Map of the study area in Yakutat showing colored dots of the sample sites.
NPS
Monitoring airborne, freshwater, and marine contaminants in coastal Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve
Craig Murdoch, National Park Service, Southeast Alaska Inventory and Monitoring Network, 2024
Southeast Alaska's coastal ecosystems are some of the most pristine in the world. Nonetheless, small increases in pollution can have significant impacts. A large pollution event could be catastrophic to marine and terrestrial ecosystems. Contamination vectors include exposure to airborne pollutants, drifting marine debris, emissions of combustion products, oil spills, runoff, and glacier melt containing legacy contaminants. Organic and inorganic pollutants can pose ecological and human health risks. Potential effects of pollutants include loss of habitat biodiversity and quality, biomagnification, and impacts to human and ecological health.
The Southeast Alaska Inventory and Monitoring Network (SEAN) program maintains long-term surveillance for environmental contaminants in four coastal parks in southeastern Alaska (Sergeant et al. 2018; Environmental Contaminants (nps.gov). The objectives of this monitoring program are to track status and trends of contaminant and provide a regularly updated reference data set. High priority marine, freshwater, and airborne contaminants will be sampled using bay mussels, juvenile Dolly Varden, and arboreal lichens. These species have demonstrated value as sentinels for contaminants surveillance. Beginning in 2024, new monitoring sites will be in sampled in coastal Wrangell-St.Elias National Park in Disenchantment and Yakutat Bays in collaboration with the Yakutat Tlingit Tribe and NOAA Mussel Watch.
Intertidal bay mussels (Mytilus trossulus) will be sampled in in five locations in Disenchantment and Icy Bays in the coastal WRST area. The selected sampling sites include areas of high vessel activity and human use, as well as remote bays, exposed coastlines, and areas that are glacially influenced. Samples will be assessed for heavy metals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), and persistent organic pollutants (POPs) (Rider et al. 2020; A Synthesis of Ten Years of Chemical Contaminant Monitoring Data in National Park Service - Southeast and Southwest Alaska Networks (noaa.gov). These sites will provide critical baseline contaminant information for the nearshore waters in coastal WRST and will also be included as part of the NOAA Mussel Watch program Mussel Watch - NCCOS Coastal Science Website (noaa.gov), which monitors the spatial and temporal trends in chemical contaminants and biological stressors in the coastal waters of the US.
Juvenile Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) will be collected from three sites using minnow traps. Analysis of mercury, a high priority freshwater contaminant, will be conducted by USGS. A range of suitable habitats will be sampled at each location.
Arboreal lichen (Hypogymnia enteromorpha, H. inactiva, and Platismatia glauca) tissue will be collected to quantify levels of nitrogen and sulfur. The four selected sites represent a range of geographic features and human uses in Disenchantment and Yakutat Bays in the coastal WRST area. Sampling locations in Disenchantment and Yakutat Bay include sampling sites along a glacial gradient in the up- and downwind of the main glacier viewing area.
Map of the study area showing Tanada and Copper Lakes
Pete Rand, PWSSC
Investigating factors affecting inriver migratory success of Copper River sockeye salmon (2024 - 2025)
Dr. Pete Rand (https://pwssc.org/about/pete-s-rand-phd/)
Prince William Sound Science Center (PWSSC; https://pwssc.org/)
Our goal is to explain anomalous changes in escapement of sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Copper River, Alaska. We will examine fitness-related traits specific to each study population in the watershed, and how biotic and abiotic factors affect their ability to migrate and reproduce. Our primary hypothesis is that reduced size and condition of returning Copper River sockeye increases enroute mortality leading to widening discrepancies between lower and upper river escapement counts and compromised reproductive performance. Understanding these processes is of value to fishery managers as the information generated by this project can inform the adjustment of fishing pressure that occurs at the mouth of the Copper River to achieve escapement goals expressed in terms of both quantity and quality, particularly during unusual events such as that experienced in 2018 (low return) and 2019 (heatwave and high flows).
This research is focused on characterizing the fates of radio-tagged, adult sockeye salmon and describing the condition of juvenile and adult sockeye salmon in the Copper River. In the Tanada and Copper Lake systems we intend to sample during a one week period in August of 2024 and 2025. In each of the two years, 1000 adult sockeye will be captured and tagged in the lower river. PWSSC staff will be surveying lake and stream habitat (near or at spawning grounds) to locate and sample tagged fish in both years of the study.
Map of the fire monitoring study area
Nicklen
A comparison of post-fire ecological changes between once-and twice-burned areas in Wrangell-St. Elias.
