Kodiak Island Research Articles

An experience of application of experimental-traceological analysis to ethnographic collections (the example of the ulu-knife of the Alutiiq Eskimos from Kodiak Island)

An experience of application of experimental-traceological analysis to ethnographic collections (the example of the ulu-knife of the Alutiiq Eskimos from Kodiak Island)

Synallactesmcdanieli sp. nov., a new species of sea cucumber from British Columbia, Canada and the Gulf of Alaska, USA (Holothuroidea, Synallactida).

The family Synallactidae comprises mostly deep-sea forms and is the least-studied large taxon amongst deep-sea cucumbers. They are part of the abyssal megafauna and play an important role in modifying the sediment landscape and structuring the communities that live within it. The family embraces the genus Synallactes, which contains approximately twenty-five species from the Pacific, Atlantic (six species), Indian (seven species) and Antarctic Oceans (one species). Synallactesmcdanieli sp. nov. is described from the Northeast Pacific, Knight Inlet, British Columbia, Canada to Kodiak Island, Gulf of Alaska, USA, at depths from 21 to 438 m. This new species is unique amongst the species of the genus Synallactes because of the number and arrangement of dorsal papillae, number of Polian vesicles, together with the entire ossicle arrangement. In addition, this species has the shallowest bathymetric distribution ever recorded for this genus.

Diversity and distribution of intertidal Microporella (Bryozoa: Cheilostomatida) from California

Seven species of the cheilostome bryozoan genus Microporella were identified across 15 rocky intertidal sites spanning 940 km of the California coast, from Mill Creek in the Montereyan Pacific Transition Region north to Point Saint George in the Mendocinian Region. Colonies of Microporella were found encrusting boulders and mollusc shells. Among these species, three are new to science, namely Microporella dentata Chowdhury & Di Martino sp. nov., M. pauciperforata Chowdhury & Di Martino sp. nov. and M. rota Chowdhury & Di Martino sp. nov. Three other species, M. californica, M. setiformis, and M. umbonata have previously been recorded from other localities in California. Finally, Microporella neocribroides, originally described from off Kodiak Island, Alaska, and subsequently found in Hokkaido, Japan, was recorded in California for the first time. An additional new species, M. similis Chowdhury & Di Martino sp. nov., was identified through the re-examination of museum material previously attributed to M. cribrosa and M. californica. These newly acquired data allowed for a more comprehensive examination of the distribution of species, intraspecific variability, and potential predator-induced teratologies in certain species, thanks to the availability of numerous colonies from various sites and the re-examination of museum records. Altogether, this study increases the known Recent diversity of Microporella in California’s waters to a total of 18 species.

Warmer, earlier, faster: Cumulative effects of Gulf of Alaska heatwaves on the early life history of Pacific cod

Warming climates are creating unprecedented environmental conditions, such as more frequent and intense marine heatwaves (MHWs), that directly impact phenology and growth of fish and other marine organisms. Understanding individual phenological and growth responses to temperature is critical to predict species and population responses to climate change; however, doing so requires disentangling the effects of temperature on phenology, size, and growth in wild populations. We quantified the relationships between temperature and hatch timing, size-at-age, and early growth in a population of Pacific cod (Gadus macrocephalus) affected by recent MHWs in the Gulf of Alaska. Pacific cod juveniles were collected near Kodiak Island, Alaska, USA, across 11 years, categorized as before (2007, 2009–2010, 2012–2014), during (2015, 2016, 2019), and between (2017, 2018) multiple recent MHWs. We estimated age and growth with otolith structural analysis. Hatching occurred on average 14 days earlier during MHWs and 26 days earlier between than before MHWs. Approximately 53% and 16% of these respective shifts in timing were attributable directly to warmer temperatures during incubation. Size-at-age was similar across periods at younger ages (90 days), but approximately 7 mm and 11 mm larger than before MHWs at older ages (132 days) during and between MHWs, respectively. These differences in size-at-age were partially related to growth responses that differed among MHW periods. However, observed differences in growth rate could not account for the observed increases in size-at-age. We found that temperature alone could not explain the changes in growth and phenology; thus, factors such as parental effects, epigenetics, and selection likely contributed. Our results indicate that spawn timing, size, and growth relationships based on historical thermal responses should be questioned in population forecasting as the global climate continues to warm.

