The risk of rodent introductions from shipwrecks to seabirds on Aleutian and Bering Sea islands
Martin Renner, Eric Nelson, Jordan Watson, Alan Haynie, Aaron Poe, Martin D. Robards, Steve C. Hess
2018, Biological Invasions (20) 2679-2690
Accidental introductions of rodents present one of the greatest threats to indigenous island biota, especially seabirds. On uninhabited remote islands, such introductions are likely to come from shipwrecks. Here we use a comprehensive database of shipwrecks in Western Alaska to model the frequency of shipwrecks per Aleutian and Bering Sea...
Research to improve ShakeAlert earthquake early warning products and their utility
Elizabeth S. Cochran, Brad T. Aagaard, Richard M. Allen, Jennifer Andrews, Annemarie S. Baltay Sundstrom, Andrew J. Barbour, Paul Bodin, Benjamin A. Brooks, Angela Chung, Brendan W. Crowell, Douglas D. Given, Thomas C. Hanks, J. Renate Hartog, Egill Hauksson, Thomas H. Heaton, Sara K. McBride, Men-Andrin Meier, Diego Melgar, Sarah E. Minson, Jessica R. Murray, Jennifer A. Strauss, Douglas Toomey
2018, Open-File Report 2018-1131
Earthquake early warning (EEW) is the rapid detection of an earthquake and issuance of an alert or notification to people and vulnerable systems likely to experience potentially damaging ground shaking. The level of ground shaking that is considered damaging is defined by the specific application; for example, manufacturing equipment may...
Comparison of microbiomes of cold-water corals Primnoa pacifica and Primnoa resedaeformis, with possible link between microbiome composition and host genotype
Dawn B. Goldsmith, Christina A. Kellogg, Cheryl L. Morrison, Michael A. Gray, Robert P. Stone, Rhian G. Waller, Sandra D. Brooke, Steve W. Ross
2018, Scientific Reports (8)
Cold-water corals provide critical habitats for a multitude of marine species, but are understudied relative to tropical corals. Primnoa pacifica is a cold-water coral prevalent throughout Alaskan waters, while another species in the genus, Primnoa resedaeformis, is widely distributed in the Atlantic Ocean. This study examined the V4-V5 region of the 16S rRNA...
Flyway structure in the circumpolar greater white‐fronted goose
Robert E. Wilson, Craig R. Ely, Sandra L. Talbot
2018, Ecology and Evolution (8) 8490-8507
Dispersal and migratory behavior are influential factors in determining how genetic diversity is distributed across the landscape. In migratory species, genetic structure can be promoted via several mechanisms including fidelity to distinct migratory routes. Particularly within North America, waterfowl management units have been delineated according to distinct longitudinal migratory flyways...
A transcriptome resource for the Arctic Cod (Boreogadus saida)
Robert E. Wilson, Damian M. Menning, Kate Wedemeyer, Sandra L. Talbot
2018, Marine Genomics (41) 57-61
Arctic Cod (Boreogadus saida) serve as an important link in Arctic food webs and are thus considered an important species for environmental monitoring. RNA-Seq was conducted on samples from wild-collected individuals representing various age classes and tissue types to obtain as complete...
Liverworts from Attu Island, Near Islands, Aleutian Islands, Alaska (USA) with comparison to the Commander Islands (Russia)
Stephen S. Talbot, Wilfred B. Schofield, Jiri Vana, Sandra L. Talbot
2018, Botanica Pacifica (7) 127-141
The liverwort flora of Attu Island, the westernmost Aleutian Island in the United States, was studied to assess species diversity in the hyperoceanic sector of the northern boreal subzone. The field study was undertaken in sites selected to represent a spectrum of environmental variation, primarily within the eastern part of...
An interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) habitat suitability model to identify overwinter conditions for coregonine whitefishes in Arctic lagoons
Marguerite Tibbles, Jeffrey A. Falke, Andrew R. Mahoney, Martin D. Robards, Andrew C. Seitz
2018, Transactions of the American Fisheries Society (147) 1167-1178
Lagoons provide critical habitats for many fishes, including coregonine whitefishes, which are a mainstay in many subsistence fisheries of rural communities in Arctic Alaska. Despite their importance, little is known about the overwintering habits of whitefishes in Arctic Alaska due to the challenges associated with sampling during winter. We developed...
Sex-specific variation in denning by brown bears
Lindsey Mangipane, Jerrold L. Belant, Buck Mangipane, David Gustine, Grant V. Hilderbrand
2018, Mammalian Biology (93) 38-44
Denning characteristics of brown bears (Ursus arctos) have been described in numerous studies; however, population specific factors (i.e., landscape characteristics and climate) can greatly influence the location and timing of denning. Our objective was to evaluate den-site characteristics and denning chronology for male and female brown bears in Lake Clark National Park...
