Movement Ecology. Trends in Ecology and Evolution online. Evolution 31(6): 463-475.  Latty, C.J. ,  Hollmén, T.E., Petersen, M.R., Powell, A.N., and Andrews, R.D.  (2016) Biochemical and clinical responses of Common Eiders to implanted satellite transmitters. Condor 118:489-501. Fregosi A, Klinck H, Horning M, Costa DP, Mann D, Sexton K, Hückstädt LA, Mellinger DK, Southall BL (2016) An animal-borne active acoustic tag for minimally invasive behavioral response studies on marine mammals. Animal Biotelemetry 4:1. Nichols, J.D., Hollmén, T.E., and Grand, J.B. (2016) Monitoring for the Management of Disease Risk in Animal Translocation Programmes. Eco Health 1-11. McHuron, E.A., Walcott, S.M., Zeligs, J., Skrovan, S., Costa, D.P., and Reichmuth, C. (2016) Whisker growth dynamics in two North Pacific pinnipeds: implications for determining foraging ecology from stable isotope analysis. Marine Ecology Progress Series,554: 213-224. Mooney, T.A.Castellote, M., Quackenbush, L., Hobbs, R., Goertz, C.E.C., and Gaglione, E. (2016) Measuring Hearing in Wild Beluga Whales. The Effects of Noise on Aquatic Life II.  A.N. Popper, A. Hawkins (eds). Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, New York Owen, K., Jenner, C.S., Jenner, M.N.M., and Andrews, R.D. (2016) A week in the life of a pygmy blue whale: migratory dive depth overlaps with large vessel drafts. Animal Biotelemetry 4:17. Polasek, L., Frost, C., David, J.H.M, Meyer, M.A., and Davis R.(2016)  Myoglobin distribution in the locomotory muscles of Cape fur seals (Arctocephalus pusillus pusillus). Aquatic Mammals 42(4), 421-427.  

  animatedcollapse.addDiv('A', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() animatedcollapse.addDiv('B', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init()         A research vessel is a busy place! On a ship the size of the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Healy, several groups of scientists will be working on the boat at once, each with their own research project. Watch the video below to learn about what daily life was like as the research team collected samples for their sea ice project. VIDEO: A DAY IN THE LIFE Martin Schuster describes daily life working as a research technician on the sea ice project. (2:45) Video Transcript "My name is Martin. I've been a grad students at UAF (University of Alaska Fairbanks) in the Masters program in Marine Biology for about four years now. "In the sea ice project working with Rolf my role was as technician, so I was basically organizing our gear before we would go out, and making sure all our sleds were loaded up with all the various paraphernalia that you need to go out and dirll holes in the sea ice and sample water. Our project was to get off the ice breaker on either a little ladder that they would lower down to the ice, or with a helicopter, which was the preferred way to do it. My job was basically to pack all the gear before we got out. To double, triple check and make sure that we had everything, because once you're twenty miles away from the ice breaker, if you forget something it's not a good thing. And then once we got onto the ice we would unpack everything. We would take some ice cores and then we would section the ice cores so that we could look at each individual strata in the sea ice later on and determine what kind of biota is living inside there. We'd also cut a larger hole in the sea ice so we could lower a device called a ctd. This thing would basically give us various water temperature and clorofil readings as it goes down into the water and then we'd pull it back up by hand. Most of the work was definitely getting things together and then cleaning up afterword. You have a pretty limited time on the ice and you want to get as much work done as you can. And then as soon as you're done it's time to go back to the ship because of polar bears." Text on screen "Wait a second.... POLAR BEARS" Martin: "It was a worry, I mean whenever we were on the ice directly from the ship we had what's called a bear guard. It was a Coast Guard person, fully dressed up in their survival suit with a rifle. And they would stand and watch us the whole time, just to make sure there were no bears around. So it was expected that we would see some bears, but sadly we did not. "We were just out during the day which was really neat because we got to see every sunrise and sunset, which on the sea ice is just spectacular. It was really, really cool. Just go, go go all the time. Whenever there's a chance to work, we were working. You get into sort of a motion after the first couple days, and time just starts to fly by. You really lose all sense of what day it is in the week, because it doesn't really matter. You have your work cut out for you that day, you know what you're going to do. You set all your stuff out, and you just do it. One day just begins to blend into the next. And it's actually better to be busy on a ship like that than it is to be idle, because you can get bored pretty easily. At the end of the busy day there's still work to be done. Back on the ship, the scientists have to download data to their computers and store samples for later analysis. Finally, they repack the gear for another day on the ice. On the USCGC Healy, every day is a work day. The team will continue this routine each day for several weeks! The team is excited to begin piecing together the food web, but analysis will have to wait until later, back in the lab in Fairbanks.       WHO IS STUDYING SEA ICE?   BIOTA (n)- the animal or plant life in an area   CHLOROPHYLL (n)- a green pigment found in plants and algae    

