2023 Science Story

The crew of the fishing boat Pinnacle prepares to drop crab pots on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022 in the Bering Sea southwest of St. Matthew Island. The boat travels along a straight path as the pots are dropped, up to 30 in each line.

STORY SUMMARY: In early January, Captain Mark Casto and the crew of the fishing boat Pinnacle ventured to the northern realm of the Bering Sea in search of snow crab, a species that for decades was found in great abundance in rich fishing grounds more than 200 miles to the south, much closer to the safety of the ports of Dutch Harbor and St. Paul Island. But in the aftermath of a period of extreme ocean warming, the populations of snow crab have imploded in the traditional harvest areas off the Pribilof Islands.

This has put at risk a historic Alaska fishery that during two boom years in the early 1990s tallied more than 300 million pounds of the green-eyed crustacean with spindly legs, hauls even greater than the highest years of the king crab harvests. After a dismal 2021 summer survey, Alaska state biologists slashed the 2022 harvest of snow crab to just 5.6 million pounds — down nearly 90% from 2021 levels. In October, after this story was published, the state canceled both the 2022-2023 Bering Sea king and snow crab seasons over worries of population collapse.

Pinnacle crewman Jack Bunnell rigs crab pots in Captains Bay on Friday, Jan. 14, 2022 in Dutch Harbor. The pots are stored in Dutch Harbor during the off-season, and sometimes need minor repairs before each season. Bunnell, who grew up in Homer, is the only crewman from Alaska, with the rest being from Washington state. For this particular trip, captain Mark Casto decided to bring 150 crab pots and 15 cod pots, which must be carefully stacked and secured for the multi-day journey from Dutch Harbor to the fishing grounds north of St. Paul Island.

Boats are docked at the Carl E. Moses Boat Harbor on Thursday, Jan. 13, 2022 in Dutch Harbor. The Port of Dutch Harbor is one of the country's largest fishing ports by volume.

First mate Eben Brown talks with his crew as they break ice from the fishing boat Pinnacle on Tuesday, Jan. 18, 2022 in the Bering Sea southwest of St. Matthew Island. Ice from freezing spray can add a significant amount of weight to a boat, changing its stability and threatening to capsize it.

Crewman Jack Bunnell, left, uses a jackhammer to clear ice from the bow of the fishing boat Pinnacle, as his fellow crewman Dan Jacobson shovels the ice chunks overboard on Wednesday, Jan. 19, 2022 in the Bering Sea southwest of St. Matthew Island. The Pinnacle often crawled through the Bering Sea at speeds of less than 5 mph to minimize the amount of spray that would freeze to the vessel. Still, seawater kept forming ice on the boat, forcing the crew to remove it.

Pinnacle crewmen Eben Brown, left, and Mike Grant sort crab on Saturday, Jan. 22, 2022 in the Bering Sea southwest of St. Matthew Island. The Pinnacle this winter had a 209,000-pound quota, a little more than half a boatload. That was a big cut from last year’s haul that took five trips to reach the quota.

Pinnacle crewman Jerret Kummer carries line to a coiling machine as the crew brings up a crab pot on Monday, Jan. 24, 2022 in the Bering Sea southwest of St. Matthew Island. With 165 pots, the crew must work quickly to coil the line and store the buoys in each pot as they are brought up, so that the pots can be stacked and secured on the deck.

The fishing boat Pinnacle makes its way through an ice floe on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022 in the Bering Sea southwest of St. Matthew Island. The winter ice is a key ally to the snow crab. It helps in the growth of algae at the base of the food chain, and is vital to the formation of a vast cold pool at the sea bottom that acts as a safe haven for snow crab to escape predators who prefer warmer temperatures. Climate scientists forecast the Bering’s ice cover will be in long-term retreat in a 21st century where greenhouse gas emissions — spurred by the combustion of fossil fuels on land, in the air and at sea — unevenly warm the planet. Temperatures are rising in Arctic and sub-Arctic regions of the Bering Sea much faster than regions farther south.

