Sea ice observations
Read about our latest work in the new Winter 2021 AAOKH Newsletter!
The latest AAOKH News is headed to mailbox holders in AAOKH communities – read it here first!
The Winter 2021 newsletter highlights:
- key observations over the past summer and fall, including evidence of killer whales in the Beaufort Sea
- recent weather and climate patterns
- perspectives from Billy Adams in Utqiagvik, in the Observer’s Corner section
- student updates, including opportunities to participate in a survey about changes in fish that supports Elizabeth Mik’aq Lindley’s student research
- updates on monitoring at spotted seal haulouts, trail mapping of Utqiagvik spring whaling trails, and AAOKH’s support of a new project led by the Native
Check out the latest AAOKH Newsletter!
The latest AAOKH News is headed to mailbox holders in AAOKH communities – read it here first!
Learn more about:
- key observations over the past winter and spring
- participate in a survey about fish in your community to help Mik’aq Lindley’s graduate research about how fish are changing in northern coastal Alaska
- see a summary of recent weather and climate patterns
- check out a new tool to summarize observations
- hear more from Carla SimsKayotuk in Kaktovik in our Observer’s Corner
- hear the latest updates from our students (including big congrats to Kimberly Kivvaq Pikok!!)
- join the discussion about AAOKH’s future
We’re hiring! New Post Doctoral Position!
The Alaska Arctic Observatory and Knowledge Hub (AAOKH) at the International Arctic Research Center and University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) seeks a Post Doctoral Fellow interested in applied transdisciplinary data science. We are searching for early career researchers interested in collaborative approaches to improve the relevance and usefulness of community-based environmental observations across coastal Arctic Alaska. AAOKH is a sustained and year-round community-based monitoring network established in 2016, following on a predecessor program called the Seasonal Ice Zone Observing Network that was founded in 2007. A foundational goal is to develop partnerships with residents of Arctic Alaska to facilitate knowledge Read full story
Congrats to Roberta, Mik’, and Kim on recent student presentations!!
One of our goals at AAOKH is to create STEM opportunities for research and engagement for Alaska Native students, and our current AAOKH-affiliated students certainly make us proud! Check out these recent student-led scientific presentations.
Check out a copy of Roberta Turraaq Glenn’s recent presentation at Arctic Science Summit Week, where she was also a convener on a special session called ‘Use and Usability of Data and Information within Arctic Community-Driven Research.’ Kudos Roberta, and quyanaqpak for sharing your research!!
Roberta, Elizabeth Mik’aq Lindley, and Kimberly Kivvaq Pikok also co-created a poster about their AAOKH Read full story
Learn more about AAOKH via the virtual 2021 Alaska Marine Science Symposium
The virtual Alaska Marine Science Symposium is happening online this week. Each day features panel discussions and keynote events broadcast live at their conference site and over social media, including facebook live.
Thursday’s focus is the Arctic region. Panel discussions on each day include Indigenous perspectives from the region or representation from Indigenous-led organizations. AAOKH is sharing two presentations at the conference: an overview pre-recorded presentation about our project and a poster summarizing the long-term whaling trail mapping near Utqiaġvik.
Full panel Read full story
“Global warming is happening. It is affecting different villages in different ways” – Tikiġaq observer Guy Omnik shares his perspective with Native America Calling
“Global warming is happening. It is affecting different villages in different ways”
“Our ice takes longer to form… [and] disappears faster…ice is not as thick…[these changes] impact our whaling, our hunting…more animal migrations are coming earlier and earlier.”
“I also collect observation data [with AAOKH]…this is an important tool we can use for the future.”
Taikuu Guy Omnik (AAOKH Observer from Tikiġaq/Point Hope) for sharing these and other on-the-ground observations and perspectives on Alaska’s changing environment on yesterday’s Native America Calling radio show, along with other guests Vera Metcalf from the Eskimo Walrus Commission and Walt Meier from the National Read full story
Slideshow of up-to-date Utqiaġvik area observations, satellite images, and trails
We are working hard to keep Utqiaġvik satellite imagery updated at this slideshow website. We will post the latest AAOKH observations, MODIS and SAR imagery as well as comparisons of ice cover to previous years. Trails are being mapped, and will be added – note trails may change or be incomplete as the season changes.
We’re sending our best for a safe and successful whaling season! Read full story
AAOKH contributes article to ARCUS Witness Community Highlights
Alaska Arctic communities are the “first responders” to experience and detect changes in the environment given their deep connections to place and integral reliance on traditional resources. Here’s how we are working together to track changes: a story we provided to ARCUS for the Witness Community Highlights series.
Quyanaqpak and Taikuu to our authors: Donna D.W. Hauser (UAF); Joshua Jones (UAF); Robert (Bobby) Puya Schaeffer, AAOKH Observer, Kotzebue, Alaska; Billy Adams, AAOKH Observer, Utqiaġvik, Alaska; Matthew L. Druckenmiller (University of Colorado Boulder); Roberta Tuurraq Glenn (graduate student in Geography at UAF); Elena Bautista Sparrow (UAF); and Hajo Eicken (UAF). Read full story
Latest AAOKH newsletter out now!
We are excited to share our latest newsletter! This Spring 2020 edition features key observations and shares first hand experiences from AAOKH observers about how this winter compared to past winters. Don’t miss the new visualization of AAOKH activities to see how all the pieces fit together to better understand the changing seasonal cycle in the Arctic and impacts to the Indigenous way of life.
This newsletter also addresses how coronavirus may impact AAOKH activities and introduces a new AAOKH project testing various camera systems to study ice seals.
The newsletter will soon be arriving in mailboxes in AAOKH communities, Read full story
AAOKH presentation at the Alaska Forum on the Environment
We were thrilled to have a full room at our Alaska Forum on the Environment 2020 presentation! A copy of our presentation can be downloaded here (sorry the videos and animations don’t play in this version – contact us for copies).
It was a pleasure and privilege to share observations and information about AAOKH. Taikuu and quyanaqpak!! Graduate student Roberta Glenn made the room stop with her Iñupiaq introduction and then told us about her upcoming coastal erosion monitoring research, Kotzebue Observer Bobby Schaeffer made clear the “unheard of” ice and ocean conditions in his region during 2019, UAF climatologist Read full story