  animatedcollapse.addDiv('1', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() animatedcollapse.addDiv('2', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init()         Before setting out to explore what's living within the Bering Sea's annual sea ice, scientists need to understand the sea ice itself. The first important step is to understand how sea ice forms. When we think of the world’s oceans, we usually imagine large bodies of blue-green salt water. However, in the polar regions of our planet, conditions can be so cold that the surface of the ocean freezes. This happens when cool air temperatures and wind combine to chill the top layer of seawater to less than 28.8°F (-1.8°C). Take a look at the videos below to learn more about how sea ice forms and how it fits into the Bering Sea ecosystem: VIDEO: THE SCIENCE OF SEA ICE This video explains how sea ice differs from ice formed on fresh water lakes and describes why sea ice is an important part of the Bering Sea ecosystem. (1:55) Video Transcript Salt water and fresh water have very different physical properties.  You may have noticed one example of this already- seawater freezes at a cooler temperature.    This is because of the dissolved salt that makes sea water salty. When ocean water freezes, only the fresh water forms ice crystals leaving the salts behind in concertrated liquid droplets called brine. As the water continues to freeze, the brine droplets grow and accumulate to form tiny passageways called brine channels. So instead of being solid like an ice cube, sea ice is laced with these little brine channels that are filled with extremely salty water.  Because sea water freezes at a lower temperature than fresh water, sea ice can only exist in very cold locations.  The National Snow and Ice Data Center estimates that only about “15% of the world’s oceans are covered by sea ice during part of the year”.  Most of this sea ice is in the Arctic Ocean and the Southern Ocean surrounding Antarctica.  Some areas of the ocean are covered with sea ice all year, while in other areas sea ice is only present during the coldest months of the winter. The Bering Sea is an example of a region that only has sea ice during part of the year.  Arctic sea ice begins to grow in September, extending South into the Bering Sea as the winter continues.  The maximum sea ice extent is in March, and in the spring ice begins to melt away.  Plants, wildlife and humans all rely on the timing of the Spring sea ice melt. For plants, melting ice means access to light for photosynthesis.  For animals and humans it means access to the food resources they depend on.  Scientists expect that changes in the timing and extent of sea ice cover in the Bering Sea may impact the whole ecosystem. Brine channels inside the sea ice provide a unique habitat for ice algae. When sea ice melts in the spring, this algae is released into the water below. In areas like the Bering Sea, where sea ice is not always present, the spring sea ice melt is an important annual event for the ecosystem. VIDEO: SEA ICE ALGAE THROUGH THE SEASONS This animation illustrates how sea ice algae in the Bering Sea varies through the seasons. (0:55) To help them describe different parts of the ocean from the top down, scientists divide it into zones based on types of habitats. In the Bering Sea, three habitat zones exist: the sympagic, the pelagic and the benthic. Dr. Gradinger and his team believe that, in the spring, plants and animals in the sympagic, pelagic and benthic zones are all impacted by sea ice.  What they want to better understand is exactly how these species are impacted, by learning how they fit together in the food web. Understanding what life is like in different areas of the Bering Sea ecosystem during the springtime helps Dr. Gradinger and his team begin to predict how the ecosystem might respond if Arctic sea ice coverage continues to recede.  The research team's curiosity with this previously understudied ecosystem led to the development of specific research questions and a project proposal that took them out on the ice!       WHO IS STUDYING SEA ICE?   POLAR (adj)- Describing the area of the Earth's surface around the North and South poles.   BRINE (n)- very salty water   PELAGIC (adj)- in the open ocean environment   BENTHIC (adj)- in the sea floor environment   SYMPAGIC (adj)- in the ice environment   PRIMARY CONSUMER (n)- an animal that feeds on plants; an herbivore   LARVAL STAGE (n)- a juvenile stage many animals go through before they grow into adults  

