Weekly Highlights for 08-12-2009
I. Departmental/Bureau News
A. Upcoming Events
No Upcoming Events highlights for this week
B. Current
USGS Alaska Science Center scientist John Piatt and colleagues in the USFWS have collaborated to attach the world’s smallest satellite tags to Kittlitz’s Murrelet, a rare and rapidly declining species of seabird in Alaska. Most Kittlitz’s Murrelets inhabit remote, glaciated regions of Alaska and the study of their nesting, foraging and migration ecology has been limited by our inability to observe them in their extreme environment. Recent advances in satellite tag technology have produced a lightweight, durable, solar-powered tag that can be attached to small seabirds such as murrelets and operate successfully in the extreme subarctic marine environment in which they live. During the past two weeks, Piatt and colleagues captured seven murrelets at sea and placed satellite tags on them. All tags are reporting positions, and investigators expect to see birds migrate soon to their wintering grounds—which are presently unknown.
Contact:
John Piatt
Nordland, WA, (360) 774-0516
USGS Alaska Science Center scientist Vanessa von Biela, along with co-author Christian Zimmerman, will present a paper titled, "Long-term variability of Arctic cisco growth rates: using otolith growth rates to test for evidence of environmental control" on August 27th at the Fourth International Symposium on Fish Otolith Research and Application in Monterey, California. Arctic cisco are a close relative of salmon and an important subsistence resource to residents on the Colville River in northern Alaska. Arctic cisco spawn in the Mackenzie River and then spend 6 to 8 years in the nearshore waters and rivers of northern Alaska. Over the 20 year study period juvenile Arctic cisco growth was most strongly related to the Mackenzie River discharge, an important determinate of nearshore productivity on the Canadian Beaufort Sea shelf. Predicted climate related decreases in river discharge may ultimately lead to declines in juvenile Arctic cisco growth and survival. The symposium is widely attended by delegates from around the world and has not been held in the U.S. since 1993.
Contact:
Vanessa von Biela
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7073
USGS Alaska Science Center and Alaska Volcano Observatory scientist Rick Wessels is attending the 2nd Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI) Science Workshop in Pasadena, CA August 11-13. HyspIRI is a proposed NASA Decadal Survey Mission that is currently in the study stage. The satellite would provide hyperspectral visible through thermal infrared data that will be used for a wide variety of Ecosystem and Earth Surface studies. The mission was recommended in the recent National Research Council Decadal Survey requested by NASA, NOAA, and USGS.
Contact:
Rick Wessels
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7492
The Alaska Science Center has received a Green Star Certification for its Anchorage offices. This is the original award of Green Star, Inc. - a nonprofit organization promoting environmental responsibility. It is given to businesses, organizations, schools, and agencies that demonstrate a strong environmental and business ethic by implementing the eight Green Star Standards. These Standards include waste reduction, conservation, green purchasing, education and outreach. USGS is a member of the "U-Med Green District" in Anchorage, a partnership of private and public institutions pledging to share best practices and create a more sustainable city, and this Green Star Certification is one of the benchmarks the participating organizations are working towards.
Contact:
Gregory Durocher
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7009
II. Press Inquiries/Media
On August 6 USGS Alaska Science Center glaciologist Shad O'Neel was contacted by The Alaska Report, the Anchorage Daily News, Alaska Public Radio Network, and Reuters regarding glaciers in Alaska.
Contact:
Shad O'Neel
Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7088
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