animatedcollapse.addDiv('A', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() Talking with Kathy, Yosty learned that the common murres in the Gulf of Alaska were starving during this period of uncharacteristically warm water. This common murre die-off event was very puzzling for scientists because there was not a clear reason as to why the birds were behaving abnormally. If the birds were not getting enough food, there must be something in the Gulf of Alaska impacting the food chain. Scientists study all levels of marine food webs, beginning with the organisms at the base — the plankton. Plankton are a diverse group of living organisms that spend at least part of their life floating through the water column, unable to swim against the current. Plankton consist of both plants and animals and help to form the base of the marine food chain. Every organism that relies on the ocean for food depends on an adequate supply of plankton to keep the ecosystem properly fed. Even animals that don’t eat plankton themselves, like the common murres, require enough healthy plankton to feed the fish and invertebrates that they prey upon. So, if the common murres were starving, causing them to move close to shore and inland to search for food, and dying in large numbers, there might be some evidence that maybe something was different about the amount or types of plankton in the Gulf of Alaska those years. Following this lead, Yosty moves forward in the investigation by questioning Gulf Watch scientist Sonia Batten, who specializes in monitoring plankton populations to understand what had been happening at the base of the Gulf’s food chain that might have been related to the murre die-off. Watch the video below to hear what Sonia has observed with the plankton in the Gulf of Alaska. VIDEO: Sonia Batten and Plankton Sonia Batten describes her observations of plankton in the Gulf of Alaska. (4:17) Video Transcript Narrator: Hmm… It all seemed to go back to the murres’ food chain. Why did these seabirds starve to death? Was something wrong with their food source? Yosty needed to start at the bottom of the food chain. She needed to talk to Sonia Batten, A Gulf Watch scientist monitoring plankton in the Gulf of Alaska. Yosty: Hi Sonia, what evidence do you have that 2014-2015 were unusual times for plankton in the Gulf of Alaska? Sonia: We’ve been looking at plankton in the northern Gulf of Alaska since 2000, so we have quite a long time series now. We look at the plankton from spring through fall of each year. We noticed in 2014 and then again in 2015 that there was something unusual happening, and we were kind of expecting it because we knew that the waters offshore were really warm from the end of 2013 through the next two years (really unusually warm, and it’s been called “the blob” by some people). So we were expecting to see something unusual. What we typically see in the plankton… There are two types of plankton. There’s the plant plankton and those are little tiny single-celled plants that float around and take the sun’s energy to grow – and they typically get blooms of those in the spring because there’s lots more sunlight in the spring, there’s lots of nutrients from the winter storms that have been mixed up, and it starts warming up. All those things are really good for them to grow, so we typically see those take off in the spring. And then as they grow they get eaten by the animal plankton and their numbers die back a little and they run out of nutrients and so on, so there’s lower levels of them through the summer. And then sometimes in the autumn we get another bloom because we get a few storms come in and mix things up again and give them more nutrients. That’s the typical pattern. What we saw in 2014 was we didn’t see anywhere near as many of those plant plankton as normal, and we saw big numbers of very small animal plankton that were around. It was quite unusual – we hadn’t seen anything quite like that in the whole 50 years of sampling that we’ve done. Yosty: What impacts could this have on the rest of the Gulf? Sonia: It’s still a question we’re working on. Plankton support everything in the ocean. All of the fish and mammals either feed on plankton themselves, or they feed on something that’s been eating plankton already. If there’s not so many of one type of plankton that might be bad, but there were quite a lot of animal plankton around so there obviously eating something. They may be eating something that we don’t see… One of the things we saw was that the types of plant plankton were slightly different: there were more of the smaller type of cell that are longer and thinner. Those cells typically do better in years when there’s not so many nutrients around, because they find it’s easier to take the nutrients up. It’s possible that those are not such a good food source for some of the animal plankton, or maybe the animal plankton weren’t finding as much of what they wanted and in turn that could mean that there’s not enough animal plankton for the fish and seabirds and mammals. But we still don’t really know – those kinds of patterns take a long time to be revealed. Yosty: Kathy mentioned something called domoic acid and its potential to impact seabirds. How is this related to the plankton that you’ve been studying? Sonia: Some phytoplankton – that’s the plant plankton – can produce a toxin called domoic acid. They don’t necessarily produce it over time, sometimes they produce it as a response to a stress in their environment. One of those stresses could be being eaten, so they produce it to put off zooplankton from eating them. There were reported instances of domoic acid in Alaska, and actually through a wide area of the North Pacific a lot of places were reporting it. Although the plankton have evolved to deal with the domoic acid that’s produced by the phytoplankton when other animals eat the zooplankton they concentrate the toxin, and as you go up the food chain the poison gets concentrated and it can potentially cause problems in larger animals that never ate plankton themselves but have eaten other organisms that have concentrated it. So it’s one explanation for why some of the seabirds may have been struggling in that year.   Plankton are considered one of the environmental drivers, so they’re the link between what happens in the ocean – in terms of water chemistry, temperature, the water conditions – and the fish, because plankton respond to their environment really quickly, and fish feed on plankton and larger organisms feed on fish, so the plankton are the link between the oceanography and the fish. We know that plankton respond really quickly because they have life cycles that are really short, sometimes even days, but all of them less than a year or at least a year is the longest life cycle. So if changes happen in their environment they respond quite quickly, and you can see that in changes in their numbers, and the types of plankton and where they’re at. So by monitoring them it gives you a really rapid response to a change in the environment. In the early part of the twentieth century in the UK, it was kind of hard to know where to send the fishing boats, you know, where they were going to find the herring, and Alister Hardy invented this instrument that could be towed behind ships, measuring the plankton, and it’s called the continuous plankton recorder. Continuous because, rather than taking a sample as a snapshot across, it continuously samples the plankton as it goes. His idea was that if you could understand the food of the herring, the food of the fish, maybe you could predict where they were going to be and then send the fishing boats there. You would build a map, a bit like a weather map, of where plankton were and when they were, and then you could send the fishers. So that was his idea, back in the early part of the early part of the twentieth century. And it took a few years to get routine, but from the 1930s onwards they were using this instrument to do that – to build up a picture of plankton meteorology, basically.         Who is watching the Blob?   Abnormally (adv): different from what is normal   Diverse (adj): a lot of variety   Invertebrate (n): an organism lacking a backbone   Organism (n): an individual life form   Phytoplankton (n): freely floating, often minute plants that drift with water currents   Productive (adj): producing enough energy to sustain life   Zooplankton (n): freely floating animals that drift with water currents  

  animatedcollapse.addDiv('A', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() Meet Dr. Kathy Kuletz Wildlife Biologist, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Kathy's role in Gulf Watch Alaska: Pelagic Ecosystems Co-Principal Investigator, Prince William Sound Marine Bird Population Trends Important skills for her position: "Biometric and GIS skills are of course important for working in science, but writing and communication skills are more important for me now, at this stage in my career. And of course, getting outdoors when possible, to recharge interest and enthusiasm, even get new ideas." Challenges in her work: "Obtaining the support needed for a scientific project, especially something long-term, takes an enormous amount of time and effort - and is usually not why one goes into science. But it has to be done... these aren't the fun aspects of science, but they also help you to refine your goals, objectives, and approach." Kathy's advice to young people interested in science: "Get some field experience, and even work on several types of studies to see what really stokes your interest in learning more. Often, biologists start out as volunteers (I did) and move to seasonal field work, or help with data and reports. When you're on a project, do some background searching and reading on the subject or your specific project (so easy to do these days), and find out what questions the project leader is focused on. If you do a good job, work well in difficult conditions, and stay in contact, chances are you'll be called back." Dr. Kathy Kuletz describes her career as a seabird biologist. (3:14) Video Transcript I’ve always been interested in the working with wildlife. I grew up in the desert, so the ocean was exotic to me. Anything that had to do with the ocean was very exotic, and that’s probably what attracted me to that aspect. I wanted to see Alaska, so I came up for a summer job like most people here. I worked in fisheries to begin with because that’s where a lot of the jobs were – there’s not a lot of funding to study birds. I was doing fisheries work, but then I wound up getting a summer job on Naked Island in Prince William Sound, and that was my first job with seabirds. My one year there turned into four, which turned into my Master’s degree studying pigeon guillemots there. Of course that was before the oil spill – I started back there in 1978. After the oil spill, it turned out that was one of the few places where we had some baseline data on seabirds – how they raised their chicks, what they fed on, and how many birds there actually were in these colonies. I went back after the oil spill, again as a seasonal employee of Fish & Wildlife Service, and eventually it became a term appointment. I stayed on in prince William Sound studying marbled murrelets. I became interested in what was going on at sea. Back in the 70s and 80s there was a large ecosystem study going on because they were looking at oil lease sales in the Bering Sea and the Gulf. They had what they called the OCSEAP program – the Outer Continental Shelf Environmental Assessment program. Then there was a huge gap where not much was done out at sea, and of course seabirds spend most of their lives out at sea, but mostly people study what goes on at a colony. I was interested in that other aspect of their lives and what happened the other three quarters of their lives out at sea. For the most part, this was before we had little tiny satellite tags and GPS dataloggers, but we didn’t know what they really did. We didn’t have a good idea of where birds went, and a large part of what we found out was by counting birds at sea – going out on big ships, research vessels that were doing fisheries work or oceanographic work, and doing surveys in conjunction with those. That’s what we’ve continued to do, of course we have more technology now and we can log location of every sighting very accurately and tie that data into what the oceanographers found on the same cruise, or the plankton people, the fish people, the marine mammal folks. So we’re trying to identify the hot spots, trying to found out where birds go in the non-breeding season as well as during the breeding season offshore. That’s what’s attracted me – the idea of being able to put together all this information and understand the big mystery of what seabirds do out at sea, that’s what draws me into it.   Who is watching the Blob?    

