Message from the Dean

CFOS Advisory Council member and long-standing executive director of the At-Sea Processors Association Stephanie Madsen has announced her retirement from APA at the end of this year. Stephanie has been a stalwart supporter of CFOS fisheries research and education activities, in particular through the Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center. I personally have benefited greatly from Stephanie’s experience and advice regarding Alaska’s commercial fishing industry. We are fortunate that Stephanie has generously offered to stay on the Advisory Council, and I am grateful for her time, energy and experience in helping to advance the mission of our college.

Stephanie’s pending retirement also serves as a reminder that next year PCCRC will celebrate 25 years supporting fisheries research and education programs. Stay tuned for more information about this event, which will take place in Anchorage during the Alaska Marine Science Symposium in January.

It is a pleasure to announce that Elizabeth “Putt” Clark will join CFOS on November 18 as our new website manager. Putt will be located in the Dean’s Office suite and can be reached at ecclark@alaska.edu. Please join me in welcoming Putt to CFOS!

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is moored in Honolulu, Hawaii, awaiting Caitlin Whalen’s (University of Washington) field project in the tropical Pacific Ocean. This NSF Division of Ocean Sciences–funded Mixing belOw Tropical Instability waVEs (MOTIVE) study is focused on processes that govern the observed modulation of internal waves and possible turbulent mixing in the equatorial Pacific.

Accomplishments

CFOS graduate student Connie Melovidov has been awarded a Sea Grant Knauss Marine Policy Fellowship. She will focus on marine policy and conservation during her fellowship in Washington D.C. next year. Congratulations, Connie!

CFOS in the News

Your Alaska Link included a science presentation by Brian Crandall at Haines High School in a roundup of Alaska news stories. 

Graduate student Emily Mailman was profiled on the UAF Graduate School website.

Publications

Husson, B., B.A. Bluhm, F. Cyr, S.L. Danielson, E. Eriksen, M. Fossheim, M. Geoffroy, R.R. Hopcroft, R.B. Ingvaldsen, L.L. Jørgensen, C. Lovejoy, L. Meire, F. Mueter, R. Primicerio, and M. Winding. 2024. Borealization impacts shelf ecosystems across the Arctic. Frontiers in Environmental Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvs.2024.1481420

Polyakov, I., T.J. Ballinger, J.E. Overland, S.J. Vavrus, S.L. Danielson, R. Lader, U.S. Bhatt, A.S. Hendricks, and F.J. Mueter. 2024. Atmospheric pressure rivalry between the Arctic and northern Pacific: Implications for Alaskan climate variability. International Journal of Climatology. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.1002/joc.8638

Slater, L.M., W. Gaeuman, W. Cheng, G.H. Kruse, C. Habicht, and D. Pengilly. 2024. Molecular evaluation of the mating dynamics of snow crab (Chionoecetes opilio) in the eastern Bering Sea. Ecology and Evolution. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/ece3.70416

Grants and Awards for October 2024

New awards for CFOS researchers

• Grant G-16425 "Ice Impacts on the Resonance, Convergence and Friction of Tidal Transport (Tide-Ice ReCon)" - Steve Dykstra - BOEM - $151,834.00 (September 18, 2024)

Award set up on assumption

• Grant G-16407 "UAF FY25 Support for Marine Scientist Hollmen" - Tuula Hollmen - Alaska SeaLife Center - $20,000.00 (October 1, 2024)

Awards that received incremental funding

• Grant G-13543 "NASA IPA August 2020-July 2022" - Geoff Wheat - NASA - Mod 3 - $268,421.00 (August 1, 2020)
• Grant G-14399 "AccelNet-Implementation: Crustal Ocean Biosphere Research Accelerator (COBRA)" - Geoff Wheat - Bigelow Labs - Mod 4 - $20,000.00 (October 1, 2021)
• Grant G-16417 "FY25 UAF Technical Support at Amchitka Island Underground Nuclear Test Sites" - Doug Dasher - Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation - Mod 1 - $33,120.00 (July 1, 2024)

Awards controlled by other departments

• Grant G-16442 "Research Advising and Mentoring Professionals for Underrepresented Peoples (RAMP UP)" - Ellen Chenoweth - NIH - Center for One Health - $61,362.00 (September 15, 2024)
• Grant G-16459 "Juneau Whale HEALTH" - Shannon DeMaster - City of Juneau - UAS - $48,227.00 (July 1, 2024)

Message from the Dean

It is a pleasure to welcome Lydia Sgouros in her new role as marine technician in Seth Danielson's lab. Having relocated from the Bermuda Institute of Ocean Sciences to the Seward Marine Center, Lydia will apply her skills to mooring, glider and high frequency radar operations. Welcome to CFOS, Lydia!