  animatedcollapse.addDiv('1', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() animatedcollapse.addDiv('2', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init()         At the northern fringe of the Pacific Ocean, along the United States’ most remote boundary, lies the Bering Sea.  Covering an area more than three times the size of Texas (nearly 900,000 sq. mi.), and supporting some of the most valuable fisheries in the world, the Bering Sea’s remote waters have attracted explorers for thousands of years.  This cold maritime environment is home to a huge diversity of life. From migrating whales to clams, seabirds, seals and fish, organisms in the Bering Sea have evolved to make up one of the world’s most unique ecosystems.  The Bering Sea’s high northern latitude means nearly continuous daylight throughout the summer months.  In contrast, the winters are long and dark. Winter conditions are so harsh that the surface of the ocean, over much of the Bering Sea, freezes.  Organisms living in this region have had to adapt to these challenging, extreme, and changeable polar conditions. VIDEO: INTRODUCTION TO THE BERING SEA Discover why the Bering Sea is important to people in Alaska and around the world (1:50) Video Transcript Despite its remoteness, the coastline of the Bering Sea is home to many Alaskans. There are no roads connecting these remote communities to Alaska’s larger cities, so people living along the coast rely on the ocean to sustain their way of life. Subsistence hunting and fishing of marine animals has traditionally been an important source of food, material for clothing, fuel and culture for many people living in these villages. Successful harvest of these marine resources requires an understanding of the Bering Sea ecosystem including the ability to predict how weather and species distribution vary throughout the year. However, it isn’t only people who live beside the Bering Sea who are affected by it. Even if you’ve never heard of the Bering Sea, chances are it’s had an impact on your life. If you’ve ever eaten fish sticks or tried ‘artificial’ crab meat, you were probably eating Pollock. Pollock is a species of cod that live in the Bering Sea. These fish make up the largest single species fishery in the United States. On average two billion pounds of Pollock are harvested in Alaska every year (that’s equal to about 100 times the weight of the Eiffel Tower in Paris). The Pollock fishery in Alaska is worth about three hundred million dollars a year, making it an important part of our state and national economy. So whether you live beside Alaska’s coast, or thousands of miles from it, the Bering Sea is worth caring about. It’s home to unique animals and dynamic people. It provides American jobs and is a source of food, insight and inspiration. Recently, people living in coastal areas, companies exploring and building along the coast, and researchers with an eye on the Bering Sea have observed significant and measureable changes. Sea ice has been arriving later in the winter.  Animals are migrating farther north and the distribution of species is changing.  Some animal populations are growing quickly, while others seem to be in decline. These changes directly impact everyone who relies on the Bering Sea.  They make it harder for local communities to support their food and infrastructure needs, and harder for companies to plan on the expected ice or weather conditions two years down the road.   VIDEO: ARCTIC MELT IN ACTION This NOAA visualization illustrates how sea ice cover in the Arctic changes annually across the seasons. Compare 2012's record melt season to the historic (1979-2000) median. (0:34) Changes in the Bering Sea won’t just affect people and their activities; they may also impact the balance of the marine ecosystem. This has scientists concerned. They realize that before we can make predictions about what these changes may mean for this important marine ecosystem, we need to learn more about the area as it is now. Dr. Rolf Gradinger and his colleagues at the University of Alaska Fairbanks are one group of researchers working to better understand the Bering Sea. Observations they've made have sparked scientific questions and inspired futher research about the Bering Sea food web.  VIDEO: INTRODUCTION TO THE RESEARCH PROJECT Dr. Rolf Gradinger explains why the team is interested in studying the Bering Sea ecosystem. (1:30) Video Transcript "My name is Rolf Gradinger. I'm a faculty member at the School of Fisheries and Oceans Sciences (at UAF). I have a research interest in Arctic Ecology and I've been doing this now for quite a while. "Since 2008 I worked in the Bering Sea in spring. The Bering Sea is very unique, it's a unique ocean because it's part of the Arctic system. The Bering Ecosystem is very rich in a lot of marine resources, there are lots of fish living in the Bering Sea like Pollock, and most of the US fisheries are actually happening in the Bering Sea. In addition to that you will find lots of marine mammals and seabirds in the Bering Sea. And a lot of people living in that region, like native populations on Saint Lawrence