Regional, seasonal and age class blubber fatty acid signature analysis of harbour seals in Alaska from 1997 to 2010.

Alaskan harbour seal populations are currently listed as a species of special concern. Although there is evidence of recent stabilization or even partial recovery of harbour seal numbers in areas of historic decline, most populations have not made substantial recoveries. To date, few data exist regarding spatial and seasonal changes in blubber fatty acids (FAs) for Alaskan harbour seal populations.

Using claws to compare reproduction, stress and diet of female bearded and ringed seals in the Bering and Chukchi seas, Alaska, between 1953-1968 and 1998-2014.

Rapid climate warming is decreasing sea ice thickness, extent and duration. Marine mammals such as bearded () and ringed () seals, which use sea ice for pupping, molting and resting, may be negatively affected. Claws from bearded and ringed seals store up to 14 and 12 years of sequential analyte data, respectively.

Validation of a novel method to create temporal records of hormone concentrations from the claws of ringed and bearded seals.

Ringed () and bearded seals () inhabit vast and often remote areas in the Arctic, making it difficult to obtain long-term physiological information concerning health and reproduction. These seals are experiencing climate-driven changes in their habitat that could result in physiological stress. Chronic physiological stress can lead to immunosuppression, decreased reproduction and decreased growth.

Energetics of arousal episodes in hibernating arctic ground squirrels.

Arctic ground squirrels overwintering in northern Alaska experience average soil temperature of -10 degrees C. To examine energetic costs of arousing from hibernation under arctic compared to temperate conditions, captive ground squirrels were maintained in ambient temperatures (T(a)) of 2, -5 and -12 degrees C. Rates of oxygen consumption and carbon dioxide production were used to estimate metabolic rate and fuel use during the three phases of arousal episodes: rewarming, euthermia, and recooling.