Building Bridges among Filipinos in Kodiak, Alaska

Abstract: Building bridges has many meanings. For Fred Cordova, it could mean connecting the Filipino migrants in the United States and their relatives in the Philippines, or linking the first generation and the succeeding generations. This article further explores another meaning—the strategies of certain members of a particular generation to connect with their kin in the Philippines, their community in Kodiak Island, and beyond. These bridges could be in the form of capitals, as expounded by Pierre Bourdieu, and are manifested in food, culture, political participation, social engagements, and so on in Kodiak Island, Alaska.

Rheological Structure and Lithospheric Stress Interaction in the Alaska Subduction Zone Gleaned From the 2018 Mw 7.9 Oceanic Crustal Earthquake

AbstractPostseismic deformation at convergent margins is controlled mainly by continuous slip on the fault (afterslip) and relaxation of the earthquake‐induced stress in the viscoelastic upper mantle (viscoelastic relaxation). Study of these deformation processes provides insight into the rheological properties of upper mantle and slip behavior of the fault. We have constructed a three‐dimensional finite element model to investigate the postseismic deformation of the 2018 Mw 7.9 Kodiak earthquake. We derived the first 2‐year postseismic Global Positioning System observations to constrain afterslip and upper mantle rheology in the south‐central Alaska. The upper mantle is separated into the mantle wedge and oceanic upper mantle topped by an 80‐km thick asthenosphere layer by the subducting slab. Results show that afterslip generally occurred in areas adjacent to the rupture zone and has a small magnitude of a few tens of millimeters. The viscosities of the asthenosphere and mantle wedge are determined to be in a range of 1–4 × 1018 and 0.5–5 × 1019 Pa s with an optimal value of 2 × 1018 and 2 × 1019 Pa s, respectively. Model results reveal a localized weak mantle wedge of ∼1018 Pa s beneath Lower Cook Inlet that may be due to the fluids dehydrated from the slab. Coulomb stress changes show that the earthquake enhanced coseismic and postseismic stress loading of up to 0.9 and 0.1 bar, respectively, on the shallow subduction interface near Kodiak Island, but there is no obvious triggered seismicity, probably due to the low stress status already released by the 1964 Mw 9.2 Alaska earthquake.

A study of the simulated climatological January mean upwelling in the northwestern Gulf of Alaska

In this research, we studied the upwelling in the northwestern Gulf of Alaska using the climatological January mean and data from the output of the Ocean General Circulation Model for Earth Simulator (OFES2). Specifically, we analyzed the upwelling in the regions where the Alaska Coastal Current (ACC) flows out of the Shelikof Strait (especially the part to the west of Kodiak Island) and where the ACC and the Alaskan Stream (AS) are confluent. In both regions, strong geostrophic currents and downwelling-favorable wind predominate in winter. Furthermore, there are freshwater discharges along the Alaskan coast and an observed mean current vertical shear in the ACC. We revealed that when the internal water stress is larger than the wind stress inside the study regions, this could be decisive in terms of the local horizontal velocity divergence and further upwelling, even if the region is away from the coast and lacks upwelling-favorable wind conditions. Geostrophic stress is part of the internal water stress and is a product of the geostrophic current shear (due to the thermal wind relation) and the vertical viscosity coefficient. The analysis indicated that a front with a large geostrophic stress may act as a “virtual wall” and contribute to local upwelling within a depth of approximately 100 m in the study regions. This process could provide a heuristic for understanding the distribution of pollock in the areas during February and March, which corresponds to the simulated upwelling region.