Virtual Small Fry School Welcome to Virtual Small Fry School - The Fun Learning Show for Kids! At Virtual Small Fry School, join us from anywhere in the world to explore the amazing underwater world of Alaska! This educational and fun kids' show is perfect for pre-k learners (ages 3-5) who love sea animals and want to learn all about them!  In each 2-5 minute episode, your little one will join Allie, Aurelia, Auntie  Carol, and more of our friends at the Alaska SeaLife Center to meet  awesome sea creatures like sea urchins, sea stars, seals, octopuses, sea lions, and more. We’ll learn new big words and practice  counting while we play, move like animals, and discover how these underwater creatures live, eat, and find their homes.  Each month, we'll explore new themes:  1. Squishy, Prickly, & Sticky – Meet squishy, prickly, and sticky animals of the sea!  2. Animals Like You & Me – See how sea animals are just like us! 3. Hide & Seek – Learn how animals use camouflage to blend into their environment!  4. ABCs of the Sea – Get to know our puffins, sea lions, diving ducks, and salmon up close! 5. Homes – Discover how sea animals find safe places to live! With fun activities, games, and amazing facts, Virtual Small Fry School makes learning about sea animals easy and exciting for little ones. Kids will be inspired to care for the ocean and explore the wonders of Alaska’s sea life. By the end of each episode, your little one will be excited to explore the natural world and understand how we all play a part in keeping our environment healthy and happy!  In the description of each episode you’ll find a link to an overview of the week's topic, as well as suggested activities and crafts. Subscribe to the Alaska SeaLife KIDS YouTube page now for more underwater adventures every week!   Why Small Fry School is Perfect for Kids:  FREE, fun, short episodes (2-5 minutes) great for preschoolers • Learn about sea animals and the ocean Fun movement activities and games for kids to do along with the show Unique learning opportunities that can only be found in Alaska A great way to start conversations about caring for our  environment   Join our Small Fry School Facebook Group to connect with other pre-k families and continue learning with activities provided by our education team!   Email smallfry@alaskasealife.org with any questions you may have.         Episodes and Activities    February: Homes Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  Borrowed Homes Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  Neighborhoods Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  Seasons Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  Working Together Don't forget to download this episode's activities!    January: The ABCs of the Seas Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  “F” is for Flying, Floating, Feathered Puffins Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  “D” is for Dancing, Diving Ducks Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  “L” is for Leaping, Listening, Learning Sea Lions Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  “S” is for Silver, Swimming Salmon Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  December: Hide and Seek Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  Hide With a Wolf Eel Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  Dress Up With Decorator Crabs Don't forget to download this episode's activities!    Change Like An Octopus Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  Blend In Like a Ringed Seal Don't forget to download this episode's activities!    November: Animals Like You and Me Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  Meet One Special Seal: Asiqtuq Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  Meet a Wildlife Veterinarian: Fingers, Flippers, and Paws Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  Move Like Our Animals Friends Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  Learn How to Do the Seal Hop with the Qutecak NAtive Youth Olympics Team Don't forget to download this episode's activities!          October: Squishy, Prickly, and Sticky!  Squishy Sea Stars Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  Prickly Urchins & Squishy Anemones Don't forget to download this episode's activities!    Sticky Octopus Don't forget to download this episode's activities!  Squishy, Prickly, and Sticky Game!  Don't forget to download this episode's activities!        November  Check back at the start of the month       December Check back at the start of the month       January Check back at the start of the month       February Check back at the start of the month           Virtual Visits for All Ages Virtual Visits bring you an inside look at the animals and staff that contribute every day to the mission of the Alaska SeaLife Center. Whether you consider yourself an ASLC amateur or an "a-fish-ionado," there is always something to discover!  Weekly Virtual Visit episodes available now on the ASLC Facebook and Youtube pages!    Subscribe to our YouTube channel and watch new and previously aired episodes at any time: https://www.youtube.com/user/AKSeaLifeCenter   Virtual Visits are made possible from generous support from Royal Caribbean Group.            Both programs will be FREE on our YouTube channel. Subscribe today>>> www.youtube.com/user/AKSeaLifeCenter Teachers & Groups, please visit our Distance Learning page to find out about group programs.

Donate DonateDonate   Donate     BBWebsiteComponent.goalMeter('renxt', 'p-3Wba-LFiGkm-LNS_YH9QNg', '43c107a6-18e8-47dc-b15e-53f4429dbcd8', 'usa', 75)     BBDonorFormLoader.newBlackbaudDonationFormZoned('tcs', 'p-3Wba-LFiGkm-LNS_YH9QNg', '000f8ac0-36d4-4053-95a1-2fee011f4e6b', 'usa')Become a Member of the Alaska SeaLife Center and you will support research, education, and wildlife response programs Member Benefits Unlimited free admission to the Alaska SeaLife Center for a year from the day you register Digital Membership cards 20% Discount on guest admission 20% Discount on Center tours and encounters 10% Discount on retail prices in the Discovery Gift Shop Exclusive email announcements and discounts on special events Reduced admission at other zoos and aquariums through the AZA Reciporcity Program Children 2 years and younger always admitted free. Choose the membership level that fits you best! Standard Memberships, Family Memberships, or Giving Circle Memberships     Standard Memberships Individual $70 One named member Individual Plus $115 One named member and one guest per visit Dual $115 Two named members Dual Plus $160 Two named members and one guest per visit Trio $160 Three named members Join / Renew     Family Memberships* Family $175 Two named members and eligible children and/or grandchildren Family Plus $220 Two named members and eligible children and/or grandchildren and one guest per visit Family Trio $220 Three named members and eligible children and/or grandchildren Family Quad $265 Four named members and eligible children and/or grandchildren Join / Renew *Family levels include the primary member's dependent children ages 17 and younger (and/or grandchildren ages 17 and younger) Giving Circle Memberships SeaLife Associate $300-$499 Complimentary Family Membership Four one-time use guest passes Join / Renew SeaLife Advocate $500-$999 Complimentary Family Membership Eight one-time use guest passes Invitation to an annual virtual CEO update Join / Renew Steller Partner $1,000-$2,499 Complimentary Family Membership Eight one-time use guest passes Invitation to an annual virtual CEO update An exclusive VIP tour of the Center for four Join / Renew Steller Guardian $2,500-$4,999 Complimentary Family Membership Eight one-time use guest passes Invitation to an annual virtual CEO update An exclusive VIP tour of the Center for four Invitation to quarterly VIP virtual programs Join / Renew Steller Patron $5,000-$9,999 Complimentary Family Membership Eight one-time use guest passes Invitation to an annual virtual CEO update An exclusive VIP tour of the Center for four Invitation to quarterly VIP virtual programs Breakfast or lunch with the CEO Join / Renew Steller Champion $10,000+ Complimentary Family Membership Eight one-time use guest passes Invitation to an annual virtual CEO update An exclusive VIP tour of the Center for four Invitation to quarterly VIP virtual programs Breakfast or lunch with the CEO Keeper for a Day, a 5-hour program for one or two people with minimum age of 16 Join / Renew

Check here to learn more about the round-the-clock care provided to Tyonek while at the Alaska SeaLife Center.                     3/9/2018 It has been a long journey for Tyonek and we were happy to be a part of this young calf’s story. Tyonek is the first Cook Inlet beluga calf to ever be successfully rehabilitated. Learn more about how the Alaska SeaLife Center team worked to rehabilitate Tyonek here. 3/9/2018 Learn more about Tyonek’s transition to his new home at SeaWorld San Antonio here. 2/27/2018 One of Tyonek's favorite enrichment activities is playing with bubbles. Check out this video! 2/21/2018 Check out this KTUU Channel 2 News story on Tyonek! 2/10/2018 Tyonek is the first Cook Inlet beluga calf to ever be successfully rehabilitated. He was found stranded, high and dry on the beach in very poor condition. Six institutions from all across North America united to care for this little cetacean. He has recovered against the odds thanks to our staff here at ASLC and dedicated partners at Shedd Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, SeaWorld, and Vancouver Aquarium. When Tyonek first arrived at the Center, September 30th he was 64 kilos and 162 cm long. Today he is 116 kilos and 180 cm long. We are ecstatic that Tyonek continues to grow and gain strength when just over four months ago he was found stranded, malnourished, and dehydrated on a beach. Amazing the things we can do when we work together.     2/8/2018 Once NOAA Fisheries determined Tyonek was non-releasable and could not survive in the wild, the agency followed its formal procedure to place him at a permanent care facility in the United States. Based on a thorough review of the applications, NOAA Fisheries selected SeaWorld San Antonio as the location best suited for Tyonek to thrive because they have both adult females and young male calves that will be important for Tyonek’s social development. Read more about NOAA’s decision here. 1/19/2018 We, at ASLC, along with our supporters and partners, have been awaiting NOAA's decision about Tyonek's future. Since he is the first stranded Cook Inlet beluga calf to ever be successfully rehabilitated, it was a long process to determine what would be best for this young calf. NOAA Fisheries has announced Tyonek is not a candidate for release due to his young age upon arrival, health conditions, and other factors. Read more about NOAA's decision and the next steps for Tyonek here. 1/7/2018 As part of our environmental enrichment we play Cook Inlet beluga whale sounds for Tyonek twice a day in five minute intervals. Our animal caretakers notice that he is very curious about the sounds and even mimics the calls. This type of enrichment helps us assess how his vocalizations are progressing as well as his hearing. Watch this video to hear Tyonek's calls.  We receive Cook Inlet beluga whale sounds from a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) based study. Learn more about the study here.  12/22/2017 The Alaska SeaLife Center is excited to introduce Beluga Chats! What does it take to care for a baby beluga? Don't miss this opportunity to chat with Alaska SeaLife Center husbandry or vet staff caring for Tyonek, the three-month-old beluga whale. Chats will be at 12:15 PM on December 26th, 28th, 29th, and 30th. For a limited time only. Participation is free with paid admission. 12/18/2017 Similar to newborns in hospitals across the country, Tyonek had his hearing tested. Preliminary results do not indicate any significant problems and he appears to have hearing ability similar to belugas tested in Bristol Bay. 12/7/2017 Click here to watch a Q&A session and bottle feed with Tyonek, the rescued Cook Inlet beluga calf. 11/21/2017 While Tyonek's energy levels are on a positive trend, we still monitor him very closely as stranding is a traumatic experience that can cause unseen internal damage. Our team uses imaging (ultrasound, radiographs, and CT scans) to regularly monitor Tyonek's condition. For instance, we are able to track increase in blubber as he puts on weight as well as changes in his internal organs. 11/19/2017 "When it comes to helping a terribly rare Cook Inlet beluga, every day is a victory.” Check out this Washington Post article to learn a bit more about Tyonek and hear from his caretakers here.  11/17/2017 We have been getting some wonderful support from our Facebook community regarding ASLC's efforts with Tyonek and we thank you! Our Wildlife Response efforts are made possible by visitors, members, donors, and the community.  "We support your incredible efforts to save this calf! Kudos to your dedicated and hard working team. This is a round the clock effort. Incredibly proud of the work you are doing! Keep it up crew!" - Nancy C.  To support Tyonek and our other Wildlife Response patients, donate here. 11/15/2017 Tyonek is now in our outdoor pool. Only after slowly acclimating the beluga to colder water temperatures in our I.Sea.U unit, was our team able to transition him outside. He is handling the climate change well. 11/12/2017 Tyonek is now exclusively on bottles! Initially, he was not strong enough to take in the necessary daily calories through just a bottle so we had to supplement his diet with tube feedings. Thanks to the efforts of our staff and partners, this little calf has recovered enough to successfully participate in all of his bottle feedings. Georgia Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium, SeaWorld, Shedd Aquarium, Vancouver Aquarium. 11/05/2017 Marc Lester, from Alaska Dispatch News wrote this article about Tyonek, the Cook Inlet beluga calf here at ASLC. Read the story here. 11/05/2017 Tyonek's rehabilitation has progressed enough that we are introducing him to our outdoor pool in short intervals. We want to slowly acclimate him to the cooler temperatures beluga's are accustomed to. For now, his outdoor time will vary from day to day. 11/03/2017 Check out this video to learn more about how the beluga team assesses Tyonek's health!  10/26/2017 Check out this video to learn more about what goes in to caring for a stranded beluga calf. We could not do this without the help of our dedicated partners: Georgia Aquarium, Shedd Aquarium, SeaWorld, Mystic Aquarium, and Vancouver Aquarium. This little cetacean is still in our I.Sea.U and is currently not viewable to the public. We will keep you updated when this changes. Thank you for your patience and support! 10/24/2017 BELUGA UPDATE! There are various tests and check-ups our staff regularly conducts on this little beluga calf to gauge his condition. One thing we do is collect thermal imagery from a FLIR camera to keep track of any sore muscles or other soft tissue injuries. In this particular image it looks like his only current “hot spot” is from his eye, which is normal. No other sources of heat are obvious which is good since it means no infections or injured muscles are in the pictured area.      

