Bering Sea | Humans DOCTORATE ORAL PRESENTATION Reviewing the sea ice for walrus outlook to increase coastal resilience in Alaska Presenter: Amy Hendricks , ashendricks@alaska.edu, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Nathan Kettle , nkettle@alaska.edu Lisa Sheffield-Guy , lisa@arcus.org Olivia Lee , oalee@alaska.edu Vera Metcalf , VMetcalf@kawerak.org Gay Sheffield , ggsheffield@alaska.edu, University of Alaska Fairbanks Davin Holen , dlholen@alaska.edu
Rapid decline of Arctic sea ice extent, duration, and quality is driving changes in walrus distribution and impacting subsistence activities for Bering Strait coastal communities. The Sea Ice for Walrus Outlook (SIWO; www.arcus.org/ siwo) is a web-based tool designed to provide information about spring sea ice, weather, and shared observations of wildlife, including availability and accessibility to walruses. This presentation reviews the SIWO project in order to provide a preliminary set of recommendations and provide insights for other emergent programs interested in providing information to support coastal resilience in rural and Indigenous communities. The SIWO review was based on 27 indicators developed from literature on evaluation and decision support that examined the inputs, processes, outputs, outcomes, and contextual factors that influence the capacity to provide actionable information. Methods used to gather feedback included a document analysis (n=70), interviews with SIWO local observers, advisory team members, coordinators, and National Weather Service forecasters (n=13), and a web-based questionnaire (n=35). Findings highlighted the importance of strong relationships, diverse expertise, respectful attitudes, and equitable compensation as key to developing and maintaining a sustainable partnership with local observers. Stakeholder- generated recommendations included extending the geographic and seasonal scope of the SIWO, synthesizing local observations (2010-present) for use in adaptation planning and hazard response, documenting and sharing lessons learned, and adjusting stipends to cover the full costs of providing local observations. Key insights for emergent organizations interested in providing similar informational tools to support rural and Indigenous communities include the importance of leveraging existing observation networks, the value of bringing together both scientific and Indigenous knowledge systems to support information needs, additional budget considerations for engagement opportunities, and the tradeoffs of using social media to disseminate information.
Alaska Marine Science Symposium 2023 58
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