2003-2004 UAF Catalog

Fisheries and Ocean Sciences

Vera Alexander, Dean

The School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences is responsible for the university's statewide programs in marine education, research, fishery technology and extension, relating to Alaska's vast marine and freshwater environments and fisheries. Oceanographic research and education are the focus of the Institute of Marine Science (IMS). The IMS has major laboratory facilities in Fairbanks and coastal laboratory facilities at the Seward Marine Center, the home port of the National Science Foundation research vessel, R/V Alpha Helix, and Kasitsna Bay near Homer, with spectacular intertidal and subtidal communities. The Global Undersea Research Unit in Fairbanks emphasizes the use of submersibles, remotely operated vehicles and other undersea observing systems in research. The Juneau Center for Fisheries and Ocean Sciences is adjacent to the U.S. NOAA Fisheries Auke Bay laboratory and near regional laboratories and headquarters of several state and federal agencies. The Fishery Industrial Technology Center at Kodiak houses research in seafood science and sustainable harvest technology, and the Marine Advisory Program offers public education and outreach statewide from its offices in Anchorage and several coastal communities.

The school offers the B.S. degree in fisheries through the fisheries division. The M.S. and Ph.D. degrees are offered in oceanography, marine biology and fisheries. Students can pursue studies in seafood science through the Interdisciplinary Program. Undergraduate fisheries majors in the school are prepared for graduate study or to enter management, private industry or other fields. Field work opportunities are available to undergraduate students through cooperating state and federal agencies. Graduate students prepare for careers including university research and education, research or management positions with state and federal agencies, and private industry. As part of their degree programs, graduate students conduct research in collaboration with faculty, often in remote locations throughout the oceans and seas bordering Alaska.