This is a graphical abstract for a publication by the USGS that evaluates satellite imagery for monitoring large Pacific walrus haulouts in northwestern Alaska.
This is a nation-wide collaborative program, supported by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area, through which USGS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff address priority research needs identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. On this page, we highlight research taking place in Alaska as part of this program.
Return to Ecosystems >> Collaborative Science for Priority Information Needs
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service priorities change annually through this program. Results of past studies can be found under Data and Tools and Publications on this page.
For 2023-2024, the USGS Alaska Science Center is focusing on the following science studies and co-production projects with Alaska Native groups and communities:
- Assessing the demographic trend of the Pacific walrus in a changing Arctic ecosystem
- Pacific walrus close-kin mark-recapture preliminary model
- Continued population declines of a rare songbird endemic to the Bering Sea region of Alaska, the McKay's Bunting
- Developing partnerships to guide research, conservation, and co-stewardship of the tevatevaaq (bar-tailed godwit)
- Rusting river impacts to food security, drinking water, and ecological systems: co-designing a water quality monitoring program with Northwest Alaska communities to assess impacts from permafrost thaw on aquatic systems
- An integrated approach for co-design of sea otter population assessments
- Toward co-production of knowledge about Pacific salmon populations and habitats in the Koyukuk, Nowitna & Innoko National Wildlife Refuges and Gana-A’Yoo managed freshwaters
- Investigating opportunities for co-Production of research on the Porcupine Caribou Herd
- Pacific Walrus population dynamics: towards co-production of science to aid co-management decisions
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Q&A: Vessel Cruise for Estimates of Pacific Walrus Demography
Q&A: Improving Aerial Surveys of Geese in Alaska with Aerial Imagery
Winter Habitat of Juvenile Dolly Varden in the Canning River
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Corrected Fire Perimeters of Alaska's National Wildlife Refuges
Data for Estimating McKay's Bunting (Plectrophenax hyperboreus) Population Change on St. Matthew and Hall Islands, Alaska
Aerial Photo Imagery from Fall Waterfowl Surveys, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 2017-2019
Counts of Birds in Aerial Photos from Fall Waterfowl Surveys, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 2017-2019
Blood Parasite Infection, Body Mass, and Survival Data from Emperor Geese (Anser canagicus), Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, 2006-2016
Predicted Calving and Post-calving Season Resource Use of the Porcupine Caribou Herd During 2012-2018 With Future Projections for the 2030s, 2040s, and 2050s
Fatty Acid Composition of Polar Bear Adipose Tissue and Ringed and Bearded Seal Blubber Collected in the Chukchi Sea, 2008-2017
Counts and Abdominal Profile Indices of Wintering Emperor Geese (Anser canagicus) at Three Islands in Alaska, 2003 and 2015-2017
Serum Urea and Creatinine Levels of Spring-Caught Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Southern Beaufort and Chukchi Seas
Sex and Age Composition of Walrus Groups Hauled Out on Ice Floes in the Bering and Chukchi Seas, 2013-2015
Measurement Data of Polar Bears Captured in the Chukchi and Southern Beaufort Sea, 1981-2017
Tracking data for Yellow-billed Loons (Gavia adamsii)
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
![Graphical abstract showing use of satellite imagery for monitoring large Pacific walrus haulouts in northwestern Alaska](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/drawing%209.3.jpg?itok=_E4XenA0)
This is a graphical abstract for a publication by the USGS that evaluates satellite imagery for monitoring large Pacific walrus haulouts in northwestern Alaska.
![Aerial survey for Black Brant at Izembek Lagoon, Alaska](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/Aerialgoosepic.png?itok=ownWyPr4)
Example of a photo from the USFWS fall aerial survey for geese at Izembek Lagoon. Inset shows a closer view of four Black Brant (bottom) with a Cackling Goose (top) foraging on eelgrass. Scientists from the USGS Alaska Science Center and the U.S.
Example of a photo from the USFWS fall aerial survey for geese at Izembek Lagoon. Inset shows a closer view of four Black Brant (bottom) with a Cackling Goose (top) foraging on eelgrass. Scientists from the USGS Alaska Science Center and the U.S.
![USGS gage 15955000 Canning River above Staines River near Deadhorse, AK. Derek Frohbelter loading helicopter for return to Kavik](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/2015-01-Jan-CR.jpg?itok=fScPcFoJ)
USGS gage 15955000 Canning River above Staines River near Deadhorse, AK. Derek Frohbelter loading helicopter for return to Kavik.