Seward, Alaska (February 8, 2018) – The Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2018 Alaska Ocean Leadership Awards. These awards are given annually to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the awareness and sustainability of the state’s marine resources. The Alaska SeaLife Center appreciates the support provided by the award sponsors and thanks the awards committee members: Jason Brune, Lisa Busch, Ian Dutton, Dale Hoffman, and Molly McCammon for their assistance in selecting the award recipients. These awards were presented at the Alaska Marine Gala on February 3, 2018 at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage, Alaska. The following are the 2018 Alaska Ocean Leadership Award winners: Mead Treadwell received the prestigious Walter J. and Ermalee Hickel Lifetime Achievement Award. The late Governor Walter J. Hickel and his wife Ermalee endowed this award for 10 years to recognize individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the management of Alaska’s coastal and ocean resources for more than 20 years. Mead Treadwell has been one of the most influential Alaska ocean leaders of the past 30 years. From his early career experience responding to the Exxon Valdez oil spill on behalf of the City of Cordova and as Deputy Commissioner of the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation, to his service on the boards of the Oil Spill Recovery Institute and the Prince William Sound Science Center, and to his more recent roles as Chair of the United States Arctic Research Commission, Lieutenant Governor of Alaska, and as a business leader catalyzing international fisheries partnerships, Mead has demonstrated remarkable vision and helped ensure a strong science and education base for ocean management in Alaska. He has also been a leader in Alaska’s efforts to build circumpolar cooperation through the Arctic Council and through his active involvement in numerous Arctic policy-focused organizations including the Institute of the North, the Aspen Institute, the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, the Arctic Circle, and the World Economic Forum’s Global Action Council on the Arctic. He is always open to work with diverse stakeholders and has been a proactive supporter of innovation and pan-Arctic partnerships. Mead has been a tremendous advocate for our oceans and champion for Alaska’s ocean industries, ocean dependent communities and ocean research and education institutions. Major Marine Tours received the Stewardship and Sustainability Award. This award is sponsored by Jason Brune, and honors an industry leader that demonstrates the highest commitment to sustainability of ocean resources. Major Marine Tours applies environmentally friendly practices, by using environmentally friendly cleaning solutions on their vessels and by outfitting their vessels with emission reducing and fuel saving engines. In 2016, owner Tom Tougas was awarded the Business Energy Efficiency Leader of the Year Award from the Seward Alternative Energy Group. A current member of the Board of Directors of the Alaska SeaLife Center, Tougas invites guests to donate to the ASLC at the time of booking to raise funds for their Wildlife Response Program. They also conduct other fundraisers, and have assisted the ASLC in the release of rehabilitated wildlife from their vessels. Major Marine Tours is an active participant in Whale SENSE, a voluntary education and recognition program, committed to responsible whale watching practices. Major Marine Tours also partners with the National Park Service and the National Forest Service to promote environmental education through their onboard Park Range narration and Junior Ranger Program, helping guests from all over the world learn about how to better care for our marine environment and coastlines. Kyrstyn Kelly received the Hoffman-Greene Ocean Youth Award, which is sponsored by Dale Hoffman. The award honors an individual or team of Alaskan youth ages 12-19 who has displayed a dedication to promoting the understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s oceans. As a freshman at Colony High School, Kyrstyn joined the Alaska Youth for Environmental Action (AYEA) to learn about ways to advocate for Alaska’s environment. In 2015, she was an intern for the Center for Alaska Coastal Studies in Homer, where she gained experience working in the fields of environmental education and environmental science. At the Center for Alaska Coastal Studies, she helped with research, tours, and other aspects of protecting our oceans. Kyrstyn is a member of the board of the Alaska Center Education Fund. She is a passionate advocate for research and the health of our oceans and shows an eagerness to expand her understanding of marine and environmental issues. She has attended and presented at the Alaska Forum on the Environment for three years in a row. Last summer, Kyrstyn traveled to Washington, D.C. to meet with the Alaska delegation and urge funding for vital programs for our oceans and coasts including the Village Safe Water program. She has participated in the state Science Olympiad program in events such as ecology, hydrogeology, and invasive species. Kyrstyn is the Colony High School Senior Class Secretary, has been a member of the Key Club since her freshman year, and is an avid skier. Paula Cullenberg received the Marine Science Outreach Award. This award is given to a person, team or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to ocean literacy via formal or informal education, media or other communications. It is sponsored by the Alaska Ocean Observing System. Paula Cullenberg is the Director of Alaska Sea Grant, a University of Alaska Fairbanks-NOAA partnership with offices across coastal Alaska. Paula has brought over 35 years of service, vision, and skill to Alaska, its coastal communities, and the marine resources we all depend on. Paula first came to the state in the late 1970’s serving as an observer on a Russian trawler in the Bering Sea. She then traveled to villages in western Alaska as the first extension agent for the Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association. She continued her career working as an aide for interior legislator Kay Wallis, as a subsistence advocate for the Tanana Chiefs Conference and as a Sea Grant Marine Advisory agent in Bristol Bay. At the University of Alaska, Paula directed the Fishery Observer Training Center at UAA and joined Alaska Sea Grant in 2002 working as a coastal communities specialist and ultimately director of the program. Paula has provided well-respected leadership of Alaska Sea Grant, whose passionate and talented Marine Advisory faculty and staff help Alaskans understand and responsibly use our marine resources. Paula established the Alaska Sea Grant State Fellowship program which links newly completed graduate students with state and federal agencies. In 2015, Paula worked to create the Alaska Maritime Workforce Development Plan for the State of Alaska. She has also initiated an innovative school grant program that has invested more than $100,000 in marine and watershed education programming in schools around the state. She and her family fish commercially in Bristol Bay and just completed their 30th salmon season last summer. Dr. John “Craig” George was selected toreceive the Marine Research Award, sponsored by Drs. Clarence Pautzke and Maureen McCrea. This honor is given to a scientist, team of scientists, or an institution that is acknowledged by peers to have made an original breakthrough contribution to any field of scientific knowledge about Alaska’s oceans. A Senior Wildlife Biologist for the North Slope Borough, Craig George has lived in UtqiaÄ¡vik (formerly called Barrow) since the late 1970’s. His presence in the Arctic and among Iñupiat hunters and elders has given Craig a unique perspective that has been extremely helpful for wildlife conservation and for protecting subsistence hunting opportunities. Craig has helped establish a meaningful process where combining traditional knowledge and western science has improved our understanding and management of the Arctic environment. Craig’s studies, numerous publications, and technical reports have been especially helpful in managing the subsistence hunt of bowhead whales at local, national, and international levels. He has improved knowledge about many aspects of the biology of bowheads, including physiology, energetics, foraging, survival, and reproduction. Because of Craig’s commitment we know more about bowhead whales and how they use the ocean than just about any other marine mammal in the world. Craig’s most noteworthy contribution to biological science is providing evidence that bowhead whales live up to 200 years and are likely the longest-lived mammal. The son of a well-known children’s book author and a professor of Wildlife Management, Craig attributes his achievements by being persistent, working with a diverse group of people, being curious, and recognizing the value of local knowledge. V Rae is this year’s recipient of the Ocean Ambassador Award. The Ocean Ambassador Award recognizes an individual or organization that has made outstanding contributions in promoting public awareness and appreciation of Alaska’s oceans, coasts, and marine ecosystems. V Rae’s images at the Alaska SeaLife Center are not only gorgeous and captivating, they light the way for our deeper respect and love for Alaska’s marine animals. Her work adorns many homes and offices in Alaska and beyond. V’s overall impact is to inspire and excite all of us in our understanding, knowledge, and stewardship of Alaska’s living marine resources. But she is also a direct, fantastic benefactor to the Alaska SeaLife Center, by her many donations of breathtaking artwork for our Gala auction. Each year a portion of V’s work is dedicated to wildlife preservation efforts that protect and sustain the natural tension between subsistence and conservation unique to Alaska and Hawaii, as well as non-profit humanitarian outreach. About the ASLC Opened in 1998, the Alaska SeaLife Center operates as a private, non-profit research institution and public aquarium, with wildlife response and education programs. It generates and shares scientific knowledge to promote understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s marine ecosystems. The ASLC is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. To learn more, visit www.alaskasealife.org.  

The Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) announces the opening of the nomination period for the 2022 Alaska Ocean Leadership Awards. ASLC established the Awards to recognize those who have made significant contributions to ocean sciences, education, and resource management in Alaska. Nominations for the 2022 Alaska Ocean Leadership Awards are open now through December 10, 2021.      The award categories are as follows: Walter J. & Ermalee Hickel Lifetime Achievement Award: Awarded to an individual or institution that has made an exceptional contribution to management of Alaska’s coastal and ocean resources over a period of 20 or more years. $1,000 cash prize. Sponsored by the late Governor Walter J. and the late Ermalee Hickel. Stewardship & Sustainability Award: Awarded to an industry initiative that demonstrates the highest commitment to sustainability of ocean resources. Sponsored by Jason Brune. Marine Research Award: Awarded to a scientist, team of scientists, or an institution that is acknowledged by peers to have made an original breakthrough contribution or a career spanning achievement in any field of scientific knowledge about Alaska’s oceans. $500 cash prize. Sponsored by Dr. Clarence Pautzke and Dr. Maureen McCrea. Marine Science Outreach Award: Awarded to a person, team, or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to ocean literacy via formal or informal education, media, or other communications about Alaska’s marine ecosystems. $500 cash prize. Sponsored by Alaska Ocean Observing System. Hoffman-Greene Ocean Youth Award: Awarded to an individual or team of Alaskan youth ages 12-19 who has displayed dedication to promoting the understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s oceans. $500 cash prize. Sponsored by Dale Hoffman. To make a nomination for any of these awards, visit the Alaska SeaLife Center website https://www.alaskasealife.org/alaska_ocean_leadership_awards or email oceanawards@alaskasealife.org. About the ASLC Opened in 1998, the Alaska SeaLife Center operates as a private, non-profit research institution and public aquarium. It generates and shares scientific knowledge to promote understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s marine ecosystems. To learn more, visit www.alaskasealife.org.

Seward, Alaska (December 9, 2021) – The Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) announces the publication of “Stranded beluga (Delphinapterus leucas) calf response and care: reports of two cases with different outcomes” in the journal Polar Research primarily authored by ASLC’s Director of Animal Health, Dr. Carrie Goertz.  This publication was two years in the making and highlights the response and care of two beluga calves at the Center: Naknek rescued in 2012 and Tyonek in 2017. Both cases detailed in the piece provide invaluable information about the beluga populations the calves originated from and new information on wild beluga neonates.    Collecting the data for this publication while rehabilitating beluga calves required a collaborative effort from many prestigious contributors like SeaWorld, Mystic Aquarium, Shedd Aquarium, Vancouver Aquarium, Georgia Aquarium, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association. “I am so proud of how the professional zoological community came together to care for and learn from both calves. Looking back, I know that it was exhausting and emotionally draining at times, but what I really remember is the joy of seeing the beluga calves respond to treatment, watching their personalities develop, and feeling the support and camaraderie of the care team. The group brought decades of experience caring for stranded cetaceans as well as neonatal belugas and dolphins in aquaria in order to support both Naknek and Tyonek,” explains Goertz.  The rehabilitation success rate of beluga whales is extremely low. While Naknek succumbed to his ailments in 2012, he survived the longest out of any rehabilitated beluga calf at that time.    The team beat the odds in Tyonek’s case, however, making him the first beluga calf to be successfully rehabilitated in the world. After spending about six months in rehabilitation at the Center, Tyonek became a resident at SeaWorld San Antonio in 2018 where he remains integrated into their pod. Steve Aibel was one of the cetacean experts from Shedd Aquarium that contributed to Tyonek’s care in Alaska and now continues to work with him at SeaWorld. “Working with Tyonek, from day one to date, made visible the strength, powerful contribution and impact that comes from collaboration within the zoological community. This was one of many instances where animal care experts, veterinarians, and research scientists from multiple organizations came together with a singular goal of helping a little whale in need. I distinctly remember a room filled with hundreds of years of beluga whale experience working together to solve the many challenges Tyonek faced,” states Aibel, Vice President Zoological Operations at SeaWorld San Antonio.    These cases demonstrate the ability to care for and rehabilitate stranded beluga calves, once thought to be impossible. The findings in this paper offer tools to assist in the conservation of endangered populations as well as aid in wildlife rescue in the future. “The greatest part is this important story is still being told today with the help of a healthy and thriving whale. I am not unique in saying that this experience changed the people who cared for him 24 hours a day for several months. In truth, every rescue does that! Every rescue matters as does every animal that we care for. They all add to the collective knowledge that helped Tyonek and will continue to help even more animals in need,” continues Aibel.  Support for the care of these beluga calves came from the Alaska SeaLife Center, Georgia Aquarium, Mystic Aquarium, SeaWorld, Shedd Aquarium, the Texas Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and Vancouver Aquarium. Additional funding was provided by the Prescott Grant Program, Prescott Emergency Grant Program, SeaWorld Busch Gardens Conservation Fund, and individual and corporate donations to the Center’s Wildlife Response Program.   The scientific article can be found on the Polar Research website here.   About ASLC  Opened in 1998, the Alaska SeaLife Center operates as a 501(c)(3), non-profit research institution and public aquarium in Seward, Alaska. The Center generates and shares scientific knowledge to promote understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s marine ecosystems. The ASLC is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. To learn more, visit www.alaskasealife.org.  

