The Bering Sea and its surrounding waters are commercially and ecologically important ecosystems. Knowledge of phytoplankton phenology is crucial for understanding ecosystem dynamics. However, estimates of phenological parameters of spring phytoplankton bloom are sparse for this region. We used the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) daily data from 2003–2024 to assess the climatology of phenological parameters. A combination of data regriding, spatial interpolation, and temporal smoothing was applied. Three methods of spatial interpolation for missing data acquisition are compared: iterative first-order neighbor, inverse distance weighted interpolation, and data interpolating empirical orthogonal functions (DINEOF). We suggest that the first outcompetes the other two methods when compared to initial data. Date of the bloom initiation, bloom peak, chlorophyll-a maximum, and duration of the bloom before its peak are evaluated. The spatial distribution of mentioned phenological parameters is presented and discussed. We show that bloom starts early in Bristol Bay, in the narrow band along the eastern shelf, along the Kamchatka Peninsula, and south of the Aleutians and Alaska Peninsula. In the deep Bering Sea, bloom starts surprisingly later considering the latitude of the region. The main reason for this may be the wind mixing during the spring. The first phase of the bloom is generally longer in the deep southern areas (up to 60 days) and shorter in the northern shelf areas (less than 2 weeks in some cases).

An aquatic mode of life and sociality influences mating strategies in cetaceans. In high latitude species, like the beluga whale, extreme seasonality likely imposes additional constraints on parental care, competition, and mate choice. Genetic profiling of 623 biopsy-sampled beluga whales in Bristol Bay, Alaska revealed that both sexes were polygamous, calves associated predominantly with their mothers, variation in reproductive success was slightly greater in fathers, and there was low short-term positive reproductive skew in both sexes. Males were moderately polygynous within and across breeding seasons and females were polyandrous across breeding seasons, (within breeding seasons was undetermined), indicating a polygynandrous mating system. In addition, although the effective population size ( N e ) was much lower than census population size ( N c ), high levels of genetic diversity and low levels of inbreeding were found within and across generations. Despite larger body size and polygyny, short-term male reproductive success was limited, possibly due to challenges of guarding multiple females and female mating strategies. A long reproductive life, however, may lessen the selective pressure for intense intrasexual competition and strong polygyny within seasons. Polygynandry across breeding seasons leads to long, loose-chain pedigrees that can lower inbreeding and maintain diversity, even in populations with small N e .

Understanding the role of environmental factors such as pollution and infectious diseases on the health and well-being of free-ranging beluga whales Delphinapterus leucas is essential for their conservation. As part of this effort, 2 novel papillomaviruses (PVs) were identified in urogenital swabs of 2 free-ranging female beluga whales in Bristol Bay, Alaska, USA. Their genomes were 7825 and 7713 nucleotides (nt) in length with 84.6% nt and 82.5% amino acid identities for the L1 gene, generally used for classifying papillomaviruses. Both PV genomes contained an early region of E6, E1, E2 and E4 genes, a late region containing L2 and L1 genes, and a non-coding regulatory region. The carboxy end of the E6 oncoprotein of both PVs did not contain the PDZ-binding motif, known to have a strong correlation with oncogenicity. BLAST NCBI nt analyses of the L1 gene of 1 PV revealed highest identity (91.2%) with a PV of a short-beaked common dolphin Delphinus delphis, while the other PV showed highest identity (85.5%) with a PV from a Yangtze River finless porpoise Neophocaena asiaeorientalis. The PVs identified in this study share the highest identity with PV members of the genus Upsilonpapillomavirus, subfamily Firstpapillomavirinae, family Papillomaviridae. Also, 2 herpesviruses were isolated in primary beluga whale kidney cell cultures and identified by sequencing the glycoprotein B and E genes. Both herpesviruses corresponded to the species Varicellovirus monodontidalpha1. Our findings confirm the necessity to expand studies on the occurrence, dissemination and virus diversity that may be adversely affecting the well-being and preservation of beluga whales in Alaska.