USGS gage 15955000 Canning River above Staines River near Deadhorse, AK. Derek Frohbelter loading helicopter for return to Kavik.
This photograph shows caribou tracks on ice-wedge polygons near Garry Creek in Alaska. Coastal erosion along the Arctic coast is chronic, widespread and potentially accelerating, posing threats to infrastructure important for defense and energy purposes, natural shoreline habitats and nearby Native communities.
This photograph shows caribou tracks on ice-wedge polygons near Garry Creek in Alaska. Coastal erosion along the Arctic coast is chronic, widespread and potentially accelerating, posing threats to infrastructure important for defense and energy purposes, natural shoreline habitats and nearby Native communities.
Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
Below are publications associated with this project.
A comparison of contemporary and historical hydrology and water quality in the foothills and coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic Slope, northern Alaska
Seasonal and decadal subsurface thaw dynamics of an Aufeis feature investigated through numerical simulations
Rapid population decline in McKay's Bunting, an Alaskan endemic, highlights the species’ current status relative to international standards for vulnerable species
Status of spectacled eiders (Somateria fischeri) on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, 2022—Testing and updating predictive models
Optimizing surveys of fall-staging geese using aerial imagery and automated counting
Evaluating the efficacy of aerial infrared surveys to detect artificial polar bear dens
Evaluation of satellite imagery for monitoring Pacific walruses at a large coastal haulout
Negligible evidence for detrimental effects of Leucocytozoon infections among Emperor Geese (Anser canagicus) breeding on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska
Spring phenology drives range shifts in a migratory Arctic ungulate with key implications for the future
Seal body condition and atmospheric circulation patterns influence polar bear body condition, recruitment, and feeding ecology in the Chukchi Sea
Shifts in the wintering distribution and abundance of Emperor Geese in Alaska
Evidence of prevalent heat stress in Yukon River Chinook salmon
Below are news stories associated with this project.
This is a nation-wide collaborative program, supported by the USGS Ecosystems Mission Area, through which USGS and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service staff address priority research needs identified by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. On this page, we highlight research taking place in Alaska as part of this program.
Return to Ecosystems >> Collaborative Science for Priority Information Needs
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service priorities change annually through this program. Results of past studies can be found under Data and Tools and Publications on this page.
For 2023-2024, the USGS Alaska Science Center is focusing on the following science studies and co-production projects with Alaska Native groups and communities:
- Assessing the demographic trend of the Pacific walrus in a changing Arctic ecosystem
- Pacific walrus close-kin mark-recapture preliminary model
- Continued population declines of a rare songbird endemic to the Bering Sea region of Alaska, the McKay's Bunting
- Developing partnerships to guide research, conservation, and co-stewardship of the tevatevaaq (bar-tailed godwit)
- Rusting river impacts to food security, drinking water, and ecological systems: co-designing a water quality monitoring program with Northwest Alaska communities to assess impacts from permafrost thaw on aquatic systems
- An integrated approach for co-design of sea otter population assessments
- Toward co-production of knowledge about Pacific salmon populations and habitats in the Koyukuk, Nowitna & Innoko National Wildlife Refuges and Gana-A’Yoo managed freshwaters
- Investigating opportunities for co-Production of research on the Porcupine Caribou Herd
- Pacific Walrus population dynamics: towards co-production of science to aid co-management decisions
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Q&A: Vessel Cruise for Estimates of Pacific Walrus Demography
Q&A: Improving Aerial Surveys of Geese in Alaska with Aerial Imagery
Winter Habitat of Juvenile Dolly Varden in the Canning River
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Corrected Fire Perimeters of Alaska's National Wildlife Refuges
Data for Estimating McKay's Bunting (Plectrophenax hyperboreus) Population Change on St. Matthew and Hall Islands, Alaska
Aerial Photo Imagery from Fall Waterfowl Surveys, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 2017-2019
Counts of Birds in Aerial Photos from Fall Waterfowl Surveys, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 2017-2019
Blood Parasite Infection, Body Mass, and Survival Data from Emperor Geese (Anser canagicus), Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, 2006-2016
Predicted Calving and Post-calving Season Resource Use of the Porcupine Caribou Herd During 2012-2018 With Future Projections for the 2030s, 2040s, and 2050s
Fatty Acid Composition of Polar Bear Adipose Tissue and Ringed and Bearded Seal Blubber Collected in the Chukchi Sea, 2008-2017
Counts and Abdominal Profile Indices of Wintering Emperor Geese (Anser canagicus) at Three Islands in Alaska, 2003 and 2015-2017
Serum Urea and Creatinine Levels of Spring-Caught Polar Bears (Ursus maritimus) in the Southern Beaufort and Chukchi Seas
Sex and Age Composition of Walrus Groups Hauled Out on Ice Floes in the Bering and Chukchi Seas, 2013-2015
Measurement Data of Polar Bears Captured in the Chukchi and Southern Beaufort Sea, 1981-2017
Tracking data for Yellow-billed Loons (Gavia adamsii)
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
![Graphical abstract showing use of satellite imagery for monitoring large Pacific walrus haulouts in northwestern Alaska](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/drawing%209.3.jpg?itok=_E4XenA0)
This is a graphical abstract for a publication by the USGS that evaluates satellite imagery for monitoring large Pacific walrus haulouts in northwestern Alaska.
