A Heating Planet and La Niña add to Colder Spring with Less Precipitation in Southcentral, Scientists Say
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
A series of warm winter storms that have walloped Girdwood and Southcentral Alaska in recent weeks has caused power outages, difficult travel, downed trees, avalanches and mudslides.
Climate change—driven largely by ever-increasing amounts of oil pollution—has increased the severity and unpredictability of weather events, scientists say, so that new monikers have spread, such as the "climate emergency", "climate chaos", and "global heating".
Last year was, globally, the warmest year on record. Alaska has warmed by more than 3 degrees in 50 years with the biggest changes taking place in the winter, according to climate scientists, and, they say, "the frequency of avalanches, landslides, floods and coastal storms is increasing in Alaska."
Are recent storms and warmer temperatures in Southcentral Alaska this winter unusual? Unprecedented?
Record-breaking heat waves, widespread warming and above average precipitation plagued the Arctic last year, according to an "Arctic Report Card" issued in December by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
"The rapid pace and complexity of Arctic change demand new and strengthened Arctic adaptation and global reductions of fossil fuel pollution," the report summarized.
And, despite above-average snowfall in the Arctic, snow melt is occurring 1-2 weeks earlier in the spring, the report said.
Researchers found December to be a warmer than average month at all its data stations and that it was a "relatively dry month" in most of the state, according to the UAF's Alaska Climate Research Center.
Read the entire story and graphics at the link below:
A Personal Tribute to former president Jimmy Carter
By Frans Weits
Jack Sprat Restaurant Owner in Girdwood
In July, 2005, four years after we'd opened Jack Sprat in Girdwood, my two year old son and I were about to go camping on the Kenai Peninsula when Kurt Hoessel, owner of Girdwood-based Alaska Wildland Adventures, contacted us.
Kurt said he could not say what was happening, but that he was bringing a "very important guest" to our restaurant for Sunday brunch.
“Just make sure to be there!" he said.
This was my first time taking my son, Frans Ryker, camping and his mom was getting a much deserved break from child rearing.
What did my wife, Jen Weits, do with her free weekend? Well, she cooked brunch, of course, as she often did.
Jen has a way with making excellent soups, and on this particular weekend, she made a Welsh Rarebit Soup special served in a sourdough bread bowl.
We had only been in business for a few years so I was rarely away from work. Having a baby to care for turns out to be a great reason to take time off and so I was cashing in.
James Dare had invited me to go fishing with him on the Kenai River and it was peak summer in mid- July. James was a chef for us and I have no idea how he had the weekend off. We were open seven days a week back then, so anything was possible, I guess.
I was sure to leave camp earlier than normal so we would not miss whatever surprise was waiting for us.
Meanwhile, Jen's cousin Tom Herrick was visiting from Michigan so he, Ryker and I made it back to the restaurant with time to have a latte before we found out what was happening.
Two secret service men briefed us on the situation: Ex-President Jimmy Carter and his wife Rosalynn were coming in for brunch.
Top photo courtesy of Frans Weits. Official photo courtesy Library of Congress.
Read the entire tribute at the below link:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/a-personal-tribute-to-former-president-jimmy-carter
Grocery shoppers willing to pay more for Alaska Grown produce, study finds
By Yereth Rosen
How much are Alaskans willing to pay for produce that is homegrown? A newly published study has some answers: a significant premium, especially when they have information about the benefits of locally grown food.
Alaska grocery shoppers on average were willing to pay $1.90 extra for a head of lettuce if it was labeled as “Alaska Grown,” the study found. When given information about locally grown products’ benefits to health, the environment and the state economy provided by products with the “Alaska Grown” label, that premium jumped to $3.31 on average, the study found.
The study is based on surveys and interviews of shoppers at Anchorage grocery stores and farmers markets. The surveys and interviews were conducted by University of Alaska Anchorage students; the study was led by Qiujie Zheng, an associate professor of business analytics at the University of Maine. Zheng was previously at UAA.
While the surveys and interviews were conducted several years ago, in 2018, Zheng said she believes the results still stand.
The COVID-19 pandemic that came later may have changed food consumption patterns worldwide, she said by email. “However, due to Alaska’s unique geographical location, I believe that the state’s agricultural supply and consumers’ fresh produce options have remained relatively stable over the past few years,” she said.