Reduced survival of Steller sea lions in the Gulf of Alaska following marine heatwave

The North Pacific marine heatwave of 2014–2016 (PMH), one of the most geographically-extensive and severe marine heatwaves on record, resulted in widespread and persistent perturbation of the Gulf of Alaska and California Current ecosystems. Negative effects of the PMH on marine mammals have been observed, but are not yet well understood. The endangered Steller sea lion Eumetopias jubatus is an important top predator in the Gulf of Alaska that is also particularly vulnerable to sudden or severe ecosystem shifts. We examined survival of 4,178 known-aged Steller sea lions marked from 2000 to 2016 from Kodiak Island through Southeast Alaska, using mark-recapture models and 12,811 resightings collected from 2001 to 2021. Survival of adult females aged 3–15 was reduced -0.05 to -0.23 during the PMH in the areas east, but not west, of Cook Inlet. Survival of Kodiak females was unaffected by the PMH, but survival of Sugarloaf females aged 5–8 was reduced -0.13 from summer 2015 to summer 2016. Lowest survival in Southeast Alaska occurred from summer 2016 to summer 2017, but was also reduced from summer 2014 to summer 2016. Reduced survival continued post-PMH in Kenai Peninsula/Prince William Sound, but not in Southeast Alaska. Survival of adult males was insensitive to the PMH, except in Southeast Alaska where male survival was reduced -0.25 from summer 2016 to summer 2017. Prolonged or intermittent high adult female mortality may reduce population growth and initiate regional declines. Survival response of Steller sea lions to the PMH varied regionally despite similar patterns of ocean warming throughout our study area, suggesting areas east versus west of Cook Inlet were affected differently by the PMH, perhaps due to habitat and oceanographic differences.

Timing of the gray whale southbound migration

The southbound migration of the eastern North Pacific stock of gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus) has been documented by the National Marine Fisheries Service most seasons since 1967 at or near Granite Canyon, in central California, and by the American Cetacean Society’s Los Angeles Chapter every season since 1985 at Point Vicente, southern California. This has provided a rare opportunity to examine cetacean migratory timing data over a relatively long time series. In 1998/99, anecdotal reports indicated a major change had occurred in the timing of the migration, which prompted this study to compare the observed timing relative to expected dates. Although no observers were at Granite Canyon in 1998/99, data collected from this site indicated that prior to 1980, annual median sighting dates ranged from 4-13 January (overall median = 8 January; CI = 1.3), but since then there has been a one-week (6.8 day; CI = 2.0) delay, with median dates now ranging from 12-18 January (overall median = 15 January; CI = 1.7). This delay in timing is better represented as a shift in dates than as a trend, and it occurred shortly after a major oceanographic regime shift in the North Pacific Ocean. The shift in whale sighting dates occurred equally in the onset of the migrations (when the first 10% of the whales passed a site), the median (50%) and end (when 90% of the whales passed). At Granite Canyon, there were no significant trends in these dates prior to 1980 or in dates following the shift. In mid-February (median = 15 February, CI = 1.9, at Point Vicente), few gray whales are still going south and some are already migrating north. Most of the migration (the period between the 10% and 90% sighting dates) occurs across a period of 34 days (CI = 2.0), but the entire southbound migration may take > 70 days to pass a location in any given year. It takes a whale approximately 54 days to migrate from the north central Bering Sea to the lagoons in Baja California (8,000km), but some whales may travel as far as 10,000km. Based on available observations and calculations using a travel rate of 147km/day, current median (peak) sighting dates of the southbound migration should be: 1 December in the north central Bering Sea (here considered the theoretical starting point for the migration); 12 December at Unimak Pass, Alaska; 18 December for Kodiak Island, Alaska; 5 January for Washington State; 7 January for Oregon; 15 January for central California; 18 January in southern California; and 24 January at the northern lagoons in Baja California (considered here to be the terminus of the migration). Although no observations were made at Granite Canyon in 1998/99, sightings made at Yaquina Head, Oregon (median sighting date = 7 January) and at Point Vicente (median = 20 January) indicate that the timing of that migration was consistent with previous years.