Pliocene erosional pulse and glacier-landscape feedbacks in the western Alaska Range
Richard O. Lease
2018, Earth and Planetary Science Letters (497) 62-68
Pliocene–Pleistocene glaciation modified the topography and erosion of most middle- and high-latitude mountain belts, because the evolution of catchment topography controls long-term glacier mass balance and erosion. Hence, characterizing how erosion rates change during repeated glaciations can help test hypothesized glacier erosion-landscape feedbacks across a range of settings. To better...
Lake levels in a discontinuous permafrost landscape: Late Holocene variations inferred from sediment oxygen isotopes, Yukon Flats, Alaska
Lesleigh Anderson, Bruce P. Finney, Mark D. Shapley
2018, Arctic, Antarctic, and Alpine Research (50)
During recent decades, lake levels in the Yukon Flats region of interior Alaska have fluctuated dramatically. However, prior to recorded observations, no data are available to indicate if similar or more extreme variations occurred during past centuries and millennia. This study explores the history of Yukon Flats lake origins and...
Riparian defoliation by the invasive green alder sawfly influences terrestrial prey subsidies to salmon streams
David A. Roon, Mark S. Wipfli, James J. Kruse
2018, Ecology of Freshwater Fish (27) 963-975
Invasive species in riparian forests are unique as their effects can transcend ecosystem boundaries via stream‐riparian linkages. The green alder sawfly (Monsoma pulveratum) is an invasive wasp whose larvae are defoliating riparian thin‐leaf alder (Alnus tenuifolia) stands across southcentral Alaska. To test the hypothesis that riparian defoliation by this invasive...
Landscape genetics identifies streams and drainage infrastructure as dispersal corridors for an endangered wetland bird
Charles B. van Rees, J. Michael Reed, Robert E. Wilson, Jared G. Underwood, Sarah A. Sonsthagen
2018, Ecology and Evolution (8) 8328-8343
Anthropogenic alterations to landscape structure and composition can have significant impacts on biodiversity, potentially leading to species extinctions. Population‐level impacts of landscape change are mediated by animal behaviors, in particular dispersal behavior. Little is known about the dispersal habits of rails (Rallidae) due to their cryptic behavior and tendency to...
Climate change and future wildfire in the western USA: An ecological approach to nonstationarity
Jeremy S. Littell, Donald McKenzie, Ho Yi Wan, Samuel A. Cushman
2018, Earth's Future (6) 1097-1111
We developed ecologically based climate‐fire projections for the western United States. Using a finer ecological classification and fire‐relevant climate predictors, we created statistical models linking climate and wildfire area burned for ecosections, which are geographic delineations based on biophysical variables. The results indicate a gradient from purely fuel‐limited (antecedent positive...
Assessment of Alaska rain-on-snow events using dynamical downscaling
Peter A. Bieniek, Uma S. Bhatt, John E. Walsh, Rick Lader, Brad Griffith, Jennifer K. Roach, Richard L. Thoman
2018, Journal of Applied Meteorology and Climatology (57) 1847-1863
The ice formed by cold-season rainfall or rain on snow (ROS) has striking impacts on the economy and ecology of Alaska. An understanding of the atmospheric drivers of ROS events is required to better predict them and plan for environmental change. The spatially/temporally sparse network of stations in Alaska makes...
Lactation and resource limitation affect stress responses, thyroid hormones, immune function, and antioxidant capacity of sea otters (Enhydra lutris)
Sarah M. Chinn, Daniel Monson, M. Tim Tinker, Michelle M. Staedler, Daniel E. Crocker
2018, Ecology and Evolution (8) 8433-8447
Lactation is the most energetically demanding stage of reproduction in female mammals. Increased energetic allocation toward current reproduction may result in fitness costs, although the mechanisms underlying these trade‐offs are not well understood. Trade‐offs during lactation may include reduced energetic allocation to cellular maintenance, immune response, and survival and may...
Prevalence of seismic rate anomalies preceding volcanic eruptions in Alaska
Jeremy D. Pesicek, John Wellik, Stephanie G. Prejean, Sarah E. Ogburn
2018, Frontiers in Earth Science (6)
Seismic rate increases often precede eruptions at volcanoes worldwide. However, many eruptions occur without such precursors. Additionally, identifying seismic rate increases near volcanoes with high levels of background seismicity is non-trivial and many periods of elevated seismicity occur without ensuing eruptions, limiting their usefulness for forecasting in some cases. Although...
Linking the Ukinrek 1977 maar-eruption observations to the tephra deposits: New insights into maar depositional processes
Michael Ort, Nathalie Lefebvre, Christina A. Neal, Vicki McConnell, Ken Wohletz
2018, Journal of Volcanology and Geothermal Research (360) 36-60
The Ukinrek Maars erupted 30 March to 9 April 1977, forming two maars, a line of small pit craters and a tephra blanket extending to ~2 km from the vents. We combine photographic and written observations with stratigraphic analysis to reconstruct the eruption. The eruption began...
