SCIENCE TOPICS

ABOUT THE ALASKA
SCIENCE CENTER

Weekly Highlights for 01-29-2009

I. Departmental/Bureau News

A. Upcoming Events

USGS at Alaska Forum on the Environment
The USGS Alaska Science Center is participating in the Alaska Forum on the Environment in Anchorage, February 2 - 6. The forum includes over 170 presenters and 80 technical breakout sessions. Topics include climate change, energy, environmental regulation, cleanup and remediation, fish and wildlife, and solid waste. Participants include federal, state and tribal governments agencies, international organizations and governments, and individuals from Alaska's communities. USGS Alaska Science Center scientist Jim Bodkin will participate on a panel titled "Sea Otters, Herring and the Future of Restoration – 20 Years After the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill" and scientist Tony Fischbach on "Walrus and Polar Bears - What Next?" Information on the Forum can be found at: http://www.akforum.org/index.html.
Contact: Joy Geiselman Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7075

B. Current

Heightened Volcanic Activity at Redoubt Volcano, Alaska
USGS Alaska Science Center staff at the Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) have responded to a marked increased in volcanic activity of Redoubt Volcano which began in November of 2008 and elevated significantly early in the morning on January 25, prompting AVO to increase the color code and alert levels from Yellow and Advisory to Orange and Watch on January 25. Staff are working schedules allowing for 24-hour, seven day a week monitoring of Redoubt in the AVO Operations Room. Observation flights, gas emission measurements, and on-site instrumentation changes are also being conducted as safety, weather and volcanic activity permit. AVO has increased the number of Information Releases produced to reflect the nature and changes in activity and level of concern color code for Redoubt Volcano. The Redoubt Activity webpage on the AVO website (http://www.avo.alaska.edu/activity/Redoubt.php) contains current up-to-date digital data feeds, web camera images and activity reports. Since the increased seismicity began on January 25, AVO has received tens of media requests, public citizen reports, and other requests for information. AVO and USGS staff have given numerous interviews for radio, television and print media. AVO is a partnership among the USGS, the State of Alaska Division of Geological and Geophysical Surveys, and The University of Alaska Geophysical Institute.
Contact: Thomas Murray Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7042

New Book Available: Tagging and Tracking Marine Animals with Electronic Devices
A new book has been published entitled "Tagging and Tracking of Marine Animals with Electronic Devices" edited by USGS Alaska Science Center research biologist Jennifer L. Nielsen. The book contains 25 chapters dealing with advances in electronic tagging technologies in marine ecosystems, behavior of aquatic animals tracked using electronic tags, new innovations in geolocation estimates using electronic tags, and fisheries applications for electronic devices in marine animals. This is the 9th volume in the series Reviews: Methods and Technologies in Fish Biology and Fisheries (REME) published by Springer, J.L. Nielsen REME Series Editor.
Contact: Jennifer Nielsen Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7062

USGS Scientist Receives Best Poster Award:
USGS Alaska Science Center biologist Mayumi Arimitsu received the Best Student Poster Award - Masters Level at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium, held in Anchorage January 19-23, for her poster "The influence of Glacial features on Oceanographic gradients in Kenai Fjords, AK: A closer look at Kittlilz's murrelets."
Contact: Joy Geiselman Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7075

II. Press Inquiries/Media

Heightened volcanic activity at Redoubt Volcano prompted the USGS Alaska Volcano Observatory (AVO) to increase the color code and alert levels from Yellow and Advisory to Orange and Watch on January 25. Since this change, AVO has received tens of media requests, public citizen reports, and other requests for information. USGS staff has given numerous phone interviews for radio, television and print media to outlets including: The Anchorage Daily News, The Peninsula Clarion, CKRW Whitehorse, KFQD Anchorage, The Alaska Public Radio Network (APRN), Fox News, Seattle, and KAJV Houston. AVO hosted press conferences on 1/26 and 1/27 attended by local ABC (KIMO), NBC (KTUU) and CBS (KTVA) affiliates.
Contact: Jennifer Adleman Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7019

Return to Highlights page

Accessibility FOIA Privacy Policies and Notices

U.S. Department of the Interior | U.S. Geological Survey
URL: http://alaska.usgs.gov
Page Contact Information: ascweb@usgs.gov
Page Last Modified: June 17, 2009