The Arctic is changing at a rapid pace, affecting virtually every aspect of life in the region, with major changes to sea ice, permafrost, and traditional lifestyles. These changes, in conjunction with globalization, have led to a rise in interest in the Arctic and accessing its resources. One considerable facet of accessing the Arctic is via maritime activity, with shorter transport times between Asia and Europe, fishing valuable stocks, and access to offshore oil and gas deposits. As countries such as Russia and China are intent on developing the Arctic and commercializing maritime trade routes, many living in the region are contending with the unintended impacts from increased maritime activity that may occur, threatening food and environmental security. While interest in the region is occurring across the Arctic, effects from increased maritime activity are already being felt in the Bering Strait region of Western Alaska, with decreases in multi-year sea ice important for subsistence and natural infrastructure, changes to migratory patterns of several marine species, and occurrences of pollution from vessels (Tsujii et al. 2021; NSIDC 2023; Raymond-Yakoubian and Daniel 2018; Hartsig et al. 2012). The impacts on food and environmental security are likely to be amplified within the Bering Strait due to its unique geography and ecosystem, serving as a migration corridor for many marine species, and as a natural bottleneck for anthropogenic activity, with a mere 50 nautical miles at its narrowest point and the Diomede Islands situated in the middle of the strait (Hartsig et al. 2012). Furthermore, the Bering Strait is the only connection between the Arctic and Pacific Oceans. With the heightened risk for negative impacts to the communities living within the Bering Strait region—such as various types of pollution from maritime activity, ship strikes (either to marine mammals or sea ice) and spread of invasive species—all affecting traditional subsistence lifestyles, a new policy to protect the Bering Strait is needed. Thus, the main objective of this study is to evaluate policy options that could mitigate the impacts of increasing vessel traffic through the Bering Strait. A maritime traffic management plan can be determined by analyzing how vessels behave in response to current policy. To best simulate the potential traffic the Bering Strait could receive as a part of the Northern Sea Route (NSR) and the Northwest Passage (NWP), as well as the theoretical Transpolar Route, policy applicable to the Aleutian Archipelago (along the North Pacific Great Circle Route) is analyzed in addition to the current conditions of the Bering Strait. The policies analyzed within this study include the International Maritime Organization’s ‘Areas to be Avoided’(ATBA) and the United States Coast Guard ‘Alternative Planning Criteria’ (APC, through the Aleutian ATBAs). Analysis of vessel tracklines was performed with spatial software and tabulated data with statistical software. To analyze the ATBA policy for both the Aleutian Chain and Bering Strait, a spatio-temporal Hotspot Analysis was used to investigate pattern shifts in vessel traffic over the 2015 to 2022 dataset. To further analyze the behavior of vessels transiting through waters containing ATBAs, two additional analyses were conducted. For the APC policy and the Aleutian Archipelago ATBAs, email communication between vessel operators and the Marine Exchange of Alaska (MXAK) was analyzed, and information was categorized, such as weather, the type of email exchange, and the overall receptiveness to being contacted. To investigate whether port calls influenced adherence to the ATBAs, vessel traffic along Western Alaska was tabulated by season for the traffic docking at a community. From the analysis, three main findings emerged: (1) vessel behavior is impacted by the ATBA implementation for each respective region, (2) various factors, including weather and community access, continue to influence vessel behavior, and (3) communication from a third-party organization (in this study, MXAK) impacts adherence to the ATBA policy. As policy has influenced vessel behavior in both the Aleutian Archipelago and the Bering Strait region in the past, policy alternatives to manage increased maritime activity within the Bering Strait region can be useful to prevent negative impacts of vessel activity to Western Alaska communities. Using a modified Political, Economic, Social, Technological Analysis (in this analysis Environmental and Legal components were utilized), in conjunction with a Comparative Analysis, policy alternatives were examined for the best option given the current conditions (geopolitical, legal) that the Bering Strait stakeholders face. From the policy analyses conducted, the recommendation for managing increasing rates of maritime activity is to create a voluntary vessel monitoring system with open enrollment by any vessel with the Bering Strait that can provide weather advisories, warn of subsistence activities, and inform of areas to be avoided and other existing policies. Due to this voluntary nature, the vessel monitoring system can transcend both geopolitical tensions between Russia and the United States. Additionally, this policy alternative provides a way for mariners to be aware of any subsistence activities in the region. Upon further increases in maritime activity within the Bering Strait, it will be essential to revisit current policy for effectiveness, as well as include the participation and concerns of the communities located within the Bering Strait Region.