Island or on the Alaskan coastline rely on marine resources. "Now the big question is, which you might have heard, that ice conditions in the Arctic are changing. Summer sea ice is disappearing, ice melts happen much sooner, so there is a tremendous change in the Arctic. "The question is, what does it all mean to the ecosystem if ice conditions change? For really addressing that question you need to know what lives with the ice. You know about the Polar bears and the seals living on the ice, but there's actually little critters that live within the ice, and they grow within the ice, and they only exist within the ice. Our part was to learn as much as possible about the spring biology, in association with ice in the Bering Sea." Dr. Rolf Gradinger and his team know that among the many species of plant and animal life living with the sea ice are marine plants called algae. The team wants to better understand the role that this sea ice algae plays in the entire Bering Sea food web during the spring. Dr. Gradinger knows that to accurately hypothesize the importance of this algae bloom, the researchers will need to study the science of sea ice as well as discover what types of living things make their homes throughout the sea ice ecosystem.        WHO IS STUDYING SEA ICE?   FISHERY (n)- an area where fish are caught   MIGRATE (v)- to move seasonally from one area to another   ORGANISM (n)- an individual life form   ECOSYSTEM (n)- a community of interacting living organisms and their physical environment   LATITUDE (n)- a measure of the distance north or south of the equator, expressed in degrees   SUBSISTENCE (n)- a style of living where a person relies on the local environment for survival   DISTRIBUTION (n)- the way something is spread over an area   ALGAE (n)- any aquatic plant or plant-like organism (seaweed)    

animatedcollapse.addDiv('1', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() animatedcollapse.addDiv('2', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init()         MEET DR. BODIL BLUHM MARINE BIOLOGIST AND RESEARCH ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS WHAT SHE STUDIES: -Marine invertebrates -Sea ice & benthic ecology EDUCATION: B.A. Biology M.S. Zoology Ph.D. Marine Biology ONE COOL EXPERIENCE WHEN WORKING IN THE ARCTIC WAS... "We were trying to trawl for bottom fauna, at like 10,000 feet, in ice (in the Arctic deep sea). We deployed an ROV and deep sea cameras and we were sitting on the ship, and live-seeing what was on the sea floor, creeping around there." Dr. Bodil Bluhm describes what she likes best about Arctic marine research. (1:00) Video Transcript   I think the two things I like best are the interactions with people, and that's both with the fellow scientists from all over the place as well as with outreach activities, just talking to my five year old and her preschool group- the other day they had this ocean topic and I brought my dive gear, and they get all excited- so that's one part I really like, the interaction with people. Also on the international level, with the Arctic being the Arctic there's a lot of countries all around it, and we really have contacts to all of them. The other thing I really like is the study area itself. It has so many challenges, and it is under pressure from all these different activities- including climate change, and oil and gas and so on- but it just keeps being an interesting area to me to study. So those are the two things that really keep me excited about the work.   WHO IS STUDYING SEA ICE?  

    animatedcollapse.addDiv('1', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() animatedcollapse.addDiv('2', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init()         MEET DR. KATRIN IKEN MARINE BIOLOGIST AND PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS WHAT SHE STUDIES: -Foodweb interactions -Marine plants and invertebrates         ONE CHALLENGE OF WORKING IN THE ARCTIC IS... "You have to be prepared to be cold, because you can only put on so many clothes." Dr. Katrin Iken describes how her work as a scientific diver gives her special insight into her study of marine ecosystems. (1:00) Video Transcript   I am a scientific diver, and I love doing it.  Not just for the adventure but really for the reason that it gives me a completely different appreciation of how things look under water.  It is much easier for me to understand, sort of how organisms live together and how they work together if I can actually see them in their natural environment.  It’s very different to see them there than for instance to have a big bottom trawl bring up organisms and you look at a big pile of them, but they are all just jumbled together and you don’t know anymore how they were actually distributed; especially sort of in relation to each other, in relation to certain habitat features such as rocks or sediment or elevation under water or depressions in the sea floor you know, all these kind of things.  So I think it gives us as researchers a different insight to be able to actually see how it is under  the water.     WHO IS STUDYING SEA ICE?  