In Bristol Bay, Alaska, headwater streams support the world's largest, most valuable sockeye salmon fishery, but face an uncertain future due to climate change and proposed development. We used a framework based on pre-impact data to identify sensitive taxa and evaluate their potential as freshwater bioindicators for climate change and mineral development in the relatively undisturbed Lime Hills ecoregion of Bristol Bay. We identified sensitive taxa as those associated with distinct stream physical habitat types and those with published sensitivities to expected changes from climate or mineral development (e.g., increasing temperatures, acidity, conductivity, sedimentation, or general pollution). Using a 12-year dataset of stream macroinvertebrates and diatoms, we also investigated patterns over time in community composition and taxa presence. We identified five fish, 23 macroinvertebrate, and 26 diatom bioindicators with high interannual persistence in Bristol Bay wadeable streams that are also sensitive to either habitat change or future stressors. Stream benthic community composition has shifted over the past 12years for both macroinvertebrates and diatoms, but we found few trends in individual taxa. The final bioindicator list can be used to measure future changes in stream habitats and communities of the Lime Hills ecoregion. Our framework used baseline data that captured both spatial and temporal variability in sensitive taxa and has utility for other pristine subarctic ecosystems prior to potential impacts.

We conducted a comprehensive assessment of the resources required to undergo colorectal cancer (CRC) screening in two Alaska Native tribal health organizations. We evaluated the cost of CRC screening at Maniilaq Association and Bristol Bay Area Health Corporation, and the communities they serve. We developed a tailored data collection tool to gather data from health clinics. We calculated the cost of screening tests and patient costs. We also conducted interviews with clinic representatives to identify contextual factors that can affect cost estimates. The cost of fecal immunochemical tests and fecal occult blood tests ranged from $53 to $76. The cost of the colonoscopy procedure ranged from $2,600 to $4,066. Travel costs, including per diem, ranged from $1,561 to $1,740. The cost of missed work was estimated to be $1,008 for patients and medical escorts for both communities. The total cost of receiving a colonoscopy, including procedural costs, travel costs, and the cost of missed work, ranged from $5,348 to $6,635. We found the cost of the screening tests, travel costs and the cost of missed work to undergo CRC screening were higher in Alaska than national averages. Program planning could benefit from accounting for the costs and additional resources needed in Alaska due to the geography of the state and the location of providers and facilities.

Benthic infauna are vital to ecosystem functioning and serve as key indicators of changes driven by anthropogenic and natural stressors. In the Arctic, monitoring infauna communities is integral to climate change research. However, despite its status as a major fishing ground significantly impacted by climate change, the subarctic US Bering Sea lacks a comparable monitoring effort. The last comprehensive infauna survey on the Bering Sea shelf occurred over 4 decades ago, in the late 1970s. To address this gap, we compiled infauna data from Bering Sea flatfish habitat studies (2006-2021), providing insights into recent community compositions and spatial distribution patterns. Here we describe the spatial distributions of total infauna and, separately, of the taxonomic groups Amphipoda, Bivalvia, and Polychaeta, as well as key polychaete families significant in classifying infauna communities. Two distinct communities were identified: one in the subarctic northern shelf, including Norton Sound, and another in the boreal southern shelf, extending along the Alaska Peninsula into Bristol Bay. Community classification remained consistent whether based on all infauna families or restricted to polychaete families. This study reveals that general patterns of infauna distribution and biomass hotspots observed in the 1970s have persisted to the present, including high biomass of infauna on the southern middle shelf, Oweniidae polychaetes on the northern inner shelf, and amphipods and bivalves on the northern outer shelf. The persistence of these patterns suggests that key environmental factors influencing infauna community structure, particularly those proxied by depth and substrate type, have remained relatively stable on the Bering Sea shelf.

Bristol Bay supports the world’s largest fishery for sockeye salmon which are harvested during an extremely condensed time period as fish return to their natal rivers. Uncertainties in preseason forecasts of run size challenge managers and the fishing community because of limited time to adapt strategies within a season. Preseason forecast errors from 2000 to 2023 were as large as 29%, with a mean absolute % error (MAPE) of 15%. We used autoregressive models including mean size-at-age of returning sockeye salmon, along with other environmental covariates, and weighted these models by the inverse of their MAPE to produce an ensemble in-season model that was subsequently weighted with preseason forecasts. This methodology improved forecasts of run size substantially earlier in the fishing season than currently possible and had an average MAPE of 12% (∼6 million fish), approximately 1 week into the fishing season. This level of error is not met by current in-season methods until approximately 2 weeks later after the season has peaked, and is better than current preseason methods in most years.

