Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of conservation and management interest to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The USGS and collaborators provide information about Arctic ecosystems that are used by Arctic residents, management agencies, and industry.
Return to Ecosystems
The objectives of the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative are to:
- Quantify the responses of wildlife species and their habitats to ecosystem change in the Arctic through research and assessments,
- Provide projections of likely future wildlife and habitat responses, and
- Make information publicly available to inform land and species management decisions and Alaska Native subsistence and co-management council actions.
Arctic Ecosystem Assessments
The USGS conducts natural hazard and resource assessments of the Earth’s ecosystems and the response of those ecosystems to environmental change, human activities, and land use. Information on recent assessments can be found in the fact sheet on USGS Arctic Ecosystems Assessments and in the publications below.
Additionally, a list of upcoming assessments is listed below:
- Behavioral responses of Central Arctic Herd to mitigation measures
- Effects of climate-induced variability on the behavior, distribution and demography of the Porcupine Caribou Herd
- Range expansion of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Arctic Alaska relative to ecological change
- Population status of two rare taxa endemic to the central Bering Sea, Alaska: McKay’s Bunting and Pribilof Rock Sandpiper
- Assessing the effects of saxitoxin ingestion by Common Murres
- Demographic trend of the Pacific walrus, 2016-2024
- Quantifying body condition and relationships with reproductive success in Pacific walruses
Decisions Informed by the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative
Below are some examples of how this program is informing decision-making:
- Science for Oil and Gas Leasing-related Decisions
- Evaluating the efficacy of aerial infrared sensors to detect artificial polar bear
- Effect of spring phenology on current and future space use patterns of the Porcupine Caribou Herd in northern Alaska and Canada
- Summary of wildlife-related research on the Arctic Coastal Plain
- Catalogue of polar bear maternal den locations in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas
- Caribou use of habitat near energy development in Arctic Alaska
- Seismic survey design and impacts to maternal polar bear dens
- Determining priority habitats for molting waterfowl in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska
- Science Informing Endangered Species Act Decisions and Recovery Planning
- Regional walrus abundance estimate in the United States Chukchi Sea in autumn
- Analyses on Subpopulation Abundance and Annual Number of Maternal Dens for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska
- Polar bear distribution and habitat resource selection data
- Ringed seal remain the main prey of southern Beaufort Sea polar bears
- Science Informing the Status and Trends of Migratory Birds
- Response of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: implications for geese in a warming Arctic
- Provided spatial and temporal maps of population change of waterbirds on Alaska’s North Slope
- Tracking data for three loon species in the Arctic
- Spatial distribution of band recoveries of black brant
- Data and model-based estimates from Pacific brant fall age ratio surveys at Izembek Lagoon, Alaska
- Science Informing the Status of Northern Ecosystems
- Survey of Arctic Alaskan wildlife for influenza A antibodies
- Ice wedge degradation impacts water budgets and nutrient cycling in Arctic ponds
- Surface water connectivity controls fish food web structure in Arctic Coastal Plain lakes
- Response of Arctic forage plants to changes in temperature and spring thaw date
- Willow drives changes in arthropod communities of northwestern Alaska and the ecological implications of shrub expansion
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 38
Walrus Haulout Aerial Survey Data Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019
This dataset consists of the complete set of aerial imagery and data from walrus haulouts collected by unoccupied aerial system (UAS) surveys near Pt. Lay, Alaska, during the autumns of 2018 and 2019. The data include: 1) georeferenced digital aerial imagery and flight logs from UAS surveys, and 2) orthoimages derived from the aerial imagery and flight logs by standardized structure from motion al
Data Used to Assess the Acute Physiological Response of Polar Bears to Helicopter Capture
This dataset is in five tables with data from ecophysiological studies of free-ranging polar bears of the Southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation. They were equipped with high-resolution activity sensors, body temperature loggers, and GPS satellite-telemetry collars, to compare physiological state and activity of bears during natural behavior with that experienced by bears during helicopter recapture
Arthropod Abundance and Shrub Cover and Height on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2015-2016
This data set contains information (in three tables) with numbers and biomass of invertebrates (primarily arthropods) collected in pitfall-trap arrays and sweep-net samples on a series of plots (n = 13 total) at one coastal and one interior study site on the Seward Peninsula in northwestern Alaska during the summers of 2015 and 2016. Associated data on the horizontal cover and height of shrub vege
Fish Communities of the Nearshore Beaufort Sea, Alaska, Across Three Decades, 1988-2019
This dataset contains two tables comprising catch per unit effort (CPUE) data and length measurements from fish surveys conducted in the nearshore Beaufort Sea, Alaska, between 1988 and 2019. Historical data collected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) includes fish catch and fish length data (measured from a subset of the total catch) from two eras, 1988-1991 and 2003-2005, in the east
Genomic Data from Ptarmigan and Grouse, Alaska
This data set provides sample data and NCBI accession information for genomic sequencing of ptarmigan and grouse from Alaska.
