Bering Sea

by Mary Pemberton The Associated Press Monday, August 2, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Government scientists are recommending changes in fisheries management in Alaska so that endangered Steller sea lions can get enough to eat. The National Marine Fisheries Service issued a draft biological opinion Monday that looked at the impact of Alaska's groundfish fisheries on endangered marine mammals, including sea lions and whales....

A new safety report shows that Bering Sea crab is no longer America's deadliest catch. The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health says the Bering Sea crab fishery is now the safest in Alaska. According to the report, the fishery has seen only one death and no vessel sinkings since 2005. The group Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers says the drop in fatalities is due to new fishing rules in the Bering Sea. It says the change from a limited-opening, derby-style race for crab to an extended season with set quotas for each boat allows skippers to wait for good weather, and limits sleep deprivation.

by Jackie Bartz Saturday, June 12, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- The Air National Guard's 210th, 211th and 212nd Rescue Squadrons celebrated 20 years in Alaska with a rescue demonstration Saturday at Elmendorf Air Force Base. Between them the rescue squadrons, some of the most elite rescue teams in the nation, average a mission a week. When they're not at war they're in Alaska saving lives -- 1,162 and counting. "We've had everything from jumping into the Bering Sea 350 miles off the coast, to a plane that was in a crevasse on the Canadian border," said the 212th Rescue Squadron's chief manager, Chief Master Sgt. David Shuman.

by The Associated Press Saturday, May 1, 2010 PALMER, Alaska -- A 6.0 magnitude earthquake occurred Friday afternoon under the Bering Sea, but officials say it posed no tsunami risk and was too far away to be felt on land. David Hale at the West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska, says the quake at 3:12 p.m. Alaska Daylight Time was followed 4 minutes later by a 6.0 magnitude aftershock. The quakes were centered about 480 miles southwest of Nome and about 9.8 miles deep.

by The Associated Press Thursday, February 4, 2010 KODIAK, Alaska -- A Coast Guard helicopter hoisted a 40-year-old man complaining of chest pains from a fishing boat in the Bering Sea. The Coast Guard Juneau office took a call just before 5 p.m. Wednesday that the man was on the Alaskan Leader, a Kodiak-based longliner 265 miles northwest of St. Paul Island. The Coast Guard has two helicopters on St. Paul during the opilio crab season. They reached the ship at about 9:30 p.m. but winds up to 35 mph and waves of 20 feet prevented a rescue.

by Ashton Goodell Wednesday, January 20, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Marine scientists from across the globe are focusing on Alaska to understand climate change. At the Marine Science Symposium being held in Anchorage Wednesday, hundreds of scientists discussed issues of rapid warming in the Arctic. New reports show sea ice is melting faster than models first projected. Scientists say interest in environmental and marine issues has grown in recent years due to fears of global warming, but they say this conference is meant to sort through the speculation and find the science.

by The Associated Press Saturday, January 16, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Marine scientists, fisheries experts and oceanographers from around the world will gather Monday in Anchorage. The 2010 Alaska Marine Science Symposium starts at 1:30 p.m. at the Captain Cook Hotel. The program includes about 75 15-minute presentations with topics ranging from plankton to polar bears. The program is organized by regions. Gulf of Alaska topics will be featured Monday and Tuesday.