Life without ice: Perceptions of environmental impacts on marine resources and subsistence users of St. Lawrence Island

Tempel, Jenell T. Larsen; Wise, Sarah; Osborne, Tonia Q.; Sparks, Kim; Atkinson, Shannon

doi:10.1016/j.ocecoaman.2021.105819

Cited by 3 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 38 publications

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“…Cultural diversity contributes to the activity and significance of this important region (Meek et al 2008;Raymond-Yakoubian et al 2017;Vynne et al 2021). Indigenous communities in the BSR rely on marine resources for diet fulfillment, cultural identity, and social cohesion (Larsen Tempel et al 2021). In addition to providing nutritious food, subsistence harvesting is an invaluable cultural practice for many Indigenous communities in the BSR (Quakenbush et al 2016).…”

Section: The Bering Strait As An Emerging Global Gatewaymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In addition to providing nutritious food, subsistence harvesting is an invaluable cultural practice for many Indigenous communities in the BSR (Quakenbush et al 2016). Unconsumed portions of harvested animals are frequently used for the creation of authentic handicrafts and clothing (Larsen Tempel et al 2021), and contribute to an ongoing mixed cash and subsistence economy (BurnSilver et al 2016). Subsistence harvesters in this region have noted that species of subsistence interest (e.g., walruses, seals) are becoming increasingly difficult to access as a result of sea ice loss and its distributional shifts (Huntington et al 2020;Hauser et al 2021;Larsen Tempel et al 2021).…”

Section: The Bering Strait As An Emerging Global Gatewaymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…Unconsumed portions of harvested animals are frequently used for the creation of authentic handicrafts and clothing (Larsen Tempel et al 2021), and contribute to an ongoing mixed cash and subsistence economy (BurnSilver et al 2016). Subsistence harvesters in this region have noted that species of subsistence interest (e.g., walruses, seals) are becoming increasingly difficult to access as a result of sea ice loss and its distributional shifts (Huntington et al 2020;Hauser et al 2021;Larsen Tempel et al 2021). More frequent open water and thinned sea ice is also leading to unpredictable regional weather patterns and impacting climate regimes (Ballinger and Overland 2022).…”

Section: The Bering Strait As An Emerging Global Gatewaymentioning

confidence: 99%

“…More frequent open water and thinned sea ice is also leading to unpredictable regional weather patterns and impacting climate regimes (Ballinger and Overland 2022). Without the protection of sea ice, this open water is exposing subsistence harvesters to greater risks during hunting such as more difficult and often longer travel across rougher seas with greater exposure to larger ocean swells (Larsen Tempel et al 2021).…”

Section: The Bering Strait As An Emerging Global Gatewaymentioning

confidence: 99%

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Global gateways as telecoupled human and natural systems: The emerging case of the Bering Strait

Waloven

Kapsar

Schwoerer

et al. 2023

Ambio

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Numerous narrow marine passages around the world serve as essential gateways for the transportation of goods, the movement of people, and the migration of fish and wildlife. These global gateways facilitate human–nature interactions across distant regions. The socioeconomic and environmental interactions among distant coupled human and natural systems affect the sustainability of global gateways in complex ways. However, the assessment and analysis of global gateways are scattered and fragmented. To fill this knowledge gap, we frame global gateways as telecoupled human and natural systems using an emerging global gateway, the Bering Strait, as a demonstration. We examine how three telecoupling processes (tourism, vessel traffic, and natural resource development) impact and are impacted by the coupled human and natural system of the Bering Strait Region. Given that global gateways share many similarities, our analysis of the Bering Strait Region provides a foundation for the assessment of other telecoupled global gateways.