Pinnacle crewman Stephen Jamieson walks to the bow of the Pinnacle through a spray on Tuesday, Jan. 25, 2022 in the Bering Sea southwest of St. Matthew Island. When the captain finds a spot of crab the crew shifts into overdrive, working 20-hour days in all kinds of weather.

Trident Seafoods employees Christopher Arenzana, left, and Chris Napoles rest in a tank of snow crabs after filling a brailer aboard the fishing boat Pinnacle, docked at the Trident Seafoods plant on St. Paul Island on Saturday, Jan. 29, 2022. The crab must be kept alive in seawater-filled tanks until they are delivered to the shore-based processor, which provides 90% of the tax revenue for the primarily Alaska Native community of St. Paul. In normal years, St. Paul Island collects on average about $2.7M in fisheries taxes. After the closure of the 2022-2023 crab fishing season, in 2023 it expects to collect only about $200,000. “Without the taxes derived from crab processing our municipal government will struggle to support essential municipal services such as public safety, road maintenance, and emergency medical services,” said St. Paul Island Mayor Jacob Merculief in a statement.

Grasse (France), at the Robertet perfume company, freshly picked cabbage roses are weighed on their arrival from the fields.

La Spezia (Italy), members of the Aston Villa team in the changing room at the end of a summer tournament at the Montepertico Sports Centre. Adolescence is a period of significant change that sees a notable increase in hormone production. The body’s smell changes and sweat, particularly around to the parts of the body covered in hair, becomes stronger and more acidic.

Savigliano (Cuneo, Italy), Múses - Accademia Europea delle Essenze (European Academy of Essences), visitors to the museum can smell different fragrances beneath each of the bells.

Mexico City (Mexico), new dad Roberto Ramirez changes the nappy of his baby, Ava, who is only a few weeks old. The smell of a newborn baby’s faeces is understood to be stronger and more unpleasant if the baby is fed artificial milk.

Grasse (France), Musée International de la Parfumerie, the work entitled "Smoke Room", created in 2010 by Belgian artist Peter De Cupere, was made using 750 thousand cigarette ends.

Mexico City (Mexico), embalmer Mario Drummer Duran, together with assistant Carlos Favila (facing away from camera) perform a treatment on the body of Ysidra Pérez, who died of intestinal problems. Corpses emit gas that has an unpleasant odour generated by a chemical compound called putrescine.

Colorno (Parma), at ALMA, the International School of Italian Cuisine, Novella Bagna, teacher of sensorial analysis, gets students to sniff various spices.

Venice (Italy), the smell of fish fills the ancient Campo della Pescaria market just a few steps from the Rialto Bridge. Smell is crucial to understanding the quality and freshness of fish in a market: if it is fresh, the smell will be a delicate marine odour, if the produce is a few days old it smells of rotting.

Lodi (Italy), at ICR - Industrie Cosmetiche Riunite, Italy’s largest perfume producer, vice president Ambra Martone cracks a smile during a smelling session to assess new perfumes.

Zemun (Belgrade, Serbia), from right Zlata Ristićz, Dijana Ferhatović and Silvia Sinani (on the phone) smoke a hookah at the Pacha Bar after rehearsing with their band Pretty Loud. A hookah gives off a strong smell of tobacco mixed with molasses, all of which has been strongly flavoured.

Milan (Italy), a perfume is prepared in the laboratory of Atelier Fragranze Milano.

Milan (Italy), in a stand at the Esxence perfume fair, in order to better appreciate the quality of a fragrance new experiments are being conducted to find associations between perfumes and images in virtual reality.

