U.S. Department of the Interior

U.S. Geological Survey

Fact Sheet 2009–3072

August 2009 Printed on recycled paper

Alaska Interagency Ecosystem Health Work Group

The Alaska Interagency Ecosystem Health 

Work Group is a community of practice that 

recognizes the interconnections between the 

health of ecosystems, wildlife, and humans and 

meets to facilitate the exchange of ideas, data, 

and research opportunities. Membership includes 

the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, 

U.S. Geological Survey, Alaska Department of 

Environmental Conservation, Alaska Department 

of Health and Social Services, Centers for 

Disease Control and Prevention, U.S. Fish and 

Wildlife Service, Alaska Sea Life Center, U.S. 

Environmental Protection Agency, and Alaska 

Department of Fish and Game. Background

Environmental contamination and emerging infectious diseases 

are causing growing public health concern worldwide. These public 

health threats influence the relations between people and the physical, 

chemical, and biological aspects of our natural environments. The 

interaction of climate change with population growth and the related 

pressures of development are increasing the difficulties associated 

with sustaining effective public health practices and policies. Vectorborne and zoonotic (diseases animals can transmit to humans, like 

rabies) diseases, water contamination, bioaccumulative contaminants 

in the food chain, and environmental threats to public health the world 

over require marshalling our scientific knowledge to develop new 

approaches and solutions. Understanding environmental and ecological 

health is a prerequisite to protecting public health. In Alaska, where 

the human community is inseparably linked to its surrounding natural 

resources, the Alaska Interagency Ecosystem Health Work Group 

(AIEHWG) will play a significant role in providing scientific knowledge 

and information that will improve our understanding of the contribution 

of the environment to disease and human health.

The mission of the AIEHWG is to bring together and leverage 

the significant and diverse missions, skills, and capacities of the 

participants to gain a greater understanding of the relations between 

ecosystems and human health.

Goals

•	 Establish baselines for hazards (contaminants and 

environmental).

•	 Identify and study pathways and sentinels to determine their 

effects on human health.

•	 Identify relevant data sets and mechanisms for exchange of 

information. 

•	Facilitate pilot projects that demonstrate the connections 

between the natural environment and human health issues.
Topical Areas of Interest with Example 

Projects and Participants

Potential Contaminants and Pathogens in Air, 

Dust, and Soil

•	 Assessing potential geographic linkages of chemical and minerals 

to Alaska Native health issues by analyzing available U.S. 

Geological Survey geophysical data and Alaska Native health 

data. (U.S. Geological Survey [USGS] and Alaska Native Tribal 

Health Consortium [ANTHC])

Chemical and Harmful Contaminant Exposure by 

Drinking Water

•	 Assessment of hydrology, water quality, and trace elements in 

selected placer-mined creeks in the Birch Creek watershed near 

Central, Alaska, 2001–05. (USGS)

Human Consumption of Chemical and 

Pathogenic Contaminants

•	 Contaminants in salmon and pike. (U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 

[USFWS], Alaska Department of Health and Social Services 

[ADHSS], and ANTHC)

•	 Assessing the relation between Northern pike consumption and 

human hair mercury levels in rural Alaska. (ADHSS and USFWS)

•	 Developing and promoting recommended methods for disposal 

of medications to reduce impacts to fish and drinking water. 

(USFWS, Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation 

[ADEC], and ANTHC)

Vector-borne and Zoonotic Disease

•	 Zoonotic and animal arboviruses (diseases transmitted by the bite 

of insects) in Alaska. (ANTHC)

•	 Sampling Black Brant for avian influenza viruses during nesting, 

brood rearing, and molting. (USGS)

•	 Monitoring marine mammals for fecal pathogens known to cause 

illness in humans. (Alaska Sea Life Center)

Natural Hazards and Human Heath

•	 Improve volcanic ash fall and volcanic gas warning information 

in support of public health and safety. (USGS, National Oceanic 

Atmospheric Administration, ADEC, ADHSS, Municipality of 

Anchorage, and the U.S. Coast Guard)

Animals as Sentinels of Human Health

•	 West Nile virus and St. Louis encephalitis surveillance in horses. 

(ADEC in collaboration with Centers for Disease Control and 

Prevention)

For More Information:

U.S. Geological Survey

Office of the Regional Executive–Alaska Area

Mark Shasby

4210 University Drive, Anchorage, AK 99508

907-786-7000