Fisheries and Ocean Sciences

The School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences is responsible for statewide academic, research and service programs relating to Alaska’s marine and freshwater environments and fisheries.

For undergraduate degrees, SFOS offers a minor, Bachelor of Science and Bachelor of Arts in fisheries, and a minor in marine sciences. Fieldwork opportunities are available to undergraduate students through cooperating state and federal agencies, and internships are available with nonprofit and industry fishery partners. Undergraduate fisheries majors are prepared for graduate study or to enter management, private industry or other fields.

Graduate degrees offered by SFOS include Master of Science and doctoral degrees in oceanography, marine biology and fisheries. Students can also pursue studies in seafood science through the fisheries program. Graduate students prepare for careers in university research and education, or research or management 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 around Alaska and beyond.

Education, research and extension work on freshwater and marine systems are conducted by the departments that make up SFOS. The Institute of Marine Science, with major laboratory facilities in Fairbanks and Seward, focuses on oceanographic and marine biological research and graduate education. The Kasitsna Bay laboratory, near Homer, is the site for coastal research on intertidal and subtidal communities. The Juneau Center focuses on fisheries research and education. The Kodiak Seafood and Marine Science Center is focused on research and extension work in seafood science and sustainable harvest technology. The Marine Advisory Program offers public education and outreach statewide from its offices in Anchorage and coastal communities. SFOS also operates the oceanographic vessel Sikuliaq, a global-class research vessel designed to work in the ice-laden waters of polar regions. The Sikuliaq is based in Seward.

For more information, visit www.sfos.uaf.edu or call 907-474-7824.