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Commentary: Savoring the Darkness in Alaska
By Tim Lydon
In my part of Alaska, not far from Anchorage, winter solstice is always a dark day, but not because of the lack of light. Instead, I lament the impending loss of winter’s long nights, with all their calm and beauty.
This makes me a contrarian amid all the hoopla over returning light. Yet, as we freefall into a climate-changed world, it seems more people are giving darkness and its benefits a fresh look.
Read the entire opinion at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/opinion-savoring-the-darkness-in-alaska
Alaska DOT&PF Awarded $1.13M for Avalanche Mitigation Technology along the Seward Highway Corridor
By David Nyman
TNews Contributor
With the weather visiting southcentral this week, new funding to support southcentral avalanche mitigation efforts is timely. Alaskans traveling the Seward Highway between Anchorage and Seward will get a safer highway with the Avalanche Mitigation Alert Detection (AMAD) project that was recently awarded $1.13 million award as part of a Strengthening Mobility and Revolutionizing Transportation (SMART) grant program. This grant program is a component of the bi-partisan infrastructure law and from US Department of Transportation.
The AMAD project being led by the Alaska Department of Transportation & Public Facilities (AK DOT&PF) will utilize cutting-edge remote avalanche control systems and forecasting technology to mitigate significant avalanche risks along the Seward Highway corridor. The Seward Highway is a National Highway System (NHS) route and one of Alaska's busiest roadways, serving as a vital connection between the Kenai Peninsula, Seward and Anchorage, for commerce, residents, and visitors alike.
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Opinion: ‘Girdwood’ missing in Assembly’s view of our Comprehensive Plan
By Brian Burnett
Girdwood Resident
“It is so unfortunate that where once we spent hours agonizing over what trees needed to remain to protect Stumpy’s Trail or Enchanted Forest, we will now be agonizing over whether the road there should be paved or gravel.” – Girdwood Wanderer
Being a part of Anchorage has never been smooth; from 1977 when over 80% of Girdwood did NOT vote in favor to join the Municipality to when Anchorage voters declined to bond a local cemetery that over 80% of Girdwood voters approved to self-fund. However, we have carved out a great place to live and we are in the process of mapping out the future of Girdwood for all of us living here and all of Anchorage that comes here to recreate. Regardless of set backs, we continue to move forward and drive events and actions to be the community we all want to live in. We are now putting forward a new comprehensive plan for our community. We have rolled up our collective sleeves to engage the community in the multi-yearprocess of achieving a vision for G’wood. This effort is no different than Forest Fair, the community playground, GVFD and the fire station, or the Scott & Wesley Gerrish Library. Girdwood works together to build solutions regardless of support from Anchorage.
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Task force report identifies ways to make child care more available and affordable in Alaska
By Yereth Rosen
Child care shortages could be addressed by a combination of actions to help families with subsidies and help providers work through what is currently a daunting bureaucratic process, according to a new task force report released by the Alaska Department of Health.
Recommendations to expand child care options came in the second and final report of a task forceestablished last year by Gov. Mike Dunleavy. The Governor’s Task Force on Child Care report, released on Dec. 27, follows an earlier report released last year.
Altogether, they contain 56 recommendations for action.
Read the entire story at the link below:
Earn Your Turn
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
No snow to move from beside a trailer, no snow to rake, pull and shovel from a roof. No heavy, moist snow, the kind that makes an easy snowball, packs into the bottom third of a snowman on just one roll. No snow heavy in a shovel, like shoveling dirt or dog food or rice. No back cracking snow.
But, then, there is the ride on the snow's back. The surf. The drift. The ride.
Into the backcountry with a friend we climbed and talk and then, after the switch, he cuts telemark turns through buttery snow that is so easy packing. I drifted in and out of hemlocks and over soft hillocks.
Yeah. And there were several others up there on tour today, some friends with whom we traded runs. They went right on the first lap when we went left for the ridge and, on the next hike, we stole right and they took a left and we skied similar paths, but criss crossed. There were others, whooping and we whooped for them.
Jane’s Addiction has a wild song that seems perfect for the lift-free mountain. Coming Down the Mountain is an anthem to a hero above, a mountain to respect and thank for her pleasant snow and curvaceous slopes, for her unyielding snow pack, for allowing it all to settle in the broad bowl of her abdomen.