LAGUNA NIGUEL, CALIFORNIA - JUNE 17: An aerial view shows some of the 20 hillside homes destroyed by the Coastal Fire as cleanup work continues on June 17, 2022 in Laguna Niguel, California. The May 11 brush fire was fueled by windy and dry conditions amid California’s severe drought, which has been compounded by climate change. Flames raced up the hill to reach the multimillion-dollar houses after the fire started below in a nearby canyon. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

MAYER, ARIZONA - JULY 21: Lightning strikes during a monsoon storm with a nearly dry creek bed in the foreground on July 21, 2022 near Mayer, Arizona. The National Weather Service issued an excessive heat warning for eight counties in Arizona today including Yavapai county. Climate change is making heat waves more frequent and hotter with large swathes of the U.S. currently under excessive heat warnings. Six cities in Arizona, including Phoenix, have declared water shortages amid a climate change-fueled megadrought in the Southwestern United States. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

CANYON COUNTRY, CALIFORNIA - OCTOBER 24: A Cal Fire firefighter hops over a locked gate while working the Tick Fire on October 24, 2019 in Canyon Country, California. The fire has burned at least 3,700 acres thus far. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, NEVADA - JUNE 23: A formerly sunken boat is currently stuck nearly upright in a now-dry section of lakebed at the drought-stricken Lake Mead on June 23, 2022 in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reported that Lake Mead, North America's largest artificial reservoir, has dropped to about 1,044 feet above sea level, the lowest it's been since being filled in 1937 after the construction of the Hoover Dam. The declining water levels are a result of a climate change-fueled megadrought coupled with increased water demands in the Southwestern United States. Fears are increasing that Lake Mead could in years ahead become a ‘dead pool’, when the water levels become too low to flow downstream from nearby Hoover Dam. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

PALM DESERT, CALIFORNIA - JULY 13: An aerial view of a golf course next to undeveloped desert on July 13, 2022 in Palm Desert, California. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, more than 97 percent of the state of California's land area is in at least severe drought status, with nearly 60 percent in at least extreme drought. California is now in a third consecutive year of drought amid a climate change-fueled megadrought in the Southwestern United States. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

NAMBE, NEW MEXICO - JUNE 3: A gauge measures water levels on the Rio Nambe amid extreme drought conditions in the area on June 3, 2022 near Nambe, New Mexico. According to the U.S. Drought Monitor, 90 percent of New Mexico is experiencing extreme drought conditions amid a climate-change fueled megadrought in the Southwestern United States. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

WHITEWATER, CALIFORNIA - JULY 10: Southern California residents Kameron and Arianna cool off in the Whitewater River as their dog Max dries off on July 10, 2021 in Whitewater, California. ‘Dangerously hot conditions’ are expected to hit the Coachella Valley this weekend with possible highs of 115 to 120 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. An excessive heat warning was issued for much of California through Monday. Climate models almost unanimously predict that heat waves will become more intense and frequent as the planet continues to warm. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

APACHE JUNCTION, ARIZONA - OCTOBER 08: A fallen saguaro cactus decays in the Sonoran Desert on October 8, 2022 near Apache Junction, Arizona. The saguaro is the largest cactus in the nation and an iconic symbol of the American Southwest. The cacti are threatened by a number of issues linked to climate change including an increased risk of wildfires kindled by invasive grasses. Scientists monitoring Arizona’s Saguaro National Park have observed a heightened mortality rate in young saguaros amid increased temperatures, inconsistent monsoon rains and long-term drought. The giant cactus is a unique keystone species to the Sonoran Desert with saguaros living as long as 150-200 years and reaching heights of over 50 feet. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

CASTAIC, CALIFORNIA - AUGUST 31: A firefighting helicopter performs a water drop as the Route Fire burns on August 31, 2022 near Castaic, California. Evacuations have been ordered as the brush fire has scorched more than 4,600 acres and closed down the 5 freeway at the start of a brutal heat wave in Southern California. The National Weather Service issued an Excessive Heat Warning for most of Southern California through Labor Day. Climate models almost unanimously predict that heat waves will become more intense and frequent as the planet continues to warm. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