Rural Alaska offers unique opportunities for educators to live and work in Indigenous communities and support efforts to align schools with Indigenous peoples’ priorities for their children. However, teacher turnover in rural Alaska is an enduring challenge, with significant costs to districts and disruptions to students, communities, and schools. This article discusses a partnership initiative in the Bristol Bay Region of Alaska to improve teacher retention and educators’ cultural competencies. Partners include the University of Alaska Anchorage School of Education, the Bristol Bay Foundation, and four rural school districts. The partners designed a path for teachers to earn the M.Ed. Teaching and Learning at the University of Alaska Anchorage through online coursework and experiential learning over three years. Research data show higher retention rates for participating teachers and evidence of enhanced culturally responsive practices. The article presents the design process, program model, research findings, and next steps.

IntroductionAs long-lived top predators inhabiting the Arctic and subarctic, belugas are under threat of anthropogenic stressors including climate change, pollution, noise, and habitat degradation, which in turn can negatively affect their health and viability. There is currently a need for health indicators that can be easily collected and used to assess and monitor the response to stressors in whales. Comparative transcriptomics using skin tissue can be used to provide understanding of organismal responses to stressors at the cellular level.MethodsFor this study, intra- and inter-population comparisons were performed using the skin transcriptomes obtained from Bristol Bay (BB) belugas sampled in spring and late summer, and Eastern Chukchi Sea (ECS) belugas sampled in early summer in Alaska to investigate significantly differentially expressed genes over 2-fold change (padj<0.05).ResultsBoth principal component and hierarchical clustering analysis showed separate clustering of ECS whales, with further clustering of BB whales based on season. Intra-population comparisons carried out between different sexes and age groups did not result in any significant changes. However, the samples collected in spring versus summer within BB stock resulted in 541 significantly regulated genes, with significant activation (z-score≥|2|) predictions in pathways related with extracellular matrix organization, collagen biosynthesis and degradation, wound healing and cytokine signaling, potentially suggesting epidermal changes occurring in preparation for the seasonal molt in BB whales. The inter-population comparisons performed separately for BB-Spring versus ECS and BB-Summer versus ECS resulted in 574 and 938 significantly regulated genes, respectively. The significantly enriched canonical pathways common to both comparisons suggest increased cell survival and host defense responses along with increased cellular maintenance and growth in BB whales, and increased inflammation in ECS whales.DiscussionThese changes observed could potentially be due to differences in molting, bias in hunting preferences and/or differences in environmental conditions during the time of sampling. Findings from this study suggest comparative skin transcriptomics as a useful tool towards understanding biologically relevant gene expression differences at different temporal and spatial scales among beluga stocks with potential to inform and contribute to conservation and recovery of endangered beluga stocks.

Reproductive potential of red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) across warm and cold stanzas in Bristol Bay in southwestern Alaska: Supplementary Figure

Reproductive potential of red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) across warm and cold stanzas in Bristol Bay in southwestern Alaska: Supplementary Table

The red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) is an important commercial fishery species in Bristol Bay in southwestern Alaska. Mature male biomass is used currently in assessment of this stock as an estimate of stock reproductive potential, but assessments can be improved by directly incorporating female reproductive potential. The climate of the Bering Sea oscillates between warm and cold stanzas, which have important consequences for the ecosystem in this area. With this study, we have added to previous work quantifying the relationship between size and fecundity of females, by examining whether thermal regimes affect reproductive output. Egg clutches were collected in 8 different years spanning warm and cold stanzas, and the fecundity during each year was determined. Although we found small differences in the relationship between size and fecundity among years, the relationship did not differ between warm and cold years. Average embryo dry mass was slightly different among years but not between warm and cold years. Additionally, the relationship between residual fecundity and average egg mass was negative, indicating that some variance in fecundity is driven by trade-offs between embryo size and number. We present a size–fecundity model for Bristol Bay red king crab that could be used to estimate reproductive output from the annual survey of the population of red king crab in Bristol Bay and could be incorporated into stock assessments in the future.