E. Fleur Nicklen, Alaska Eastern Area Fire Management, National Park Service, 2024
The 2009 Chakina Fire burned ~ 56,000 acres, including spruce bark beetle plots installed in the late 1990s. In 2010 NPS Fire ecologists re-sampled the plots and established additional monitoring plots. Just seven years later, a third of this area reburned in the 2016 Steamboat Fire. The next summer, NPS fire ecologists again re-sampled of the original plots and the 2010 plots. The region including the study area has a longer fire-return interval than is typical for most of Interior Alaska, 150-200 years compared with 60-150 years, respectively. Thus, not only does this area provide a unique view into the ecological effects of shortened reburning intervals in an area known for low fire frequency, but it has a rich history of monitoring upon which we can build.
We plan to revisit this study area in summer 2024 with the goal of comparing post-fire ecological changes in areas that burned once with changes in areas that burned twice in short succession in a region known for long fire return intervals. We will add a new component to this ongoing research by sampling soil fungal communities.
We will do this by remeasuring once- and twice-burned plots. Unburned plots will serve as controls. Control plots were sampled in 2021 as part of the Central Alaska Network Vegetation Monitoring Program and do not need to be remeasured at this time save for soil fungal sampling. At each plot we will measure vascular and nonvascular plant cover, tree density, basal area, and tree seedling density, active layer depth, and organic mat depth. We will collect soil to quantify soil properties and fungal communities. The plots are circular and 16m in diameter except the spruce beetle plots are 30-m x 2-m. We will base out of May Creek cabin and use the EAFM helicopter each day to access our plots between July 8-19, 2024.
For more info contact Mark Miller, Park Research Coordinator, Mark_e_miller@nps.gov
Study area map within Wrangell-St Elias NP of microbial research.
USGS
Development, optimization, and application of analytic tools for assessing the dissemination of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) via surface waters on public lands.
Laura Scott, USGS, 2024
In this project, we aim to develop and optimize genomic tools for the assessment of the abundance and dissemination of antimicrobial resistance genes in surface waters on Department of the Interior managed public lands. Antimicrobial resistance genes and other microbial source trackers can be used as indicators of fecal contamination by humans and other vertebrate taxa. Additionally, individual antimicrobial resistance genes have been correlated with various anthropogenic inputs, including heavy metals or fecal contamination. Application of these tools will include evaluation of various anthropogenic influences contributing to detection of antimicrobial resistance and assessment of potential human and animal health risks. Work proposed for the 2024 season builds upon a 2023 pilot study conducted in partnership with Wrangell-St. Elias staff (PEPC Project ID 117405). Work in in Wrangell-St. Elias is part of a larger ecological study of various national parks (see attached study plan). The primary goal of this work is to determine the burden of antimicrobial resistance genes at national parks of varying visitation and across multiple years.
Each sample will consist of 100 liters of water filtered in duplicate. Water will be filtered across hollow fiber ultrafilters with a battery powered peristaltic pump. Filtered water will be returned to the body of water immediately after filtration. Maximum noise generation by the motorized peristaltic pump is 60 dBA, which is likely to be inaudible to any nearby visitors due to other noise / sound sources.
More information: Mark Miller, Park Research Coordinator, Mark_e_miller@nps.gov
Study area map of the stream hydrology research on the Copper River, Tanada Creek and Copper Lake.
AITRC
Characterizing stream hydrologic and thermal regimes in the Copper River Basin.
The purpose of this study is to monitor stream temperatures in settings with different hydrologic and thermal regimes to support a larger study that seeks to understand climate-change implications for juvenile salmon body conditions and freshwater prey availability in important salmon-bearing watersheds in southcentral Alaska, including the Copper River Basin. Information from the larger study will improve our understanding of how climate change will affect future salmon productivity in different types of watersheds and thus inform restoration, conservation, and monitoring efforts across the southcentral region. For the Copper River Basin in Wrangell-St. Elias, Tanada Creek and Copper Lake outlet have been identified as high-priority monitoring locations on the basis of their unique hydrologic and thermal characteristics. Data from these Wrangell-St. Elias locations also will used to inform interpretation of salmon escapement estimates collected by NPS at the Tanada Creek weir during a long-term period of years with variable environmental conditions.
Onset V2 stream temperature loggers will be deployed in duplicate at each of three proposed monitoring locations. Loggers will be weighted in rigid housings and attached to the shore using 1/8 or 1/4" coated stainless steel cable. GPS locations will be recorded and photos taken to facilitate consistent relocation of monitoring locations and reinstallation of temperature loggers in future years. Travel to sites for deployment and data retrieval will be by ATV on existing trails between June 1 and September 31 in 2024.