While cannons tear away at a lifted mountain, ripping snow from its flanks and littering its walls with death cookies, some folks shun the lift entries and exits, the machines that churn day and night, all that industry over there, for an industry for leisure.
“Earn Your Turns” is the familiar phrase of the backcountry skier or rider. And many agree that hiking through a forest with friends is as good as any chair lift, as good, even, as a ski down a crowded slope, as good as the expensive food and beer at the mountain top café, where people stand in line holding trays, sweating, wet, tired, and stiff like zombies.
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Alyeska Resort: Basecamp for Adventure
By Alyeska Resort staff
TNews Contributors
Alyeska Resort, nestled in the scenic town of Girdwood, Alaska, is one of North America's premier mountain destinations, celebrated for its breathtaking views, diverse outdoor activities, and exceptional skiing terrain. Located just 40 miles south of Anchorage, Alyeska offers a year-round escape into Alaska's wilderness, with activities suited for every season.
Winter Wonderland
Alyeska is perhaps best known as a winter paradise, attracting skiers and snowboarders from around the world. The resort receives an impressive average of 650+ inches of snowfall each season. With over 1,600 skiable acres, Alyeska caters to all skill levels, from gentle beginner slopes to challenging advanced runs. For thrill-seekers, Alyeska is home to some of North America's steepest terrain, with trails like Christmas Chute, which challenge even the most experienced skiers. In addition, Alyeska offers night skiing on select evenings January-March, allowing guests to prolong their time on the slopes! On clear nights, keep your eyes peeled for the Northern Lights shining above the Chugach Range.
For those not interested in skiing, Alyeska still has plenty to offer during winter. The resort offers snowshoe, Nordic ski, and fat bike rentals. With the surrounding Chugach Mountains creating a dramatic backdrop, winter activities here feel both invigorating and awe-inspiring.
End your winter adventure day with a snack at the Sitzmark or a hydrotherapy session at the Alyeska Nordic Spa. Hot and cold pools, saunas, steam rooms, and relaxing café offer the perfect place to recuperate after a long day on the snow. Hot, Cold, Rest, Repeat!
Read the entire story at the below link:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/alyeska-resort-basecamp-for-adventure
Lions give Neighbors a Christmas Boost
By Allison Sayer
TNews Staffwriter
On Thursday, Dec. 19, a group of volunteers from the Girdwood Turnagain Arm Lions Club met at the Girdwood School to prepare holiday boxes for families who, according to longtime Lion Kathy Trautner, “could benefit from a Christmas boost.”
Lion Ally Goens supervised food sorting while taking and making calls regarding the special components of holiday meal boxes.
This year 14 families received a combination of holiday gifts. A gift-wrapped holiday meal box for each family contained traditional foods such as ham and pumpkin pie. Holiday items were purchased with some of the proceeds from fundraisers held throughout the year.
A supplemental box contained nonperishable pantry-stufferscollected by Girdwood School students. The sixth grade was the biggest collector this year, with 214 items. Sixth graders Aria Rice and Reagan Martyn spent one of their free periods helping sort food drive donations.
Families also received gifts from the “Angel Tree” program, which anonymously pairs families in need with local individuals willing to purchase presents on their wish list.
The Girdwood United Methodist Church, the Girdwood School, and the Chapel of Our Lady of the Snows identifies families to ask whether they would like to be included. If the families are interested, they submit information including how many children are in the family and the children’s ages.
A few days before Christmas, families can pick up boxes at the Girdwood School. The pickup occurs after the school has closed for the holiday break.
Trautner expressed her appreciation for the school’s partnership. She appreciates school staff’s efforts to identify families in need, host a food drive, and provide a venue where families can pick up their gifts discreetly.
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/lions-give-neighbors-a-christmas-boost
Mining for Gold from Alaska to Paris!
By Seth Beaubien
TN News Contributor
Kristen Faulkner, double Paris 2024 Summer Olympic Gold Medal Champion, thank you so much for taking time from your very busy schedule to share your thoughts with the Turnagain News and its readers.
TN: Growing up in Homer, what are your memories of the Arm and Girdwood Valley?
