education
Volunteers trained to respond to whale entanglements
When whales get entangled in fishing gear or other marine debris, it’s a potentially life-threatening event that takes a group of trained specialists to provide help. And with whale entanglements on the rise worldwide, it’s becoming an ever-more pressing need. Last month, Alaska Sea Grant teamed up with Ed Lyman of the National Oceanic and…
Read MoreCarbon dioxide sample from Utqiaġvik provides wake-up call on climate
How does the buildup of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere measured at Hawai‘i’s Mauna Loa volcano over the last six decades compare with the air above Alaska? During a recent spring trip to Utqiaġvik, I had a chance to find out by visiting the farthest-north atmospheric observatory operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration…
Read MoreMarilyn Sigman honored for marine science outreach
Kudos to our marine education specialist Marilyn Sigman, who recently took home an Alaska Ocean Leadership Award at the Alaska Marine Gala in Anchorage. The award program is run by the Alaska SeaLife Center and covers five categories. Sigman won for marine science outreach, awarded to “a person, team or organization that has made an…
Read MoreBristol Bay students learn lessons in state politics in Juneau
Alaska Sea Grant is helping lead a group of Bristol Bay students in the state capital this week. Our Dillingham agent Gabe Dunham, together with University of Alaska Fairbanks emeritus professor Mike Davis, is teaching a seminar called “Fisheries and the Legislative Process.” The class is offered annually by the University of Alaska Fairbanks Bristol…
Read MoreScience talks go live on Facebook
(This is a guest column by Scott Pegau, research director, Oil Spill Recovery Institute) Since 1999, Alaska Sea Grant and the Prince William Sound Science Center have hosted a weekly lecture series in Cordova called “Tuesday Talks.” These winter talks feature speakers from government agencies, tribal groups, nonprofit organizations, and research institutes along with other…
Read MoreMourning the loss of Mary Pete
Alaska Sea Grant is mourning the loss our dear friend and colleague Mary Ciuniq Pete, who passed away on Nov. 17, 2018, after a battle with cancer. We send our deepest condolences to Mary’s family, friends and the entire Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region. Mary was a longtime member of our advisory committee and a fierce advocate…
Read MoreMarine advisory agents promoted
Julie Matweyou and Gary Freitag of Alaska Sea Grant’s Marine Advisory Program received promotions this month. Matweyou, the marine advisory agent based in Kodiak, received tenure and is now associate professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, where Alaska Sea Grant and the Marine Advisory Program are housed. Matweyou…
Read MoreScientists use app to engage citizens in ocean acidification study
Clam populations throughout Alaska have steadily declined for over 20 years, affecting subsistence, recreational and commercial harvesters. The exact causes of the decline are unknown. Suspected factors include habitat changes, environmental stressors, predation and, possibly, ocean acidification. Under the supervision of University of Alaska Fairbanks professor Amanda Kelley, PhD student Ashley Rossin is studying the…
Read MoreEngaging teachers in Northern Gulf of Alaska research
Our marine education specialist, Marilyn Sigman, is developing K–12 education programs for the Northern Gulf of Alaska long-term ecological research site. The NGA-LTER, as it’s called, is a National Science Foundation–funded research area that runs from the mouth of the Copper River to Kodiak Island. Educational outreach to young students as well as undergraduate and…
Read MoreNew Alaska Sea Grant-funded graduate students dive into research
Six graduate students from the University of Alaska became research fellows last summer and this fall with funding from Alaska Sea Grant. The students are working on projects that address scientific issues in Alaska coastal communities and ecosystems. Jesse Gordon is working with associate professor Anne Beaudreau on a project titled, “Integrating local ecological knowledge…
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