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Background Climate change has contributed to increasing temperatures, earlier snowmelts and thinning ice packs in the Arctic, where crossing frozen bodies of water is essential for transportation and subsistence living. In some Arctic communities, anecdotal reports indicate a growing belief that falling-through-the-ice (FTI) are increasing. The objective of this study was to describe the morbidity and mortality associated with unintentional FTIs in Alaska. Methods We searched newspaper reports to identify FTI events from 1990 to 2010. We also used data from a trauma registry, occupational health and law enforcement registries and vital statistics to supplement the newspaper reports. Morbidity and mortality rates were calculated for Alaska Native (AN) people and all Alaskans. Results During the 21-year period, we identified 307 events, affecting at least 449 people. Events ranged from no morbidity to fatalities of five people. More than half of the events involved transportation by snow machine. Mortality rates were markedly higher for AN people than that for all Alaskans. Conclusions We provide a numeric estimate of the importance of FTI events in Alaska. FTIs may represent an adverse health outcome related to climate changes in the Arctic, and may be particularly critical for vulnerable populations such as AN people. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article presents a study on the spatial and seasonal distributions of littoral algae communities at Amchitka Island, Alaska. The study draws concepts and notions coming from other research on various groups of benthic marine algae in the region. The article implies that there are environmental factors affecting the distributions of littoral algae vegetation which are terrestrial climate, sea temperatures, and wave action. The study investigates the connection of the three factors in the marine algal communities of the island.

The article reports on the physical climatology of Amchitka Island, Alaska. It states that the extreme variability of surface-wind directions at Amchitka is a result of a high incidence of migratory pressure systems. It also mentions that fog is dominant during the summer months because the water warms more slowly than the air that flows over it. It also forwards that frequent migratory storms and the marine influence of the Pacific Ocean to the south and the Bering Sea to the north are the main factors influencing the weather and climate of this island.