Arthropod Abundance Data from the Colville River Delta, Alaska
This data release contains information on the seasonal diversity and abundance of arthropods collected at the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2012 and 2014-2107. Researchers with the US Geological Survey began studying the reproductive ecology of birds at a site on the Colville River near the Beaufort Sea coast in 2011. Researchers concurrently collected arthropods at 3-day intervals to underst
Environmental Data from the Colville River Delta, Alaska
This data release contains two tables with information on seasonal values for temperature, wind, and snow cover collected at the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2018. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey used an on-site weather station to automatically record the temperature and speed and direction of the wind across the duration of their field season. Researchers also established perman
Avian Demographic Data from the Colville River Delta, Alaska
This data release contains multiple tables with information on avian demographics collected at the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2018. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey began studying the reproductive ecology of birds at a site on the Colville River near the Beaufort Sea coast in 2011. Researchers monitored the nests of geese, shorebirds, and landbirds at this study site, determinin
Mapping data of Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) maternal den habitat, Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska
These are geospatial data that characterize the distribution of polar bear denning habitat on the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), the 1002 Area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the coastal plain of northern Alaska between the Colville River and the Alaska/Canada border.
Capture and Measurement Data of Greater White-Fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) from the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2012-2014
This data set provides capture information and body size measurements of adult and gosling Greater White-fronted Geese captured at three study sites on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2012-2014.
Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Concentrations in Polar Bear Hair and Prey from the Alaska Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, 1978-2019
This dataset includes carbon and nitrogen isotope concentrations measured in polar bear hair and marine mammal prey samples collected 1978-2017 in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Marine mammal prey samples were collected opportunistically either from polar bear seal kill sites or from marine mammals harvested by Native hunters. Hair was collected from polar bears captured on the sea ice or land in
Fatty Acid Composition of Polar Bear Adipose Tissue and Ringed and Bearded Seal Blubber Collected in the Chukchi Sea, 2008-2017
These data are the fatty acid compositions (in %) of adipose tissue samples collected from polar bears and of blubber samples collected from ringed and bearded seal killed by polar bears in the Chukchi Sea, 2008-2017. The dataset includes sex, age, and age class of the bears that were sampled. The data are provided as % of each fatty acid identified via nomenclature that describes the structure of
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 63
Arctic insect emergence timing and composition differs across thaw ponds of varying morphology
Freshwater ponds provide habitats for aquatic insects that emerge and subsidize consumers in terrestrial ecosystems. In the Arctic, insects provide an important seasonal source of energy to birds that breed and rear young on the tundra. The abundance and timing of insect emergence from arctic thaw ponds is poorly understood, but understanding these fluxes is important, given the role of insects in
Authors
Sarah M. Laske, Kirsty E. B. Gurney, Joshua C. Koch, Joel A. Schmutz, Mark S. Wipfli
Red-throated loon (Gavia stellata) use of nearshore marine habitats—Results from a 2019 pilot study in northern Alaska
Red-throated loons (Gavia stellata) are a species of conservation concern in Alaska due to recent evidence of a population decline on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) in northern Alaska. In 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a pilot study to evaluate diet and use of nearshore foraging areas as possible drivers of the population decline. We collected fat
Authors
Brian D. Uher-Koch, Christopher J. Latty, Joel A. Schmutz
U.S. Geological Survey Arctic ecosystem assessments
The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) conducts natural hazard and resource assessments of the Earth’s ecosystems and the response of those ecosystems to environmental change, human activities, and land use. Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of conservation and management interest to the U.S. Dep