KF: I remember learning to downhill ski at Alyeska. My family spent the whole day on the mountain and would break midday to get cinnamon rolls from the Bake Shop. I also love cross-country skiing in Moose Meadows, which are some trails in Girdwood that my Grandpa Stumpy helped build.
TN: You have been an active athlete your whole life, in Homer, at Phillips Academy then Harvard before getting into the competitive cycling world, what about those experiences helped prepare you for becoming an Olympian?
KF: Sports taught me the importance of discipline and hard work. As a student athlete, I also learned the importance of time management. I used to wake up at 6am for morning practice before school, and so it was an easy transition when I started training on my bike in the mornings before work.
TN: Cycling is both an individual and a team sport, can you describe that and the differences/similarities for our readers?
KF: For each race, the team Director selects a team leader, and the entire team sacrifices themselves to help that leader win the race. Support riders do this by chasing down competitors, distracting the other teams, and allowing the leader to draft off them. Different races suit different riders, and so the team leader changes depending on the race. It's important that we sacrifice ourselves for our teammates, knowing that they will do the same for us when it is our turn to be the leader.
TN: Can you describe what it feels like and means to you to represent America and wear USA kit and jersey? How is it different from the Tour de France Suisse or Giro Donne?
KF: I love representing my country. I am really proud to be American, and donning the Red, White, and Blue is a dream come true. I feel like I am racing for something much greater than myself, and that inspires me and motivates me.
Read the entire story here:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/mining-for-gold-from-alaska-to-paris
Assembly Postpones Vote on Area Plan
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
Forested land targeted for development in Girdwood was called, among other things, "magical", "cherished", a "paradise", a "crown jewel" and containing the "largest trees in Anchorage", during testimony Tuesday night on Girdwood's Comprehensive Plan.
Two densely-forested parcels, one near Virgin Creek and the other by Glacier Creek, would be protected "open space" in an update of Girdwood's 30-year-old area plan.
But that conception is being contested by Anchorage's planning department which aims to include housing in those places.
(Photos by Carson Baldiviez)
Read the entire story at the link below:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/assembly-postpones-vote-on-area-plan
Enjoying Turnagain Arm’s Winter Wonderland
By Girdwood Parks and Recreation, Girdwood Trails Committee, Girdwood Nordic Ski Club
Girdwood is a magical wonderland in the winter because of the variety of activities available during this special time of the year. Ask any local, and most will say their favorite time of year is winter! Download a Girdwood Trails Winter Map or a map from the Girdwood Nordic Ski Club and get prepared to ski, walk, bike, or snowshoe on some of the best winter trails in Southcentral Alaska.
Starting a couple of years ago, narrow-gauge grooming was initiated around the perimeter of Moose Meadows and upper valley, on Winner Creek Trail, the Lower Iditarod Trail and part of the Beaver Pond Trail. Narrow-gauge grooming provides a great multi-use surface for walking, biking and skiing and is maintained as snow conditions allow.
Cross Country Skiing
The Girdwood Nordic Ski Club and Girdwood Parks and Rec volunteers groom diagonal and skate skiing lanes in Moose Meadow, some upper meadows, and the community’s Nordic 5K Loop. Moose Meadow and the upper valley multi-use trails are groomed once the snow depth measures 16”. The Nordic 5K Loop is groomed once 6” of snow has collected on the trail.
Moose Meadow is the ideal place to go if you are unsure of your ability or have small children who want to cross country ski. This multi-use trail is approximately 2K, slopes gently toward the middle of the valley, and has terrain that is most often soft and forgiving. The ski trail is set wide enough to accommodate diagonal as well as skate skiers, and dogs are welcome. A headlamp can be handy on dark winter nights, but if the night skiing lights are on at Alyeska Mountain, try a lap without your headlamp. You’ll be amazed at how your eyes adjust and how well you can see. Stop for a minute and listen for owls, too!
Connector cross-country trails lead from the northwest end of Moose Meadow to the upper meadows, requiring a thrilling trip down Horror Hill. It is fine to side-step or walk down this hill. Grooming through the upper valley meadows makes a great out-and-back ski, although if you like to go off-trail, you can ski through the trees and discover social trails and quiet meadows.