“It Was Not a Whale, but a Strange Monster”

<h3>Abstract</h3> In the mid-18th century, Qikertarmiut spotted “a giant whale” offshore Qikertaq [Kodiak Island]. Upon closer examination, however, they realized this creature held a Russian fur expedition. Over the next few months, Russians and Qikertarmiut fought, survived, and traded, which Elder Arsenti Aminak recounted to Henrik Holmberg in 1851. His testimony detailed important events from these first interactions but also involved knowledges concerning Qikertarmiut seasonal relations and storytelling practices. The <i>kiak</i> [summer] season influenced Qikertarmiut to view the arriving Russians through oceanic perspectives. In <i>uksuaq</i> [autumn], violence, either to remove intruders from beaches or to facilitate easier sea-mammal-fur extractions, shaped relations. During <i>uksuq</i> [winter], Russian ignorance of surviving on Qikertaq led to deaths and thefts from Qikertarmiut villages. By <i>ugnerkaq</i> [spring], Qikertarmiut engaged in trade with the Russians before the latter departed the island. Aminak’s remembrances displayed a relational Qikertarmiut social world not often discussed, which exceeded and persisted through Russian colonialism.

Survey for Selected Parasites in Alaska Brown Bears (Ursus arctos).

To assess infection with or exposure to endo- and ectoparasites in Alaska brown bears (Ursus arctos), blood and fecal samples were collected during 2013-17 from five locations: Gates of the Arctic National Park and Preserve; Katmai National Park; Lake Clark National Park and Preserve; Yakutat Forelands; and Kodiak Island. Standard fecal centrifugal flotation was used to screen for gastrointestinal parasites, molecular techniques were used to test blood for the presence of Bartonella and Babesia spp., and an ELISA was used to detect antibodies reactive to Sarcoptes scabiei, a species of mite recently associated with mange in American black bears (Ursus americanus). From fecal flotations (n=160), we identified the following helminth eggs: Uncinaria sp. (n=16, 10.0%), Baylisascaris sp. (n=5, 3.1%), Dibothriocephalus sp. (n=2, 1.2%), and taeniid-type eggs (n=1, 0.6%). Molecular screening for intraerythrocytic parasites (Babesia spp.) and intracellular bacteria (Bartonella spp.) was negative for all bears tested. We detected antibodies to S. scabiei in six of 59 (10.2%) individuals. The relatively low level of parasite detection in this study meets expectations for brown bear populations living in large, relatively undisturbed habitats near the northern edge of the range. These results provide a contemporary understanding of parasites in Alaska brown bears and establish baseline levels of parasite presence to monitor for changes over time and relative to ecologic alterations.

Enhanced Regional Earthquake Catalog with Alaska Amphibious Community Seismic Experiment Data

Abstract The Alaska Amphibious Community Seismic Experiment (AACSE) comprised 75 ocean-bottom seismometers and 30 land stations and covered about 650 km along the segment of the subduction zone that includes Kodiak Island, the Alaska Peninsula and the Shumagin Islands between May 2018 and September 2019. This unprecedented onshore-offshore dataset provided an opportunity to compile a greatly enhanced earthquake catalog for the region by both increasing the number of detected earthquakes and improving the accuracy of their source parameters. We use all available regional and AACSE campaign seismic data to compile an earthquake catalog for the region between Kodiak and the Shumagin Islands including the Alaska Peninsula (51° N–59° N, 148° W–163° W). We apply the same processing and reporting standards to additional picks and events as the Alaska Earthquake Center currently uses for compilation of the authoritative regional earthquake catalog. Over 7200 events (both newly detected and previously reported) have been processed with AACSE data. We added about 30% more events, 60% more phase picks, lowered the magnitude of completeness by about 0.2 on average across the region, and improved location errors. All data have been published in public data archives. In addition, we test the machine-learning earthquake detection and picking algorithm EarthquakeTransformer (EQT) on the AACSE seismic dataset, comparing EQT-determined P and S picks with the new catalog. EQT is entirely trained on land data, whereas AACSE is amphibious. Overall, EQT finds 59% of P and 63% of S arrivals in the catalog within 300 km epicentral distance. The percent of catalog picks detected by EQT varies inversely with earthquake epicentral distance, and EQT performs particularly poorly on data from earthquakes recorded by instruments in the outer rise.

