News
The latest blog posts and news releases from Alaska Sea Grant
Unalaska uses teamwork and technology to save whales (11/13/2018) - Humpback whale sightings are becoming increasingly common in Unalaska, and so are whale entanglements. In late October 2018, Alaska Sea Grant’s Melissa Good helped coordinate efforts to successfully free a humpback that had been caught in commercial fishing gear. Good is the regional lead responder for the Marine Mammal Health and Stranding Network. She said…
Reflecting on the past year; planning for the next (11/8/2018) - We thank our advisory committee members who took time to convene with us in Anchorage this week. These statewide leaders share our passion for Alaska’s coastal communities, ocean and freshwater resources, applied scientific research, workforce development and marine education. We spent the time reviewing our work over the last year, identifying emerging issues that we…
Symposium aims to bridge gaps between fishermen and scientists (10/30/2018) - Fishing and seafood-industry professionals will join academics at the 32nd Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium in Anchorage next spring. The symposium’s theme is “Cooperative Research — strategies for integrating industry perspectives and insights in fisheries science.” Attendees will explore effective strategies and approaches to integrate industry perspectives and insights in fisheries science. The symposium is scheduled…
Marine advisory agents promoted (10/30/2018) - 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…
Scientists use app to engage citizens in ocean acidification study (10/19/2018) - 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…
Engaging teachers in Northern Gulf of Alaska research (10/12/2018) - 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…
New Alaska Sea Grant-funded graduate students dive into research (10/11/2018) - 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…
New ocean invader spotted in Alaska (10/8/2018) - Scientists and local volunteers have detected a new invasive species in the waters of Southeast Alaska. Alaska Sea Grant’s Gary Freitag, Marine Advisory agent in Ketchikan, is a member of the scientific team that discovered Bugula neritina, an invertebrate filter feeder also referred to as a branching bryozoan. These tiny organisms form colonies and are…
New cohort of State Fellows start Alaska-based jobs (9/27/2018) - For the fourth year, Alaska Sea Grant has funded five graduate students to begin marine policy and science communications work with local host organizations this fall. Modeled after the highly successful Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship, the Alaska Sea Grant State Fellowship provides recent graduates with a unique professional opportunity to work firsthand on the science…
Smoked Seafood School attracts students from Alaska and beyond (9/26/2018) - One of Alaska Sea Grant’s most popular workshops is coming up next month. Our Smoked Seafood School will be held in Kodiak on October 11 and 12. It’s the fourth time we’ve held the class and only two seats remained open as of late September. The class is taught by Alaska Sea Grant’s Chris Sannito,…