Authors
John M. Pearce, Caroline R. Van Hemert
Seal body condition and atmospheric circulation patterns influence polar bear body condition, recruitment, and feeding ecology in the Chukchi Sea
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are experiencing loss of sea ice habitats used to access their marine mammal prey. Simultaneously, ocean warming is changing ecosystems that support marine mammal populations. The interactive effects of sea ice and prey are not well understood yet may explain spatial‐temporal variation in the response of polar bears to sea ice loss. Here, we examined the potential com
Authors
Karyn D. Rode, Eric V. Regehr, Jeffrey F. Bromaghin, Ryan H. Wilson, Michelle St. Martin, Justin A. Crawford, Lori T. Quakenbush
Variability of lipids and fatty acids in Pacific walrus blubber
The variability of lipid content and fatty acid (FA) composition across blubber depth and body sites are important considerations for condition and diet studies of marine mammals. We investigated lipid and FA variability among inner and outer blubber layers, three body sites, four study years, and lactation status of adult female Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) using blubber samples
Authors
Chadwick V. Jay, Sara J. Iverson, Anthony S. Fischbach
Predictors of invertebrate biomass and rate of advancement of invertebrate phenology across eight sites in the North American Arctic
Average annual temperatures in the Arctic increased by 2–3 °C during the second half of the twentieth century. Because shorebirds initiate northward migration to Arctic nesting sites based on cues at distant wintering grounds, climate-driven changes in the phenology of Arctic invertebrates may lead to a mismatch between the nutritional demands of shorebirds and the invertebrate prey essential for
Authors
Rebecca Shaftel, Daniel J. Rinella, Eunbi Kwon, Stephen C. Brown, H. River Gates, Steve Kendall, David B. Lank, Joseph R. Liebezeit, David C. Payer, Jennie Rausch, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Brett K. Sandercock, Paul A. Smith, David H. Ward, Richard B. Lanctot
USGS permafrost research determines the risks of permafrost thaw to biologic and hydrologic resources
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with university, Federal, Tribal, and independent partners, conducts fundamental research on the distribution, vulnerability, and importance of permafrost in arctic and boreal ecosystems. Scientists, land managers, and policy makers use USGS data to help make decisions for development, wildlife habitat, and other needs. Native villages and cities
Authors
Mark P. Waldrop, Lesleigh Anderson, Mark Dornblaser, Li H. Erikson, Ann E. Gibbs, Nicole M. Herman-Mercer, Stephanie R. James, Miriam C. Jones, Joshua C. Koch, Mary-Cathrine Leewis, Kristen L. Manies, Burke J. Minsley, Neal J. Pastick, Vijay Patil, Frank Urban, Michelle A. Walvoord, Kimberly P. Wickland, Christian Zimmerman
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Land Change Science Program, Volcano Hazards Program, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Volcano Science Center
Analyses on subpopulation abundance and annual number of maternal dens for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska
The long-term persistence of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) is threatened by sea-ice loss due to climate change, which is concurrently providing an opportunity in the Arctic for increased anthropogenic activities including natural resource extraction. Mitigating the risk of those activities, which can adversely affect the population dynamics of the southern Beaufort Sea (SBS) subpopulation, is an e
Authors
Todd C. Atwood, Jeffrey F. Bromaghin, Vijay P. Patil, George M. Durner, David C. Douglas, Kristin S. Simac
DNA metabarcoding of feces to infer summer diet of Pacific walruses
Environmental conditions in the Chukchi Sea are changing rapidly and may alter the abundance and distribution of marine species and their benthic prey. We used a metabarcoding approach to identify potentially important prey taxa from Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) fecal samples (n = 87). Bivalvia was the most dominant class of prey (66% of all normalized counts) and occurred in 98% o
Authors
Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Chadwick V. Jay, Robert S. Cornman, Anthony S. Fischbach, Jacqueline M. Grebmeier, Sandra L. Talbot
Fatty acid-based diet estimates suggest ringed seal remain the main prey of southern Beaufort Sea polar bears despite recent use of onshore food resources