Genetic Diversity and Structure of a Diverse Population of Picea sitchensis Using Genotyping-by-Sequencing

Picea sitchensis, Sitka spruce, is of interest to forestry as both a conservation species and a highly productive crop. Its native range stretches from Alaska to California, and it is hence distributed across a large environmental cline with areas of local adaptation. The IUFRO collection, established in 1968–1970, consists of 81 provenances of commercial and scientific interest spanning this native range. We used genotyping-by-sequencing on 1177 genotypes, originating from 80 of the IUFRO provenances which occupy 19 geographic regions of the Pacific Northwest, resulting in an SNP database of 36,567 markers. We detected low levels of genetic differentiation across this broad environmental cline, in agreement with other studies. However, we discovered island effects on geographically distant populations, such as those on Haida Gwaii and Kodiak Island. Using glaciation data, alongside this database, we see apparent post-glacial recolonization of the mainland from islands and the south of the range. Genotyping the IUFRO population expands upon the use of the collection in three ways: (i) providing information to breeders on genetic diversity which can be implemented into breeding programs, optimizing genetic gain for important traits; (ii) serving a scientific resource for studying spruce species; and (iii) utilizing provenances in breeding programs which are more tolerant to climate change.

Subduction Zone Interface Structure Within the Southern MW9.2 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake Asperity: Constraints From Receiver Functions Across a Spatially Dense Node Array

AbstractWe conduct a high‐resolution teleseismic receiver function investigation of the subducting plate interface within the Alaskan forearc beneath Kodiak Island using data collected as part of the Alaska Amphibious Community Seismic Experiment in 2019. The Kodiak node array consisted of 398 nodal geophones deployed at ∼200–300 m spacing on northeastern Kodiak Island within the southern asperity of the 1964 Mw9.2 Great Alaska earthquake. Receiver function images at frequencies of 1.2 and 2.4 Hz show a coherent, slightly dipping velocity increase at ∼30–40 km depth consistent with the expected slab Moho. In contrast to studies within the northern asperity of the 1964 rupture, we find no evidence for a prominent low‐velocity layer above the slab Moho thick enough to be resolved by upgoing P‐to‐S conversions. These results support evidence from seismicity and geodetic strain suggesting that the 1964 rupture connected northern (Kenai) and southern (Kodiak) asperities with different plate interface properties.

Upper-plate structure and tsunamigenic faults near the Kodiak Islands, Alaska, USA

AbstractThe Kodiak Islands lie near the southern terminus of the 1964 Great Alaska earthquake rupture area and within the Kodiak subduction zone segment. Both local and trans-Pacific tsunamis were generated during this devastating megathrust event, but the local tsunami source region and the causative faults are poorly understood. We provide an updated view of the tsunami and earthquake hazard for the Kodiak Islands region through tsunami modeling and geophysical data analysis. Using seismic and bathymetric data, we characterize a regionally extensive seafloor lineament related to the Kodiak shelf fault zone, with focused uplift along a 50-km-long portion of the newly named Ugak fault as the most likely source of the local Kodiak Islands tsunami in 1964. We present evidence of Holocene motion along the Albatross Banks fault zone, but we suggest that this fault did not produce a tsunami in 1964. We relate major structural boundaries to active forearc splay faults, where tectonic uplift is collocated with gravity lineations. Differences in interseismic locking, seismicity rates, and potential field signatures argue for different stress conditions at depth near presumed segment boundaries. We find that the Kodiak segment boundaries have a clear geophysical expression and are linked to upper-plate structure and splay faulting. The tsunamigenic fault hazard is higher for the Kodiak shelf fault zone when compared to the nearby Albatross Banks fault zone, suggesting short wave travel paths and little tsunami warning time for nearby communities.

