USGS Group Honored for Interdisciplinary Research on the Alaska Coastal Plain

May 2009

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Above: Alaska Area Regional Executive Leslie Holland-Bartels (left) accepts the Alaska Area Science Strategy Success Stories award from Western Regional Director Anne Kinsinger on behalf of scientists honored for their work on "Predicting Wildlife Response to Ecological Change Along the Arctic Coastal Plain." Photograph by Mike Diggles, USGS. [larger version]

A group of U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists won a Science Strategy Success Stories award for their research on "Predicting Wildlife Response to Ecological Change Along the Arctic Coastal Plain." The award is one of three new awards given in the three geographic areas of the USGS Western Region—Pacific Southwest (California, Hawai‘i, Nevada, Utah, and Arizona), Northwest (Washington, Oregon, and Idaho), and Alaska—to recognize interdisciplinary science projects that embody the spirit of the USGS Science Strategy.

USGS Western Region Chief Scientist Brian Cole announced the award at the USGS 2008 Western Region Awards Ceremony on February 24, 2009, in Menlo Park, California, where he read this excerpt from the award citation:

"In the Alaska Area, the 'Predicting Wildlife Response to Ecological Change Along the Arctic Coastal Plain' study team is given this award for exceptional support of the goals of the USGS Science Strategy through development of predictive models of how recent and ongoing Arctic landscape change influences the distribution and abundance of important bird species in a region critical to the Department of the Interior for both resource conservation and energy development."

The study team members are:

• Chris Arp, research ecologist, Anchorage, Alaska
• Gary Clow, research geophysicist, Denver, Colorado
• Paul Flint, research wildlife biologist, Anchorage, Alaska
• Dave Houseknecht, research geologist, Reston, Virginia
• Ben Jones, remote-sensing scientist, Anchorage, Alaska
• Bruce Richmond, research geologist, Santa Cruz, California
• Joel Schmutz, research wildlife biologist, Anchorage, Alaska

(The two other awards went to the USGS flood-response team in the Northwest Area for its work after an early January storm caused major flooding and associated avalanches, mudslides, and road closures in western Washington; and to the Great Southern California Shakeout team in the Pacific Southwest Area for its contributions to the largest earthquake drill in the Nation's history.)

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May 2009

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in this issue:

cover story:
CO₂ May Help Wetlands Keep Pace with Sea-Level Rise

Erosion Doubles Along Alaska's Arctic Coast

Shrinking Beaufort Sea Coastline

Rapid Disappearance of Antarctica's Ice Shelves

Effects of Climate Change on Infectious Diseases

Diamondback Terrapin Survival

Science Fairs in Falmouth, MA

Coastal Erosion Workshop in Ghana

Findings Used to Preserve Coral Reef

Ted Melis Receives DOI Meritorious Service Award

High-Flow Experiment from Dam Leads to Awards

Researchers Receive DOI Meritorious Service Awards

Miles Receives Diversity Award

Group Honored for Research on Alaska

Government Communicators Award

Team Wins Silver in Curling Club Nationals

May 2009 Publications List