Using earthquakes, T waves, and infrasound to investigate the eruption of Bogoslof Volcano, Alaska
Aaron Wech, Gabrielle Tepp, John J. Lyons, Matthew M. Haney
2018, Geophysical Research Letters (45) 6918-6925
The 2016‐2017 eruption of Bogoslof volcano, a submarine stratovolcano in the Bering Sea, produced 70 discrete explosive eruptions over 8 months. With no local monitoring data, activity was seismically recorded on nearby islands 50‐100 km away, limiting the detection and resolution of seismic observations. We construct a matched filter catalog...
Defining the risk landscape in the context of pathogen pollution: Toxoplasma gondii in sea otters along the Pacific Rim
Tristan L. Burgess, M. Tim Tinker, Melissa A. Miller, James L. Bodkin, Michael J. Murray, Justin A. Saarinen, Linda M. Nichol, Shawn E. Larson, Patricia A. Conrad, Christine K. Johnson
2018, Royal Society Open Science (5)
Pathogens entering the marine environment as pollutants exhibit a spatial signature driven by their transport mechanisms. The sea otter (Enhydra lutris), a marine animal which lives much of its life within sight of land, presents a unique opportunity to understand land–sea pathogen transmission. Using a dataset on Toxoplasma gondii prevalence across sea...
Alaska Volcano Observatory alert and forecasting timeliness: 1989–2017
Cheryl Cameron, Stephanie G. Prejean, Michelle L. Coombs, Kristi L. Wallace, John Power, Diana C. Roman
2018, Frontiers in Earth Science - Volcanology (6)
The Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) monitors volcanoes in Alaska and issues notifications and warnings of volcanic unrest and eruption. We evaluate the timeliness and accuracy of eruption forecasts for 53 eruptions at 20 volcanoes, beginning with Mount Redoubt's 1989–1990 eruption. Successful forecasts are defined as those where AVO issued...
Biogeography of pelagic food webs in the North Pacific
John F. Piatt, Mayumi L. Arimitsu, William J. Sydeman, Sarah Ann Thompson, Heather Renner, Stephani Zador, David C. Douglas, Scott A. Hatch, Arthur B. Kettle, Jeffrey C. Williams
2018, Fisheries Oceanography (27) 366-380
The tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) is a generalist seabird that breeds throughout the North Pacific and eats more than 75 different prey species. Using puffins as samplers, we characterized the geographic variability in pelagic food webs across the subarctic North Pacific from the composition of ~10,000 tufted puffin meals (~56,000...
Comparative nest survival of three sympatric loon species breeding in the Arctic
Brian D. Uher-Koch, Joshua C. Koch, Kenneth G. Wright, Joel A. Schmutz
2018, Journal of Avian Biology (49) 1-15
Identifying factors influencing nest survival among sympatric species is important for understanding and managing sources of variation in population dynamics of individual species. Three species of loons nest sympatrically in northern Alaska and differ in body size, life history characteristics, and population trends. We tested the effects of competition, nest...
A revised Triassic stratigraphic framework for the Arctic Alaska Basin
Katherine J. Whidden, Julie A. Dumoulin, William A. Rouse
2018, AAPG Bulletin (102) 1171-1212
The Triassic Shublik Formation and the Triassic–Jurassic Otuk Formation are partially age-equivalent lithostratigraphic units that were deposited in the Arctic Alaska Basin (AAB). The Shublik Formation represents proximal deposition within the basin, with episodic siliciclastic input, whereas the Otuk Formation was deposited in the distal part of the basin, with...
Influence of landscape structure, topography, and forest type on spatial variation in historical fire regimes, central Oregon, USA
Andrew Merschel, Emily K. Heyerdahl, Thomas A. Spies, Rachel A. Loehman
2018, Landscape Ecology (33) 1195-1209
Context In the interior Northwest, debate over restoring mixed-conifer forests after a century of fire exclusion is hampered by poor understanding of the pattern and causes of spatial variation in historical fire regimes. Objectives To identify the roles of topography, landscape structure, and forest type in driving spatial...
Sulfur isotopes of host strata for Howards Pass (Yukon–Northwest Territories) Zn-Pb deposits implicate anaerobic oxidation of methane, not basin stagnation
Craig A. Johnson, John F. Slack, Julie A. Dumoulin, Karen Duttweiler Kelley, Hendrik Falck
2018, Geology (46) 619-622
A new sulfur isotope stratigraphic profile has been developed for Ordovician-Silurian mudstones that host the Howards Pass Zn-Pb deposits (Canada) in an attempt to reconcile the traditional model of a stagnant euxinic basin setting with new contradictory findings. Our analyses of pyrite confirm the up-section 34S enrichment reported previously, but additional...