The Alaska SeaLife Center is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2022 Alaska Ocean Leadership Awards. These awards are given annually to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the awareness and sustainability of the state’s marine resources. The Alaska SeaLife Center appreciates the support provided by the award sponsors and thanks the awards committee members (Jason Brune, Ginny Eckert, Dale Hoffman, Molly McCammon, Lynn Palensky, Robert Suydam) for their assistance in selecting the award recipients. These awards will be presented at a virtual event on March 31.           Dr. Robert Suydam, Ph.D., will receive the prestigious Walter J. and Ermalee Hickel Lifetime Achievement Award. The late Governor Walter J. Hickel and the late Ermalee Hickel endowed this award for 10 years to recognize individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the management of Alaska’s coastal and ocean resources for more than 20 years. Senior Wildlife Biologist Dr. Robert Suydam’s three decades of research on bowhead and beluga whales as well as his deep involvement with co-management and Alaska Native organizations represents a truly exceptional contribution to the management and science of Alaska’s marine mammal resources. Robert has published well over 200 peer-reviewed papers and technical reports throughout his tenure at the North Slope Borough Department of Wildlife Management on a wide range of species and topics. In addition, he has served on multiple advisory panels and boards that have greatly advanced understanding of the Arctic and Sub-Arctic marine environment, including Science Advisor to the US Marine Mammal Commission, member of the National Research Council, Fellow of the Arctic Institute of North American, member of the Alaska Beluga Whale Committee, advisor to the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission, and member of the International Whaling Commission Scientific Committee. Moreover, Robert has worked closely with the oil and gas industry in Alaska to ensure that the implementation of sound science-driven policies related to offshore exploration and development facilitated the protections of the arctic environment and fauna potentially impacted by development. One of Robert’s more important and unique achievements has been his long and consistent involvement advancing the use of traditional knowledge in scientific research and management. Robert has been a strong and articulate advocate for Alaskan Native subsistence rights to harvest marine mammals and feed their communities with traditional foods and for high-quality arctic marine science and has worked with North Slope Borough, Alaskan Native, state, federal, and international organizations to ensure that sound science is used to develop marine policy.   Jim Pfeiffenberger will receive the Marine Science Outreach Award. This award is given to a person, team or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to ocean literacy via formal or informal education, media, or other communications. It is sponsored by the Alaska Ocean Observing System. National Park Service Education Coordinator Jim Pfeiffenberger has done an extraordinary job connecting students and adults of all ages to the wonders, mysteries, challenges, science, and stewardship of Alaska’s marine and coastal ecosystems. From teaching in classrooms located in remote or rural Alaska communities, in-person programs along coastlines or from ships, to virtual and online platforms when the need arose, Jim has embraced every opportunity to connect students to the marine environment, the science that helps to inform its stewardship, management and protection, as well as doing the hard work of cleaning it up. Jim has designed innovative and engaging media that has connected people to Alaska’s eleven coastal parks and their diverse and critically important resources. He has thrived working as the Education Coordinator for the Ocean Alaska Science and Learning Center, co-located at Kenai Fjords National Park. Jim has made marine science, ecosystems, and stewardship relevant, meaningful and inspiring for students from K – 12 and beyond, including mentoring college students completing media development internships focused on the work, management, and stewardship of Alaska’s coastal parks and partners. Jim’s professional delivery of education in the field of marine science and outreach has been transformational—shifting the first impressions of students, teachers, and visitors into knowledge and ultimately, into care.   Dr. Tuula Hollmén, D.V.M., Ph.D., will receive the Marine Research Award. This award is sponsored by Drs. Clarence Pautzke and Maureen McCrea. This honor is given to a scientist, team of scientists, or an institution that is acknowledged by peers to have made an original breakthrough contribution to any field of scientific knowledge about Alaska’s oceans. Dr. Hollmén’s career reflects three decades of work on seabird ecology and epidemiology, including twenty years of focus on the threatened Steller’s eider. She applies her veterinary and biology training to a broad portfolio of fieldwork, laboratory analysis, modeling, and teaching. She currently holds positions as a Senior Research Scientist at the Alaska SeaLife Center and as a Research Associate Professor at the College of Fisheries and Ocean Science and the Center for One Health Research at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. She served as the Science Director at the Alaska SeaLife Center (2010-2015) as well as the Eider Program Manager (2002-2020). She is a member of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Spectacled and Steller's eider recovery teams, and was the chair for the Steller’s Eider reintroduction committee. She also found time to sit on the North Pacific Research Board Science Panel from 2011 to 2019, serving as Vice Chair from 2014 to 2019. Dr. Hollmén and her team successfully established a captive breeding flock of endangered Steller's eiders at the ASLC to serve as one of the main routes for potential re-introduction of to the wild. Prior to Dr. Hollmén's research at ASLC, Steller’s eiders had never successfully bred in captivity in North America. Most recently, her research has provided groundbreaking insights to the impacts of climate change on Arctic lagoons with real-time implications for marine species conservation efforts.   Ward Cove Dock Group and Norwegian Cruise Line will jointly receivethe Stewardship and Sustainability Award. This award is sponsored by Jason Brune, and honors an industry leader that demonstrates the highest commitment to sustainability of ocean resources. The Mill at Ward Cove is a partnership between Ward Cove Dock Group, LLC and Norwegian Cruise Line Holdings Ltd. that has built a two-berth, floating cruise ship dock and corresponding Welcome Center and Passenger Transit Facility in Ward Cove, near Ketchikan. When the Ketchikan Pulp Mill closed, Ward Cove was found to be contaminated with fuels, paints, and heavy metals as well as large quantities of sunken longs which affected the health of all local marine life. Ward Cove was then declared a Superfund site under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act and was remediated with institutional controls under the oversight of the Environmental Protection Agency and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation. Under the leadership of John Binkley and Dave Spokely, a plan was created to responsibly repurpose this area, which resulted in an innovative design and construction of the largest cruise ship dock in Alaska. This project has transitioned a decaying brownfield site into a place the community takes pride in once again. The advanced design of the dock required fewer pilings to be drilled into the ocean floor, reducing impact on the sand cap. Additionally, the unique construction techniques preserved the sensitive marine environment. Today, with ongoing monitoring, the marine life is thriving in Ward Cove, and Ward Cove Dock Group is committed to preserving this sensitive environment into the future.   Elin Antaya will receive the Hoffman-Greene Ocean Youth Award. The Ocean Youth Award is awarded to an individual or team of Alaskan youth up to 19 years old who has displayed a dedication to promoting the understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s oceans. Juneau Douglas High School Senior Elin Antaya cares about our planet and ocean. Elin is currently working in a University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) laboratory in Juneau helping to support research on harmful algal blooms and ocean acidification monitoring. Elin is a 4.0 student and has participated in the National Ocean Sciences Bowl all four years of high school. Last summer she held a Hutton Junior Fisheries Biology Program Internship funded by the American Fisheries Society where she worked closely with graduate students and faculty from the UAF conducting field and laboratory research. Elin collects old buoys and repurposes them with Alaskan ocean themed art, with the motivation to share Alaska’s diverse marine habitats and honor the diverse fishers and vessels who navigate and enjoy the bounty of our oceans. Elin not only expands on her own scientific knowledge, but also has a vested interest in public scientific education and shows understanding and ability to disseminate complex ecological processes. She has co-published opinion articles in the Juneau Empire and Pacific Fishing explaining the roles that sea otters play in marine ecosystems. Whether she is leading squid dissections with elementary students, saving halibut heads for otolith removal, or picking up workdays at the local oyster farm, Elin continues to share the intrigue of marine organisms with the next generation of researchers. She has applied for and been accepted to many outstanding universities including UAF, Colorado College, UC San Diego, Hawaii Pacific, Quest and Cal Poly Humboldt to study ocean and marine science to continue her desire to be find solutions for the future health of our marine environments. Elin is also an elite dancer, president of the Nordic Club, member of the National Honor Society, and an employee of Salty Lady Seafood Co.     Richard Hocking is this year’s recipient of the Ocean Ambassador Award. The Ocean Ambassador Award recognizes an individual or organization that has made outstanding contributions in promoting public awareness and appreciation of Alaska’s oceans, coasts, and marine ecosystems. Richard’s passion for the ocean defined his work and his life. He spent 45 years working in the marine science field, beginning with the Seattle Aquarium, Point Defiance Zoo and Aquarium, and the Alaska SeaLife Center. Richard served as the Center’s Aquarium Curator from 1998 until his passing in November 2021. Richard was known as one of the most hands-on curators in the building, including designing exhibits, checking water quality, managing permits, and diving for collection trips, all while leading the Aquarium Division for twenty-three years. Richard became widely known as ASLC’s resident nutritionist, and he understood the intricate diets of animals ranging from the smallest sea star to the largest Steller sea lions. His knowledge of marine animal biology and husbandry was unmatched. He co-authored papers ranging trophically from monogenean fish parasites to centuries-old elasmobranchs, and is a widely acknowledged contributor to dozens of research publications and projects. Richard sought out and promoted opportunities for ASLC staff to take part in professional growth opportunities, ensuring that ASLC’s animal care teams remained highly skilled. One of the many activities Richard led was the monitoring for marine aquatic invasive species in Resurrection Bay. Since 2009, Richard has guided ASLC staff and interns in evaluating the health of the bay by surveying the habitat year-round for European green crab, tunicates, and other invasive species and sharing these findings with the Invasive Species Program at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Richard lent his expertise to marine-oriented organizations and activities in the Seward area, including the Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery and the Seward Chamber of Commerce Seward Silver Salmon Derby, where he served as the expert fish authority, placing his verification stamp on the winning salmon each year. He strived to educate and motivate the next generation of ocean stewards by assisting in the Center’s after-school Ocean Sciences Club, as a judge during the Alaska National Ocean Sciences Bowl, as a graduate committee member for Alaska Pacific University graduate students, and as an unofficial advisor for every scientist that worked at ASLC. Richard manifested a lifelong stewardship for the ocean and its inhabitants that he expressed through a lifetime of daily acts of service. Richard leaves a legacy of a life led by example, motivated by an enduring belief that ocean life could be used to convey the extraordinary richness of biological diversity, and further, that knowledge of the oceans could be used to spark wonder and inspire others to action.   Congratulations to this year's winners!   

After nearly two months of rehabilitation at the Alaska SeaLife Center, male sea otter pup "Qilak" finds home in Chicago at Shedd Aquarium.  Qilak (pronounced Kee-lak), a five-month-old rescued male northern sea otter (Enhydra lutris kenyoni), arrived to his new home at Shedd Aquairum on October 24, 2022.  Since his rescue, the pup received around-the-clock care at the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) in Seward, AK, the only permitted stranding marine mammal response facility in the state. Members of Shedd’s animal care and response team worked alongside partners to rehabilitate Qilak before bringing him to Shedd on Oct. 25. For now, Qilak remains behind the scenes at Shedd as he continues to reach milestones and build bonds with the animal care team and other otters.  Qilak spent nearly two months being monitored day and night and receiving regular health exams by ASLC staff. He has feedings every four hours, which has slowly decreased as he continues to grow and progress. He has been doing well since his arrival in Chicago, receiving continual care behind the scenes at Shedd’s Abbott Oceanarium. At five months old, he is a bit older than past rescues, which means he has already met some developmental milestones and continues to show signs of independence. ASLC and Shedd staff worked together to care for Qilak during his last few weeks of rehabilitation. (photo: Shedd Aquarium) The animal care team at Shedd looks forward to watching him continue to grow and thrive. Qilak’s next few milestones will be learning his new habitats, bonding with other otters and more. “As an organization dedicated to care and conservation, Shedd Aquarium is equipped to step in to assist our partners, and in this case, we offered rehabilitation support and ultimately a home for this pup in need,” said Peggy Sloan, chief animal operations officer at Shedd Aquarium. “Our rescued population of sea otters are important ambassadors for their wild counterparts creating compassion for this keystone, endangered species.” For now, Qilak remains behind the scenes at Shedd as he continues to reach milestones and build bonds with the animal care team and other otters.  Qilak spent nearly two months being monitored day and night and receiving regular health exams by ASLC staff. He has feedings every four hours, which has slowly decreased as he continues to grow and progress. He has been doing well since his arrival in Chicago, receiving continual care behind the scenes at Shedd’s Abbott Oceanarium. At five months old, he is a bit older than past rescues, which means he has already met some developmental milestones and continues to show signs of independence. Shedd staff members observe Qilak  at the Alaska SeaLife Center before his transport to Chicago. (photo: Shedd Aquarium) The pup was examined at ASLC and found to be underweight, but otherwise, he was strong and alert. Veterinarians and animal care team members monitored him closely to ensure he remained in good condition. He was already eating solid foods, swimming, grooming and more. During his rehabilitation, Shedd’s animal care team sent a rotating group of support staff to work alongside ASLC for round-the-clock care. ASLC led the pup’s naming that resulted in Qilak, which means dome of the sky, the entire sky or heaven in Inuit.  “Otter pups need care and attention 24 hours a day, seven days a week, so it takes a village to rehabilitate a young animal,” said Jane Belovarac, Wildlife Response Curator at ASLC. “While the process is lengthy, there is nothing more rewarding than watching our patients grow and find their homes. We’ve been honored to be part of his second chance at life, and we’ll continue to follow his journey.” Qilak joins the rescued sea otter population at Shedd Aquarium, including the other new arrivals Otters 926 and 929 that can now occasionally be seen on exhibit in the Abbott Oceanarium. There are now a total of six sea otters that call the aquarium home. Find more information about sea otters at Shedd on the aquarium’s website: https://www.sheddaquarium.org/animals/sea-otter.   Shedd Aquarium staff report that Qilak is settling in well. This photo is from when he first arrived at Shedd (photo: Shedd Aquarium)   About Northern Sea Otters The northern sea otter subspecies (E. lutris kenyoni), is found in the Aleutian Islands, Southern Alaska, British Columbia, and Washington. Within Alaska, there are three stocks. The Southeast stock can be found in the coastal waters of Southeast Alaska. The Southcentral population spans from west of Glacier Bay to the eastern edge of Cook Inlet. The Southwest population stretches from the western edge of Cook Inlet out the Aleutian Islands. In Alaska, sea otter populations in Southcentral and Southeast Alaska have stabilized or are continuing to increase. However, in Southwest Alaska, sea otters have experienced a sharp population decline in the last 20 years. The sea otter species as a whole are listed as “Endangered” on the IUCN Red List, while the northern sea otter is listed as “Threatened.” Main threats in the wild include predation, overharvest, fishery interactions, disease, and oil spill. Their main prey species include sea urchins, crabs, clams, mussels, octopus, fish, and other marine invertebrates. Sea otter teeth are adapted for crushing hard-shelled invertebrates such as clams, urchins, and crabs.   About the Alaska SeaLife Center Opened in 1998, the Alaska SeaLife Center operates as a private, non-profit research institution and a public aquarium. It generates and shares scientific knowledge to promote understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s marine ecosystems. The ASLC is an accredited member of the Association of Zoos and Aquariums. To learn more, visit www.alaskasealife.org.   About Shedd Aquarium The John G. Shedd Aquarium in Chicago sparks compassion, curiosity and conservation for the aquatic animal world. Home to 32,000 aquatic animals representing 1,500 species of fishes, reptiles, amphibians, invertebrates, birds and mammals from waters around the globe, Shedd is a recognized leader in animal care, conservation education and research. An accredited member of the Association of Zoos & Aquariums (AZA), the organization is an affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution and supported by the people of Chicago, the State of Illinois and the Chicago Park District. www.sheddaquarium.org  