Read the entire story here:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/enjoying-turnagain-arms-winter-wonderland
What’s New at the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center
By Tim Lydon
TNews Contributor
Girdwood is home to the Chugach National Forest Avalanche Information Center, which provides daily Turnagain Pass avalanche forecasts from the Glacier Ranger District office. The center’s director, Wendy Wagner, recently shared updates with the Turnagain News.
TN: Southcentral Alaska has several avalanche programs. Do you all work together?
Wagner: We do. We have a close-knit network that includes avalanche professionals at the Department of Transportation, Alaska Railroad, and Chugach Electric, who work along the transportation and powerline corridors. There’s also the Alyeska Ski Resort and Chugach Powder Guides. We all communicate regularly, especially when conditions get interesting or scary. We also coordinate with the Alaska Avalanche School on outreach and keep our online platform consistent with the Hatcher Pass program since people might visit Turnagain one day and Hatcher the next.
TN: What’s new this year?
Wagner: The big news is we have two new positions on the Seward Ranger District. We’ll now have daily forecasts for Turnagain Pass, Summit Lake, and Seward/Lost Lake. With three zones, you might see different conditions across the areas. We’re also updating our website for greater consistency with the National Avalanche Center and others. It’ll be a new look, but it should be easy to navigate.
Read the entire story here:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/whats-new-at-the-chugach-avalanche-center
Anchorage to decide Girdwood’s future in Land Plan Vote
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
A sweeping land plan that could determine Girdwood's future as either a sprawling resort town or a mountain community with an intact rainforest is scheduled for a vote in a little more than a week.
Should the Anchorage Assembly adopt the city's changes to Girdwood's comprehensive plan, the town could see hundreds of acres of Girdwood's old-growth rainforest habitat cleared for subdivisions, roads, businesses and resort expansion.
Besides 500 acres included for development in the plan, hundreds of additional acres of public lands could be added, including remote lands sought by Alyeska Resort for development as well as forests and wetlands along Virgin Creek, where a group, decades ago, hoped to build a golf course.
The plan comes with few conditions on the size of homes in most areas and even whether anyone lives in them, a trend facing many Western mountain towns with ski resorts, said Mike Edgington co-chair of the Girdwood Board of Supervisors
"We're not here to sell things in strip malls," Edgington said Wednesday during a meeting. "There's places that do that very well. That's not what Girdwood is for. Girdwood exists and this economy exists because of the environment. There's always going to be a point where additional development starts cannibalizing the whole essence, purpose and economic value of the community."
Read the entire story here:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/anchorage-to-decide-girdwoods-future-in-land-plan-vote
‘Fire in the Hole!’
By David Nyman
TNews Contributor
For more than 40 years, two state agencies have kept a good record of avalanche forecasting, control and detection along Turnagain Arm and in the mountains above Alaska Railroad corridor to Seward.
While avalanche control has relied on military surplus 105 mm howitzer artillery—big, booming cannons shooting at a snow pace—ammunition has become five times more expensive and harder to find.
Now, state agencies are exploring new technology to shear a dangerous snowpack before it becomes a dangerous and massive avalanche.
Read the entire story at the link below:
Girdwood Lions and Rotary Clubs Cosponsor Community Christmas Tree
Carols in Town Square Park Saturday at 4 p.m.
By Brooks Chandler
TNews Contributor
A growing Girdwood holiday season tradition combines the joy of raising voices together in song with the timeless magic of an illuminated evergreen.
A community sing-along followed by lighting the Girdwood Christmas tree will take place in Town Square Park on Saturday Nov. 30 at 4 p.m.
The celebration was Initiated several years ago by the Girdwood Lions. This year Girdwood Rotary is joining the Lions as cosponsor.
“I am excited that Rotary will be co-sponsoring the event this year with energy, enthusiasm and hands-on work!” said Lions Club member Kathy Trautner.
Town Square Park neighbors Chair 5 and the Girdwood Health Clinic are event partners. The Forest Fair Committee is supplying song books. Hot chocolate and sweet things will be available.
Weather permitting Kate Hamre is slated to guarantee at least one in tune caroling voice. Surely there are others out there.
Whether in tune or not all are invited to join Kate, Lions and Rotary in elevating holiday spirits.
New District Representative Holland Ready to get to Work
Girdwood Vote Key in His Election, Helps in Flipping House
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
Though November's election saw a Republican takeover of federal offices, a more local race that sent independent Ky Holland to Juneau had the effect of tilting the state house in a more progressive direction.
