Q&A: USGS Ecosystems Science Provides Information on Subsistence and Hunter-Harvested Food Resources in Alaska
The Search for One of North America’s Rarest Birds
The McKay's Bunting - Alaska's only endemic landbird species
The McKay's Bunting - Alaska's only endemic landbird species
Q&A: The Role of USGS Ecosystems Science in Alaska
Assisting Executive and Department of Interior Secretarial orders and priorities
Assisting Executive and Department of Interior Secretarial orders and priorities
Environmental Occurrence of Avian Influenza Virus Relative to Bait Trapping of Waterfowl
Study finds that bait trapping was associated with localized increases in avian influenza virus
Study finds that bait trapping was associated with localized increases in avian influenza virus
Anchor River at Anchor Point
USGS has 24 river webcams in AK. Here is one river's data, photos, and timelapse video.
USGS has 24 river webcams in AK. Here is one river's data, photos, and timelapse video.
Alaska Science Center
The mission of the Alaska Science Center is to provide objective and timely data, information, and research findings about the earth and its flora and fauna to Federal, State, and local resource managers and the public to support sound decisions regarding natural resources, natural hazards, and ecosystems in Alaska and circumpolar regions. We have offices in Anchorage, Juneau, and Fairbanks.
In the Spotlight
In the Spotlight
Critical Minerals in Ores (CMiO) database
Critical minerals are commodities essential to modern industrial and strategic technologies and are highly vulnerable to supply chain disruption. The CMiO database contains geochemical data for more than 20,000 samples from more than 100 deposit types comprising 10 deposit environments.
Current Water Conditions
Current Water Conditions
Explore real-time Alaska streamflow, groundwater, and water-quality conditions and access data with our new interactive map application.
News
Project Spotlight: USGS Scientists Work with Kenai Peninsula Communities to Define Baseline Water Data Amid Climate Uncertainty
Project Spotlight: USGS Scientists Work with Kenai Peninsula Communities to Define Baseline Water Data Amid Climate Uncertainty
A 700-year rupture sequence of great eastern Aleutian earthquakes from tsunami evidence and modeling
A 700-year rupture sequence of great eastern Aleutian earthquakes from tsunami evidence and modeling
The Threat of Coastal Flooding from Cascadia Earthquake-Driven Land Subsidence
The Threat of Coastal Flooding from Cascadia Earthquake-Driven Land Subsidence
Publications
Permafrost–wildfire interactions: active layer thickness estimates for paired burned and unburned sites in northern high latitudes Permafrost–wildfire interactions: active layer thickness estimates for paired burned and unburned sites in northern high latitudes
As the northern high-latitude permafrost zone experiences accelerated warming, permafrost has become vulnerable to widespread thaw. Simultaneously, wildfire activity across northern boreal forest and Arctic/subarctic tundra regions impacts permafrost stability through the combustion of insulating organic matter, vegetation, and post-fire changes in albedo. Efforts to synthesis the...
U.S. Geological Survey science strategy to address highly pathogenic avian influenza and its effects on wildlife health 2025–29 U.S. Geological Survey science strategy to address highly pathogenic avian influenza and its effects on wildlife health 2025–29
Executive SummaryHighly pathogenic avian influenza (HPAI) is an ecologically and economically important animal disease that can also directly affect humans (a “zoonotic” disease). HPAI was once limited almost exclusively to domestic poultry but has rapidly adapted to diverse animal hosts. Viruses causing HPAI now appear to be maintained and dispersed by wild birds largely independent of...
Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets Global tracking of marine megafauna space use reveals how to achieve conservation targets
The recent Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework (GBF) sets ambitious goals but no clear pathway for how zero loss of important biodiversity areas and halting human-induced extinction of threatened species will be achieved. We assembled a multi-taxa tracking dataset (11 million geopositions from 15,845 tracked individuals across 121 species) to provide a global assessment of...
Science
Beak Deformities in Landbirds
Over the past 20 years, Alaskans have witnessed a startling increase of beak deformities among Black-capped Chickadees and other species of resident birds. This disease, called avian keratin disorder (AKD), is characterized by debilitating beak overgrowth and other abnormalities of keratinized tissues. Affected birds have difficulty feeding and preening and may suffer high rates of mortality.
The Rusting of Arctic Rivers: Freshwater Ecosystems Respond to Rapidly Uptaking Metals
The water quality of streams and rivers in the Arctic is sensitive to rapid climate change and altered disturbance regimes.
Ecosystems Analytics
Ecosystems Analytics is a group of quantitative biologists and research statisticians with a diverse range of expertise and experience (summarized below). We collaborate with internal and external partners to answer challenging ecological questions that are a high priority of the U.S. Geological Survey Alaska Science Center, sister agencies within the Department of the Interior (DOI), and various...