Remembering Gary Freitag

Alaska Sea Grant is deeply saddened by the passing of our friend and colleague, Gary Freitag.

Gary spent 13 fruitful years at Alaska Sea Grant as the Marine Advisory Program agent based in Ketchikan, providing educational and technical assistance and outreach across Southeast Alaska. His deep knowledge and expertise, paired with a natural gift for teaching and an ability to make complex information understandable and engaging, made him a trusted and respected resource throughout the region. 

“I loved calling him to ask questions about oceanography, or salmon, or invasive species, because he took such joy in teaching and helping,” said Sunny Rice, Marine Advisory Program agent in nearby Petersburg. “His joy was truly infectious.”  

Throughout his long career, Gary was dedicated to working with people and sharing his love of marine science. He took special pride in helping students explore and learn about the ocean, including teaching oceanography to students at the University of Alaska Southeast. His work ranged from marine mammal necropsy and disentanglement to invasive species monitoring and rapid response, and from salmon forecasting to remote operated vehicle (ROV) training. He gave public presentations on topics ranging from seaweed mariculture to marine mammals, always meeting people where they were and making science approachable and engaging. 

Gary’s colleagues remember him not only for what he knew, but for how he shared his knowledge. “From Ketchikan to Western Alaska, Gary was interested not only in the various marine life and ecosystems, but also in all of us who made the Marine Advisory Program team,” noted Gay Sheffield, Nome’s Marine Advisory Program agent. “Gary was a tremendous mentor, full of knowledge, goodwill, and a great sense of humor.”

Julie Matweyou, the program’s agent in Kodiak, remembers sitting with Gary nearly every year at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium, listening closely to presentations on the Gulf of Alaska and discussing their relevance and implications for coastal communities. “Gary was my go-to oceanography guy, and I always aspired to bring the world of phytoplankton into the classroom as he did,” she said.

Gary was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and earned his Master of Science in oceanography from Old Dominion University before moving to Alaska in 1974 to study for a doctorate in oceanography at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He spent two years in Fairbanks before deciding he belonged closer to the ocean and moved to Ketchikan in 1976. 

Gary spent more than four decades conducting research, teaching and serving the community in Southeast Alaska. Before joining Alaska Sea Grant in 2008, he worked in salmon aquaculture research and management with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and later as research director at the Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association. He also taught oceanography at UAS and served on the Pacific Salmon Commission Chinook Technical Committee, acting as a liaison between fisheries management and the fishers and communities who depend on salmon. 

Upon his retirement from Alaska Sea Grant in 2021, Gary was honored with the title of Professor Emeritus from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, reflecting his impactful service, leadership and enduring contributions to coastal Alaska. Gary approached his Marine Advisory Program work with joy, curiosity and kindness for the people and places he served. He remained connected to marine research through his continued service on the advisory panel to the North Pacific Research Board and as a longtime board member of the Western Regional Aquaculture Association.

Our thoughts are with all who knew and cared for Gary. His legacy lives on in his family, the many people he taught, the colleagues he mentored, the communities he supported, and the marine environment he helped us all understand a little better.