Jeff Richardson is putting the finishing touches on the 2024 CFOS Annual Report, which will highlight some of our exciting research, teaching, and service activities, along with some very nice pictures of CFOS at work in our great state.

Fairbanks is off to a wintry start today, with plenty of snow falling to lay the base for another great season of skiing and other outdoor activities.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is moored in Newport, Oregon, preparing to support Caitlin Whalen’s (University of Washington) NSF-funded Mixing belOw Tropical Instability waVEs (MOTIVE) project, scheduled next month and based out of Honolulu, Hawaii.

Accomplishments

Mike Stekoll was honored with the 2023–2024 Impact Award for the best social impact disclosure as part of the Innovation Disclosures and Entrepreneurial Activities award. His work, “Floating and hanging kelp for advanced yield in kelp mariculture,” was selected from among the top disclosures for commercial readiness, capacity to make an impact, strength of intellectual property, and potential to scale. Congratulations, Mike!

CFOS in the News

Kay McMonigal was quoted in a Science article about a study that explains the scientific cause of windless ocean doldrums.

Alaska Native News and other outlets published an article about work by Hank Statscewich and the CFOS glider program to locate tagged crabs in the Bering Sea. 

Fishermen’s News published a forecast for the 2025 Bristol Bay salmon run that was compiled by a research team that included Curry Cunningham. 

Publications

Hasan, M., S.M. Larson, K. McMonigal, W.A. Robinson, and A. Aiyyer. 2024. Hemisphere-dependent impacts of ENSO and atmospheric eddies on Hadley circulation. Journal of Climate. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-24-0112.1

Message from the Dean

It is a pleasure to convey that Dr. Rowenna Gryba has accepted the offer for the tenure-track assistant professor position in the Department of Fisheries. Following extensive work as a quantitative ecologist in the private sector and academia, Rowenna recently completed her PhD at the University of British Columbia. Her research interests combine statistical techniques and Indigenous knowledge to better understand marine mammal behavior in the Arctic. I want to thank Peter Westley for chairing this faculty search and committee members Courtney Carothers, Kristen Gorman, Andrés López, Lindsey McCulloch and Megan McPhee. Rowenna will be based at the Fairbanks campus and her start date is August 2025. Please join me in welcoming Rowenna to CFOS. 

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway for Ed Dever’s (Oregon State University) Ocean Observatories Initiative Fall 2024 Endurance Array operations and maintenance cruise, which is funded by the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences.

Accomplishments

Last week Sikuliaq and CFOS hosted an annual IT Summit meeting with several information technology departments from the UA system to discuss collaboration, knowledge sharing and future plans. Participants included OIT, NTS and Statewide IT, with sessions focusing on cybersecurity, hardware support and knowledge sharing.

CFOS in the News

Jeff Muehlbauer was featured in a UAF Aurora article about the Cripple Creek stream restoration in Fairbanks.

Peter Westley was quoted in an article in The Lever about the environmental consequences of Alaska’s Bering Sea pollock fishery.

Steve Dykstra’s research on convergent estuaries with dams, published in the Journal of Geophysical Research, was highlighted in a roundup of news in The Hill about the expansion of risky coastal development in the face of climate change. 

Peter Westley discussed Alaska’s “state of salmon” on the Rising Tide podcast.