More information: Mark Miller, Park Research Coordinator, Mark_e_miller@nps.gov
Moose with antlers walking in tundra and sample kit for hunters
Moose are a main source of subsistence in the Ahtna Traditional Use Territory. Traditional foods provide nutritional and social benefits; however, Tribal citizens have noticed changes in moose and have become concerned about contamination and adverse health effects of consumption. This project will gather data on heavy metals and other elements inmoose organs to ensure that rural residents and Tribal citizens are not consuming excessive levels of certain metals and other elements. Samples will be collected from hunters who harvest moose and voluntarily provide samples. The study aims to examine the accumulation of heavy metals in moose harvested from the Ahtna Traditional Use Territory by analyzing various organs. The Ahtna Traditional Use Territory includes over 40,000 km2 of Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve (WRST), by extending our sampling into WRST we are able to cover a key area where Tribal citizens and rural residents harvest moose thus increasing our sampling range and size.
We will work with WRST in issuing sample kits to permitted moose hunters who choose to participate in this project and voluntarily provide moose samples for analysis during the 2023 and 2024 hunting seasons. Sample kits will provide hunters with instructions and materials for sampling moose organs, hair, teeth, and other tissues. The sample kits also will provide hunters with a means of recording information such as harvest location, sex, and body condition of the harvested moose. Wildlife technicians will collect these samples in WRST from hunters who voluntarily collect them.
For more information: Mark Miller, Team Lead for Resource Stewardship and Science, Mark_e_miller@nps.gov
ADFG Fishery Biologist with Burbot fish in hand.
Corey Schwanke
Population Assessment of Burbot in Ptarmigan Lake, and Bathymetry of Ptarmigan and Rock Lakes
Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Division of Sport Fish, Corey Schwanke, Fishery Biologist 2023
This study will estimate the abundance of burbot in Ptarmigan Lake, length composition of the burbot population, and catch per unit effort (CPUE) of baited hoop traps set along transects. This will be important for future management of the lake. Burbot are relatively long-lived, slow growing, and slow to mature fish. They are extremely vulnerable to over harvest, especially in small lakes. Although fishing effort is relatively light in the study area, it has been higher in the past and may increase again. Data collected during this study will inform managers of the current population status, and can be used for comparative purposes in the future. Understanding depth profiles in Rock and Ptarmigan Lakes will help estimate sustainability in the absence of population metrics.
This study is the final component of a 5-year agreement between the National Park Service (NPS) and the Office of Subsistence Management (OSM). Two capture events will be used to generate abundance, CPUE, and length composition estimates for burbot in Ptarmigan Lake. Fish sampling will occur over two 7-day periods with the first being from 20-26 June and the second from 22-28 August. Burbot will be captured with baited hoop traps set on the bottom of the lake for 48 hours. Each fish captured will be tagged in the first event, and abundance will be estimated based on the percentage of fish with tags caught during the second event. Depth data at Rock and Ptarmigan Lakes will also be collected with a GPS incorporated depth finder. Each Lake will be surveyed along multiple transects, spaced equidistantly, paralleling the shoreline and decreasing in size until the lake is covered.
For More Information: Mark Miller, Team Lead for Resource Stewardship and Science, Mark_e_miller@nps.gov
Fish Inventory researchers in a stream.
AKDFG
Anadromous Waters Cataloging and Fish Inventories in Subbasins of the Copper and Bering Rivers
Alaska Freshwater Fish Inventory, Alaska Department of Fish & Game, Division of Sport Fish, Nate Cathcart 2023
In Alaska habitats that support migrating, spawning, or rearing anadromous fish are protected under state, federal, and local administrative jurisdictions. Alaska Statute (AS) 16.05.871 (the Anadromous Fish Act) is the keystone statutory protection for freshwater habitats of anadromous fish in Alaska, requiring the ADF&G to "specify the various rivers, lakes, and streams or parts of them" of the state that are important to the spawning, rearing, or migration of anadromous fish in the Anadromous Waters Catalog (AWC) and Atlas. It is important that water bodies used by anadromous fish are listed in the AWC because only listed water bodies are protected from potentially harmful activities. To be listed in the AWC, water bodies require site-specific, direct, unambiguous observations of anadromous fish by a qualified observer. This project will seek to identify waters important to anadromous and freshwater fishes. Crews will be electrofishing or trapping for all fishes in target waterbodies of the Copper River Basin. Helicopters, trucks, and hiking will be used to access sites. The primary field season is August 7-16th, 2023.
