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USGS scientist in boat collection water samples on the Unuk River, Alaska
Water Quality Monitoring and Sampling on the Unuk River, Alaska
Water Quality Monitoring and Sampling on the Unuk River, Alaska
Water Quality Monitoring and Sampling on the Unuk River, Alaska

USGS hydrologist monitoring water quality and collecting samples at USGS Station15015595 on the Unuk River, Alaska. In 2019, the USGS began studying the baseline water-quality of selected transboundary rivers in Alaska.

USGS hydrologist monitoring water quality and collecting samples at USGS Station15015595 on the Unuk River, Alaska. In 2019, the USGS began studying the baseline water-quality of selected transboundary rivers in Alaska.

Emperor geese standing near the shoreline on Kodiak Island
Emperor geese near Kodiak.
Emperor geese near Kodiak.
Emperor geese near Kodiak.

Emperor geese gathered near the shoreline on Kodiak Island.

Emperor geese gathered near the shoreline on Kodiak Island.

3 men leaning over big yellow metal grab bucket on the deck of a ship. Dark sediment is visible inside bucket
Examining bucket of seafloor sediment collected off southeast Alaska
Examining bucket of seafloor sediment collected off southeast Alaska
Examining bucket of seafloor sediment collected off southeast Alaska

USGS research geophysicist Danny Brothers (right) and colleagues examine the surface of a sediment grab sample just pulled onto the deck of the Canadian Coast Guard Ship John P. Tully. The sample was collected from the top of a mud volcano north of the border between southeast Alaska and British Columbia.

USGS research geophysicist Danny Brothers (right) and colleagues examine the surface of a sediment grab sample just pulled onto the deck of the Canadian Coast Guard Ship John P. Tully. The sample was collected from the top of a mud volcano north of the border between southeast Alaska and British Columbia.

Two women stand at plywood table on which rest three long plastic tubes full of dark seafloor sediment.
Sampling core fluid from sediment cores collected off southeast Alaska
Sampling core fluid from sediment cores collected off southeast Alaska
Sampling core fluid from sediment cores collected off southeast Alaska

Mary McGann (left, USGS) and Rachel Lauer (University of Calgary) sample pore fluids from sediment cores collected aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Ship John P. Tully along the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault offshore of southeast Alaska.

Mary McGann (left, USGS) and Rachel Lauer (University of Calgary) sample pore fluids from sediment cores collected aboard the Canadian Coast Guard Ship John P. Tully along the Queen Charlotte-Fairweather fault offshore of southeast Alaska.

Salcha River sonar near Salchaket
Salcha River sonar near Salchaket
Salcha River sonar near Salchaket
Salcha River sonar near Salchaket

Salcha River sonar near Salchaket

Tazlina River sonar
Tazlina River sonar
Tazlina River sonar
Tazlina River sonar

Tazlina River sonar

Unnamed stream and beaver pond in the Taiya River floodplain
Unnamed stream and beaver pond in the Taiya River floodplain
Unnamed stream and beaver pond in the Taiya River floodplain
Unnamed stream and beaver pond in the Taiya River floodplain

Unnamed stream and beaver pond in the Taiya River floodplain

A field of peatland surrounded by spruce and other understory plants in Alaska. Mountains can be seen in the background.
Thawing Peatlands, Alaska
Thawing Peatlands, Alaska
Thawing Peatlands, Alaska

Cores were collected from various areas of thawing permafrost-peatlands in Alaska. Permafrost thaw results in ground subsidence and inundation that kills black spruce and other understory plants living on the permafrost plateau. 

Cores were collected from various areas of thawing permafrost-peatlands in Alaska. Permafrost thaw results in ground subsidence and inundation that kills black spruce and other understory plants living on the permafrost plateau. 

Glacier Creek sonar on a bridge
Glacier Creek sonar on a bridge
Glacier Creek sonar on a bridge
Glacier Creek sonar on a bridge

Glacier Creek sonar

A small shorebird walking along the mud
Black-bellied Plover on the mud shore of Big Creek near Egegik, Alaska
Black-bellied Plover on the mud shore of Big Creek near Egegik, Alaska
Black-bellied Plover on the mud shore of Big Creek near Egegik, Alaska

Black-bellied Plover on the mud shore of Big Creek, Alaska.

A shorebird walking along the shore
Pacific Golden-Plover on the shore near Big Creek near Egegik, Alaska
Pacific Golden-Plover on the shore near Big Creek near Egegik, Alaska
Pacific Golden-Plover on the shore near Big Creek near Egegik, Alaska

Pacific Golden-Plover on the shore near Big Creek, Alaska.

