Indigenous Knowledge

Effects climate change on marine mammal hunting

• Iñupiaq, Yup’ik, and Cup’ik hunters in 14 Alaska Native communities described a rapidly changing marine environment in qualitative traditional knowledge interviews conducted over the course of a decade with 110 individuals. Based on their observations, sea ice conditions are the most notable change, with later freeze-up, thinner and less reliable ice, and earlier and more rapid break-up. Marine mammal populations in northern and western Alaska have been affected by changes in the physical environment, with alterations to migratory timing and routes, distribution, abundance, health, and behavior. Despite these changes, marine mammal populations in the region remain generally healthy and abundant.
• Huntington, H. P., L. T. Quakenbush, and M. Nelson. 2017. Evaluating the effects of climate change on indigenous marine mammal hunting in northern and western Alaska using traditional knowledge. Frontiers in Marine Science 4. doi: 10.3389/fmars.2017.00319.

Changing ice and subsistence hunting

• We interviewed hunters in 11 coastal villages from the northern Bering Sea to the Beaufort Sea. Hunters reported extensive changes in sea ice and weather that have affected the timing of marine mammal migrations, their distribution and behavior and the efficacy of certain hunting methods. Amidst these changes, however, hunters cited offsetting technological benefits, such as more powerful and fuel-efficient outboard engines.
• Huntington, H. P., L. T. Quakenbush, and M. Nelson. 2016. Effects of changing sea ice on marine mammals and subsistence hunters in northern Alaska from traditional knowledge interviews. Biological Letters 12:20160198. doi: 10.1098/rsbl.2016.0198

Arctic marine mammals, including ice seals, are important for subsistence harvests by Alaskan coastal communities. These animals are also iconic Arctic marine mammals at risk from climate change. Placing satellite transmitters on seals, walrus, beluga whales, and other species provides detailed information about the movements, habitat use, and behavior of some individual animals. Satellite telemetry studies, however, are limited in the number of individuals per species that can be instrumented, therefore it is difficult to know how well tagged animal movements and behavior represent the population as a whole. Documenting traditional knowledge about timing of migration, behavior, and the age classes of marine mammals at specific locations through interviews with residents of coastal communities provides important context in which to interpret the satellite telemetry studies as well as providing contemporaneous and historical information about general patterns in marine mammal distribution, movement, and behavior that complement the science greatly. These reports summarize information gathered from interviews held in coastal communities with hunters and other knowledgeable residents.

Scammon Bay

• Huntington, H. P., M. Nelson, and L. T. Quakenbush. 2017. Traditional knowledge regarding ringed seals, bearded seals, and walrus near Scammon Bay, Alaska. Final report to the Eskimo Walrus Commission, the Ice Seal Committee, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for contract #M13PC00015 10 pp.
• Report (PDF 136 kB)

Mekoryuk

• Huntington, H. P., M. Nelson, and L. T. Quakenbush. 2017. Traditional knowledge regarding ringed seals, bearded seals, and walrus near Mekoryuk, Alaska. Final report to the Eskimo Walrus Commission, the Ice Seal Committee, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for contract #M13PC00015 9 pp.
• Report (PDF 140 kB)

Hooper Bay

• Huntington, H. P., M. Nelson, and L. T. Quakenbush. 2017. Traditional knowledge regarding ringed seals, bearded seals, and walrus near Hooper Bay, Alaska. Final report to the Eskimo Walrus Commission, the Ice Seal Committee, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for contract #M13PC00015 10 pp.
• Report (PDF 133 kB)

Shishmaref

• Huntington, H. P., M. Nelson, and L. T. Quakenbush. 2016. Traditional knowledge regarding ringed seals, bearded seals, and walrus near Shishmaref, Alaska. Final report to the Eskimo Walrus Commission, the Ice Seal Committee, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for contract #M13PC00015 8 pp.
• Report (PDF 153 kB)

Kotzebue

• Huntington, H. P., M. Nelson, and L. T. Quakenbush. 2016. Traditional knowledge regarding ringed seals, bearded seals, and walrus near Kotzebue, Alaska. Final report to the Eskimo Walrus Commission, the Ice Seal Committee, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for contract #M13PC00015 11 pp.
• Report (PDF 124 kB)

Kivalina

• Huntington, H. P., M. Nelson, and L. T. Quakenbush. 2016. Traditional knowledge regarding ringed seals, bearded seals, and walrus near Kivalina, Alaska. Final report to the Eskimo Walrus Commission, the Ice Seal Committee, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for contract #M13PC00015 8 pp.
• Report (PDF 206 kB)

St. Michael and Stebbins

• Huntington, H. P., M. Nelson, and L. T. Quakenbush. 2015. Traditional knowledge regarding ringed seals, bearded seals, and walrus near St. Michael and Stebbins, Alaska. Final report to the Eskimo Walrus Commission, the Ice Seal Committee, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for contract #M13PC00015 7 pp.
• Report (PDF 98 kB)

Elim

• Huntington, H. P., M. Nelson, and L. T. Quakenbush. 2015. Traditional knowledge regarding ringed seals, bearded seals, and walrus near Elim, Alaska. Final report to the Eskimo Walrus Commission, the Ice Seal Committee, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for contract #M13PC00015 7 pp.
• Report (PDF 98 kB)

Barrow

• Huntington, H. P., M. Nelson, and L. T. Quakenbush. 2015. Traditional knowledge regarding walrus, ringed seals, and bearded seals near Barrow, Alaska. Final report to the Eskimo Walrus Commission, the Ice Seal Committee, and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for contract #M13PC00015 8 pp.
• Report (PDF 106 kB)

Point Hope

• Huntington, H. P., and L. T. Quakenbush. 2013. Traditional knowledge regarding walrus near Point Hope, Alaska. Report to Native Village of Point Hope and Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for contract #M09PC00027 9 pp.
• Report (PDF 101 kB)

Point Lay and Wainwright

• Huntington, H. P., M. Nelson, and L. T. Quakenbush. 2012. Traditional knowledge regarding walrus near Point Lay and Wainwright, Alaska. Final report to the Eskimo Walrus Commission and the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management for contract #M09PC00027 11 pp.
• Report (PDF 190 kB)

2017

• Nelson, M., H. P. Huntington, and L. Quakenbush. 2017. Evaluating the effects of climate change on indigenous marine mammal hunting in northern and western Alaska using Traditional Knowledge. 22nd Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals. 22–27 October 2017, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada. (Abstract and poster) (PDF 1,528 kB)

2016

• Huntington, H. P., L. Quakenbush, and M. Nelson. 2016. The effects of changing sea ice on marine mammals and their hunters in northern Alaska. Alaska Marine Science Symposium, 25–29 January, Anchorage, AK. (Abstract and poster) (PDF 867 kB)

2015

• Huntington, H. P., L. Quakenbush, and M. Nelson. 2015. The effects of changing sea ice on marine mammals and their hunters in northern Alaska. Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union, 14–18 December, San Francisco, CA. (Abstract and poster) (PDF 826 kB)

2012

• Nelson, M., J. Goodwin, and L. Quakenbush. 2012. Subsistence harvest records for ice seals in Alaska, 1960–2010. Alaska Marine Science Symposium, 16–20 January, Anchorage, AK. (Abstract and poster) (PDF 950 kB)

2009

• Nelson, M., L. Quakenbush, J. Citta. 2009. The subsistence harvest of ice seals in Alaska–Has it changed in 40 years? 18th Biennial Conference on the Biology of Marine Mammals, 12–16 October, Quebec City, Canada. (Abstract and poster) (PDF 3,198 kB)