Publications

Gentilhomme, A., C. Sweet, G.M.M. Hennon, and R.E. Collins. 2024. Genomic signatures of cold adaptation in the family Colwelliaceae. Extremophiles. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00792-024-01356-0

Bucklin, A., P.G. Batta Lona, J.M. Questel, H. McMonagle, et al. Metabarcoding and morphological analysis of diets of mesopelagic fishes in the NW Atlantic slope water. Frontiers in Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1411996

Grants and Awards for September 2024

New awards for CFOS researchers

• Grant G-16333 "CRISES: Center for Indigenous Knowledge and Stewardship (CIKS)" - Courtney Carothers - NSF - $100,000.00 (September 1, 2024)
• Grant G-16338 "4-H pH" - Natalie Monacci - NOAA/CMDL - $50,000.00 (September 1, 2024)
• Grant G-16417 "FY25 UAF Technical Support at Amchitka Island Underground Nuclear Test Sites" - Doug Dasher - Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation - $121,471.81 (July 1, 2024)

Awards receiving incremental funding

• Grant G-12127 "University of Alaska Fairbanks/Sikuliaq Oceanographic Technical Support - Year 1 of 5" - Ethan Roth - NSF - Mod 16 - $1,058,900.00 (June 15, 2018)
• Grant G-14969 "Mariculture - Benthic Ecosystem" - Brenda Konar - Prince William Sound Science Center - Mod 4 - $153,532.00 (July 1, 2022)
• Grant G-14970 "Assessment of seeding density, pre-harvest trimming, and environmental conditions on the performance of farmed kelp" - Schery Umanzor - Prince William Sound Science Center - Mod 3 - $94,284.00 (July 1, 2022)
• Grant G-14996 "Pelagic Interactions" - Amanda Kelley - Prince William Sound Science Center - Mod 3 - $213,290.00 (July 1, 2022)
• Grant G-15161 "AMBON - linking biodiversity observations in the Arctic" - Katrin Iken - NASA - Mod 2 - $60,000.00 (September 1, 2022)

Awards controlled by other department

• Grant G-15974 "FY24 Alaska Hatch Regular Research" - Amanda Kelley - USDA National Institute of Food and Agriculture NIFA - AFES Federal Land Grant Programs (SBO) - $270,997.00 (October 1, 2023)
• Grant G-16344 "Enhancing Alaska Native Capacity to Respond to a Changing Ocean Climate" - Courtney Carothers - Sasakawa Peace Foundation - IARC - $88,817.00 (September 1, 2024)
• Grant G-16413 "Development of the Arctic MOM6-COBALT configuration: Incorporating Indigenous perspectives for a holistic and equitable approach towards prediction and projection of Arctic Ocean ecosystem change" - Kate Hedstrom - NOAA/CMDL - IARC - $108,269.00 (September 1, 2024)

Message from the Dean

Next week two CFOS stakeholder organizations will hold board meetings that bear on our research and education programs. The North Pacific Research Board will hold its annual fall board meeting in Anchorage, with discussions to include core research programs, the new Northern Bering Sea Integrated Ecosystem Research Program, and partnerships. Later in the week, the Alaska SeaLife Center will hold its annual fall retreat and board meeting in Seward, with a full slate of topics that includes strategic planning, governance, finance, development and community outreach. I look forward to engaging with the NPRB and ASLC boards and staff to help advance their respective missions.

I hope everyone is taking time to enjoy the spectacular fall colors in our great state.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway to recover two wave gliders south of Unimak Pass for Mark Zumberge (University of California San Diego). The glider research is funded by the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (OCE). After recovering the wave gliders, Sikuliaq will transit to Newport, Oregon, to prepare for the next research cruise: Ed Dever’s (Oregon State University) OOI Endurance Array Operations & Maintenance, which is also funded by NSF OCE.

Accomplishments

Courtney Carothers was awarded the Emmeline Moore Award by the American Fisheries Society, which recognizes the efforts of an individual member in the promotion of demographic diversity in the society.

CFOS in the News

ECO Magazine and other publications covered research by Steve Dykstra that details how dams that are built to address coastal flooding can sometimes worsen it.