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Section: The Bering Strait As An Emerging Global Gatewaymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Bering Strait As An Emerging Global Gatewaymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Bering Strait As An Emerging Global Gatewaymentioning

confidence: 99%

Section: The Bering Strait As An Emerging Global Gatewaymentioning

confidence: 99%

See 2 more Smart Citations

Global gateways as telecoupled human and natural systems: The emerging case of the Bering Strait

Waloven

Kapsar

Schwoerer

et al. 2023

Ambio

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

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“…In Arctic waters, rapid decreases in sea ice and increases in human activities, such as commercial shipping and mineral extraction, motivate the need to monitor marine mammal populations 13 . Bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus ) are closely associated with sea ice and have been the subject of decades of research efforts 4 , 14 , especially in the Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort (BCB) Seas where bowheads are harvested for subsistence by Inupiat communities 15 and where exploration and development of offshore petroleum has raised concerns about underwater noise impacts 16 .…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

The influence of sea ice on the detection of bowhead whale calls

Jones

Hildebrand

Thayre

et al. 2022

Sci Rep

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Bowhead whales (Balaena mysticetus) face threats from diminishing sea ice and increasing anthropogenic activities in the Arctic. Passive acoustic monitoring is the most effective means for monitoring their distribution and population trends, based on the detection of their calls. Passive acoustic monitoring, however, is influenced by the sound propagation environment and ambient noise levels, which impact call detection probability. Modeling and simulations were used to estimate detection probability for bowhead whale frequency-modulated calls in the 80–180 Hz frequency band with and without sea ice cover and under various noise conditions. Sound transmission loss for bowhead calls is substantially greater during ice-covered conditions than during open-water conditions, making call detection ~ 3 times more likely in open-water. Estimates of daily acoustic detection probability were used to compensate acoustic detections for sound propagation and noise effects in two recording datasets in the northeast Chukchi Sea, on the outer shelf and continental slope, collected between 2012 and 2013. The compensated acoustic density suggests a decrease in whale presence with the retreat of sea ice at these recording sites. These results highlight the importance of accounting for effects of the environment on ambient noise and acoustic propagation when interpreting results of passive acoustic monitoring.

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The Designated Shipping Avoidance Area Around St. Lawrence Island, Northern Bering Sea, Is not Sufficient to Protect Foraging Habitat of the Island’s Breeding Seabird Community

et al. 2022

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One direct consequence of Arctic warming is the expansion of navigable portions of the Arctic Ocean. As a result, vessel traffic and the accompanying threats of spills, strikes and disturbance is intensifying throughout the Arctic. In the Bering Sea, these threats to the environment, wildlife and to the people who rely on marine resources for food and cultural continuity, are acute. We examined the spatial relevance of an Area To Be Avoided (ATBA), a shipping-risk mitigation measure, established around St. Lawrence Island with respect to seabirds, as sentinel species, habitat use. We studied four seabird species (common murre Uria aalge, thick-billed murre U. lomvia, crested auklet Aethia cristatella, black-legged kittiwake Rissa tridactyla) breeding at St. Lawrence Island in the northern Bering Sea. GPS tracking data from 47 at-sea foraging trips showed that both murre species and crested auklets distributed outside the ATBA, during at least one stage of the breeding season. A larger dataset based on the birds’ red blood cell isotopic signatures confirmed that for murres, the tracked individuals covered the broad niche exploited by these species. Habitat modelling further showed that the birds’ most suitable marine habitats were associated with seasonal surface chlorophyll blooms, and largely extended beyond the ATBA on the shelf north of the island. Data on the murres’ diet and diving behavior emphasized the importance of the shelf as a foraging habitat for these birds. We suggest that extending the ATBA to the north by only 35 km, would include areas of maximal habitat suitability. This extension would better protect seabirds, their foraging habitats and the cultural continuity of St. Lawrence Islanders, against growing threats stemming from Arctic warming.

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Life without ice: Perceptions of environmental impacts on marine resources and subsistence users of St. Lawrence Island

Cited by 3 publications

References 38 publications

Global gateways as telecoupled human and natural systems: The emerging case of the Bering Strait

Global gateways as telecoupled human and natural systems: The emerging case of the Bering Strait

The influence of sea ice on the detection of bowhead whale calls

The Designated Shipping Avoidance Area Around St. Lawrence Island, Northern Bering Sea, Is not Sufficient to Protect Foraging Habitat of the Island’s Breeding Seabird Community

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