UAF in the news: week of Jan. 21, 2008

Submitted by Marmian Grimes
Phone: 907-474-7902
01/25/08

Some whales skipping seasonal migration, wintering off Kodiak Island
APRN
Scientists have long heard reports of whales over-wintering on the west side of Kodiak Island, and this year they decided to do an in-depth survey. And for the first time, University of Alaska marine mammal biologists successfully tagged a fin whale in Uganik Bay. Read more ...

2007 an ’interesting’ year for earthquakes in the Aleutians
Dutch Harbor Fisherman
A magnitude 7.2 earthquake rumbled through the Andreanof Islands on Dec. 19, capping off a year that was marked by several magnitude 6 quakes in the Aleutians. Read more ...

Alaskan recalls long era of marine conservation work
Alaska Journal of Commerce
Marine conservation specialist Rick Steiner recalls vividly the day an Exxon executive spilled the beans on a deal the oil company was making with federal officials over the Exxon Valdez spill. Read more ...

Alaska shooters win
Fairbanks Daily News-Miner
The Alaska Nanooks rifle team started off the second half of its season in style with a victory over the University of West Virginia on Friday. Read more ...

UAF, university in Finland unite for high degrees
Anchorage Daily News
FAIRBANKS -- The University of Alaska Fairbanks will be teaming with the University of Lapland in Finland to offer graduate degrees to students across the northern hemisphere through the University of the Arctic. Read more ...

Hockey Humanitarian nominees announced
USCHO online
MINNEAPOLIS (Jan. 21) --The Hockey Humanitarian Award, presented by BNY Mellon Wealth Management, has announced 22 nominees for the 2008 award, presented annually to college hockey’s finest citizen. Read more ...

Arctic ice getting thinner
Far North Science and Alaska Report
Arctic Ocean ice has thinned dramatically during the past few years, with vast quantities of stable multi-year ice flushing into oblivion out in the Atlantic Ocean. Read more ...

Last native Eyak speaker dead at 89
Associated Press and multiple publications nationwide
ANCHORAGE, Alaska (AP)--Marie Smith Jones, the last full-blooded Eyak and fluent speaker of her native language, has died. She was 89. Jones died peacefully in her sleep Monday at her home in Anchorage. She was found by a friend, said daughter Bernice Galloway, who lives in Albuquerque, N.M. Read more ...

In praise of ... the Eyak language
The Guardian
Languages, like peoples, are in a constant battle for survival. Some that eluded the great language cull of the European colonisation of the Americas lose that battle. Read more ...

Dialogue sought on North Aleutian Basin oil and gas development
SITNews
"¨Fishermen, community leaders, Alaska Natives, scientists, government officials, environmental groups, and representatives from energy companies will meet in Anchorage to discuss what’s needed to safely develop oil and gas in the North Aleutian Basin, a sprawling region that includes part of the salmon-rich Bristol Bay. Read more ...

Alaska marmots trump reality TV
Alaska Report
"¨Fairbanks, Alaska - One million dollars or a summer in the hills chasing Alaska marmots? Not many people have to make this choice, but Aren Gunderson is not like most people. Read more ...

Alaskans regroup in battle against marine debris
SITNews
"¨Alaska has a reputation for clean waters and pristine vistas. But anyone who has walked Alaska’s rocky beaches knows that parts of the state’s vast coastline are far from pristine. Read more ...

College Notebook: Swimmer finds home at unexpected school - Alaska Fairbanks
The Columbian
Courtney Miller and Alyssa Manlow both continued their swimming careers in college. The former Vancouver Swim Club teammates are competing at the Division I and II level but the similarities end there. Read more ...