Climate change has profound effects on the distribution of kelp forests in the Arctic and sub-Arctic. However, studies on the responses of kelps to climate change, particularly along the sub-Arctic regions of the Alaska coast, are limited. Eualaria fistulosa is a foundational kelp species in the Aleutian Islands, with an east-west distribution that extends from Japan to southern southwest Alaska. In this study, we utilized a species distribution model (SDM) to explore changes in the future habitat suitability of E. fistulosa under contrasting Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) scenarios. Our model exhibited relatively high predictive performance, validating our SDM predictions. Notably, the SDM results indicate that minimum sea surface temperature, annual range in sea surface temperatures, and annual mean current velocities are the three most important predictor variables determining E. fistulosa's distribution. Furthermore, the projected geographic distribution of Eualaria is generally consistent with its observed occurrence records. However, under high emission scenarios (SSP5-8.5), E. fistulosa is predicted to contract its distribution range by 9.0% by 2100, with widespread disappearance along the southeast Alaskan coast and limited northward migration to Kamchatka Krai in Russia and Bristol Bay in Alaska. These findings contribute valuable insights for conservation strategies via addressing climate-induced alterations in sub-Arctic kelp distribution.

Predicting the distribution of red king crab bycatch in Bering Sea flatfish trawl fisheries

Southwestern Alaska encompasses a group of fault-bounded tectonostratigraphic terranes that were accreted to North America during the Mesozoic and Paleogene. To characterize the offshore extension of these terranes and several significant faults identified onshore, we reprocessed three intersecting multichannel deep seismic reflection profiles totaling ∼750 line-km that were shot by the R/V Ewing across part of the inner Bering continental shelf in 1994. Since the uppermost seismic section is often contaminated by high amplitude water layer multiples from the hard and shallow seafloor, the migrated reflection images are supplemented with high-resolution P wave velocity models derived by traveltime tomography of the recorded first-arrivals to depths of up to 2000 m. Additionally, other geophysical datasets such as seismicity, well logs, high resolution satellite-altimetry gravity, air-borne magnetics, ship-board gravity and magnetics, are also incorporated into an integrated regional interpretation. We delineate the offshore extension of the major mapped geological elements, including the Togiak fault (TGF), East Kulukak fault (EKF), Chilchitna fault (CF), Lake Clark fault (LCF), Togiak terrane (TT), Goodnews terrane (GT), Peninsular terrane (PT), Northern Kahiltna flysch (NKF) and Southern Kahiltna flysch (SKF) deposits, and the regional suture zone. The geophysical evidence from this study suggest that the major faults and terrane boundaries of southwestern Alaska, excluding the LCF, not only extend beneath the Bering shelf offshore but also appear to rotate, forming a trend parallel to the inactive Beringian margin. The LCF extends offshore but likely terminates in the northeastern part of the Bristol Bay basin. Additionally, the constraints from seismicity data indicates that while the major faults in southwestern Alaska exihibit some activity onshore, they remain dormant in the offshore region. These new findings will contribute to a better understanding of terrane accretion processes and existing fault models of southwestern Alaska.

BackgroundClimate change is reshaping Bering Sea crab distributions and recent population declines have elevated the urgency in understanding spatial dynamics in relation to management boundaries. While pop-up satellite archival tags (PSATs) can provide fishery-independent movement information, a high level of spatial resolution is needed to evaluate small-scale (i.e., 10 s of km) movements of crabs. Because PSATs drift at the surface prior to acquisition of a satellite-estimated location (via Argos), the accuracy of pop-up location (i.e., animal terminal position) estimates depends on the ability to accurately estimate drift error. We deployed PSATs (n = 36) on fixed-position moorings in Bristol Bay and Marmot Bay, Alaska to validate a new method to estimate tag pop-up location and an associated error ellipse that uses in situ drift data from surfaced tags to estimate drift error. Estimated pop-up location was compared to the location of tag surfacing (i.e., the tag’s fixed position) and to an alternative estimate (i.e., an early satellite-estimated location). Additional tags were deployed on mature male red king crab (Paralithodes camtschaticus) in Bristol Bay during 2020 (n = 84) and 2021 (n = 90) to compare estimates of tag drift error and crab displacement derived using the method.ResultsFor red king crab tags with pop-up location estimates in 2020 (n = 79) and 2021 (n = 46), mean drift error was 9% and 44% of mean crab displacement, respectively. For fixed-position PSATs with pop-up location estimates (n = 27), mean distance between the estimated pop-up location and the tag’s fixed position was 2.0 km, representing a mean improvement in accuracy of 51% over alternative estimates. Corresponding error ellipse estimates either encompassed the tag’s fixed position (n = 11) or their boundaries were a mean distance of 1.3 km (n = 16) from the fixed position.ConclusionsOur method improves pop-up location estimates for PSAT-tagged animals and is particularly well suited for crabs and other slow-moving benthic marine species. The improved estimates enhance PSAT utility for addressing management and ecological questions that require a fine spatial resolution, such as movement near management boundaries or defining essential habitat for important life history events.