More info, contact Mark Miller, Team Lead for Resource Stewardship and Science, Mark_e_miller@nps.gov
Map of fire management area
E. Fleur Nicklen
Moose Lake Allotment Fuel Reduction Project Monitoring
Eastern Area Fire Management, National Park Service,
E. Fleur Nicklen 2023
To reduce the risks associated with wildland fire, the Eastern Area Fire Management (EAFM) in conjunction with Alaska Fire Service is soliciting a contractor to reduce fuels (vegetation) around two Native Allotments that are designated as "full" protections areas in the fire management plans. The shaded fuel breaks created by the vegetation reduction, are scheduled to be installed starting in mid-July 2023. Fuels reduction work is also planned for the allotment just east of the Moose Lake Allotment for the following year. Non-fire fuels treatments are required (under, RM-18 NPS Reference Manual 18 Wildland Fire Management), to have pre- and post-treatment monitoring at a level sufficient to determine whether the objectives of the treatment were met. The EAFM Fire Ecologist and staff intend to install 19 non-permanent pre-treatment plots in the treatment area around the two Allotments (Map). Five of those plots will be just outside of the treatment area and serve as control plots.
The plots will follow the NPS Alaska Fire and Fuels Circular Plot Monitoring Protocol (NPS Alaska Fire and Fuels Circular Plot Monitoring Protocol, V 1.0 ). Plots are 16 m in diameter and will not be permanent installations. Briefly, this protocol allows us to determine stand basal area, tree density, plant species composition and cover, tree seeding recruitment, active layer depth, and organic layer mat thickness. We will install these plots approximately every 250 meters around the allotment in the 50 ft area of planned fuels reduction treatment surrounding the allotments.
More info: Mark Miller, Team Lead for Resource Stewardship and Science, Mark_e_miller@nps.gov
Cryoconite hole in Root Glacier.
Pierce
Cryoconite Holes: Measuring Respiration Rate and Net Community Production on Root Glacier
Evergreen State College, Stephanie Pierce 2023
Cryoconite holes are perhaps one of the most understudied yet important structures of a glacier. Only 13-15% of glacier meltwater originates from these holes, yet studies have found up to 60% of biologically available dissolved organic matter that is formed in these holes is dispersed downstream as these icy niches melt into glacially-fed systems. In some cases, the current melt rate spurred by climate change exposes isolated cryoconite hole pockets that would otherwise persist for several years. Increases in glacial runoff are climatically driven and are expected to greatly impact the export of nutrients to the downstream environment. Models working to understand fluxes in glacial melt and cryoconite production are integral to understanding glacial ecosystems and downstream hydrological systems as a whole. Future research and inclusion into current hydrologic models are essential. As our world's glaciers continue to diminish, we need to better understand not only how downstream flow is affected, but also understand how ecosystems dependent on glacially-derived carbon and nitrogen are impacted.
Respiration and rate of photosynthesis will be measured at 3 random cryoconite holes (CH) within the study site, as well as within 50 m from the glacial terminus. Study site locations will be recorded using ArcGIS Field Data Collector and the pH will be monitored with a portable meter and CH widths and depths will be recorded. Dissolved organic carbon and Particulate organic carbon will be measured. Additionally, water collected from each hole and at the glacier terminus will be evaluated for microbial abundance.
For more info: Mark Miller, Team Lead for Resource Stewardship and Science, Mark_e_miller@nps.gov
Aleutian Tern
N. Catterson/USFS
Aleutian Tern Population Assessment and Conservation Surveys in southcentral Alaska
US Fish & Wildlife Service, Robert Kaler 2023
Aleutian terns breed only in coastal areas in Alaska and eastern Russia. While little is known about Russian population trends, populations at known breeding sites in Alaska have declined dramatically in recent decades. A recent study estimated an 8.1% annual decline since the 1960s. If this estimate is representative of the statewide population, it would be the steepest decline of any seabird species in Alaska. Given the lack of a formal monitoring effort across the range, uncertainties related to census methods, and an inability to assess if birds have dispersed from declining colonies to as-of-yet unknown colonies, the Aleutian tern has been included on several species watch lists. This project is part of a larger on-going effort to gather more information about the population status of the species. A group of agency, non-governmental organizations, and university researchers has been developing a plan to estimate the number of Aleutian terns in Alaska, which will ultimately inform an accurate assessment of the conservation status of the species.