The estimated number of vegetarians and/or vegans in the United States grew by 600% from nearly 4 million in 2014 to 20 million in 2017. The goal of this study is to assess the adequacy of vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium, and iron intakes among adult Alaskan residents following vegetarian or vegan diets. A convenience sample of Alaskan adults following a vegetarian or vegan diet was recruited via social media and community posters to participate in this cross-sectional study. Respondents answered basic questions about their demographics and diet and were then directed to the National Institutes of Health’s Automated Self-Administered 24-hour Dietary Assessment Tool, a validated tool for estimating nutrient intakes using 24-hour dietary recall data. Respondents’ estimated vitamin B12, vitamin D, calcium and iron intakes were compared to Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) and Upper Tolerable Limit (UTL) for these nutrients. Eighteen eligible people agreed to participate in the survey, and 11 of those completed the 24-hour dietary recall. The average age of the same was 41.12 ± 15.91 years, and 83.3% (n=15) identified as female. A majority (61.1%, n=11) identified their dietary pattern in the last year as vegan, and 88.8% reported taking supplements. Of the 11 participants who completed the 24-hour recall, 72.7% (n=8), 50.0% (n=5), 63.6% (n=7), and 36.4% (n=4) of respondents met the RDA for calcium, iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin D, respectively, with intake from foods, beverages, and supplements. However, 50.0% (n=5) of respondents exceeded the UTL for iron. Without intake from supplements, 63.6% (n=7), 80.0% (n=8), 45.0% (n=5), and zero respondents met the RDA for calcium, iron, vitamin B12, and vitamin D, respectively. Supplement use among Alaskan adults following vegetarian and vegan diets is common; however, care and planning should be taken to avoid potentially toxic doses. Future research should further explore nutrient adequacy of vegetarian and vegan diets in Alaska year-round.

The dietary intake of omega-6 relative to omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) has risen in the last century from 4:1 to 20:1, largely attributed to an increased intake of processed foods and the abundance of seed oils. The imbalance in the intake of omega-6 PUFA linoleic acid (LA) to omega-3 PUFA alpha-linoleic acid (ALA) may lead to a “hyperallergic” state in chronic inflammatory conditions. A lower ratio of omega-6 to omega-3 PUFAs is widely considered to be beneficial because of the anti-inflammatory benefits of omega-3 PUFAs, and pro-inflammatory effects associated with higher intakes of LA; however, there is no consensus on what the exact ratio should be. The purpose of this study was to determine which foods are contributing the most to omega-6 PUFAs intake, and which foods are highest in omega-6 PUFAs in the United States. This study was a secondary analysis of NHANES 2017-March 2020 pre-pandemic dietary data for 9,606 participants and a total of 122,533 individual foods consumed. The USDA’s 2021-2023 Food and Nutrient Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) was used to further subcategorize USDA food codes into What We Eat in America (WWEIA) categories. Foods classified as grain products and meat, poultry, fish, and mixtures contributed more than half of all omega-6 PUFAs intake in this national sample, although nuts and seeds are the individual subcategory that contribute the greatest amount of omega-6 PUFAs. The results of this analysis are consistent with prior studies for omega-6 PUFA food sources, primarily cereal and grain products were top contributing foods groups. Although causation may not be implied regarding the health risks from a high intake of omega-6 PUFAs, the results allow consumers to be more knowledgeable about top food sources consumed that contain omega-6 PUFAs and weigh the health risks and benefits of omega-6 PUFA dietary intake to current available research.

Bering cisco (Coregonus laurettae) are anadromous salmonids with only three known spawning populations located in the Yukon, Kuskokwim, and Susitna river drainages, respectively in Alaska. Bering cisco are actively harvested in both subsistence and commercial fisheries in Alaska. The work presented herein was a genetic study conducted on Bering cisco with three main objectives: 1) to develop genetic markers for Bering cisco; 2) to evaluate the population structure of the Yukon, Kuskokwim, and Susitna spawning aggregations and 3) to use genetic mixed-stock analysis to estimate the contributions of baseline cisco populations to the Yukon Delta commercial harvest during 2010, 2011, and 2012. Toward this end a suite of 17 informative microsatellite (nuclear) loci was developed for the genetic analysis of Bering cisco and other related species. Results of the analysis indicated significant genetic divergence between all three populations, and supported the notion that there is at least one single stock in each river. Mixed-stock analysis for the Yukon River commercial harvest samples revealed that the majority of the fishery from 2010-2012 was comprised of Yukon River fish.