Abstract Policy narrative research focuses on one story/plot that forms narratives in policy controversies without attention to the subplot, picturing a reduced policy narrative structure. Subplots are studied in literary narratives as secondary plots to main plots and in terms of their structures, differences with, and similarities to plots, with both pursuing individual objectives toward common goals. Subplots enhance policy narratives’ structures through enlargement and enrichment. Neglecting the subplot impedes knowledge about their contributions and potentially limits narrative analyses. This article introduces the subplot in policy narratives through a descriptive account, proposes an expanded structural definition, and structurally analyzes the policy narratives in the debate over a mining project in Bristol Bay, Alaska, United States. The opposing narrative's plot is cultural with political, legal, and environmental subplots, while the supporting narrative's plot is developmental with legal and political subplots. The study offers perspectives for advancing subplot research and narrative policy analysis.Related ArticlesBrekken, Katheryn C., and Vanessa M. Fenley. 2021. “Part of the Narrative: Generic News Frames in the U.S. Recreational Marijuana Policy Subsystem.” Politics & Policy 49(1): 6–32. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12388.Chang, Katherine T., and Elizabeth A. Koebele. 2020. “What Drives Coalitions’ Narrative Strategy? Exploring Policy Narratives around School Choice.” Politics & Policy 48(4): 618–65. https://doi.org/10.1111/polp.12367.Shanahan, Elizabeth A., Mark K. McBeth, and Paul L. Hathaway. 2011. “Narrative Policy Framework: The Influence of Media Policy Narrative on Public Opinion.” Politics & Policy 39(3): 373–400. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747‐1346.2011.00295.x.

Always and forever: Materializing an environmental public in Bristol Bay, Alaska

Abstract We develop a 3‐D isotropic shear velocity model for the Alaska subduction zone using data from seafloor and land‐based seismographs to investigate along‐strike variations in structure. By applying ambient noise and teleseismic Helmholtz tomography, we derive Rayleigh wave group and phase velocity dispersion maps, then invert them for shear velocity structure using a Bayesian Monte Carlo algorithm. For land‐based stations, we perform a joint inversion of receiver functions and dispersion curves. The forearc crust is relatively thick (35–42 km) and has reduced lower crustal velocities beneath the Kodiak and Semidi segments, which may promote higher seismic coupling. Bristol Bay Basin crust is relatively thin and has a high‐velocity lower layer, suggesting a dense mafic lower crust emplaced by the rifting processes. The incoming plate shows low uppermost mantle velocities, indicating serpentinization. This hydration is more pronounced in the Shumagin segment, with greater velocity reduction extending to 18 ± 3 km depth, compared to the Semidi segment, showing smaller reductions extending to 14 ± 3 km depth. Our estimates of percent serpentinization from VS reduction and VP/VS are larger than those determined using VP reduction in prior studies, likely due to water in cracks affecting VS more than VP. Revised estimates of serpentinization show that more water subducts than previous studies, and that twice as much mantle water is subducted in the Shumagin segment compared to the Semidi segment. Together with estimates from other subduction zones, the results indicate a wide variation in subducted mantle water between different subduction segments.

Bristol Bay Native Corporation’s (BBNC) Bristol Bay Native Place Names Project is a 20-year initiative dedicated to celebrating the Sugpiaq/Alutiiq, Dena’ina, and Yup’ik Native place names in the Bristol Bay region of Southwest Alaska. Through this project, BBNC is committed to honoring the land-centered knowledge and environment that has long defined Alaska Native cultures. As traditional place names are increasingly replaced by English equivalents, this project serves to revitalize cultural and linguistic knowledge that connects our communities to the land. The Bristol Bay Native Place Names Project highlights the contributions of Alaska Native cultural workers, educators, community members, and knowledge bearers. It documents approximately 1,500 place names across three Alaska Native languages in the Bristol Bay region. The online publication of these names has received a remarkable response from the community, with growing use of traditional place names in daily life, navigation, search-and-rescue operations, oral histories, and land-based language education in schools. Overall, this initiative represents a form of Indigenous language revitalization driven by Alaska Native people for the benefit of their home communities, ensuring the continued connection to cultural heritage and fostering future generations’ understanding of their ancestral lands.