News
The latest blog posts and news releases from Alaska Sea Grant
UAF student finalist for prestigious Knauss Fellowship (7/27/2022) - UAF student Lindsey Stadler has been chosen as a finalist in Sea Grant’s prestigious 2023 John A. Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship program. She will join a class of 86 early career professionals selected to spend a year in Washington, D.C., working on national marine policy issues when she is placed with either a legislative or…
Student artwork encourages clean harbors (7/26/2022) - A new sign at Ninilchik Harbor features the artwork of Kate Hendryx, the winner of a competition inviting Ninilchik School students to illustrate what clean harbors mean to them. The durable, metal sign is part of an ongoing campaign by Alaska Sea Grant to increase awareness of and encourage best practices with waste disposal in…
New Alaska Sea Grant staff at the Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center (7/22/2022) - Two new staff have joined Alaska Sea Grant and are based at the Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center (KSMSC). Ashley Dunker is the Alaska Sea Grant program and event coordinator, responsible for statewide program and event coordination, including supporting KSMSC activities. Caleb Taylor is Alaska Sea Grant’s new seafood workforce development coordinator. He provides…
Camp connects kids to their coastal environment (7/21/2022) - Discover. Move. Learn. Play. Explore. These were words used to describe what kids would be doing at a week-long Coastal Connections Camp led by Alaska Sea Grant’s education specialist, Leigh Lubin, in Valdez last month. Seven kids, ages 11 to 13, attended the experiential learning camp focused on coastal ecosystems and self development. Over the…
Research shows how jack salmon contribute to population and genetics (7/19/2022) - In the world of commercial fisheries management and Pacific salmon research, jack salmon haven’t received nearly as much attention as their larger relatives, but that may change as a result of an Alaska Sea Grant-funded project. Jacks are male salmon that reach sexual maturation and spawn at a younger age than full-size males. In some…
Seafood safety and technology updates from the Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center (7/14/2022) - Alaska Sea Grant’s seafood technology specialist, Chris Sannito, had a busy spring and summer keeping up with a number of food processing and safety projects. In addition to offering regular classes and workshops on seafood safety, quality control and product development, Sannito regularly responds to requests for assistance with food safety and processing questions. It…
Tracking bird flu in Western Alaska (6/30/2022) - The United States is in the midst of a bird flu outbreak first detected in December 2021. Alaska Sea Grant’s Gay Sheffield has been closely monitoring the situation in the Bering Strait region as part of her work as the Marine Advisory Program agent based in Nome. Avian influenza, or bird flu, is a disease…
Intertidal drawing workshop brings coastal residents closer to nature (6/27/2022) - Homer artist Kim McNett helped Petersburg residents get up close and personal with life on the coast in mid-May, teaching them how to create a nature journal. After spending a week in the Petersburg elementary school as part of the Artist in the Schools residency program through the Alaska State Council on the Arts, McNett…
Alaska Sea Grant Director elected Chair of Marine Debris Foundation Board (6/23/2022) - Alaska Sea Grant director, Ginny Eckert, was elected Chair of the Marine Debris Foundation Board. The nonprofit charitable foundation was authorized by the federal Save Our Seas 2.0 Act, which addresses the global crisis of plastic waste in our oceans. Twelve individuals were appointed to the inaugural Board of Directors in April, and Eckert was…
Five new Alaska Sea Grant research projects get underway (6/21/2022) - Work has begun on five research projects competitively selected for Alaska Sea Grant funding over the next two years. More than $500,000 will support research involving ocean environmental changes, Pacific salmon in the Arctic, fish responses to environmental change, seaweed cultivation, and sea otter-oyster farm interactions. The research will advance Alaska Sea Grant’s priority focus…