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A strong parade of storms has been making its way through the North Central Pacific Ocean, and the location of the jet stream has produced colder storms for Unalaska and the Aleutian region this year. That’s according to Rick Thoman, a climate specialist at the International Arctic Research Center with the University of Alaska Fairbanks.
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On April 1, a young humpback whale was found tied up in a probable fishing line and anchored down in a busy area in Iliuliuk Bay. Four days later, a group of whale entanglement experts carefully cut the line wrapped around the humpback's mouth and tail.
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A volcano on Unimak Island in the Eastern Aleutians is on watch for an eruption — Shishaldin is spewing lava at its summit, but the real threat is if it starts to emit ash.
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McLees Lake has reached its salmon escapement goal, which means subsistence fishing regulations in Reese Bay will be lifted.More than 10,700 sockeye salmon passed through the McLees Lake weir as of Sunday, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
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Unalaska is preparing to start monitoring for European Green Crab. That's after the invasive species was first found in Alaska last July. The crab could cause a big problem. They destroy habitat and outcompete native species.
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The United States military left many contaminated areas around Unalaska when they pulled out after World War II, like oil tanks and chemicals that polluted streams and soils. Now, the Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska is teaming up with scientists from universities in Arizona, Nevada and Alaska to address the contamination.
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The Okeanos Explorer docked in Unalaska last month, after finishing its first of six expeditions, mapping out the deep seafloor around the Aleutian Islands and discovering three gas seeps. According to NOAA, the discovery is crucial because these gas seeps can create unique surrounding habitats and provide potential sources of alternative energy and biopharmaceuticals.
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The Aleutian tern is now the subject of a multiyear population study, organized by the Pacific Seabird Group's Aleutian Tern Technical Committee. Anecdotal evidence and limited data strongly suggest the terns’ population has decreased substantially over the last few decades, and there simply isn’t enough research to determine whether they need protected status or not.
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The Qawalangin Tribe of Unalaska will be holding a series of classes Monday on environmental monitoring at old U.S. defense sites. According to the Tribe, these sites from World War II have persistent organic pollutants (POPs), which are harmful if consumed at high levels.
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Unalaska is over a week into its annual community cleanup event, and dozens of volunteers have already removed over 400 bags of trash from local beaches and roads. Harmony Wayner grew up between Unalaska and the Bristol Bay region, and now works with Alaska Sea Grant, a conservation and research organization focused on protecting Alaska oceans. She traveled to Unalaska to participate in the cleanup as part of her work addressing ocean pollution.
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Ash could "easily move further across the Aleutians towards Dutch Harbor. It could affect, maybe, Southeast Alaska. We’ll just have to see. It’s still putting out ash," said Hans Schwaiger, a research geophysicist with the Alaska Volcano Observatory.
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Surveyors with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game are knocking on doors in Unalaska this week and asking questions about salmon.