News
The latest blog posts and news releases from Alaska Sea Grant
Kodiak workshop helps fishing community build resilience (11/7/2019) - More than 70 people gathered in Kodiak recently for a workshop to address how the island community can build resilience and adaptability in the face of climate change. The October 24–25, 2019 workshop focused on four topics identified by a local steering committee: fisheries futures, food security and subsistence, infrastructure and energy, and culture and…
Research will help seaweed farming and traditional aquaculture (9/27/2019) - Alaska Sea Grant has received new federal funds to help develop aquaculture projects in Alaska and to work with partners on regional and national priorities. It’s part of a $16 million award from National Sea Grant that will fund 42 collaborative aquaculture projects across the country. Alaska Sea Grant and the Aleutians East Borough will partner on a project to launch a…
New York Times publishes op-ed, co-authored by Gay Sheffield, on how sea ice loss imperils life in Alaska (9/25/2019) - The New York Times published a column by Vera Trainer, Rick Thoman and Gay Sheffield today about the dramatic extent of sea ice loss in Alaska and how it is affecting everything from plankton to whales and the residents who rely on marine resources for their wellbeing. Read the New York Times op-ed here. It…
Marine educator retires after years of training teachers and students about Alaska’s seas and watersheds (9/13/2019) - Marilyn Sigman, Alaska Sea Grant’s longtime marine education specialist, recently completed her last day on the job and is now enjoying retirement in Homer. The faculty, staff and many collaborators miss her already. Sigman joined Alaska Sea Grant in 2009 and led marine education and literacy efforts across the state. While with Alaska Sea Grant,…
New handbook on boatyard hazards aims to improve safety (9/12/2019) - Building, repairing and maintaining vessels can be hazardous work. The rate of injury and illness on ships and in boatyards is more than double those of construction and general industry, according to federal officials. Alaska Sea Grant has a new online booklet aimed at making boatyards safer by explaining the risks and recommending ways that boat…
Mariculture workshop kicks off in Kodiak (9/9/2019) - The Kodiak Archipelago Leadership Institute is offering a free, two-day workshop “Introduction to Mariculture in the Kodiak Region,” funded in part by the U.S. Department of Agriculture. For the past three years, the institute has worked with partners to establish small farms in the communities of Larsen Bay, Old Harbor, Ouzinkie and Port Lions. The…
Program aims to provide Alaska Native and rural students with opportunities at NOAA (8/30/2019) - Alaska Sea Grant is partnering with NOAA Fisheries to provide opportunities to Alaska Native and rural students at the federal agency. The goal is to increase their representation in marine-related professions at NOAA Fisheries, an arm of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration formerly known as the National Marine Fisheries Service. Over the summer of…
New video focuses on Alaska’s acidifying oceans (8/26/2019) - Ocean acidification is how scientists describe the lowering of the oceans’ pH. The oceans today are roughly 30 percent more acidic than they were during the Industrial Revolution some 300 years ago. The rise in ocean acidification (OA) is tied to higher levels of carbon dioxide being released into the atmosphere by fossil fuel burning…
Unsolved mystery: the case of the weathervane scallop (8/22/2019) - Prized by five-star chefs and seafood connoisseurs, weathervanes are a bit of a mystery animal. Major gaps exist in our understanding of the tasty mollusks, which are native to Alaska. 
Advocate of Alaska marine safety passes on (8/2/2019) - Alaska Sea Grant is mourning the passing of one of its early Marine Advisory agents. Hank Pennington joined the Marine Advisory Program as an agent specializing in marine safety. In 1985 he founded the nonprofit Alaska Marine Safety Education Association (AMSEA). The association provides marine safety training for commercial fishermen, as well as subsistence and recreational boaters…