Remembering Don Kramer

Alaska Sea Grant is saddened to hear of the passing of our friend, colleague and former Marine Advisory Program leader, Don Kramer, on December 8, 2023. 

Kramer was a Marine Advisory Program seafood specialist for nearly thirty years, retiring in 2008. Kramer began work with MAP as a marine extension agent in 1980 and served as the program’s leader from 1985 to 2003. From 2003 to 2008, Kramer focused on teaching HACCP and other seafood quality control classes. He also authored two of Alaska Sea Grant’s best-selling books, Guide to Northeast Pacific Flatfishes and Guide to Northeast Pacific Rockfishes, among other publications.

Kramer was awarded the rank of UAF Professor of Fisheries Emeritus upon retirement. Kramer also received the Elizabeth Stier Humanitarian Achievement Award for outreach work in Alaska, from the Institute of Food Technologists. In addition, he was made an IFT Fellow, the highest distinction that members can achieve based on leadership and service in their field and to IFT.

Former and current Alaska Sea Grant staff and faculty shared these remembrances.

“Don was a dedicated teacher with a gentle style that made his subjects accessible to everyone.” —Sunny Rice, Petersburg Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program agent.

“Don was a dedicated, well-known, and well-respected seafood processing expert who put thousands of miles under his belt traveling across the state to teach HACCP and other food safety topics to Alaskans anywhere they harvested seafood. His leadership approach at MAP was to ‘stand back and watch you do good work,’ an approach that was very welcome much of the time! I enjoyed working with him and depended on his expertise and direct, no-nonsense approach to his work.” —Paula Cullenberg, former Alaska Sea Grant director.

All of us at Alaska Sea Grant who knew Don will remember his many valuable contributions, not only to our organization, but to Alaska. We offer our condolences to his family and friends.