Pollen Tinting Water around Norton Sound Communities

Observation by Vanessa Tahbone:

Thought this was interesting. Heard it was happening in a few other communities and wanted to log it. What is the cause of this? Why is it yellow?

Anahma Shannon with the Kawerak Environmental Department writes:

Toby Anungazuk from Golovin posted it washing up on their shores, so Golovin, Koyuk, and Stebbins…all around Norton Sound.

Comments from LEO Editors:

In the past week, LEO Network has received four observations about the unusual abundance of pollen, including this post. In Stebbins, observers noticed a yellow-tinted film on ocean water. In St. Mary's, pollen created a film on top of water collected in rain water catchment systems. In Chuathbaluk, the pollen became visible in the air as it was swept up by the wind into a dust devil. In 2014, LEO members in Seldovia observed abundant spruce pollen along the beach.

In an Alaska Public Media article, Dr. Tim Foote, an allergy and asthma specialist at the Tanana Valley Clinic in Fairbanks, describes the current pollen season. He comments that warm spring temperatures caused birch tree buds to pop, sending large amounts of pollen into the air. In Alaska, pollen counts are only measured in Anchorage and in Fairbanks, but the measurements in Fairbanks set a world record during the week of May 11th: Fairbanks recorded pollen counts at 7,045 grains per cubic meter. Typical measurements are about 1,500 grains per cubic meter. Dr. Foote goes on to say that the pollen can be blown to 36,000 feet in the jet stream, where it can be blown to many places around the world.