Izetta Chambers, an Extension Agent with the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program in Dillingham, has published a guide to safely composting fish waste, without attracting the attention of local authorities. Major considerations are the attraction of nuisance bears and control of offensive odors.
Boats can and do discharge a variety of substances into the marine environment. Among these discharges are effluent from engine operations, liquid graywater wastes generated by laundry, galley and shower use, and washdown water from cleaning decks, bilges and fish holds.
The Arctic is experiencing some of the world’s most dramatic and rapidly evolving effects from climate change. Increasing air and ocean temperatures, thawing permafrost, loss of sea ice, and shifts in ecosystems are evidence of widespread and dramatic ongoing change. Critical environmental, economic, and national security issues are emerging that affect lives and livelihoods in coastal communities and inland areas across the region. NOAA’s diverse capabilities to address these emerging issues are the backbone of the strategy.
Living in the North has its benefits and for the most part it’s a healthy place to live. One unique health factor is our overwhelming consumption of seafood, enjoying the highest per capita consumption of fish and shellfish of any state in the union. Seafood provides incredible nutritional value, with its high protein content, heart [...]
There is still much to learn about the interaction of organisms found in high latitude ecosystems. Rising temperatures in the north may not automatically equate to a positive feedback to the soil carbon feedback cycle.
Millions of birds pass through the Arctic on their global migrations and 85 species nest in the region each summer. Adequate basic research is missing on some species and their true condition is little more than a guess. The combination of climate change and effects of energy exploration have an effect on Arctic bird populations.
In a move sure to increase concerns over regulation by Alaska industry, NOAA Fisheries Service is proposing that about a third of Cook Inlet near Anchorage, Alaska may designated as critical habitat for some 300 endangered Beluga whales.
“As part of the Administration commitment to ensuring that offshore oil and gas decisions are based on science and sound information, the U.S. Geological Survey will examine and summarize what information is available about the Arctic and what knowledge gaps may exist regarding environmental sensitivities, including impending climate change, and other factors that would be considered in decisions about potential future development in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas.”