LAKE MEAD, ARIZONA - JUNE 24: A person takes in the view from the Arizona side of the Hoover Dam, with drought-stricken Lake Mead below, on June 24, 2022 in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Arizona. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reported that Lake Mead, North America's largest artificial reservoir, has dropped to about 1,044 feet above sea level, the lowest it's been since being filled in 1937 after the construction of the Hoover Dam. The declining water levels are a result of a climate change-fueled megadrought coupled with increased water demands in the Southwestern United States. Fears are increasing that Lake Mead could in years ahead become a ‘dead pool’, when the water levels become too low to flow downstream from nearby Hoover Dam. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

LAKE MEAD NATIONAL RECREATION AREA, NEVADA - MAY 09: (EDITORS NOTE: Image depicts death.) A dead fish rests on a section of dry lakebed along drought-stricken Lake Mead on May 9, 2022 in the Lake Mead National Recreation Area, Nevada. The U.S. Bureau of Reclamation reported that Lake Mead, North America's largest artificial reservoir, has dropped to about 1,052 feet above sea level, the lowest it's been since being filled in 1937 after the construction of the Hoover Dam. Two sets of human remains have been discovered recently as the lake continues to recede. The declining water levels are a result of a climate change-fueled megadrought coupled with increased water demands in the Southwestern United States. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

JUNIPER HILLS, CALIFORNIA - SEPTEMBER 18: A home burns as the sun sets behind smoke and flames during the Bobcat Fire on September 18, 2020 in Juniper Hills, California. Numerous homes were destroyed in the area a day after mandatory evacuations there as the Bobcat Fire has now scorched more than 60,000 acres. California's national forests remain closed due to wildfires which have burned a record 3.4 million acres this year. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images)

Elephant calves walk after a feeding routine early in the morning at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, Samburu, Kenya on October 13, 2022.

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary has been overwhelmed with rescue operations and the influx of orphaned and abandoned calves due to the current drought in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy where they operate. Parched lands and dry wells cover the terrain leading to many baby elephants to lose their exhausted mothers, or get abandoned or lost.

East Africa’s worst drought in forty years is starving Kenya’s famed wildlife of usual food and water sources while increasing human-wildlife conflict. The severe drought has not only put millions of people on the brink of starvation, but it is also threatening the rich biodiversity in the region.

An elephant calf tries to find some browse in a dry land without fresh vegetation during a morning walk at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, Samburu, Kenya on October 12, 2022.

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary has been overwhelmed with rescue operations and the influx of orphaned and abandoned calves due to the current drought in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy where they operate. Parched lands and dry wells cover the terrain leading to many baby elephants to lose their exhausted mothers, or get abandoned or lost.

East Africa’s worst drought in forty years is starving Kenya’s famed wildlife of usual food and water sources while increasing human-wildlife conflict. The severe drought has not only put millions of people on the brink of starvation, but it is also threatening the rich biodiversity in the region.

An elephant keeper gives enriched milk to a calf using a feeding bottle during a feeding routine early in the morning at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, Samburu, Kenya on October 12, 2022.

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary has been overwhelmed with rescue operations and the influx of orphaned and abandoned calves due to the current drought in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy where they operate. Parched lands and dry wells cover the terrain leading to many baby elephants to lose their exhausted mothers, or get abandoned or lost.

East Africa’s worst drought in forty years is starving Kenya’s famed wildlife of usual food and water sources while increasing human-wildlife conflict. The severe drought has not only put millions of people on the brink of starvation, but it is also threatening the rich biodiversity in the region.

Elephant keeper Kiapi Lakupanai plays with two calves at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, Samburu, Kenya on October 12, 2022.

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary has been overwhelmed with rescue operations and the influx of orphaned and abandoned calves due to the current drought in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy where they operate. Parched lands and dry wells cover the terrain leading to many baby elephants to lose their exhausted mothers, or get abandoned or lost.

East Africa’s worst drought in forty years is starving Kenya’s famed wildlife of usual food and water sources while increasing human-wildlife conflict. The severe drought has not only put millions of people on the brink of starvation, but it is also threatening the rich biodiversity in the region.

