Alaska Sea Grant State Fellows announced for 2025

A new class of 11 Alaska Sea Grant State Fellows is preparing to start work around the state, including at the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation, Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Alaska Mariculture Alliance, NOAA, Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, and Alaska Sea Grant.

The Alaska Sea Grant State Fellowship provides on-the-job experience in planning and implementing natural resource policies and programs in Alaska. The program matches highly motivated graduate students and recent graduates with hosts in Alaska-based organizations and agencies for a 12-month paid fellowship.

Sydney Almgren

Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation
Fellowship plan: Almgren is working to build a comprehensive sustainable fisheries program by assisting with research, outreach, and planning focused on certifications and socially responsible practices. She is collaborating with industry partners, analyzing data, and assisting with program development and communication.

---

Erica Ebert

Alaska Sea Grant, Coastal Community Resilience
Fellowship plan: Ebert is contributing to community-based research on how environmental changes impact marine resources and coastal livelihoods. She is assisting with Alaska EPSCoR workshops, contributing to community engagement, and collaborating with the Sitka Sound Science Center.

---

Rachel French

Alaska Sea Grant, Mariculture Program
Fellowship plan: French, a returning Fellow, is working to update the Alaska Kelp Growers Manual, working with kelp farmers and hatchery operators in Kodiak, Kachemak Bay, Prince William Sound, and Southeast Alaska. She is also working to support the Mariculture Conference of Alaska and other Alaska Sea Grant-sponsored mariculture events.

---

Kyle Kolda

Alaska Sea Grant, Communications
Fellowship plan:Kolda is supporting Alaska Sea Grant’s communication goals by developing and writing effective communication campaigns, collaborating with communities and partners to understand needs.

---

Jonathon Kuntz

Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Commercial Fisheries
Fellowship plan: Kuntz is supporting statewide shellfish research and management by assisting with Tanner crab stock assessments, daily analysis, and collaboration with biologists from multiple regions. He is also contributing to policy work on federal Tanner crab regulations.

---

Emma Luck

Alaska Mariculture Alliance
Fellowship plan: Luck is assisting in identifying Aquaculture Opportunity Areas in state waters by supporting public engagement, environmental reviews, and interagency coordination. She is helping to draft outreach materials, organize public meetings, gather and synthesize public input, and develop a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement.

---

Emily Reynolds

NOAA FIsheries, Alaska Aquaculture Program
Fellowship plan: A returning Fellow, Reynold’s work is supporting and promoting outreach and engagement activities to advance the Alaska Aquaculture Action Plan. She is also contributing to the identification of Aquaculture Opportunity Areas—locations identified for their potential to support commercial aquaculture operations.

---

Aubrey Taradash

Alaska Sea Grant, Marine Debris
Fellowship plan: Taradash is working with Alaska Sea Grant to address marine debris through partnerships with the Alaska Center for Marine Debris and Marine Debris Foundation. Taradash is supporting marine debris outreach, education, and research throughout Alaska. She is also contributing to Alaska mariculture development as well as communications, public outreach, and partnership-building with agencies and nonprofits.

---

Pax Templeton

Alaska Sea Grant, Alaska Clean Harbors
Fellowship plan: Templeton is supporting the Alaska Clean Harbors program through targeted outreach, promoting clean boating practices and participation in the certification system. Templeton is developing an outreach plan, conducting in-person engagement, collaborating with harbor management, and enhancing the Alaska Clean Harbors website.

---

Leah Valdes

NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Auke Bay Laboratories
Fellowship plan: Valdes is collaborating with the Mariculture Research and Restoration Consortium team to support efforts relating to oyster hatchery development, site suitability analyses, and other innovative practices in the mariculture industry. She is also aiding in other AFSC mariculture research efforts, including studies on ecosystem services and permitting tools. 

---

Ana Velasquez

Central Council Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska
Fellowship plan: Velasquez is supporting Tlingit and Haida in advancing Indigenous-led mariculture by developing science-based and culturally grounded outreach, education, and management tools. The work is focused on integrating traditional knowledge with modern aquaculture science to promote sustainable seafood production, food sovereignty, and ecosystem health.