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Status of natural and human environment

This report present the results of the 2017 AMAP Assessment of Adaptation Actions for a changing Arctic (AACA): Perspectives form the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Region. This is one of three pilot study regions included in the AACA project. AACA is the first AMAP assessment dealing with adaptation actions and how to meet possible Arctic futures in these times of rapid chance. Information contained in this report is fully referenced and based first and foremost on peer-reviewed and published results of research and monitoring undertaken within the past decade. Care has been taken to ensure that no critical probability statements are based on non-peer-reviewed materials Access to reliable and up-to-date information is essential for the development of science-based decision-making regarding ongoing changes in the Arctic and their global implications.

Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort region↗

Contaminants of emerging concern in the environment: Where we have been and what does the future hold?

In 1962, Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring alerted the nation to the dangers of manmade chemicals and indiscriminate use of pesticides. DDT was the culprit and its use threatened a variety of wildlife, including the national bird, bald eagles. In 1969, pressured by scientists and the public, the United States banned almost all uses of DDT; however, DDT was just the tip of the chemical iceberg. In 1996, Theo Colborn’s book, Our Stolen Future, again alerted the public to the dangers of chemical exposure. Endocrine-disrupting chemicals were identified as concerns because exposure to extremely small concentrations can have adverse effects on people and wildlife by interfering with chemical messaging systems, affecting things like sexual development and reproduction.

Water Resources Impact↗

Distribution of niclosamide following granular Bayer applications in lentic environments

Temporal and spatial distribution of niclosamide in the water column and sediment were evaluated after the application of granular Bayluscide in six lentic sea lamprey ( Petromyzon marinus ) larval assessment plots. Water and sediment were collected 0.25, 1, 3, 5, and 7 hours after application and were analyzed for niclosamide, the active ingredient in granular Bayluscide. Water samples were collected from five heights in the water column (1 cm, 13 cm, 26 cm, 1/2 water column, and water surface) at five locations inside and four locations 10 m outside of each assessment plot. Sediment was collected from 18 locations within each plot. Niclosamide water concentrations inside and outside of the plots did not vary by depth but did vary between plots and by time. Niclosamide water concentrations also varied by sampler location outside of the plots. Following granular Bayluscide applications the mean niclosamide concentration in water for all levels, within the plots, decreased from 0.12 mgL -1 (SD = 0.12 mgL -1 ) at 15 minutes to 0.061 mgL -1 (SD = 0.040 mgL -1 ) at hour 1. The mean niclosamide concentration in the top 4 cm of sediment was 2.9 mgkg -1 (SD = 2.4 mgkg -1 ) 15 minutes after application and was 1.3 mgkg -1 (SD = 1.8 mgkg -1 ) at hour 7. Concentrations in all sediment samples ranged from < 0.001 to 30.730 mgkg -1 and varied between the six plots. Niclosamide concentrations measured in sediment samples were more than 1 order of magnitude greater than in the water and varied spatially by over 4 orders of magnitude.

Michigan, Wisconsin↗

Mars orbiter for resources, ices, and environments (MORIE)

The MORIE mission concept study examined the science and technical trade space to address high priority questions related to ice reservoirs and environmental transitions. The study team converged on a medium-class SEP-enabled orbiter with seven instruments to unlock the extent and volume of subsurface ice and geologic sequence stratigraphy through time. Observations would include the first radar imaging from orbit, the first radar sounding directly over the poles, and surface mineral mapping at unprecedented spatial scales.

Planetary Science Decadal Survey, Planetary Missio↗

Exploring regional scale metamorphic fabrics in the Yukon Tanana terrane and environs using quantitative domain analyses

Metamorphic rock fabrics such as foliations and lineations provide a rock record of numerous deformational characteristics in the Earth’s crust. When spatial information is combined with fabric data collected at points on geologic maps, the nature and consistency of metamorphic fabrics can be explored through structural domain analysis. This is particularly useful in large regions where there is not well-established stratigraphy and where bedrock exposures are limited. Domains that contain distinctive orientations and patterns of fabrics can be constructed on the basis of several different parameters, but in folded, polydeformational regions cylindricity can be particularly useful. Distinct domains of cylindrical folding can sometimes be determined where poles to foliations show characteristic patterns on equal-area projections and lie perpendicular to a single axis in space. Additionally, the patterns of elements such as fold axes and mineral lineations can be used in conjunction with foliation data to refine domains and confirm parameters such as coaxiality.

Alaska, Yukon↗

Seedling growth of Wisconsin fast plants (Brassica rapa) in field environments

In this 3-week laboratory, students investigate the effects of an abiotic or biotic ecological factor on the growth or reproduction of rapid-cycling brassica ( Brassica rapa L. : Wisconsin Fast Plants) seedlings in the field. Measurable treatments include light, wind, herbivory, chemical or organic fertilizer, insecticides, and growth regulators (i.e., gibberellic acid spray, auxin paste). Students learn how to develop an hypothesis and apply the scientific method in a field setting. Students work in pairs and set up their experiments using previously prepared Wisconsin Fast Plant seedlings. One week later students harvest their plants during a return field trip after which they collect their data, write individual scientific reports, and present their findings in-class. This experiment is unique because Wisconsin Fast Plants are used in a field experiment instead of the usual laboratory setting.

Teaching Issues and Experiments in Ecology (TIEE)↗