Publications

Dykstra, S.L., S.A. Talke, A.E. Yankovsky, R. Torres, and E. Viparelli. 2024. Reflection of storm surge and tides in convergent estuaries with dams, the case of Charleston, USA. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JC020498

Lobo, M., D.A. Jay, S. Innocenti, S.A. Talke, S.L. Dykstra, and P. Matte. 2024. Implementing super-resolution of non-stationary tides with wavelets: An introduction to CWT_Multi. Journal of Atmospheric and Oceanic Technology. https://doi.org/10.1175/JTECH-D-23-0144.1

Wild, L.A., F.J. Mueter, J.M. Straley, and R.D. Andrews. 2024. Movement and diving behavior of satellite-tagged male sperm whales in the Gulf of Alaska. Frontiers in Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1394687

Message from the Dean

As we continue through this fall semester, it is worth reflecting on the progress the college is making. This includes expanding our academic programs, attracting new students and faculty, increasing the scope of our research, strengthening our major facilities, and bringing value to the state of Alaska in the management of aquatic ecosystems and resources. Some of this progress will be featured in the upcoming CFOS annual report, which Jeff Richardson is now actively developing. For a broader view of how CFOS contributes positively to UAF, please join me this Thursday at UAF Convocation, when Chancellor White will provide his annual welcome-back address along with his vision for the university.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway in the Beaufort Sea in support of Craig Lee’s (University of Washington) Arctic Mobile Observing System project, which is funded by the Office of Naval Research.

Accomplishments

A passive eDNA sampler project by Jessica Glass and graduate student Maris Goodwin won the 2022–2023 Innovation Disclosures and Entrepreneurial Activities (IDEAs) Alaska Impact Award for the best disclosure for social impact.

CFOS in the News

A Fishermen’s News story looked at projections for the 2025 Bristol Bay salmon fisheries using analysis from a research team that included Curry Cunningham.

Seth Danielson discussed the newly completed Arctic Collaborative Ecosystem Cruise aboard R/V Sikuliaq during a Strait Science lecture at UAF’s Northwest Campus in Nome.

Quentin Fong was quoted in a widely distributed New York Times article about the troubled economics of the Alaska fishing industry.

Publications

El-Tohamy, W.S., and R.R. Hopcroft. 2024. Planktonic ciliate communities along an environmental gradient in the Nile Delta (Damietta region, Egypt). Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-69551-9

El-Tohamy, W.S., M.E. Taher, A.M. Ghoneim, and R.R. Hopcroft. 2024. Protozoan communities serve as a strong indicator of water quality in the Nile River. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-66583-z

Hirche, H.-J., E.A. Ershova, K.N. Kosobokova, and R.R. Hopcroft. 2024. From fringe to basin: Unraveling the survival strategies of Calanus hyperboreus and C. glacialis in the Arctic Ocean. Marine Ecology Progress Series. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14665

Grants and Awards for August 2024

New awards for CFOS researchers

• Grant G-16286 "A Sea-Scale Effort to Assess Sensitivity to Change in Nutrients and Ecosystems within the Arctic (SEAS the Change)" - Thomas Kelly - Increment 2 - NPRB - $225,828.00 (October 1, 2023)
• Grant G-16290 "OH STEM! Co-Creating a One Health STEM Ecosystem for Rural and Indigenous Alaska" - Ellen Chenoweth - NIH - $270,320.00 (August 1, 2024)
• Grant G-16293 "Southeast Alaska Trolling Vessel Ocean Management Program" - Tyler Hennon - AOOS - $261,167.00 (August 1, 2024)
  

Awards receiving incremental funding

• Grant G-12178 "University of Alaska Fairbanks/Sikuliaq Ship Operations CY2018-2022" - Bradley Moran - NSF - Mod 22 - $3,744,777.00 (July 1, 2018)
• Grant G-14761 "AK Sea Grant Omnibus--2024 Community Partnership Funding" - Jessica Glass - AK Sea Grant - $11,189.00 (February 1, 2024)
• Grant G-15696 "LTER: NGA Phase II: Resilience and Connectivity Across Transitions in the Northern Gulf of Alaska Ecosystem" - Russ Hopcroft - NSF - Mod 1 - $1,275,000.00 (October 1, 2023)
• Grant G-15696 "LTER: NGA Phase II: Resilience and Connectivity Across Transitions in the Northern Gulf of Alaska Ecosystem" - Russ Hopcroft - NSF - Mod 2 - $54,402.00 (October 1, 2023)
• Grant G-15892 "CY2023-CY2028 R/V Sikuliaq ONR Ship Days" - Doug Baird, Jr. - ONR - $1,196,033.00 (December 1, 2023)
  