animatedcollapse.addDiv('A', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init()         MEET DR. ALLYSON HINDLE Animal Physiologist and Post-Doctoral Researcher at the Alaska SeaLife Center WHAT SHE STUDIES: - Animal physiology - Physiological telemetry EDUCATION: Ph.D. Wildlife & Fisheries Sciences M.S. Zoology B.S. Zoology HOMETOWN: Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada ONE COOL EXPERIENCE I HAD WORKING IN THE ANTARCTIC WAS WHEN… "I saw the area where we work from above. The area is flat and white and windy, and it all kind of looks the same from the ground. Seeing it from an overlook made me realize how amazing and beautiful the different ridges of ice are around the islands in the frozen ocean."  MY BEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN SCIENCE IS… "Find a balance between becoming really good at your speciality and learning about what other people do. You will be much better at asking questions if you have ideas about different ways to answer them." Dr. Allyson Hindle explains why you always see Antarctic researchers wearing sunglasses. (1:00) Video Transcript The first thing that you're told before you even get to Antarctica, before they even let you on the plane, is to always wear your sunglasses. We work in Antarctica in the summertime so there's 24 hours of daylight, and we work on sea ice, which is covered by snow. So, you're actually receiving quite a lot of ultraviolet radiation, so it's really important to protect your eyes. Snow blindness is a real problem that if you basically let your eyes get sunburnt inside you have a lot of pain and difficulty seeing and you can actually lose your sight. So, nobody wants to go blind because you fail to take proper precautions like wearing your sunglasses. Also, for us we can't afford anything that would keep us from being able to work for a day so we try to be as safe as possible and that means that you're always wearing your sunglasses.   WHO IS STUDYING SEALS?    

animatedcollapse.addDiv('A', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init()         MEET DR. JO-ANN MELLISH Animal Physiologist at the Alaska SeaLife Center and Research Associate Professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks WHAT SHE STUDIES: - Marine mammal energetics - Animal physiology - Thermoregulation EDUCATION: Ph.D. Animal Physiology B.S. Biology HOMETOWN: Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada WHY IS TEAMWORK ESPECIALLY IMPORTANT WHILE WORKING IN ANTARCTICA? "We're working together not just to get the science done but to keep each other safe. It's fieldwork that we do on a routine basis, but we're in the Antarctic and you really are taking your life in your hands every time you go out on the sea ice. We really care about each other. And we're there, number one, to look out for one another and then, number two, to get the science done." Dr. Jo-Ann Mellish describes what she loves about working as a scientist in Antarctica. (1:18) Video Transcript It's the kind of place where you can feel isolated and connected to everything around you at the same time. If you're out on the sea ice you don't hear any motorized vehicles, there's nobody else around you. All you hear is the wind and the cracking of the ice moving underneath you and the seals around you and sometimes if you're lucky a penguin and it's just, you have that moment of being in a space that so few other people get to experience that it, it's a spiritual moment. There's no other way for me to explain it but you just, time stops and you just want to be there in the moment and experience it. All the rest, everything else just kind of goes away. And to get to be a part of that as your career with people that you want to be with, you just can't beat that kind of experience, and it makes you want to go back!   WHO IS STUDYING SEALS?    

animatedcollapse.addDiv('A', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init()         MEET JOHN SKINNER Research Associate at the Alaska SeaLife Center WHAT HE STUDIES: - Marine mammal energetics - Animal physiology - Thermoregulation EDUCATION: M.S. Wildlife Ecology B.S. Wildlife Biology HOMETOWN: Petaluma, California MY FAVORITE THING ABOUT DOING RESEARCH IN ANTARCTICA IS... "The challenge! The work we do with seals is only a small part of what we plan for each day. For example, we also think about how to travel across shifting ice, operate our equipment in the extreme cold, stay warm, and keep ourselves safe." MY BEST PIECE OF ADVICE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE WHO ARE INTERESTED IN A CAREER IN SCIENCE IS... "Ask questions - Share your thoughts but be open minded! The best scientists love their work because they challenge themselves as well as others, by asking questions about the world. They serve as a positive influence in the scientific community by equally sharing and listening to others in order to solve life's most challenging questions." John Skinner talks about why he enjoys being a biologist. (0:36) Video Transcript The reason I am a biologist is because you get to see animals in their environment, in this case really extreme conditions that are so unsuitable for us. It's amazing to feel, when you're working with these animals, so inferior. You know, I couldn't last out there a day without the support that we have doing the work that we do. Whereas these animals, they lie out there like they're on a sunny beach somewhere and I think that's the most incredible part of it for me is seeing the animals where they excel and where they are happiest.   WHO IS STUDYING SEALS?    

animatedcollapse.addDiv('A', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init()         MEET DR. MARKUS HORNING Pinniped Ecologist and Associate Professor at Oregon State University WHAT HE STUDIES: - Diving animal behavior - Life history of diving animals EDUCATION: Ph.D. Zoology Diploma Degree Biology HOMETOWN: Rome, Italy ONE OF MY FAVORITE THINGS ABOUT WORKING IN ANTARCTICA IS... "Antarctica is as close as we as humans can get to see what it might be like to work on a different planet. It's almost like being out in a different world entirely. [When working on the sea ice,] you're out in the middle of nowhere. There's only ice and cold and blue and white, and crazy animals you never see anywhere else around you. It's amazing!"  Dr. Horning talks about Antarctic working conditions - and imitates a Weddell seal! (1:07) Video Transcript Dr. Markus Horning: "There's also something really unique though about the Antarctic and paradoxically makes the seals that we work with, to us, more accessible. We actually spend most of our time at sea, even though we’re driving around Ski-Doos because the sea is frozen, but then literally the seals are underneath us as we’re walking around on the sea ice and the seals are doing their thing and they come back to the surface and they’re right next to us. And they make amazing sounds and you hear the sound through the ice." Dr. Jo-Ann Mellish: "I think you need to make the sound for us." Dr. Allyson Hindle: "Markus makes amazing seal sounds." *Dr. Markus Horning imitates seal sounds* *Dr. Jo-Ann Mellish and Dr. Allyson Hindle applaud* *Video footage with audio of seals under ice*   WHO IS STUDYING SEALS?    

animatedcollapse.addDiv('1', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() animatedcollapse.addDiv('2', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() Who is watching walrus?           Meet... Dr. Lori Polasek   Marine Mammal Scientist and Assistant Research Professor for the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at the University of Alaska Fairbanks Dr. Polasek has studied many species of seals, sea lions, fur seals, walrus, whales and dolphins. She was an accounting major in college until she took a required biology class – then she changed her major to marine biology and never looked back! "I became interested in marine biology when I learned how to SCUBA dive when I was 12 years old. I wanted to learn more about how animals were capable of surviving in such extreme conditions without suffering the consequences humans experienced."     Hear Dr. Polasek describe her work at the Alaska SeaLife Center and how she got to this point in her career. (2.5 minutes)      

The Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) announces the opening of the nomination period for the 2023 Alaska Ocean Leadership Awards. ASLC established the Awards to recognize those who have made significant contributions to ocean sciences, education, and resource management in Alaska. Nominations for the 2023 Alaska Ocean Leadership Awards are open now through December 12, 2022.    The award categories are as follows:   Walter J. & Ermalee Hickel Lifetime Achievement Award: Awarded to an individual or institution that has made an exceptional contribution to management of Alaska’s coastal and ocean resources over a period of 20 or more years. $1,000 cash prize. Sponsored by the late Governor Walter J. and the late Ermalee Hickel.   Stewardship & Sustainability Award: Awarded to an industry initiative that demonstrates the highest commitment to sustainability of ocean resources. Sponsored by Jason Brune.   Marine Research Award: Awarded to a scientist, team of scientists, or an institution that is acknowledged by peers to have made an original breakthrough contribution or a career spanning achievement in any field of scientific knowledge about Alaska’s oceans. $500 cash prize. Sponsored by Dr. Clarence Pautzke and Dr. Maureen McCrea.   Marine Science Outreach Award: Awarded to a person, team, or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to ocean literacy via formal or informal education, media, or other communications about Alaska’s marine ecosystems. $500 cash prize. Sponsored by Alaska Ocean Observing System.   Ocean Youth Award: Awarded to an individual or team of Alaskan youth up to 19 years old who has displayed dedication to promoting the understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s oceans. $500 cash prize. Sponsored by Brian Pinkston.   To make a nomination for any of these awards, visit our website https://www.alaskasealife.org/alaska_ocean_leadership_awards or email oceanawards@alaskasealife.org.        