Holland won District 9 which e. Girdwood overwhelmingly approved Holland and, he said, the margin not only gave him the win, but his election helped give a bipartisan coalition a slim majority in the state house.
Holland, 62, beat Republican Lucy Bauer by roughly 1,000 votes and will take over a seat vacated by Republican Laddie Shaw. Nearly 700 voters from Girdwood and Indian picked Holland on Election Day.
Girdwood resident Lee Ellis withdrew from the race after a primary election and endorsed Holland.
Holland said though the District, which encompasses Anchorage's hillside and stretches along Turnagain Arm to Whittier, is diverse—he called it "purple". He said many residents share the same views on issues like the economy, getting a secure natural gas source for home heating, and education. Holland's wife, Sharon, is a school librarian in Anchorage.
Read the entire store here:
https://www.turnagainnews.org/articles/new-district-representative-holland-ready-to-get-to-work
Girdwood Votes 70% Blue on Election Day
District Slightly Favored Harris
By Soren Wuerth
TNews Editor
Girdwood's voters chose Kamala Harris over Donald Trump, 70% to 22%, in the Nov. 5 election with 830 people showing up at the community center to fill in ballots.
The election district containing Girdwood and Indian and which includes Anchorage's hillside and Whitter, District 9, also gave Harris the nod, but only by a fraction, 49.3% to 47.1%.
Girdwood's total vote, including absentee and early voting ballots, is not included on the state Division of Elections' website, but the community typically votes heavily in favor of Democrats.
In Girdwood, more votes in the U.S. House race fell to Mary Peltola, 75.4%, than to Nic Begich, 21.3%, though Begich would end up winning the total state vote.
Almost 600 Girdwoodians voted for Ballot Measure 1, which increases the state's minimum wage, then rejected it (208) and voters chose to reject a repeal of rank-choice voting 607-189.
Both measures would eventually go Girdwood's way in statewide totals.
And Girdwood helped bring independent Ky Holland to office. He beat Republican Lucy Bauer in a local Election Day vote of 609 to 176. Holland went on to win District 9 by just over 1,000 votes, 6,079 to 5091.
Seventy-two percent of registered District 9 voters turned out for the election, a turnout that is among the highest of any district in the state.
The municipality of Anchorage also leaned blue, with Harris winning there with a one-point lead.
Statewide results will be finalized at the end of the month.
Researchers find new non-native species in Prince William Sound
By PWS Regional Citizen’s Advisory Council
TN News Contributor
Last year, researchers from the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center, or SERC, partnered with the Council to conduct the largest survey of non-native benthic marine invertebrate species in Prince William Sound since 2003.
The work is part of a larger survey being conducted by Dr. Gregory Ruiz and a team of researchers from SERC to document non-native species in ports and bays throughout the United States. The researchers have also recently surveyed in California, southeast Alaska, and other sites along the Pacific coast of the U.S. Researchers anticipate surveying Cook Inlet in 2025.
What are benthic invertebrates?
Benthic: Occurs at the bottom of a body of water.
Invertebrate: An animal with no backbone.
This opalescent nudibranch (left) is an example of a benthic invertebrate that is native to Prince William Sound.
Non-native marine species of interest to the Council’s work
Researchers detected three non-native species during the survey: two crustaceans, Caprella mutica and the Monocorophium acherusicum, and a bryozoan, the Schizoporella japonica.
One of the three, Schizoporella japonica, had been detected previously. The other two are new to Prince William Sound.
Another new non-native species, Ciona savignyi was found by volunteers for the PlateWatch program, a separate monitoring program also sponsored by the Smithsonian. This tunicate has now been reported in both southeast Alaska and Prince William Sound.
Evidence of the Ciona savignyi was found using genetic analysis on a single settlement plate in southwest Prince William Sound. The report noted that this marine worm could be of concern as it has caused damage to oyster populations in locations where it has invaded. Further evaluation is needed to confirm this identification.
This survey brings the total number of non-native benthic marine invertebrate species confirmed in Prince William Sound to seven. The species Schizoporella japonica and Mya arenaria, a clam originally from the east coast of the U.S., are confirmed to be established in the area. Researchers do not know if any of the other five are established.
Read the entire story here: