How shrinking glaciers are affecting Alaska's coastal ecosystems (Science for Alaska Lecture Series)
February 16, 2018
The UAF Geophysical Institute presents the 2018 Science for Alaska Lecture Series.
Come to the Raven Landing Center at 1222 Cowles Street on Tuesdays at 7 p.m. to learn
about exciting science from a history of Alaska weather to how beavers are colonizing
the Arctic, and more.
On Feb. 20, Eran Hood will present "How shrinking glaciers are affecting Alaska's
coastal ecosystems ."
Alaska’s glaciers are losing mass at some of the highest rates on Earth. These changes
in glacier volume influence glacier meltwater release, which has a variety of downstream
impacts including modifying the temperature of coastal streams as well as nutrient
and light availability in estuary ecosystems. Glacier recession is also expected to
influence marine ecosystem productivity in areas where tidewater glaciers are being
lost from highly productive glacial fjords. Given current rates of glacier change
in Alaska, it is critical to improve our understanding of the linkages between icefields
and downstream freshwater and marine ecosystems. This talk will explore how changes
in glacier volume will affect the physical and ecological properties of rivers and
estuaries along the Gulf of Alaska that support a wide variety of culturally and commercially
relevant species including Pacific salmon.
For more information visit www.gi.alaska.edu/science-alaska-lecture-series/.