Award controlled by another department

• Grant G-16094 "FY25 State Support for UAF R1 Status" - Several CFOS principal investigators - AK State Legislature Senate Finance Committee - CFOS Funding $292,312.00 (July 1, 2024)

Message from the Dean

As we transition into the fall semester, we also have two important staff transitions. As some of you are aware, Michelle Warrenchuk is moving on from her position as CFOS procurement technician; however we are fortunate that Michelle will stay on to ensure a smooth transition for procurement services over the coming months. And, Tatiana Krupina has tendered her resignation as CFOS financial manager, effective September 18. Please join me in wishing Michelle and Tatiana the best going forward. 

To ensure continuity of business operations, the UAF Signers’ Business Office will provide future procurement and financial management services for the college. Further, Barbara Wadlinger will assume full responsibility for CFOS recharge centers, including Sikuliaq ship operations, as well as CMI program management.

Please join me in congratulating our summer 2024 graduates:

Aaron Lambert, M.S. Fisheries, Major Advisor: Curry Cunningham
Jasmine Nyce, M.S. Fisheries, Major Advisor: Andy Seitz
Marina Alcantar, Ph.D. Marine Biology, Major Advisor: Amanda Kelley
James Crimp, M.S. Marine Biology, Major Advisor: Schery Umanzor
Mackenzie Hughes, M.S. Marine Biology, Major Advisor: Brenda Konar
Emily Reynolds, M.S. Marine Biology, Major Advisor: Brenda Konar
Dana Bloch, M.S. Oceanography, Major Advisor: Tyler Hennon
Addie Norgaard, M.S. Oceanography, Major Advisors: Seth Danielson and Claudine Hauri
Stephanie O’Daly, Ph.D. Oceanography, Major Advisor: Gwenn Hennon
Derek Petty, Master of Marine Policy, Major Advisor: Keith Criddle
Ivy Schultz, Master of Marine Policy, Major Advisor: Keith Criddle
Skye Marie Williamsz, Master of Marine Policy, Major Advisor: Keith Criddle
Hannah Miller, B.S. Fisheries and Marine Sciences
Lillian Nelson, B.S. Fisheries and Marine Sciences

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway in the southern Chukchi Sea in support of the Arctic Marine Ecosystems cruise with Chief Scientists Seth Danielson (UAF/CFOS) and Jackie Grebmeier (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science). The cruise, funded by NOAA, UAF and ONR, ends this week. Craig Lee’s AMOS (Arctic Mobile Observing System) project starts at the end of the week, funded by ONR.

Accomplishments

Graduate student Emily Mailman has been awarded the Robert and Judy Belous Global Change Research Endowment scholarship.

Publications

Lissenberg, C.J., A.M. McCaig, S.Q. Lang, P. Blum, […], C.G. Wheat, et al. 2024. A long section of serpentinized depleted mantle peridotite. Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adp1058

Message from the Dean

Today we kick off the fall semester—welcome back, everyone! Our outstanding faculty, staff and students are advancing many exciting research, academic and outreach activities. In that regard, I am happy to provide an important update on our marine policy and oceanography faculty searches.

It is a pleasure to convey that Dr. Hannah Myers has accepted the offer for the tenure-track assistant professor position in marine policy in the Department of Fisheries. Hannah is well-known to CFOS, having completed her PhD in 2023; she is currently working as a postdoctoral scholar at Oregon State University. In addition to her marine policy interests, she has an active research program on killer whale behavior. I want to thank Franz Mueter for chairing this faculty search and committee members Jessica Glass, Russ Hopcroft, Lara Horstmann and Katarzyna Polanska (UAS). Hannah will be based at the Fairbanks campus and her start date is January 2025. 

We have also concluded a successful oceanography faculty search, resulting in two faculty hires. Dr. Emily Seelen has accepted the offer for a tenure-track faculty position in the Department of Oceanography. Emily received her PhD at the University of Connecticut in 2018 and recently completed her postdoctoral research at the University of Southern California. Emily's research focus is on mercury cycling in marine and terrestrial environments. Emily will be based in Fairbanks and her start date is October 2024. 