An elephant keeper caresses 1-month-old calf Naesemare at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, Samburu, Kenya on October 12, 2022. Naesemare was recently rescued while stuck in a dry well and left behind by her herd.

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary has been overwhelmed with rescue operations and the influx of orphaned and abandoned calves due to the current drought in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy where they operate. Parched lands and dry wells cover the terrain leading to many baby elephants to lose their exhausted mothers, or get abandoned or lost.

East Africa’s worst drought in forty years is starving Kenya’s famed wildlife of usual food and water sources while increasing human-wildlife conflict. The severe drought has not only put millions of people on the brink of starvation, but it is also threatening the rich biodiversity in the region.

An elephant keeper prepares feeding bottles containing enriched milk to feed elephant calves at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, Samburu, Kenya on October 12, 2022.

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary has been overwhelmed with rescue operations and the influx of orphaned and abandoned calves due to the current drought in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy where they operate. Parched lands and dry wells cover the terrain leading to many baby elephants to lose their exhausted mothers, or get abandoned or lost.

East Africa’s worst drought in forty years is starving Kenya’s famed wildlife of usual food and water sources while increasing human-wildlife conflict. The severe drought has not only put millions of people on the brink of starvation, but it is also threatening the rich biodiversity in the region.

An elephant keeper directs 1-month-old calf Naesemare out of her quarantine area at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, Samburu, Kenya on October 12, 2022. Naesemare was recently rescued while stuck in a dry well and left behind by her herd.

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary has been overwhelmed with rescue operations and the influx of orphaned and abandoned calves due to the current drought in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy where they operate. Parched lands and dry wells cover the terrain leading to many baby elephants to lose their exhausted mothers, or get abandoned or lost.

East Africa’s worst drought in forty years is starving Kenya’s famed wildlife of usual food and water sources while increasing human-wildlife conflict. The severe drought has not only put millions of people on the brink of starvation, but it is also threatening the rich biodiversity in the region.

Elephant keepers hold 1-month-old elephant calf Naesemare while a resident veterinary disinfect some of her injuries at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, Samburu, Kenya on October 12, 2022. Naesemare was recently rescued while stuck in a dry well and left behind by her herd.

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary has been overwhelmed with rescue operations and the influx of orphaned and abandoned calves due to the current drought in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy where they operate. Parched lands and dry wells cover the terrain leading to many baby elephants to lose their exhausted mothers, or get abandoned or lost.

East Africa’s worst drought in forty years is starving Kenya’s famed wildlife of usual food and water sources while increasing human-wildlife conflict. The severe drought has not only put millions of people on the brink of starvation, but it is also threatening the rich biodiversity in the region.

An elephant keeper caresses a calf at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, Samburu, Kenya on October 12, 2022.

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary has been overwhelmed with rescue operations and the influx of orphaned and abandoned calves due to the current drought in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy where they operate. Parched lands and dry wells cover the terrain leading to many baby elephants to lose their exhausted mothers, or get abandoned or lost.

East Africa’s worst drought in forty years is starving Kenya’s famed wildlife of usual food and water sources while increasing human-wildlife conflict. The severe drought has not only put millions of people on the brink of starvation, but it is also threatening the rich biodiversity in the region.

Elephant keeper Kiapi Lakupanai rest next to 1-month-old calf Naesemare in the quarantine area at Reteti Elephant Sanctuary in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy, Samburu, Kenya on October 12, 2022. Naesemare was recently rescued while stuck in a dry well and left behind by her herd.

Reteti Elephant Sanctuary has been overwhelmed with rescue operations and the influx of orphaned and abandoned calves due to the current drought in Namunyak Wildlife Conservancy where they operate. Parched lands and dry wells cover the terrain leading to many baby elephants to lose their exhausted mothers, or get abandoned or lost.

East Africa’s worst drought in forty years is starving Kenya’s famed wildlife of usual food and water sources while increasing human-wildlife conflict. The severe drought has not only put millions of people on the brink of starvation, but it is also threatening the rich biodiversity in the region.