Surveys will use fixed-wing aircraft to cover the large swaths of potential nesting habitat along Alaska's coastlines, surveying by region over the next 3 years (2023-2025). In 2023, the focus of survey efforts will be southeastern Alaska, extending from Cordova to Gustavus. Aleutian terns frequently nest with Arctic terns, and differentiating between the two species from a plane is difficult. As such, biologists will conduct ground-based surveys at tern colonies detected from the air. The biologists will record the total number of terns at each colony, and the proportion that are Aleutian terns. Colonies will be accessed by various means, including boats, fixed-wing aircraft, and helicopters.
For more information, contact Mark Miller, Team Lead for Resource Stewardship and Science, Mark_e_miller@nps.gov
Two Bison standing near a stream.
Heidi Hatcher
Copper River Bison Herd Management Program
Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Glennallen
Heidi Hatcher 2023
These efforts to deploy and maintain GPS satellite collars on bison of the Copper River herd will provide updated seasonal movement and range use data to improve our understanding of this herd's utilization of the landscape. Additionally, these collars will provide real-time herd location data to improve survey and inventory efforts, allowing the Alaska Department of Fish and Game the best chance of success at timing bison census flights to catch the herd when most animals will be in more open and visible areas, thus improving census results. This data is vital to make informed management decisions and ensure responsible harvest strategies for sustained yield of the Copper River bison herd.
Bison will be captured through chemical immobilization via remote delivery darts from helicopters and in some cases from ground darting efforts. Up to 20 cows and 5 bulls will be targeted. Once immobilized, a GPS satellite collar will be fitted to each animal. Biological samples such as blood, feces, and hair will be collected and analyzed for insights into individual health and diet. Reversal agents will be administered and each animal will be observed until it recovers from immobilization and returns to its feet. Data from collared individuals will be transmitted via satellite to inform herd managers of bison locations and movements.
For More Information: Mark Miller, Team Lead for Resource Stewardship and Science, Mark_e_miller@nps.gov
Bison herd aerial view
Clint Cooper
Effects of diet and snow conditions on Alaskan bison herd productivity.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game, University of Alaska Fairbanks,
Clint Cooper 2023
This study aims to increase our understanding of bison populations and their habitats in Alaska. Bison managers desire to grow and expand populations of wild Alaskan bison. Understanding key determinants in bison herd growth, health, and ultimately success, will contribute to bison conservation efforts in the Far North. This study aims to characterize dietary quality and composition in Alaskan bison herds, snow conditions within the range of each herd, and to explore how these nutritional and environmental factors might contribute to differences in herd productivity. This study has the potential to impact bison conservation and management across North America and the world, especially at northern latitudes.
Bison fecal samples will be collected from all herds in late winter and in summer to obtain dietary data. The Copper River and Chitina herds will be accessed via fixed-wing aircraft or helicopter twice annually, and fresh fecal samples will be collected for dietary analysis.
More info: Clint Cooper, (907) 895-7492, clint.cooper@alaska.gov
Copper River in Winter
NPS/Mike Townsend
Fresh Eyes on Ice: Connecting arctic communities through a revitalized and modernized ice observation network.
Water and Environmental Research Center, Institute of Northern Engineering, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Christopher Arp 2023
The Fresh Eyes on Ice network spans the state of Alaska. In Wrangell-St. Elias National Park and Preserve, satellite-linked ice observation equipment will provide near real-time data to the public, scientists, and park managers, available at www.fresheyesonice.org. A camera will record daily images of the Copper River from a bluff near Park Headquarters. A string of thermistors in a remote lake near the Cheshnina River will provide daily information on snow and ice thickness.
Winter is the most rapidly changing season in the Arctic, causing widespread responses in freshwater ice -- an understudied component of the cryosphere. Freshwater ice dynamics (i.e., formation, growth, and melt) not only integrate winter climate conditions, but also impact energy balance, permafrost, hydrology, greenhouse gas emissions, and human travel and subsistence. Long-term observations document dramatic changes in ice thickness and breakup timing in lakes and rivers of northern latitudes. Fresh Eyes on Ice, a new freshwater ice observation network, is revitalizing existing datasets and expanding observations in space and time using modern satellite, aerial, and in situ sensing techniques integrated with community-based monitoring. Together these ice observations provide a valuable and integrated record of winter climate change that is relevant at local, regional, and global scales.
For more info, contact Mark Miller, Team Lead for Resource Stewardship and Science at Wrangell-ST Elias NPP, Mark_e_MIller@nps.gov
or visit the website Fresh Eyes on Ice University of Alaska Fairbanks (http://fresheyesonice.org).
Last updated: August 6, 2024
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Contact Info
Mailing Address:
Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserve
PO Box 439
Mile 106.8 Richardson Highway
Copper Center,
AK
99573