Common Murres in a colony in Cook Inlet, Alaska in 2017
Common Murres in a colony in Cook Inlet, Alaska in 2017
Common Murres in a colony in Cook Inlet, Alaska in 2017
Common Murres in a colony in Cook Inlet, Alaska in 2017

Common Murres in a colony in Cook Inlet, Alaska in 2017

Black-legged Kittiwakes sitting on the side of a rock wall in Cook Inlet, Alaska
Black-legged Kittiwakes in a colony in Cook Inlet, Alaska
Black-legged Kittiwakes in a colony in Cook Inlet, Alaska
Black-legged Kittiwakes in a colony in Cook Inlet, Alaska

Black-legged Kittiwakes in a colony in Cook Inlet, Alaska. One bird on a nest.

Black-legged Kittiwakes in a colony in Cook Inlet, Alaska. One bird on a nest.

Common Murres in their colony in Cook Inlet, Alaska. Adult touching bill to chick.
Common Murres in their colony in Cook Inlet, Alaska
Common Murres in their colony in Cook Inlet, Alaska
Common Murres in their colony in Cook Inlet, Alaska

Common Murres in their colony in Cook Inlet, Alaska

A lot of small fish from a fyke net set near Kaktovik, AK.  Biologists sort through them.
The catch from a fyke net set near Kaktovik, Alaska
The catch from a fyke net set near Kaktovik, Alaska
The catch from a fyke net set near Kaktovik, Alaska

Biologists identify species, count, measure length, and release thousands of fish each year to understand how fish use nearshore habitats.

Biologists identify species, count, measure length, and release thousands of fish each year to understand how fish use nearshore habitats.

A fish trap set in the ocean along the shore near Kaktovik, AK
A fyke net set to catch nearshore fish near Kaktovik, Alaska
A fyke net set to catch nearshore fish near Kaktovik, Alaska
A fyke net set to catch nearshore fish near Kaktovik, Alaska

A fyke net or fish trap used for continuous sampling of nearshore fish in shallow waters. Fish swimming along the beach are stopped by a small-mesh net that guides them in to one of these two underwater fish traps that are set side by side. Researchers visit nets at least once a day to identify, count, and release fish.

A fyke net or fish trap used for continuous sampling of nearshore fish in shallow waters. Fish swimming along the beach are stopped by a small-mesh net that guides them in to one of these two underwater fish traps that are set side by side. Researchers visit nets at least once a day to identify, count, and release fish.

Underwater view of fish inside a fyke net
Underwater image of fish captured by a fyke net
Underwater image of fish captured by a fyke net
Underwater image of fish captured by a fyke net

An underwater image of fish captured by a fyke net near Kaktovik, Alaska, Beaufort Sea, USA. The small silver fish with dark backs are young-of-year (age-0) Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) and the flatfish are Arctic flounder (Liopsetta glacialis).

An underwater image of fish captured by a fyke net near Kaktovik, Alaska, Beaufort Sea, USA. The small silver fish with dark backs are young-of-year (age-0) Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) and the flatfish are Arctic flounder (Liopsetta glacialis).

Scientist walking up the Imelyak River
Sampling the Imelyak River in the Brooks Range
Sampling the Imelyak River in the Brooks Range
Sampling the Imelyak River in the Brooks Range

Sampling the Imelyak River in the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range in Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park. This is part of the Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.

Sampling the Imelyak River in the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range in Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park. This is part of the Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.

Sampling a stream in the mist in the Akilik River drainage
Sampling a stream from the Akilik River drainage
Sampling a stream from the Akilik River drainage
Sampling a stream from the Akilik River drainage

Sampling a stream from the Akilik River drainage in the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range in Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.

Sampling a stream from the Akilik River drainage in the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range in Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.

Scientist walking up the Akilik River with a minnow trap to catch fish
Akilik River stream sampling
Akilik River stream sampling
Akilik River stream sampling

Hiking up a stream from the Akilik River drainage to set minnow traps for fish sampling. This is a stream type at the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range, Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park.

Hiking up a stream from the Akilik River drainage to set minnow traps for fish sampling. This is a stream type at the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range, Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park.

A small arctic grayling near the bottom of the Imelyak River
Small arctic grayling in the Imelyak River, Brooks Range
Small arctic grayling in the Imelyak River, Brooks Range
Small arctic grayling in the Imelyak River, Brooks Range

Small arctic grayling hugging the bottom in the Imelyak River in the Brooks Range. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.

Small arctic grayling hugging the bottom in the Imelyak River in the Brooks Range. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.