The Oceans Surrounding Little Diomede Island, Alaska, United States
- The Persaud Foundation
- 4 days ago
- 4 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
In today’s article, we are going to discuss the oceans surrounding Little Diomede Island, Alaska. Little Diomede Island, colloquially known as Yesterday Island, is a small island far off the coast of Alaska. It is a part of the Diomede Archipelago. Despite being a mere 2.3 miles from Big Diomede, the islands are 23 hours apart in time. For this reason, Big Diomede is known as Tomorrow Island, while Little Diomede is known as Yesterday Island.
Little Diomede is incredibly isolated, as it is 16 miles from mainland Alaska, & doesn’t have any roads leading to it. Usually, the only way to get to the island is by helicopter, & in the summer, by boat. Despite the harsh conditions, the island still currently has a population of 87. The majority of these people are indigenous Inupiat people.
Even though the temperatures can reach as low as -20° Fahrenheit, marine life has still found a way to survive in this environment. Animals such as Cetaceans, Crabs, Seals, & Large Fish have all adapted to this frigid & hostile climate, & thrive amongst the ice.
Many of these marine animals have evolved to have some form of insulation, which allows them to live in such cold environments without freezing to death. For example, Cetaceans are known for their thick layers of blubber, which enable them to endure such intense temperatures.
In this article, we are going to delve into the Salinity, Tides, Temperatures, Marine Geography, & Depth of the Oceans Surrounding Little Diomede, the Marine Environments of Little Diomede, the Marine Flora & Fauna of Little Diomede Island, & finally How Climate Change is Affecting Little Diomede Island. With that being said, let us delve into the arctic waters of Little Diomede Island.
The Salinity, Tides, Temperatures, Marine Geography, & Depth of The Oceans Surrounding Little Diomede Island
The salinity of the water around Little Diomede Island is between 31 & 33 parts per thousand or practical salinity units. Salinity is measured in 1,000-gram increments of water. For every 1000 grams of water, there will be a certain number of grams that are pure salt, with the amount of pure salt being referred to as parts per thousand or practical salinity units.
The tidal charts around Little Diomede Island unfortunately are not available through many resources. One of the few sites that offers the tidal charts for the isles, is https://tideking.com. The tide around Little Diomede Island generally doesn’t go over 4.5 feet (1.3716 meters), or below -0.5 feet (-0.01524 meters).
Similarly, there are almost no charts available of the oceanic temperatures for Little Diomede.
Little Diomede is surrounded by relatively shallow water, ranging from 3 (0.9144 meters), to 173 feet (52.7304 meters) deep. There are no sea mounts in the nearby area, with the seafloor being composed primarily of rock & sand.
The Marine Ecosystems of Little Diomede Island
Ecosystem Type No. 1: Frigid Coastal Waters
The waters near Little Diomede Island are quite deep, & are home to a variety of animals. Many whales pass the island on their migrational routes. Very few animals inhabit the area year-round, with the few exceptions mainly being invertebrates such as crabs.
Ecosystem Type No. 2: Rocky Coastlines
Little Diomede has a coastline adorned with rocks. Along these rocks, colonies of seals or walruses can be seen relaxing. Apart from that, there is very little else that inhabits the direct coastline of Little Diomede Island.
The Marine Flora of Little Diomede Island
Unfortunately, due to the cold temperatures, harsh winds, & harsh currents, very little vegetation grows on the island or in the ocean around the island.
The Marine Fauna of Little Diomede Island
As said before, though Little Diomede Island has a very harsh environment, marine animals still thrive. Seal colonies can be seen along the shoreline in the summer months. There are 2 primary species of seals that inhabit the island, those being Ringed Seals (Pusa hispida), & Bearded Seals (Erignathus barbatus).
Walruses, dolphins, & whales are also fairly common, with species such as the Bowhead Whale, (Balaena mysticetus), congregating near the island during the late winter, spring, & early summer. Crabs, such as the Hanasaki Crab (Paralithodes brevipes), are also very common around the island, & are often hunted for their meat.
How Climate Change Is Affecting Little Diomede Island
Unfortunately, Little Diomede Island is at high risk for climate change. The island highly relies on ice for airstrips to land planes on, however, global warming is gradually causing permafrost to melt & ice to disappear. Planes are no longer able to land on Little Diomede Island, & islanders now have to rely on Helicopters to transport food & supplies once a week from Nome, if the weather allows. With ice melting, the ground is shifting underneath buildings as well, causing buildings to collapse off of their wooden stilts. One of the best examples of this occurred in 2023 when the local tribal office collapsed into the only school. Additionally, climate change is actively changing the migration routes for important animals such as walruses & seals, which many natives rely on for their meat. Overall, global warming & rising sea temperatures are causing massive issues for these islanders.
Directories / Credits
Citation No. 1: “One of the Biggest Arctic Migrations You’ve Never Heard Of”, Written by Unknown, & Published On May 12th, 2014. Published by the Ocean Conservancy. Retrieval Date: October 21st, 2024.
Citation No. 2: “Sealand & Walrus Harvest & Habitat Waters For Nine Bering Strait Region Communities”, Written by the Kawerak, & Published in 2013. Published by the Kawerak. Retrieval Date: October 21st, 2024.
Citation No. 3: “Climate Change Brings Collapsing Stilts and Hungry Bears to Little Diomede Island” Written by Cecily Hillaery, Published on December 23rd, 2023. Retrieval Date: October 21st, 2024.
Citation No. 4: “Climate Change Batters This Arctic Community - Can The Community Cope”, Written by Tik Root, & Published on November 30th, 2018. Retrieval Date: October 21st, 2024.
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