  The Alaska SeaLife Center is pleased to announce the recipients of the 2023 Alaska Ocean Leadership Awards.   These awards are given annually to individuals and organizations that have made significant contributions to the awareness and sustainability of the state’s marine resources. The Alaska SeaLife Center appreciates the support provided by the award sponsors and thanks the awards committee members (Jason Brune, Ginny Eckert, Lynn Palensky, Brian Pinkston, Robert Suydam, and Sheyna Wisdom) for their assistance in selecting the award recipients. These awards will be presented at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium on January 23 and the Alaska SeaLife Center Soiree on February 18, both in Anchorage.   Vera Metcalf will receive the prestigious Walter J. and Ermalee Hickel Lifetime Achievement Award. Following the footsteps of the late Governor Walter J. Hickel and the late Ermalee Hickel, the Hickel Family continues to sponsor this award to recognize individuals who have made exceptional contributions to the management of Alaska’s coastal and ocean resources for more than 20 years. Vera Metcalf has held the position of Eskimo Walrus Commission (EWC) Director for over 20 years. She is a recent inductee to the Alaska Women’s Hall of Fame, an honor given to women who have influenced the direction of Alaska. Vera has held several positions including Commissioner on the U.S. Arctic Research Commission, a member of the Inuit Circumpolar Council, and currently serves as a Special Advisor on Native Affairs with the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission. She works and communicates easily with scientists, researchers, political appointees, tribal leaders, and EWC members to ensure ocean resources are available for generations to come. Leading the EWC, Vera represents Alaska’s coastal walrus hunting communities in the co-management of the Pacific walrus and ensures that scientific and Indigenous Knowledge research is conducted responsibly and utilized effectively in management decisions regarding the Pacific walrus population.   Dr. Sue Moore, Ph.D., will receive the Marine Research Award. This award is sponsored by Drs. Clarence Pautzke and Maureen McCrea. This honor is given to a scientist, team of scientists, or an institution that is acknowledged by peers to have made an original breakthrough contribution to any field of scientific knowledge about Alaska’s oceans. Dr. Sue Moore has studied Arctic marine mammals and their ecosystems since 1981, with a focus on the northern Bering, Chukchi, and Beaufort seas. Dr. Moore served as the Cetacean Program Leader and Director of NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center’s Marine Mammal Laboratory, and as a Research Scientist and Senior Scientist at NOAA’s Office of Science and Technology. She has authored or co-authored more than 130 peer-reviewed articles and has consistently emphasized, promoted, and used long-term studies as the basis for her many scientific contributions. She is recognized for her expertise and contributions to science related to how the Arctic ecosystem functions and to the stewardship of upper trophic-level species. In 2020, she received the International Arctic Science Committee Medal in recognition of her outstanding achievement in understanding marine mammals as ecosystem sentinels and how climate change is influencing the phenology of Arctic species. In addition to her extensive science contributions, Dr. Moore has served on many boards and commissions, including the International Whaling Commission’s Scientific Committee and numerous advisory and steering committees for the National Science Foundation. Earlier this month, she was appointed by President Biden as one of three Commissioners on the U.S. Marine Mammal Commission.   Catherine Walker will receive the Marine Science Outreach Award. This award is given to a person, team, or organization that has made an outstanding contribution to ocean literacy via formal or informal education, media, or other communications. It is sponsored by the Alaska Ocean Observing System. Catherine Walker is a National Board Certified science teacher at Dimond High in Anchorage, teaching marine biology/oceanography, essentials of engineering, and drone aviation. Seeking to enrich the experiences of her students and empower the next generation of ocean stewards, Catherine is involved in the school’s Ocean Club, Green Effects Club, field trips to Kasitsna Bay and Prince William Sound, the National Ocean Science Bowl, has helped Dimond High become a NOAA Ocean Guardian School, and is a member of the NOAA Pacific Educators Network. Catherine has served as an adjunct professor through Prince William Sound College and is continually working to innovate and collaborate with other teachers and community members to better serve her student’s understanding of our oceans and the need for conservation of Alaska’s unique and vital ecosystems. Through her work, Catherine has increased ocean literacy for thousands of youth and adults. A winner of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mathematics and Science Teaching as well as a National Geographic Certified Educator, Catherine is described as a tireless advocate for education and for the improvement of Alaska’s marine ecosystems.   Patrick Simpson, Alaska Plastic Recovery, LLC will receive the Stewardship and Sustainability Award. This award is sponsored by Jason Brune and honors an industry leader that demonstrates the highest commitment to sustainability of ocean resources. Patrick Simpson of Alaska Plastic Recovery, LLC is working to create innovative solutions to assess, collect, and utilize plastic ocean waste found on Alaskan beaches. An engineer and entrepreneur based in Anchorage, Simpson is working to develop technologies specifically for Alaska. One of these technologies includes creating plastic-based lumber from marine debris with a mobile plastic ocean waste recycler that is designed within a shipping container to be used even in remote communities. Simpson and Alaska Plastic Recovery LLC are also in development to include heavy-lift drones to remove bags of marine debris on beaches and marine learning algorithms that can be used to assess the debris. Simpson engages high school students to demonstrate these technologies. Taking the major worldwide problem of plastic marine debris pollution and turning it into an opportunity, Simpson’s exciting and inventive efforts will result in cleaner beaches and oceans and reduce microplastics in our marine ecosystems.   Mia Siebenmorgen Cresswell will receive the Ocean Youth Award. The Ocean Youth Award is awarded to an individual or team of Alaskan youth up to 19 years old who has displayed a dedication to promoting the understanding and stewardship of Alaska’s oceans. Mia Siebenmorgen Cresswell served as an intern for the Prince William Sound Regional Citizen’s Advisory Council’s marine invasive species monitoring program. Monitoring the nearshore coastal ecosystem in her hometown of Cordova, Mia set traps to monitor for European green crab and monitored settlement plates in the local harbor for benthic invasive species as part of the Smithsonian Environmental Research Center’s Plate Watch program. She has engaged in outreach by presenting her monitoring work at events including the Wrangell Institute for Science and Environment’s Science Lecture Series and the Prince William Sound Natural History Symposium. Mia also interned at the Prince William Sound Science Center and the Copper River Watershed Project, where she took on various multimedia and art projects, created small grant proposals, and served as a youth leader for a summer stewardship program. She has brought greater awareness to the issue of marine invasive species in Alaska and stewards the importance of marine science in Southcentral Alaska and beyond.  

The Alaska SeaLife Center Wildlife Response Program has admitted two premature harbor seal pups from Kenai, Alaska. Despite incredible efforts, one pup has passed away and the other is in serious condition.   The ASLC is currently caring for a premature female harbor seal pup admitted on May 9, 2024, found abandoned and malnourished in Kenai, Alaska. The pup is still covered in its white lanugo coat, indicating a premature birth.  This is the Alaska SeaLife Center Wildlife Response Program’s second premature harbor seal patient admitted this season, as another premature pup was admitted on April 24, 2024, from Nikiski, Alaska. Despite the ASLC team’s incredible effort, the first premature harbor seal patient became critical and passed away within 48 hours of being admitted. A necropsy revealed that the pup was likely born weeks prematurely and his organs weren’t developed enough to allow him to thrive. The current patient, admitted on May 9, 2024, is in serious condition. Community members working at a fish processing facility in Kenai called the ASLC 24-hour Wildlife Response Hotline to report that a small white-furred pup had been on their property for several hours without seeing an adult nearby. Community members who first spotted her in Kenai, Alaska reported a malnourished and abandoned harbor seal pup to the ASLC 24-hour Wildlife Response Hotline. NOAA officers responded and confirmed that there was no mother in sight. They knew that the pup was prematurely born, as indicated by her white lanugo coat, and that she likely wouldn’t survive without immediate intervention. After receiving approval from NOAA, the pup was transported to the Alaska SeaLife Center for treatment by the officers. The main concerns found by the veterinary team upon her initial admit exam were malnourishment, low body temperature, and abnormal bloodwork results indicating this seal was premature. The team is currently providing initial stabilizing treatments and examining the patient further to understand the severity of the animal’s condition. Premature harbor seal pups have only about a 50% chance of survival when admitted to a wildlife response program, and the team is doing everything possible to give her a fighting chance.  Harbor seal pups typically shed their white lanugo coat in utero before being born, so any time a pup of this species is seen with a white coat, it indicates that it was born prematurely. However, this isn’t true for all species of seals in Alaska. Ice seal pups, like spotted and ringed seals, are born with white lanugo coats and do not shed them for four to six weeks after birth. Location helps experts know which species of seal pup they are looking at in Alaska. Typically, the ice seal species normally born with a white lanugo coat are found in the northern half of Alaska’s coastline. Harbor seals are typically found along the southern half of Alaska’s coastline.   The ASLC will share updates on this delicate patient’s progress on their Facebook and Instagram pages.    Call first! Before approaching an injured or stranded marine animal in Alaska, call the  24-hour Stranded Marine Animal Hotline at 1-888-774-SEAL(7325).  The Alaska SeaLife Center’s Wildlife Response Program can only provide care for stranded and injured marine animals with help from corporate sponsors and individual donors. If you are interested in contributing to the care of these patients, visit the ASLC’s website: www.alaskasealife.org/donate. The Center acknowledges the ongoing generous support of the Wildlife Response Program from supporters like ConocoPhillips Alaska, Marathon Petroleum Corporation, PetZoo, Partners 4 Wildlife, Matson, GCI,  and a number of individual donors, funds, and foundations such as Stanley J Williams Fund.                     

Dr. John Fraser Receives Prestigious Devra Kleiman Scientific Advancement Award from AZA   The Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) is pleased to announce that the Association of Zoos and Aquariums (AZA) has honored John Fraser, Ph.D., AIA, ASLC Director of Mission Impact, with the Devra Kleiman Scientific Advancement Award, one of its highest recognitions. Established in 2014, the award celebrates scientific contributions that advance animal management, education, and conservation. Named for pioneering zoologist Dr. Devra Kleiman, it is presented only when a candidate’s impact reflects her legacy. This marks the first time a social scientist has been recognized with the award. Over nearly four decades, Fraser’s work has transformed how zoos and aquariums understand their impact on people, showing that conservation success depends as much on human behavior as on ecosystems. Fraser’s career began as an architect designing exhibits for the Toronto Zoo in the 1980s. Encouraged by mentors including Drs. Jill Mellen, Kathy Carlstead, and David Shepherdson, he was welcomed by Kleiman into the groundbreaking Methods of Behavioral Assessment project, one of the first multi-institutional behavioral research efforts. That collaboration sparked a lifelong focus on the human side of conservation. In 2000, Drs. Carol Saunders, Stephen Kellert, and Fraser launched the idea of conservation psychology, a social-science partner to conservation biology. Since then, Fraser has led landmark projects showing how zoos and aquariums influence environmental identity, hope, and action. His leadership of Phases II and III of the Why Zoos and Aquariums Matter studies provided critical data on the social and educational impact of AZA institutions. He later co-authored The Social Value of Zoos with Tawnya Switzer, published by Cambridge University Press.   Fraser has published nearly 100 peer-reviewed articles, more than 20 books and chapters, and served as editor of Curator: The Museum Journal from 2015–2022. Within AZA, he was a founding member of the Research and Technology Committee, co-author of the AZA’s Research Priorities, and a key driver behind the Social Science Research and Evaluation Scientific Advisory Group. He developed shared research tools that fostered collaboration and elevated social science in the field. “Devra welcomed me into my first major research project, and her belief in rigorous science as a tool for conservation has guided me ever since,” Fraser said. “I’ve tried throughout my career to carry that same commitment forward.” The Alaska SeaLife Center is proud to celebrate Dr. John ‘Johnny’ Fraser’s achievement and the recognition of his groundbreaking contributions to conservation science. About AZA Founded in 1924, the Association of Zoos and Aquariums is a nonprofit organization dedicated to the advancement of zoos and aquariums in the areas of conservation, education, science, and recreation. AZA is the accrediting body for the top zoos and aquariums in the United States and abroad.        