This is a graphical abstract for a publication by the USGS that evaluates satellite imagery for monitoring large Pacific walrus haulouts in northwestern Alaska.
![Aerial survey for Black Brant at Izembek Lagoon, Alaska](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/Aerialgoosepic.png?itok=ownWyPr4)
Example of a photo from the USFWS fall aerial survey for geese at Izembek Lagoon. Inset shows a closer view of four Black Brant (bottom) with a Cackling Goose (top) foraging on eelgrass. Scientists from the USGS Alaska Science Center and the U.S.
Example of a photo from the USFWS fall aerial survey for geese at Izembek Lagoon. Inset shows a closer view of four Black Brant (bottom) with a Cackling Goose (top) foraging on eelgrass. Scientists from the USGS Alaska Science Center and the U.S.
![USGS gage 15955000 Canning River above Staines River near Deadhorse, AK. Derek Frohbelter loading helicopter for return to Kavik](https://d9-wret.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/assets/palladium/production/s3fs-public/styles/masonry/public/thumbnails/image/2015-01-Jan-CR.jpg?itok=fScPcFoJ)
USGS gage 15955000 Canning River above Staines River near Deadhorse, AK. Derek Frohbelter loading helicopter for return to Kavik.
USGS gage 15955000 Canning River above Staines River near Deadhorse, AK. Derek Frohbelter loading helicopter for return to Kavik.
This photograph shows caribou tracks on ice-wedge polygons near Garry Creek in Alaska. Coastal erosion along the Arctic coast is chronic, widespread and potentially accelerating, posing threats to infrastructure important for defense and energy purposes, natural shoreline habitats and nearby Native communities.
This photograph shows caribou tracks on ice-wedge polygons near Garry Creek in Alaska. Coastal erosion along the Arctic coast is chronic, widespread and potentially accelerating, posing threats to infrastructure important for defense and energy purposes, natural shoreline habitats and nearby Native communities.
Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska.
Below are publications associated with this project.
A comparison of contemporary and historical hydrology and water quality in the foothills and coastal plain of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Arctic Slope, northern Alaska
Seasonal and decadal subsurface thaw dynamics of an Aufeis feature investigated through numerical simulations
Rapid population decline in McKay's Bunting, an Alaskan endemic, highlights the species’ current status relative to international standards for vulnerable species
Status of spectacled eiders (Somateria fischeri) on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska, 2022—Testing and updating predictive models
Optimizing surveys of fall-staging geese using aerial imagery and automated counting
Evaluating the efficacy of aerial infrared surveys to detect artificial polar bear dens
Evaluation of satellite imagery for monitoring Pacific walruses at a large coastal haulout
Negligible evidence for detrimental effects of Leucocytozoon infections among Emperor Geese (Anser canagicus) breeding on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska
Spring phenology drives range shifts in a migratory Arctic ungulate with key implications for the future
Seal body condition and atmospheric circulation patterns influence polar bear body condition, recruitment, and feeding ecology in the Chukchi Sea
Shifts in the wintering distribution and abundance of Emperor Geese in Alaska
Evidence of prevalent heat stress in Yukon River Chinook salmon
Below are news stories associated with this project.