  animatedcollapse.addDiv('1', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() animatedcollapse.addDiv('2', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init()         MEET MARTIN SCHUSTER UAF GRADUATE WITH AN MS DEGREE IN MARINE BIOLOGY AND PAST RESEARCH TECHNICIAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS WHAT HE STUDIES: -Kelp forest ecology -Scientific diving EDUCATION: B.S. Biological Sciences M.S. Marine Biology   THE BEST WAY TO GET STARTED IN THE SCIENCE FIELD IS... "to volunteer. You have to make your interests known to people... The people who ask questions, that's what highlights you as someone who (gets into grad school)." Martin talks about how he got involved with marine research and scientific diving at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. (01:15) Video Transcript   I was just sort of taking biology classes until I stumbled upon this poster that said ‘Scientific Diving here at UAF’ and I thought, ‘well, why the heck not’ and it looked pretty cool.  I was looking for a change, so I took that class with Dr. Conar and it really changed my life in a lot of ways.  After I put on that dry suit and got under the water, I really realized the amazing diversity of life we have here in these super cold waters.  It was hard for me to imagine before because I’d never stuck my face into the water before.  Just seeing a kelp forest for the first time and all the amazing plant and invertebrate life in there really made me realize that this was a thing that I could do.  So after that I took the class again, and then I took it again, and then I ended up joining Brenda’s lab, and becoming a scientific diver for her.  Then eventually became a grad student, which has led me to a lot of other cool fieldwork that’s not diving related as well, including this icebreaker expedition that I went on with Rolf.      WHO IS STUDYING SEA ICE?  

  animatedcollapse.addDiv('1', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() animatedcollapse.addDiv('2', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init()         MEET DR. ROLF GRADINGER SEA ICE SCIENTIST AND PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS WHAT HE STUDIES: -Sea ice & polar ecology -Microbiology EDUCATION: M.S. Marine Biology Ph.D. Marine Science   ONE OF THE MOST INTERESTING THINGS ABOUT WORKING IN THE ARCTIC IS... "It's like a little bit of exploration. You go there, nobody has been there before. We were the first people walking on that ice and taking samples. That's very exciting!" Dr. Rolf Gradinger describes what he loves about working in the Arctic. (0:45) Video Transcript   What keeps me going is that I'm fascinated with the Arctic. You know, I did my first Arctic cruise in 1984 and I can't get enough. What always amazes me when we do these kinds of trips, is the beauty of the landscape. During the transit sometimes you see Orcas or you see Bowhead whales, and you have this beautiful coastline. And personally, I love the ice, the different shapes of ice. Like a sunset in an ice covered water, I would do a lot of things to see that again. I have to admit this, it's just stunningly beautiful. Each time it's a wonderful experience, and I just love to learn. That's the other part, I'm always curious and I love to learn, and I feel pretty priviledged that I can do this as my profession.       WHO IS STUDYING SEA ICE?  

  animatedcollapse.addDiv('1', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() animatedcollapse.addDiv('2', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init()         Many factors needed to be considered as Dr. Gradinger and his team planned their research. In addition to having the necessary sampling equipment, it was important that they time the research trips so they would be collecting samples during the spring sea ice melt season.  If they traveled too early, their measurements might underestimate the importance of ice algae. If they traveled too late, the ice would all have melted and there would be no ice algae for them to measure.  The team chose research sites in the eastern Bering Sea because it is a very productive region of water. Picking the research area was only the beginning. Next, they had to select the right tools to help them answer their research questions. Navigate through the images below to learn how each tool helped the team answer their research questions: With many samples to collect at every study site, a researcher's job is never dull. Can you imagine what daily life would be like on a 400-foot long ship floating in the middle of the Bering Sea?       WHO IS STUDYING SEA ICE?   MELT SEASON (n)- the time of the year when melting occurs   PRODUCTIVE (adj)- being rich in resources; in this case, with valuable resources like fish   PROPEL (v)- to push or move in a particular direction   WATER COLUMN (n)- the area of water between the surface and the sea floor   ALGAL GROWTH (n)- the process of algae growing   ROV (n)- a remotely-operated vehicle