I am also delighted to convey that Dr. Shannon Doherty has accepted the offer of tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Oceanography. Many of you know Shannon, who joined CFOS last year as research assistant professor and was hired for the new position after participating in an international search. Shannon’s research focus is on particle export dynamics, the application of stable isotopes to ecological studies, and paleoceanography. I want to thank Seth Danielson for chairing this search, and committee members Steve Dykstra, Gwenn Hennon, Franz Mueter and Stephanie O’Daly. 

Please join me in welcoming Hannah, Emily and Shannon to CFOS. And once again, welcome back and thank you for all your good work, CFOS!

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway in the southern Chukchi Sea for the Arctic Marine Ecosystems cruise with Chief Scientists Seth Danielson (UAF/CFOS) and Jackie Grebmeier (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science). In addition to the planned research, Sikuliaq has an Imaging FlowCytoBot aboard to collect near real-time observations of oceanic microalgae. These observations will be used to detect harmful algal blooms and alert local communities in western Alaska.

CFOS in the News

Kay McMonigal was quoted in a Los Angeles Times article about new research on the effects of thawing permafrost on carbon-dioxide absorption in the Arctic Ocean.

Nature interviewed Peter Westley and former CFOS postdoc Samuel May about the downside of booming hatchery salmon populations in Alaska.

The 25th anniversary of the CFOS Scientific Diving Program was highlighted in the American Academy of Underwater Sciences newsletter. 

A story about a new museum exhibit that focuses on research aboard R/V Sikuliaq on Aleutian storms was published in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner. 

BBC quoted Peter Westley in an article about declining salmon populations amid climate change. 

Publications

Sullaway, G.H., C.J. Cunningham, D. Kimmel, D.J. Pilcher, and J.T. Thorson. 2024. Evaluating the performance of a system model in predicting zooplankton dynamics: Insights from the Bering Sea ecosystem. Fisheries Oceanography. https://doi.org/10.1111/fog.12691

Grants and Awards for July 2024

New awards for CFOS researchers

• Grant G-16165 "Second Generation consequences of hatchery enhancement of sockeye salmon in Auke Creek, Alaska Year 4" - Megan McPhee - Pacific Salmon Commission - $29,638.00 (July 1, 2024)
• Grant G-16193 "Data Analyses of Pink and Chum Salmon Samples, and manuscript writing services" - Kristen Gorman - North Slope Borough - $72,000.00 (May 30, 2024)
• Grant G-16229 "University of Alaska Fairbanks/Sikuliaq Oceanographic Instrumentation 2024" - Ethan Roth - NSF - $183,709.00 (June 1, 2024)
• Grant G-16258 "Characterization of water column habitats to understand potential impacts from deepwater energy and mineral development in the Pacific Ocean" - Russ Hopcroft - BOEM - $474,000.00 (July 29, 2024)
• Grant G-16223 "Methodologies for Farming Green Sea Urchins in Alaska" - Brenda Konar - Southeast Conference - $136,861.00 (May 29, 2024)
  

Awards receiving incremental funding

• Grant G-12127 "University of Alaska Fairbanks/Sikuliaq Oceanographic Technical Support Year 1 of 5" - Ethan Roth - NSF - Mod 15 - $503,792.00 (June 15, 2018)
• Grant G-12178 "University of Alaska Fairbanks/Sikuliaq Ship Operations CY2018- 2022" - Bradley Moran - NSF - Mod 20 and Mod 21 - $500,000.00 and $3,000,000.00 (July 1, 2018)
• Grant G-14420 "Integrating oceanographic research and monitoring efforts in the NE Gulf of Alaska" - Seth Danielson - NPS - Mod 3 - $205,757.00
• Grant G-15743 "Coho Salmon Growth in Glacial and Non-glacial Watersheds" - Megan McPhee - USDA Forest Service - Mod 1 - $66,500.00 (June 12, 2023)
  

