Vol. XXVI, No. 5
May 2006
The Alaska Department of Education and Early Development has granted $194,000 per year for three years to Alaska Sea Grant for updating and expanding the Alaska Sea/River Week Curriculum guides, which were published by Alaska Sea Grant in the 1980s. Experienced teachers and science education experts will participate in the rigorous process of development workshops, writing, curriculum design, and classroom testing. Alaska Science Content Standards and Grade Level Expectations will be incorporated. Marla Brownlee, director of the Professional Education Center at UAS, wrote the proposal and will be involved in the effort. Brian Allee is the PI.
Partners are Alaska Sea Grant, Center for Alaska Coastal Studies, Alaska Ocean Observing System, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Alaska Science Consortium, Juneau Schools, Lower Kuskokwim Schools, and the Matanuska-Susitna Borough School District. The revised K–8 curriculum guides will be published and disseminated to teachers by mid-2009.
Cordova MAP agent Torie Baker recently facilitated a session to beta test the new Prince William Sound section of the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) Web site. The huge site, www.aoos.org, draws on hundreds of weather models, NOAA buoy data, and satellite ocean observations to provide a one-stop source for marine weather and other information. It is designed for all marine users—researchers, teachers, fishermen, processors, tendermen, shippers, kayakers, aviators, and recreation and subsistence users.
Baker rounded up a group of beta testers in Cordova and helped guide them in a three-hour Webcast tutorial. Users in Cordova, Whittier, and Valdez logged on to a Web site with a PowerPoint while each was linked by audio to AOOS presenters in Anchorage to ask questions and give feedback to the Web design team—Otina Fox and Rob Cermack of SFOS.
Baker can provide AOOS Web demonstrations to groups and individuals on request. In partnership with MAP, AOOS will host user tutorials as more of the site comes online throughout the state.
Alaska Sea Grant administrative assistant Melissa Tyson was awarded a $500 scholarship by the Polar Chapter of the International Association of Administrative Professionals (IAAP). Tyson competed by writing an essay on professional development goals. She will use the scholarship to take UAF courses toward becoming an IAAP Certified Administration Professional.
Doug Schneider will receive a certificate of recognition from Sigmi Xi Alaska Chapter, for his "exemplary contributions to public understanding of science through science reporting."
The Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) awarded first place to Alaska Sea Grant's book Biological Field Techniques for Lithodid Crabs, by W. Donaldson and S. Byersdorfer of ADFG. The book Common Edible Seaweeds in the Gulf of Alaska, by Dolly Garza, won a bronze award from ACE.
Alaska Sea Grant raised more than $5700 for the Alaska Fishing Industry Relief Mission (AFIRM), representing 10% of publication sales from November through April. The money will help fishing communities devastated by hurricanes Katrina and Rita.
Rick Steiner organized and hosted the Alaska OCS Public Forum in Anchorage on March 29. The multi-perspective forum was held to discuss the U.S. Minerals Management Service's Draft 5-Year Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) Leasing Plan for 2007-2012, which proposes to expand oil and gas drilling off the coast of Alaska. The forum focused on the Beaufort and Chukchi seas, Bristol Bay, and Cook Inlet. The meeting was sponsored by the Alaska Oceans Program, Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program, Cook Inlet Keeper, Sierra Club, Pacific Environment, the Ocean Foundation, and others.
MAP's FishBiz program sponsored a workshop at ComFish Kodiak on the use and requirements of vessel monitoring systems (VMS). VMS allows the NOAA Office of Law Enforcement to monitor fishing vessels via satellite, and fishermen increasingly find VMS useful for safety, business management, and communicating. VMS is required on many fishing vessels permitted for pollock, Pacific cod, and Atka mackerel, when the fisheries are open, to monitor fishing restrictions in Steller sea lion protection areas.
Greg Fisk, fisheries contractor hired for the MAP FishBiz program, helped arrange the workshop, and Quentin Fong hosted it. Ben Muse, NOAA Fisheries, and Bill Benning, Marine Exchange of Alaska, were presenters. The workshop was held in response to fishermen who reported a need for more information on VMS, at the fall 2005 MAP annual meeting.
Alaska Sea Grant's beautiful new 2007 Alaska Coastal Calendar is in stock. The new calendar features research by SFOS scientists and others. Many of the outstanding photos were taken by UAF staff as well—Kevin Raskoff's deep-sea siphonophore, Russ Hopcroft's ice divers, and Eloise Brown's sea anemone, etc. Other photo subjects are Inupiaq whale hunters, the Porcupine caribou herd, and irresistible polar bears. To order a calendar call 888-789-0090, or order online. Price is $12.
MAP organized three On-Board Salmon Quality Handling workshops in April—in Cordova, Petersburg, and Wrangell. In Cordova Torie Baker hosted 23 attendees. Mark Buckley of Digital Observer, Inc., Dave Loutrel of Wild Salmon Direct, and others presented information on regional and direct marketing, vessel improvement financing, and business assistance. Baker says "Cordova salmon fisheries have a legacy of high fish quality; these speakers found an enthusiastic reception for the many innovative ideas they shared with the audience."
In Petersburg Sunny Rice hosted the workshop, where Buckley, Chuck Crapo, Geoff Whistler from Alaska Division of Investments, and local gillnetter George Meintel gave talks to about 15 people. In Wrangell, about 20 people attended the training, which was co-hosted by Southeast Alaska Rainforest Wild, the Regional Seafood Development Association for Southeast Alaska. "Audience members were very receptive to the information. Professional pride motivates them to produce a high-quality product. Several expressed a desire to see financial or other incentives to help motivate other members of the fleet," said Rice.
Eleven students were selected for the Alaska Seafood Processing Leadership Institute (ASPLI) for 2006–2007. The students, all employed in seafood processing, started the institute with a two-week training session in April, in Kodiak, taught by Don Kramer, Chuck Crapo, Quentin Fong, and Brian Himelbloom. This summer the students will work with their mentors in processing plants around the state, and MAP faculty will be available to them as well. A second training session will be held in Anchorage in October, when MAP will bring in experts from outside agencies to present on topics such as human resources and fish selling and shipping. After completing the program, the students will travel in March 2007 to the International Boston Seafood Show and to Iceland to see available technology and cold climate fish processing plants in another nation.
The mission of the Alaska Seafood Processing Leadership Institute is to identify and foster individuals who can become leaders in the seafood processing industry. The students are from Unalakleet, Nome, Akiachak, Palmer, Quinhagak, Homer, Petersburg, Juneau, Kodiak, and Naknek, all communities that have been adversely affected by the downturn of the Alaska salmon industry.
ASPLI is sponsored by the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development, through funds made possible by the State of Alaska's Fisheries Revitalization Strategy, and by the Marine Advisory Program.
The Alaska Sea Grant Program Assessment is scheduled for Sept. 9–15, 2006, to be held in Fairbanks and Anchorage.