The Use of Radio Telemetry as an Aid in the Retrieval of Bowhead Whales (Balaena Mysticetus) Struck during the Annual Eskimo Subsistence Hunt in Alaska

Over past years the number of bowhead whales struck and lost during the annual subsistence hunt by Eskimos in northern Alaska has averaged about 50%. This is a significant number of lost animals, especially for a species considered to be rare and endangered, and steps must be taken to reduce this loss. A project was initiated in 1983 to determine the feasibility of using radio telemetry to aid in the recovery of bowhead whales struck during the subsistence hunt. The radio transmitter was placed in the whaling float to minimize the problem of signal attenuation by marine waters. The stainless steel attachment plates worked flawlessly to stabilize the radio transmitter inside the float and to seal the hole cut in the float to insert the radio transmitter. With directional receiving antennas and receivers, floats could be detected at several kilometres from boats and at over 40 km from aircraft. Fifteen whaling crews were instrumented for the fall subsistence hunts beginning in 1983 at Kaktovik and in 1986 at Nuiqsut. Eight of 12 whales struck were retrieved during the course of this study, 2 of the 8 because they were found by virtue of the radio signals transmitted from the floats 11 and 48 km offshore. Floats attached to the 4 whales that were lost during this period were radio-located but the harpoons had pulled out of 2 of these whales. The other two floats were not attached to whales when found and the distances from shore were too far to safely retrieve the equipment to determine the exact reason for loss. A 67% retrieval rate was achieved during this study, up from 50% had radio telemetry not been used. Radio telemetry has proven to be a successful technique to support the subsistence hunt for the bowhead whale, and the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission is currently expanding its use to other villages where relatively ice-free waters are conducive to its use.Key words: bowhead whale, Balaena mysticetus, Eskimo subsistence hunt, Alaska, radio telemetryMots clés: baleine franche, Balaena mysticetus, chasse de subsistance des Eskimos, Alaska, radio-télémétri

Bears and Pipeline Construction in Alaska

Serious problems were encountered with bears during construction of the 1274-km-long trans-Alaska oil pipeline between Prudhoe Bay and Valdez. This multi-billion dollar project traversed both black bear (Ursus americanus Pallas) and grizzly bear (U. arctos L.) habitat throughout its entire length. Plans for dealing with anticipated problems with bears were often inadequate. Most (71%) problems occurred north of the Yukon River in a previously roadless wilderness where inadequate refuse disposal and widespread animal feeding created dangerous situations. Of the 192 officially reported bear problems associated with the Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS)(1971-79), about 65% involved the presence of bears in camps or dumps, 13% the feeding of bears on garbage or handouts, 10% property damage or economic loss, 7% bears under and in buildings, and only 5% charges by bears. Remarkably, no bear-related injuries were reported, suggesting that bears became accustomed to people and did not regard them as a threat. Following construction of the TAPS there have been proposals for pipelines to transport natural gas from Prudhoe Bay to southern and Pacific-rim markets. Based on past experience, some animal control measures were developed during the planning phase for the authorized gas pipeline route in Alaska. Fences installed around 100-person "survey" camps were found to be effective in deterring bears in two traditionally troublesome areas.

Interspecific Killing of an Arctic Fox by a Red Fox at Prudhoe Bay, Alaska

We report on the interspecific killing of an arctic fox (Alopex lagopus) by a red fox (Vulpes vulpes) in the Prudhoe Bay Oilfield, Alaska, an event that was captured on video in November 2004. Both the video and evidence from observation indicate that this may be a case of intraguild predation. The interaction represents an extreme example of competitive behavior and suggests that increased contact between these two sympatric canids in northern Alaska could be detrimental to arctic foxes.Dans un champ pétrolifère de la baie Prudhoe, en Alaska, un renard roux (Vulpes vulpes) a tué un renard arctique (Alopex lagopus). Il s’agit là d’une attaque interspécifique qui a été captée sur vidéo en novembre 2004. La vidéo et les indices prélevés au moment de l’observation laissent croire qu’il pourrait s’agir d’une prédation intraguilde. Cette interaction représente un exemple extrême de comportement compétitif et laisse supposer que le contact accru entre ces deux canidés sympatriques du nord de l’Alaska pourrait nuire aux renards arctiques

Stable isotope and trace element status of subsistence-hunted bowhead and beluga whales in Alaska and gray whales

Abstract Tissues of bowhead, beluga, and gray whales were analyzed for Ag, Cd, Cu, Se, Zn, THg and MeHg (belugas only). d 15 N and d 13 C in muscle were used to estimate trophic position and feeding habitat, respectively. Trace element concentrations in tissues were significantly different among whale species. Hepatic Ag was higher in belugas than bowheads and gray whales. Gray whales had lower Cd concentrations in liver and kidney than bowhead and belugas and a sigmoid correlation of Cd with length was noted for all whales. Renal and hepatic Se and THg were higher in belugas than in baleen whales. The hepatic molar ratio of Se:THg exceeded 1:1 in all species and was negatively correlated to body length. Hepatic and renal Zn in subsistence-harvested gray whales was lower than concentrations for stranded whales. Se:THg molar ratios and tissue concentrations of Zn may show promise as potential indicators of immune status and animal health

Adaptation of mammalian host-pathogen interactions in a changing arctic environment

Many arctic mammals are adapted to live year-round in extreme environments with low winter temperatures and great seasonal variations in key variables (e.g. sunlight, food, temperature, moisture). The interaction between hosts and pathogens in high northern latitudes is not very well understood with respect to intra-annual cycles (seasons). The annual cycles of interacting pathogen and host biology is regulated in part by highly synchronized temperature and photoperiod changes during seasonal transitions (e.g., freezeup and breakup). With a warming climate, only one of these key biological cues will undergo drastic changes, while the other will remain fixed. This uncoupling can theoretically have drastic consequences on host-pathogen interactions. These poorly understood cues together with a changing climate by itself will challenge host populations that are adapted to pathogens under the historic and current climate regime. We will review adaptations of both host and pathogens to the extreme conditions at high latitudes and explore some potential consequences of rapid changes in the Arctic