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from the southern Beaufort Sea (SB) subpopulation have traditionally fed predominantly upon ice‐seals; however, as the proportion of the subpopulation using onshore habitat has recently increased, foraging on land‐based resources, including remains of subsistence‐harvested bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) and colonial nesting seabirds has been observed. Adipose tis
Authors
Jennifer Bourque, Todd C. Atwood, George J. Divoky, Connie Stewart, Melissa A. McKinney
Caribou use of habitat near energy development in Arctic Alaska
Increasing demands for energy have generated interest in expanding oil and gas production on the North Slope of Alaska, raising questions about the resilience of barren-ground caribou populations to new development. Although the amount of habitat lost directly to energy development in the Arctic will likely be relatively small, there are significant concerns about habitat that may be indirectly im
Authors
Heather E. Johnson, Trevor Golden, Layne G. Adams, David Gustine, Elizabeth A. Lenart
Use of subsistence-harvested whale carcasses by polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea
The availability of a food subsidy has the potential to influence the condition, behavior, fitness, and population dynamics of a species. Since the early 2000s, monitoring efforts along the coast of northern Alaska indicated a higher proportion of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the southern Beaufort Sea (SB) subpopulation come onshore and feed at subsistence-harvested bowhead whale (Balaena myst
Authors
Kate M Lillie, Eric M Gese, Todd C. Atwood, Mary M Conner
Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of conservation and management interest to the U.S. Department of the Interior. The USGS and collaborators provide information about Arctic ecosystems that are used by Arctic residents, management agencies, and industry.
Return to Ecosystems
The objectives of the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative are to:
- Quantify the responses of wildlife species and their habitats to ecosystem change in the Arctic through research and assessments,
- Provide projections of likely future wildlife and habitat responses, and
- Make information publicly available to inform land and species management decisions and Alaska Native subsistence and co-management council actions.
Arctic Ecosystem Assessments
The USGS conducts natural hazard and resource assessments of the Earth’s ecosystems and the response of those ecosystems to environmental change, human activities, and land use. Information on recent assessments can be found in the fact sheet on USGS Arctic Ecosystems Assessments and in the publications below.
Additionally, a list of upcoming assessments is listed below:
- Behavioral responses of Central Arctic Herd to mitigation measures
- Effects of climate-induced variability on the behavior, distribution and demography of the Porcupine Caribou Herd
- Range expansion of Cryptosporidium and Giardia in Arctic Alaska relative to ecological change
- Population status of two rare taxa endemic to the central Bering Sea, Alaska: McKay’s Bunting and Pribilof Rock Sandpiper
- Assessing the effects of saxitoxin ingestion by Common Murres
- Demographic trend of the Pacific walrus, 2016-2024
- Quantifying body condition and relationships with reproductive success in Pacific walruses
Decisions Informed by the USGS Changing Arctic Ecosystems Initiative
Below are some examples of how this program is informing decision-making:
- Science for Oil and Gas Leasing-related Decisions
- Evaluating the efficacy of aerial infrared sensors to detect artificial polar bear
- Effect of spring phenology on current and future space use patterns of the Porcupine Caribou Herd in northern Alaska and Canada
- Summary of wildlife-related research on the Arctic Coastal Plain
- Catalogue of polar bear maternal den locations in the Beaufort and Chukchi seas
- Caribou use of habitat near energy development in Arctic Alaska
- Seismic survey design and impacts to maternal polar bear dens
- Determining priority habitats for molting waterfowl in the National Petroleum Reserve - Alaska
- Science Informing Endangered Species Act Decisions and Recovery Planning
- Regional walrus abundance estimate in the United States Chukchi Sea in autumn
- Analyses on Subpopulation Abundance and Annual Number of Maternal Dens for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska
- Polar bear distribution and habitat resource selection data
- Ringed seal remain the main prey of southern Beaufort Sea polar bears
- Science Informing the Status and Trends of Migratory Birds
- Response of forage plants to alteration of temperature and spring thaw date: implications for geese in a warming Arctic
- Provided spatial and temporal maps of population change of waterbirds on Alaska’s North Slope
- Tracking data for three loon species in the Arctic
- Spatial distribution of band recoveries of black brant
- Data and model-based estimates from Pacific brant fall age ratio surveys at Izembek Lagoon, Alaska
