Yereth Rosen, Alaska Beacon
Southeast Alaska’s porpoises have separate populations, and 1 may be vulnerable
The breakdown of Southeast Alaska’s porpoises into northern and southern populations contrasts with current management, which treats them as a single population.
Construction to start on bridge over landslide site in Denali National Park
A contractor has been chosen to address problems at perilous Pretty Rocks, but full access to the park road is not expected until 2025.
Study analyzes moose-vehicle collision risks, with results that could be used to improve road safety
A new study, funded by NASA, analyzes the relationships between moose movements, snowpack and traffic patterns in Alaska and areas of western Canada.
In northernmost Alaska, a battle is on to limit the damages of permafrost thaw
Warming soils beneath Utqiagvik are triggering erosion that threatens homes, infrastructure and cultural resources.
Climate change seen as suspected factor in Western Arctic Caribou Herd decline
Alaska’s Western Arctic Caribou Herd population is lower than at any time in over four decades.
Dramatic decline in teen smoking largely offset by boom in e-cigarette use, state report says
Electronic cigarettes are not taxed by the state. But some legislators have been trying to change that to discourage youth vaping.
COVID-19 pushed Alaska’s death rate higher and life expectancy lower in 2021
The report documented noticeable increases in alcohol-related and drug-related fatalities in 2021.
Alaska crab fishery collapse seen as warning about Bering Sea transformation
The loss of snow crab and Bristol Bay red king crab harvests poses immediate hardships and raises worries about future seafood prospects.
Alaska tribes join with Lower 48 allies to seek protections from impacts of Canadian mines
The tribes are seeking protective action under the Boundary Waters Treaty of 1909, the framework for resolving disputes over shared waters.
Syphilis cases in Alaska continue to climb, compounding the state’s STD challenges
Syphilis cases increased dramatically last year in Alaska, which has had some of the nation’s highest rates of sexually transmitted diseases in recent years.
In new bipartisan Alaska Senate majority of 17, members vow compromise and consensus
All nine elected Democrats and eight of the 11 elected Republicans have joined what the incoming Senate President Gary Stevens calls "a very healthy majority."
State, North Slope Borough file lawsuit seeking to remove ringed seals’ threatened listing
The agency’s threatened listing for Alaska’s population of ringed seals was granted in 2012.
Study tracks Arctic animals’ exposure to disease better known in Interior Alaska: tularemia
A wide variety of Arctic animals including polar bears are being exposed to a tick-borne pathogen normally associated with rabbits and hares, a newly published study said.
Dead bowheads in Beaufort and Chukchi point to increased killer whale presence in Arctic
There are new signs that killer whales, which are swimming farther north and spending more of the year in Arctic waters, are increasingly preying on Alaska’s bowhead whales.
Last year’s seabird bycatch toll was lower than average, but so was fishing effort, report says
Bycatch, the incidental catch of untargeted species in commercial fisheries, is not just about salmon or crab. Seabirds are also caught and killed unintentionally in fishing gear.
Western Arctic Caribou Herd decline continues, bringing population to a third of peak size
One of the world’s biggest caribou herds is continuing a long-term population slide, according to new numbers released by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Monitors headed to certain Alaska polling sites to ensure compliance with federal laws
The U.S. Department of Justice will have monitors on duty at polling places in four Alaska areas to help ensure compliance with various federal laws protecting voters.
Ranked choice voting likely to be important in North Anchorage House race
In a district holding Government Hill, JBER and part of Muldoon — and known for low voter turnout — two Democrats are challenging a Republican incumbent.
Election in West Anchorage could be key to control of Alaska state Senate
Two veteran lawmakers running against each other have much in common but one big difference: their views on the value of bipartisanship.
Angst over youth outmigration emerges in Alaska campaign rhetoric and debates
University funding, career prospects and lifestyle amenities are factors cited as important to young Alaskans pondering their futures.