RSS 1.0ScholarWorks@UA
ScholarWorks@UA is University of Alaska's institutional repository created to share research and works by UA faculty, students, and staff
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Introductory Diversity AuditsResults from some initial diversity audits at the Egan Library, following a professional development course on the topic. Suggestions for developing and conducting your own diversity audit, which is an activity which can be entirely done from home!
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Behavioral observations and stable isotopes reveal high individual variation and little seasonal variation in sea otter diets in Southeast AlaskaTwo complementary approaches were used to assess year-round variation in the diet of sea otters Enhydra lutris around Prince of Wales Island (POW) in southern Southeast Alaska, a region characterized by mixed-bottom habitat. We observed sea otters foraging to determine diet composition during the spring and summer. Then, we obtained sea otter vibrissae, which record temporal foraging patterns as they grow, from subsistence hunters to identify year-round changes in sea otter diets via stable isotope analysis of carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N). We compared the stable isotopes from sea otter vibrissae and sea otter prey items that were collected during spring, summer, and winter. Overall, year-round sea otter diet estimates from stable isotope signatures and visual observations from spring and summer were dominated by clams in terms of biomass, with butter clams Saxidomus gigantea the most common clam species seen during visual observations. Our results indicate that these sea otters, when considered together at a regional level around POW, do not exhibit shifts in the main prey source by season or location. However, sea otter diets identified by stable isotopes had a strong individual-level variation. Behavioral variation among individual sea otters may be a primary driving factor in diet composition. This study provides quantitative diet composition data for modeling predictions of invertebrate population estimates that may aid in the future management of shellfisheries and subsistence hunting and the development of co-management strategies for this protected species.
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Examining the Role of Marine Mammals and Seabirds in Southeast Alaska’s Marine Ecosystem DynamicsPrimary producers are the foundation of marine food webs and require reliable nutrient sources to maintain their important role with ecosystems. While marine mammals and seabirds can play critical roles in marine nutrient cycling, their contributions are often overlooked. The fjord systems of Southeast Alaska support a high diversity of marine mammals and seabirds in addition to some of the most valuable fisheries in the US. Nonetheless, there is still relatively little known about nutrient sources and fluxes in this region which is a critical component of fisheries management. The goal of our study was to advance knowledge of the role of mammals and seabirds in marine nutrient cycling and to understand how changing marine mammal and seabird populations may alter ecosystem dynamics. We analyzed nutrient levels in marine mammal scat, seabird guano, and seawater samples collected in Berners Bay, Southeast Alaska, to determine the influence of marine mammals and seabirds on nearshore nutrient concentrations. Utilizing qualitative network models (QNMs), we then examined how a simulated Berners Bay ecosystem would respond to an increase in marine mammals, seabirds, and nutrients. Researchers are increasingly utilizing QNMs as a first step in the development of ecosystem-based fisheries management plans as their adaptable nature is well suited to address rapidly changing climatic conditions. Our direct nutrient measurements and QNM results indicate that marine mammals and seabirds have the potential to provide substantial contributions to marine nutrient concentrations in the region and that these valuable ecosystem services should not be overlooked.
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Alaska's Digital Archives: Creating a record for an online objectInstructions on how to add an online object (i.e. URL) as an item within the Alaska's Digital Archives site.
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Critical issues in the preparation of Alaska Native teachers : perspectives of cross-cultural education development (X-CED) program graduatesThis study draws upon the experiences of 35 Alaska Native teachers who have succeeded in earning a teaching certificate through the Cross-Cultural Education Development (X-CED) Program to identify issues that affect the preparation of Native teachers for schools in rural Alaska. The guiding question of the study is: What do Native teacher eduation graduates perceive to be the factors that contributed most to their success in a field-based teacher preparation program and as teachers? Components of the question include: Why did Native students pursue a teaching credential? How did the XCED graduates go about achieving their goals? And, how do they perceive their experiences as teachers? It is evident from this study that Alaska Native people face many critical issues in their pursuit of a Bachelors degree and a teaching certificate to teach in their communities. Factors that contribute to the success of the Native teachers interviewed in this study include field-based instructors; locally driven curriculum; and school district, community, family and fellow student support. Implications for future success of Native teacher preparation efforts conclude the study.