- Science Informing the Status of Northern Ecosystems
- Survey of Arctic Alaskan wildlife for influenza A antibodies
- Ice wedge degradation impacts water budgets and nutrient cycling in Arctic ponds
- Surface water connectivity controls fish food web structure in Arctic Coastal Plain lakes
- Response of Arctic forage plants to changes in temperature and spring thaw date
- Willow drives changes in arthropod communities of northwestern Alaska and the ecological implications of shrub expansion
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 38
Walrus Haulout Aerial Survey Data Near Point Lay Alaska, Autumn 2018 and 2019
This dataset consists of the complete set of aerial imagery and data from walrus haulouts collected by unoccupied aerial system (UAS) surveys near Pt. Lay, Alaska, during the autumns of 2018 and 2019. The data include: 1) georeferenced digital aerial imagery and flight logs from UAS surveys, and 2) orthoimages derived from the aerial imagery and flight logs by standardized structure from motion al
Data Used to Assess the Acute Physiological Response of Polar Bears to Helicopter Capture
This dataset is in five tables with data from ecophysiological studies of free-ranging polar bears of the Southern Beaufort Sea subpopulation. They were equipped with high-resolution activity sensors, body temperature loggers, and GPS satellite-telemetry collars, to compare physiological state and activity of bears during natural behavior with that experienced by bears during helicopter recapture
Arthropod Abundance and Shrub Cover and Height on the Seward Peninsula, Alaska, 2015-2016
This data set contains information (in three tables) with numbers and biomass of invertebrates (primarily arthropods) collected in pitfall-trap arrays and sweep-net samples on a series of plots (n = 13 total) at one coastal and one interior study site on the Seward Peninsula in northwestern Alaska during the summers of 2015 and 2016. Associated data on the horizontal cover and height of shrub vege
Fish Communities of the Nearshore Beaufort Sea, Alaska, Across Three Decades, 1988-2019
This dataset contains two tables comprising catch per unit effort (CPUE) data and length measurements from fish surveys conducted in the nearshore Beaufort Sea, Alaska, between 1988 and 2019. Historical data collected by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) includes fish catch and fish length data (measured from a subset of the total catch) from two eras, 1988-1991 and 2003-2005, in the east
Genomic Data from Ptarmigan and Grouse, Alaska
This data set provides sample data and NCBI accession information for genomic sequencing of ptarmigan and grouse from Alaska.
Arthropod Abundance Data from the Colville River Delta, Alaska
This data release contains information on the seasonal diversity and abundance of arthropods collected at the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2012 and 2014-2107. Researchers with the US Geological Survey began studying the reproductive ecology of birds at a site on the Colville River near the Beaufort Sea coast in 2011. Researchers concurrently collected arthropods at 3-day intervals to underst
Environmental Data from the Colville River Delta, Alaska
This data release contains two tables with information on seasonal values for temperature, wind, and snow cover collected at the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2018. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey used an on-site weather station to automatically record the temperature and speed and direction of the wind across the duration of their field season. Researchers also established perman
Avian Demographic Data from the Colville River Delta, Alaska
This data release contains multiple tables with information on avian demographics collected at the Colville River Delta, Alaska, 2011-2018. Researchers with the U.S. Geological Survey began studying the reproductive ecology of birds at a site on the Colville River near the Beaufort Sea coast in 2011. Researchers monitored the nests of geese, shorebirds, and landbirds at this study site, determinin
Mapping data of Polar Bear (Ursus maritimus) maternal den habitat, Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska
These are geospatial data that characterize the distribution of polar bear denning habitat on the National Petroleum Reserve-Alaska (NPR-A), the 1002 Area of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge and the coastal plain of northern Alaska between the Colville River and the Alaska/Canada border.
Capture and Measurement Data of Greater White-Fronted Geese (Anser albifrons) from the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2012-2014
This data set provides capture information and body size measurements of adult and gosling Greater White-fronted Geese captured at three study sites on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska, 2012-2014.
