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Weekly Highlights for 8-17-2012

I. Departmental/Bureau News

A. Upcoming Events

No Upcoming Events highlights for this week

B. Current

New Wildlife Monograph on the Pacific Common Eider
USGS research wildlife biologist Paul Flint (Alaska Science Center) is co-author of a new monograph on breeding populations of the Pacific common eider. Breeding numbers of this species declined in western Alaska by 50-90 percent (1957 to 1992) and then stabilized at reduced numbers from the early 1990's to the present. In an effort to investigate the underlying processes affecting their population dynamics, the authors collected and analyzed demographic data from Pacific common eiders in western Alaska from 1991 to 2004; representing a total of 29 site-years. The study, led by Heather Wilson (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service) and co-authored by Abby Powell (USGS Alaska Cooperative Wildlife Research Unit), J. Barry Grand (USGS Alabama Cooperative Fisheries Wildlife Research Unit), and Christine Moran (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service), examined variation in components of reproduction, tested hypotheses about the influence of specific ecological factors on life history variables, and investigated their relative contributions to local population dynamics. The study will be published in an up-coming issue of Wildlife Monographs.

Wilson, H.M., P.L. Flint, A.N. Powell, J. Barry Grand, and C.L. Moran. 2012 Population ecology of breeding Pacific common eiders on the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Alaska. Wildlife Monographs, In Press.
Contact: John Pearce Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7094

Category I flood in remote Wulik River, Seward Peninsula, in northwest Alaska
Area: Alaska; Region: Western United States

Summary: The Red Dog Mine, 500 miles northwest of Fairbanks, on the Seward Peninsula in northwest Alaska, has received record setting precipitation in the last few days. Red Dog received over 5 inches of rain, estimated to be a 100 to 150 year precipitation event. More rain is expected, 2-3 inches over the next several days.

Gage height at the Wulik River rose over 10 ft, putting about 6 inches of water in the gage house. The river crested at about 15.3 ft gage height yesterday morning, 3 ft higher than the previous peak of record which occurred August 17, 1994 (12.21 ft 38,500 cfs). Peak discharge is estimated to be about 80,000 cfs. Our highest direct measurement is only 12,500 cfs, in 1989.

Access to the area is by charter aircraft to Red Dog Mine, then helicopter to the few streamgages scattered within a 50-mile radius. A field crew will attempt to visit the area over the weekend to obtain a discharge measurement, flag high-water marks, and assess the aerial extent of the event by visiting discontinued streamgages in the region.
Contact: David Meyer Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7141

II. Press Inquiries/Media

On August 14, scientists Tony DeGange and Tony Fischbach of the USGS Alaska Science Center were interviewed by Benny Eriksson of Sveriges Television, Stockholm, Sweden. The interviews focused on the natural resources of the Beaufort and Chukchi seas that potentially could be impacted by offshore oil and gas development (DeGange) and Pacific walrus biology and telemetry (Fischbach). The interviews will likely air sometime this fall in Sweden.
Contact: Yvette Gillies Anchorage, AK, (907) 786-7039

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