News
The latest blog posts and news releases from Alaska Sea Grant
Updated guide helps communities facing man-made disasters (7/28/2021) - The Exxon-Valdez oil spill captured worldwide attention with its devastating environmental impacts. Less attention was paid, however, to the social and economic effects the incident had on local communities in the immediate aftermath as well as over the long term. For years following the spill, local residents needed help understanding, managing, and recovering from the…
Kodiak local gets research experience through new internship (7/26/2021) - Increasing diversity, equity and inclusion in coastal and marine science, education, policy and decision-making is an important priority for Alaska Sea Grant. One way we are advancing this priority is through the Community Engaged Internship program (CEI), a 10-week paid summer internship for undergraduate students from underrepresented and Indigenous communities. The program provides training and…
Aquatic farmers wanted for collaborative research (6/24/2021) - Alaska Sea Grant and the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation are seeking aquatic farmers to join a 10-year, $25 million mariculture research proposal to the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill (EVOS) Trustee Council. Aquatic farmers from Prince William Sound, Kachemak Bay, and the Kodiak area are invited to submit an application. The proposed project is expected to…
Rockfish study adds local ecological knowledge to inform fisheries management (6/23/2021) - Over 35 species of rockfish live in the waters off the coast of Alaska. Rockfish have been harvested for subsistence for thousands of years, and commercially and recreationally fished since the early 1800s. Because rockfish are slow to reproduce, they are vulnerable to overfishing and require sound management to keep populations healthy. Some rockfish populations…
Ketchikan agent Gary Freitag to retire (6/22/2021) - Gary Freitag, Alaska Sea Grant’s Marine Advisory Program agent in Ketchikan, will retire this month after 13 years of providing educational and technical assistance and marine-related outreach for Southeast Alaska communities. His expertise, coupled with his passion for teaching and skill at making complex information understandable and interesting, has made him a valuable and respected…
2021–2022 Alaska Sea Grant State Fellows announced (6/18/2021) - Alaska Sea Grant has selected eight fellows for the Alaska Sea Grant State Fellowship Program in 2021–2022. The twelve-month fellowship offers soon-to-graduate or recently finished graduate students the opportunity to explore marine science and policy-related professional opportunities in Alaska. Hannah-Marie Garcia Hannah-Marie Garcia will join the Alaska Conservation Foundation in Anchorage to improve collaborative efforts…
Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference focuses on climate change (5/27/2021) - Alaska Sea Grant, together with the University of Alaska Fairbanks Bristol Bay Campus, hosted the 13th annual Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference (WAISC) on May 13 and 14. The conference brought together local and indigenous knowledge of subsistence-based communities and other scientific research relevant to Western Alaska. Normally convening in a Western Alaska community such…
Shellfish and Seaweed Festival highlights mariculture in Alaska (5/27/2021) - More than 100 people, including farmers, scientists, industry personnel, and community members participated in Alaska Sea Grant’s first Shellfish and Seaweed Festival. The online event featured presentations to celebrate and promote the mariculture industry in Alaska and the delicious shellfish and seaweed products grown here. Melissa Good, Alaska Sea Grant’s mariculture specialist, kicked off the…
Alaska Sea Grant welcomes two students to the staff (5/27/2021) - Two undergraduate students from the University of Alaska Fairbanks have recently joined Alaska Sea Grant in the Fairbanks office. Robert Fuerstenau and Kyla Hammond are assisting staff and faculty with administrative and communications projects, including working in the Alaska Sea Grant bookstore, organizing photos and publications, helping with videos and the Alaska Sea Grant YouTube… New tools will help prospective businesses navigate aquaculture permitting (5/25/2021) - Alaskans’ interest in the mariculture industry is growing. In 2016, state permitting agencies received only four aquatic farm applications. From 2017–2020, it jumped to 64. Mariculture includes the cultivation of shellfish, such as oysters, and seaweeds, used in a variety of foods, fertilizers and biofuels. Alaska state law prohibits the inclusion of finfish farming. Shellfish…