Carbon and Nitrogen Isotope Concentrations in Polar Bear Hair and Prey from the Alaska Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, 1978-2019
This dataset includes carbon and nitrogen isotope concentrations measured in polar bear hair and marine mammal prey samples collected 1978-2017 in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Marine mammal prey samples were collected opportunistically either from polar bear seal kill sites or from marine mammals harvested by Native hunters. Hair was collected from polar bears captured on the sea ice or land in
Fatty Acid Composition of Polar Bear Adipose Tissue and Ringed and Bearded Seal Blubber Collected in the Chukchi Sea, 2008-2017
These data are the fatty acid compositions (in %) of adipose tissue samples collected from polar bears and of blubber samples collected from ringed and bearded seal killed by polar bears in the Chukchi Sea, 2008-2017. The dataset includes sex, age, and age class of the bears that were sampled. The data are provided as % of each fatty acid identified via nomenclature that describes the structure of
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 63
Arctic insect emergence timing and composition differs across thaw ponds of varying morphology
Freshwater ponds provide habitats for aquatic insects that emerge and subsidize consumers in terrestrial ecosystems. In the Arctic, insects provide an important seasonal source of energy to birds that breed and rear young on the tundra. The abundance and timing of insect emergence from arctic thaw ponds is poorly understood, but understanding these fluxes is important, given the role of insects in
Authors
Sarah M. Laske, Kirsty E. B. Gurney, Joshua C. Koch, Joel A. Schmutz, Mark S. Wipfli
Red-throated loon (Gavia stellata) use of nearshore marine habitats—Results from a 2019 pilot study in northern Alaska
Red-throated loons (Gavia stellata) are a species of conservation concern in Alaska due to recent evidence of a population decline on the Arctic Coastal Plain (ACP) in northern Alaska. In 2019, the U.S. Geological Survey and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service conducted a pilot study to evaluate diet and use of nearshore foraging areas as possible drivers of the population decline. We collected fat
Authors
Brian D. Uher-Koch, Christopher J. Latty, Joel A. Schmutz
U.S. Geological Survey Arctic ecosystem assessments
The U.S Geological Survey (USGS) conducts natural hazard and resource assessments of the Earth’s ecosystems and the response of those ecosystems to environmental change, human activities, and land use. Arctic regions of Alaska are important for cultural and economic sustainability and host a wide variety of wildlife species, many of which are of conservation and management interest to the U.S. Dep
Authors
John M. Pearce, Caroline R. Van Hemert
Seal body condition and atmospheric circulation patterns influence polar bear body condition, recruitment, and feeding ecology in the Chukchi Sea
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) are experiencing loss of sea ice habitats used to access their marine mammal prey. Simultaneously, ocean warming is changing ecosystems that support marine mammal populations. The interactive effects of sea ice and prey are not well understood yet may explain spatial‐temporal variation in the response of polar bears to sea ice loss. Here, we examined the potential com
Authors
Karyn D. Rode, Eric V. Regehr, Jeffrey F. Bromaghin, Ryan H. Wilson, Michelle St. Martin, Justin A. Crawford, Lori T. Quakenbush
Variability of lipids and fatty acids in Pacific walrus blubber
The variability of lipid content and fatty acid (FA) composition across blubber depth and body sites are important considerations for condition and diet studies of marine mammals. We investigated lipid and FA variability among inner and outer blubber layers, three body sites, four study years, and lactation status of adult female Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) using blubber samples
Authors
Chadwick V. Jay, Sara J. Iverson, Anthony S. Fischbach
Predictors of invertebrate biomass and rate of advancement of invertebrate phenology across eight sites in the North American Arctic
Average annual temperatures in the Arctic increased by 2–3 °C during the second half of the twentieth century. Because shorebirds initiate northward migration to Arctic nesting sites based on cues at distant wintering grounds, climate-driven changes in the phenology of Arctic invertebrates may lead to a mismatch between the nutritional demands of shorebirds and the invertebrate prey essential for
Authors
