On the trail with the Glaciology and Glacier Travel Course
Students attending the May Block course Glaciology and Glacier Travel left Anchorage early this morning for Eklutna Lake. Today’s warm sun and clear skies provided spectacular views of the mountains. The thinning ice covering the lake is allowing the deep blue colors to emerge from below. The first night will be spent at the Serenity Falls…
Interactions between Atlantic spotted (Stenella frontalis) and bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) dolphins off Bimini, The Bahamas 2003 –2007
Interactions between Atlantic spotted (Stenella frontalis) and bottlenose (Tursiops truncatus) dolphins off Bimini, The Bahamas 2003 –2007. Published in Aquatic Mammals, Oct. 1, 2011 Kelly Melillo, MSES, 2007 Interspecific interactions have been observed in a variety of social animals. Functional explanations include foraging, antipredatory and social advantages. These behaviors are little understood in marine mammals…
Breeding bird density and habitat selection across western Kenai Peninsula wetlands, Alaska
Breeding bird density and habitat selection across western Kenai Peninsula wetlands, Alaska Erika McDonald, MSES, 2008 Distance sampling was used to survey breeding birds on the Kenai Peninsula between May 7and June 29, 2007. Twelve wetlands within each of five ecosystem types designated by The Wetland Mapping and Classification of the Kenai Lowland (Gracz et…
CO2 exchange along a hydrologic gradient in the Kenai Lowlands, AK: feedback implications of wetland drying and vegetation succession
CO2 exchange along a hydrologic gradient in the Kenai Lowlands, AK: feedback implications of wetland drying and vegetation succession, Published in Ecohydrology, Dec. 13, 2011 Susan L. Ives, MSES, 2010 Boreal wetlands hold vast stocks of soil carbon (C), which may be vulnerable to changes in climate. In Southcentral Alaska, wetlands of the Kenai Lowlands…
Effects of environmental variables on Giant Pacific octopuses
In review at Journal of experimental marine biology and ecology Lauren Bisson, MSES, 2011 We attached sonic transmitters to, and tracked, 40 giant Pacific octopuses (Enteroctopus dofleini) ranging in size from less than 2 pounds 42 pounds in Southcentral Alaska using near-continuous tracking by fixed-array receivers and intermittent tracking with a mobile receiver. We documented…
Assessing dispersed campsites and exploring campers’ perceptions in western Prince William Sound, Alaska
Maryann Smith, MSES, 2010 Results of this U.S. Forest Service-sponsored research are intended to provide information to resource managers seeking to limit the cost to wilderness character related to campsite hardening caused by trampling in areas not designated for camping. Campers’ perceptions of hardened sites were explored in open-ended, on-site interviews of backcountry users in…
Characterizing Eklutna Glacier’s Response to Climate Through Measurements of Mass Balance, Geometry, and Motion
Submitted to Journal of Glaciology Louis Sass, MSES, 2011 This work examined enhanced thinning in and near the accumulation zone on the main branch of Eklutna Glacier, Alaska. Measurements of surface mass balance and surface elevation document enhanced thinning and implications for stability in the present climate. Radar and GPS surveys were used to characterize…
Survival rate of fecal coliforms in a glacial environment: Implications for human waste management on Mount McKinley, Alaska
In review at Arctic Antarctic and Alpine Research Katie Goodwin, MSES, 2011 Short- and longterm effects of crevassing human waste in a glacial environment are poorly understood despite their implications for human health and water quality. Using field observations and lab experiments, this thesis investigated the microbiological fate of human feces deposited in a variety…
Glacier science gets a thumbs-up from users of social media
Alaska Pacific University took part in a National Park Service experiment aimed at using social media to field questions about glaciers submitted by Facebook and Twitter. Representing APU was Earth Science Associate Professor Michael Loso, who publishes frequently in peer-reviewed publications devoted to glaciology, alpine research and climate change, among other topics. Loso was part…
APU’s Loso receives NSF funding for collaborative research on Arctic climate change
Alaska Pacific University is among a 10-university consortium contributing new high-resolution proxy climate records of the past 8,000 years as part of the Arctic System Science Program. Earth Science Associate Professor Michael Loso said Arctic system changes that occurred in the relatively recent past may be compared with results of contemporary climate models. Funded by…