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) attend both Mexico and Hawaii breeding grounds in the same winter: mixing in the northeast Pacific.

Humpback whales that assemble on winter breeding grounds in Mexico and Hawaii have been presumed to be, at least, seasonally isolated. Recently, these assemblies were declared Distinct Population Segments under the US Endangered Species Act. We report two humpback whales attending both breeding grounds in the same season—one moving from Hawaii to Mexico and the other from Mexico to Hawaii. The first was photo-identified in Maui, Hawaii on 23 February 2006 and again, after 53 days and 4545 km, on 17 April 2006 in the Revillagigedo Archipelago, Mexico. The second was photo-identified off Guerrero, Mexico on 16 February 2018 and again, 49 days and 5944 km later, on 6 April 2018 off Maui. The 2006 whale was identified in summer off Kodiak Island, Alaska; the 2018 whale off British Columbia. These Mexico–Hawaii identifications provide definitive evidence that whales in these two winter assemblies may mix during one winter season. This, combined with other lines of evidence on Mexico–Hawaii mixing, including interchange of individuals year to year, long-term similarity of everchanging songs, one earlier same-season travel record, and detection of humpback whales mid-ocean between these locations in winter, suggests reassessment of the ‘distinctiveness' of these populations may be warranted.

Black eye syndrome and a systemic rickettsia-like organism in Alaskan Chionoecetes spp. crabs, including normal eyestalk microanatomy.

A black eye syndrome (BES) was discovered in both captive and wild populations of Alaskan snow crabs Chionoecetes opilio and Tanner crabs C. bairdi. Field prevalences ranged from 0.37% (n = 594/161295) to 19.6% (n = 62/316) in snow crabs from the eastern Bering Sea and from 0.09% (n = 15/16638) to 0.7% (n = 133/18473) in Tanner crabs from the same trawl samples, with a slightly greater percentage (1.4%, n = 57/3945) in Tanner crabs from the Aleutian and Kodiak islands fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska. BES is not associated with crab mortality and has 2 distinct manifestations: abnormal black foci of internal eye pigment with no discernible histological lesions, which, in many cases, is followed by corneal shell disease with ulceration and distal eyestalk erosion. It is assumed for this study that these are early and late stages of BES that are somehow related. Our results suggest that early stages of abnormal pigmentation are noninfectious, possibly related to changing ocean conditions affecting crab endocrinology and neuropeptide control of secondary eye pigment. Potential light-induced photoreceptor damage of harvested crabs with dark-adapted eyes is another anthropogenic factor possibly contributing to the early changes in eye pigmentation. Normal eyestalk microanatomy specific for Chionoecetes spp. is provided as necessary baseline information for future studies. Early in the study, an unreported rickettsia-like organism (RLO) was discovered infecting dissected black eyestalks submitted for examination from 5 of 6 dead snow crabs, suggesting association with BES. Subsequent samples indicated the RLO was systemic, infected both black and normal-appearing eyestalks, and was unrelated to BES. However, the multiorgan infection and histopathology indicated the RLO could be a primary pathogen of snow crabs.

Paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins in butter clams (Saxidomus gigantea) from the Kodiak Archipelago, Alaska.