Rebecca Shaftel, Daniel J. Rinella, Eunbi Kwon, Stephen C. Brown, H. River Gates, Steve Kendall, David B. Lank, Joseph R. Liebezeit, David C. Payer, Jennie Rausch, Sarah T. Saalfeld, Brett K. Sandercock, Paul A. Smith, David H. Ward, Richard B. Lanctot
USGS permafrost research determines the risks of permafrost thaw to biologic and hydrologic resources
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with university, Federal, Tribal, and independent partners, conducts fundamental research on the distribution, vulnerability, and importance of permafrost in arctic and boreal ecosystems. Scientists, land managers, and policy makers use USGS data to help make decisions for development, wildlife habitat, and other needs. Native villages and cities
Authors
Mark P. Waldrop, Lesleigh Anderson, Mark Dornblaser, Li H. Erikson, Ann E. Gibbs, Nicole M. Herman-Mercer, Stephanie R. James, Miriam C. Jones, Joshua C. Koch, Mary-Cathrine Leewis, Kristen L. Manies, Burke J. Minsley, Neal J. Pastick, Vijay Patil, Frank Urban, Michelle A. Walvoord, Kimberly P. Wickland, Christian Zimmerman
By
Natural Hazards Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Climate Research and Development Program, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Land Change Science Program, Volcano Hazards Program, Earth Resources Observation and Science (EROS) Center , Geology, Geophysics, and Geochemistry Science Center, Geology, Minerals, Energy, and Geophysics Science Center, Geosciences and Environmental Change Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Volcano Science Center
Analyses on subpopulation abundance and annual number of maternal dens for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service on polar bears (Ursus maritimus) in the southern Beaufort Sea, Alaska
The long-term persistence of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) is threatened by sea-ice loss due to climate change, which is concurrently providing an opportunity in the Arctic for increased anthropogenic activities including natural resource extraction. Mitigating the risk of those activities, which can adversely affect the population dynamics of the southern Beaufort Sea (SBS) subpopulation, is an e
Authors
Todd C. Atwood, Jeffrey F. Bromaghin, Vijay P. Patil, George M. Durner, David C. Douglas, Kristin S. Simac
DNA metabarcoding of feces to infer summer diet of Pacific walruses
Environmental conditions in the Chukchi Sea are changing rapidly and may alter the abundance and distribution of marine species and their benthic prey. We used a metabarcoding approach to identify potentially important prey taxa from Pacific walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) fecal samples (n = 87). Bivalvia was the most dominant class of prey (66% of all normalized counts) and occurred in 98% o
Authors
Sarah A. Sonsthagen, Chadwick V. Jay, Robert S. Cornman, Anthony S. Fischbach, Jacqueline M. Grebmeier, Sandra L. Talbot
Fatty acid-based diet estimates suggest ringed seal remain the main prey of southern Beaufort Sea polar bears despite recent use of onshore food resources
Polar bears (Ursus maritimus) from the southern Beaufort Sea (SB) subpopulation have traditionally fed predominantly upon ice‐seals; however, as the proportion of the subpopulation using onshore habitat has recently increased, foraging on land‐based resources, including remains of subsistence‐harvested bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) and colonial nesting seabirds has been observed. Adipose tis
Authors
Jennifer Bourque, Todd C. Atwood, George J. Divoky, Connie Stewart, Melissa A. McKinney
Caribou use of habitat near energy development in Arctic Alaska
Increasing demands for energy have generated interest in expanding oil and gas production on the North Slope of Alaska, raising questions about the resilience of barren-ground caribou populations to new development. Although the amount of habitat lost directly to energy development in the Arctic will likely be relatively small, there are significant concerns about habitat that may be indirectly im
Authors
Heather E. Johnson, Trevor Golden, Layne G. Adams, David Gustine, Elizabeth A. Lenart
Use of subsistence-harvested whale carcasses by polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea
The availability of a food subsidy has the potential to influence the condition, behavior, fitness, and population dynamics of a species. Since the early 2000s, monitoring efforts along the coast of northern Alaska indicated a higher proportion of polar bears (Ursus maritimus) of the southern Beaufort Sea (SB) subpopulation come onshore and feed at subsistence-harvested bowhead whale (Balaena myst
Authors
Kate M Lillie, Eric M Gese, Todd C. Atwood, Mary M Conner