      Starting August 21 through Saturday, August 27, 2022 (ending at 8 PM)   Every donation of $25 or more for ASLC pinniped research will receive a limited edition sticker decal that shows you are a supporter of this critical research! This exclusive sticker was created specifically for this event by local Alaskan artist Sea Spray AK. (Donations must be made through this link to receive a sticker!)     Scientific Research was the founding reason that the Alaska SeaLife Center was created in 1991, and it remains a staple in our mission to this day. Two of the amazing scientific research projects at the ASLC that both focus on pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) are in need of your help!   Federal grant funds that support scientific research have diminished over the years, making the financial support for important scientific research more and more competitive. Less support has been coming to the ASLC science teams for research that is unique to the Alaska SeaLife Center and our partner scientists.   The important research our scientists have been working on for the endangered populations of Steller sea lions and ice seals have both been heavily impacted by funding reductions. With changing oceans and climates, the pinniped research at the ASLC has never been more important.   The Chiswell Island Steller Sea Lion Remote Video Monitoring Project has been collecting data for over 20 years at the ASLC, and years of hard work has just now started to give us a big picture look at the changes happening in our oceans.    The Alaska SeaLife Center is also home to the PHOCAS project, a special partnership between ASLC and the University of California Santa Cruz. PHOCAS stands for the Physiology and Health of Cooperating Arctic Seals. This program involves trained Alaskan ice seals that are studied at ASLC and Long Marine Laboratory. Scientists and veterinarians with expertise in seal science are working together to gather needed information about the behavior, development, health, and physiology of spotted, ringed, and bearded seals. The project will provide insight into how these seals may respond to changing ice and climate conditions in Alaskan Arctic and subArctic waters.    Every year the climate and our oceans are changing, and the science team working with arctic species of ice seals at the ASLC is collecting critical data on how these elusive arctic species will be impacted. If this project does not have enough funding to continue, all who care for the survival of these irreplaceable arctic species will be impacted.       From August 21 - 27, 2022 ASLC social media pages will be filled with stories and updates from the Center's pinniped scientific research teams.   Follow us on Facebook  Follow us on Instagram  Follow us on YouTube   Every donation of $25 or more for ASLC pinniped research will receive a limited edition sticker decal that shows you are a supporter of this critical research! This exclusive sticker was created specifically for this event by local Alaskan artist Sea Spray AK. (Donations must be made through this link to receive a sticker!)   Please join us this week on social media to learn more about this important research and help sustain this incredible scientific work that will inform policymakers for years to come.       

The ASLC’s Wildlife Response Program facilitates important research, provides disaster readiness, rescues and rehabilitates animals in need, and raises empathy and awareness for marine life across the globe. Your donation is vital in helping us continue and expand these mission objectives. When: Sunday, September 10 through Saturday, September 16, 2023 (ending at 8 p.m.) Every donation of $25 or more to the ASLC Wildlife Response Program will receive a limited edition sticker as a testament to your support! Check back for a donation link starting Sunday, September 10. As the only institution in Alaska authorized to rehabilitate marine mammals, the ASLC is the best hope of survival for many injured, stranded, and abandoned animals. Under the care of our wildlife response team, many species (including sea otters, seals, beluga calves, walrus calves, fur seals, and countless bird patients) have been given a second lease on life.   Our team also studies deceased marine animals to better understand the cause of death and gain insight into the health of Alaskan wildlife populations.   In addition to covering the live animal response and care during the ‘busy’ summer season from May to September, the Wildlife Response Program plays a critical role in responding to oil spills and other environmental hazards that may pose a threat to local wildlife. Our team remains in a ready state year-round to provide basic oiled wildlife care for affected animals, and deploy mobile treatment and rehabilitation enclosures. As climate destabilization threatens the health of our oceans and the life it harbors, the importance of our mission work grows. Continued funding bolsters our ability to address and respond to ocean changes as they occur, and ensures that irreplaceable arctic species (and the people that care for them) have a place in Alaska’s future. On behalf of the ASLC, our passionate wildlife response staff, and the ocean life they protect and nurture — we thank you for your donation.   Our program operates under permits and agreements issued by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and US Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS).     International donations: please donate through our general donations page and select "wildlife response." This will still count towards the Roundup for Wildlife Response campaign!   Tune in for a week of inspiring wildlife response stories on the ASLC social media pages from September 10 - 16, 2023! Please follow us on social media to learn more about this important program and help sustain this incredible work for years to come.    Follow us on Facebook  Follow us on Instagram  Follow us on YouTube  

animatedcollapse.addDiv('1', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() animatedcollapse.addDiv('2', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init()         MEET DR. BODIL BLUHM MARINE BIOLOGIST AND RESEARCH ASSOCIATE PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS WHAT SHE STUDIES: -Marine invertebrates -Sea ice & benthic ecology EDUCATION: B.A. Biology M.S. Zoology Ph.D. Marine Biology ONE COOL EXPERIENCE WHEN WORKING IN THE ARCTIC WAS... "We were trying to trawl for bottom fauna, at like 10,000 feet, in ice (in the Arctic deep sea). We deployed an ROV and deep sea cameras and we were sitting on the ship, and live-seeing what was on the sea floor, creeping around there." Dr. Bodil Bluhm describes what she likes best about Arctic marine research. (1:00) Video Transcript   I think the two things I like best are the interactions with people, and that's both with the fellow scientists from all over the place as well as with outreach activities, just talking to my five year old and her preschool group- the other day they had this ocean topic and I brought my dive gear, and they get all excited- so that's one part I really like, the interaction with people. Also on the international level, with the Arctic being the Arctic there's a lot of countries all around it, and we really have contacts to all of them. The other thing I really like is the study area itself. It has so many challenges, and it is under pressure from all these different activities- including climate change, and oil and gas and so on- but it just keeps being an interesting area to me to study. So those are the two things that really keep me excited about the work.   WHO IS STUDYING SEA ICE?  

    animatedcollapse.addDiv('1', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() animatedcollapse.addDiv('2', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init()         MEET DR. KATRIN IKEN MARINE BIOLOGIST AND PROFESSOR AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS WHAT SHE STUDIES: -Foodweb interactions -Marine plants and invertebrates         ONE CHALLENGE OF WORKING IN THE ARCTIC IS... "You have to be prepared to be cold, because you can only put on so many clothes." Dr. Katrin Iken describes how her work as a scientific diver gives her special insight into her study of marine ecosystems. (1:00) Video Transcript   I am a scientific diver, and I love doing it.  Not just for the adventure but really for the reason that it gives me a completely different appreciation of how things look under water.  It is much easier for me to understand, sort of how organisms live together and how they work together if I can actually see them in their natural environment.  It’s very different to see them there than for instance to have a big bottom trawl bring up organisms and you look at a big pile of them, but they are all just jumbled together and you don’t know anymore how they were actually distributed; especially sort of in relation to each other, in relation to certain habitat features such as rocks or sediment or elevation under water or depressions in the sea floor you know, all these kind of things.  So I think it gives us as researchers a different insight to be able to actually see how it is under  the water.     WHO IS STUDYING SEA ICE?  

  animatedcollapse.addDiv('1', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init() animatedcollapse.addDiv('2', 'fade=1') animatedcollapse.ontoggle=function($, divobj, state){ //fires each time a DIV is expanded/contracted //$: Access to jQuery //divobj: DOM reference to DIV being expanded/ collapsed. Use "divobj.id" to get its ID //state: "block" or "none", depending on state } animatedcollapse.init()         MEET MARTIN SCHUSTER UAF GRADUATE WITH AN MS DEGREE IN MARINE BIOLOGY AND PAST RESEARCH TECHNICIAN AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA FAIRBANKS WHAT HE STUDIES: -Kelp forest ecology -Scientific diving EDUCATION: B.S. Biological Sciences M.S. Marine Biology   THE BEST WAY TO GET STARTED IN THE SCIENCE FIELD IS... "to volunteer. You have to make your interests known to people... The people who ask questions, that's what highlights you as someone who (gets into grad school)." Martin talks about how he got involved with marine research and scientific diving at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. (01:15) Video Transcript   I was just sort of taking biology classes until I stumbled upon this poster that said ‘Scientific Diving here at UAF’ and I thought, ‘well, why the heck not’ and it looked pretty cool.  I was looking for a change, so I took that class with Dr. Conar and it really changed my life in a lot of ways.  After I put on that dry suit and got under the water, I really realized the amazing diversity of life we have here in these super cold waters.  It was hard for me to imagine before because I’d never stuck my face into the water before.  Just seeing a kelp forest for the first time and all the amazing plant and invertebrate life in there really made me realize that this was a thing that I could do.  So after that I took the class again, and then I took it again, and then I ended up joining Brenda’s lab, and becoming a scientific diver for her.  Then eventually became a grad student, which has led me to a lot of other cool fieldwork that’s not diving related as well, including this icebreaker expedition that I went on with Rolf.      WHO IS STUDYING SEA ICE?