Consumption of toxic butter clams (Saxidomus gigantea) is the most frequent cause of paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP) in Alaskan coastal communities. This study examines seasonal variation in total paralytic shellfish toxin concentrations and congener distribution in tissues of butter clams collected in three communities in the Kodiak Islands, Alaska: the City of Kodiak, Ouzinkie and Old Harbor. In response to questions from local harvesters, the efficacy of removing particular clam tissues on total toxin levels was also assessed. Butter clam samples were collected ∼monthly during 2015–2020 in each community to monitor shellfish toxin levels. Results were combined with clam monitoring data collected previously (2013–2015) to document the seasonal distribution of saxitoxin (STX) and its congeners (neosaxitoxin, gonyautoxin) in clam tissues. Seasonally, paralytic shellfish toxin levels in butter clams were highest in summer, declined in winter, but often remained above regulatory limits throughout the year in the three Kodiak communities. Butter clams collected from Ouzinkie (2013–2020) averaged 165 ± 87 µg STX equivalents (Eq.) 100 g − 1, compared to Kodiak 73 ± 54 µg STX Eq. 100 g − 1 and Old Harbor 143 ± 103 µg STX Eq. 100 g − 1. STX accounted for 59–71% of the total toxin concentration in clams at Ouzinkie, Kodiak, and Old Harbor, while neosaxitoxin (neoSTX) accounted for 12–18%. Gonyautoxins (GTXs) represented 31–60% of the total toxin concentration during the seasonal Alexandrium catenella bloom in June-July, with lower percentages in other months. The fraction of total toxin varied among clam tissues: the siphon tip (2–29%), the neck (3–56%), the gut (3–65%) and the body (6–85%). Removal of the siphon tip reduced total toxin content substantially in some samples but had little effect in others. Saxitoxin congeners varied greatly and somewhat unpredictably among clam tissues, and the results indicate removal of specific tissues was not an effective strategy for reducing paralytic shellfish toxin levels in butter clams for safe consumption.

Alutiiq Fish Skin Traditions: Connecting Communities in the COVID-19 Era

The Alutiiq, Indigenous inhabitants of the coastal regions of Southwest Alaska, created garments made from fish skins, especially salmon, expertly sewn by women from Kodiak Island. Traditionally, Alutiiq education focused on acquiring survival skills: how to navigate the seas in all weathers, hunting, fishing and tanning animal skins. Today, many Alutiiq people continue to provide for their families through subsistence fishing, honouring the ocean and navigating difficult times by listening to their collective wisdom. This paper describes the series of fish skin tanning workshops taught by June Pardue, an Alutiiq and Inupiaq artist from Kodiak Island that connected participants in Alaska Native communities during the COVID-19 isolation months. Through an online platform, June passed on expert knowledge of the endangered Arctic fish skin craft, assisting participants in coping with the pandemic crisis by tapping into their knowledge of the natural world, cultural resourcefulness, storytelling abilities and creative skills. Brought into the digital age, the fish skin workshops strengthened connections among Alutiiq and Alaskan craftspeople while establishing new connections with an expanded network of fashion designers, museum curators, conservators and tanners. Finally, the paper highlights how fish skin Indigenous practices address the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) regarding poverty, health and well-being, gender equality, clean water and sanitation, decent work and economic growth, social inequality, responsible consumption and production, climate change and maritime issues.

P‐ and S‐Wave Velocities of Exhumed Metasediments From the Alaskan Subduction Zone: Implications for the In Situ Conditions Along the Megathrust

AbstractThe in situ state and properties of sediments entrained along subduction megathrusts exert key controls on their mechanics and slip behavior. Low seismic velocity and high Vp/Vs are hypothesized to indicate highly elevated fluid pressure, and are invoked as conditions in the source areas of slow earthquakes and tremor. We report on Vp and Vs measurements for exhumed metasediments from Kodiak Island, AK, representative of materials along the modern megathrust. Our data reveal anisotropy of ∼8–28% in Vp and ∼6.5–8% in Vs at effective stresses ranging from ∼1 to 90 MPa, with lower wavespeeds perpendicular to the dominant fabric. The fabric‐normal velocities are sufficiently low to explain observations from regional geophysical surveys and are consistent with rock physics‐based models that incorporate small (&lt;1%) crack porosity. We suggest that low velocity at ∼8–20 km depth along megathrusts may arise simply from the presence of foliated metasediments, without requiring near‐lithostatic fluid pressure.