Awards controlled by another department

• Grant G-16043 "Galena Alaska Microgrid Riverine Hydrokinetics" - Andy Seitz - Department of Energy - ACEP - $104,393.00 (January 12, 2024)
• Grant G-16180 "BII: Evolving Meta-Ecosystems in the Arctic" - Peter Westley - Woodwell Climate Research Center - IARC - $13,073.00 (April 1, 2024)
  

Awards set up on assumption

• Grant G-16230 "Acoustic Tracking of King and Tanner Crab Using AUV Glider in the Bering Sea FY25" - Seth Danielson - ADFG - $12,192.00 (July 1, 2024)
• Grant G-16242 "FY25 Zebra and Quagga Mussel Risk Assessment - Evaluating Habitat Suitability Year 2" - Deanna Strohm - ADFG - $10,000.00 (July 1, 2024)

Message from the Dean

Last week, UA President Pitney organized a meeting with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to discuss ongoing fisheries research collaborations between the agency and CFOS. The meeting, which included ADFG Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang; ADFG fisheries staff Rachel Baker, Dani Evenson, Katherine Howard and Bill Templin; CFOS fisheries faculty Keith Criddle, Curry Cunningham, Franz Mueter, Andy Seitz and Peter Westley; and me, spurred some vigorous discussion regarding important issues related to Alaska salmon, including the recent Alaska Salmon Research Task Force report. We concluded with an agreement to have biannual meetings to stay abreast of work of shared interest.

This past weekend, a team from NSF and JMS Naval Architects conducted the biennial inspection of R/V Sikuliaq. The inspectors were highly complimentary of the crew in maintaining Sikuliaq in very good operating condition. The inspection team is recommending to NSF leadership that Sikuliaq is ready and approved to continue to support at-sea research. Bravo Zulu Sikuliaq crew and SMC staff!

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is moored at Seward and mobilizing for the Arctic Marine Ecosystems cruise with Chief Scientists Seth Danielson (UAF/CFOS) and Jackie Grebmeier (University of Maryland). The cruise is funded by NOAA, ONR and UAF. Sikuliaq will transit from Seward to Nome this week to begin the 2024 Arctic projects.

CFOS in the News

KCAW public radio interviewed Peter Westley and Samuel May about interactions between hatchery and wild salmon.

NOAA Fisheries news featured CFOS grad student Emily Mailman, who works as a marine habitat resource specialist for the NOAA Restoration Center in Anchorage.

Accomplishments

Jessica Glass received a Stephenson Exploration Advancement Award from the Explorers Club for her project, “Visions from the deep Arctic: Unknown behavior and habitat use of the Pacific sleeper shark.”

R/V Nanuq operated in Cook Inlet for the first time last week, supporting a research project led by Tyler Hennon and Thilo Klenz to better understand how tidal rip currents impact the dispersal and aggregation of pollutants.

Publications

Somov, A., E.V. Farley, E.M. Yasumiishi, and M.V. McPhee. 2024. Comparison of juvenile Pacific salmon abundance, distribution, and body condition between western and eastern Bering Sea using spatiotemporal models. Fisheries Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2024.107086

Marchenko, A., M. Johnson, and D. Brazhnikov. 2024. Leaky wave modes and edge waves in land-fast ice split by parallel cracks. Journal of Marine Science and Engineering. https://doi.org/10.3390/jmse12081247

Stephens, T., Y. Li, C. Yarish, M.C. Rogers, and S. Umanzor. 2024. Does seawater nitrogen better predict the baseline farmed yield for sugar kelp (Saccharina latissimi) rather than the final yield? Phycology. https://doi.org/10.3390/phycology4030020

Conte, L., J. Fiechter, S. Strom, R.R. Hopcroft, S.L. Danielson, and A. Aguilar-Islas. 2024. Modeling planktonic food web interannual variability in the Northern Gulf of Alaska shelf. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. https://doi.org/10.1029/2024JC021116

Message from the Dean

In response to the marked increase in enrollment in our academic programs, the CFOS Dean’s Office is investing in a new initiative to support student graders for our more heavily subscribed courses. In addition to assisting with faculty teaching, this is an opportunity for students in need of financial support. Please contact the CFOS Academics Office or Associate Dean for Academic Programs Ana Aguilar-Islas for further details. A big thank-you to Ana for leading this initiative, as well as to Sarah Mincks, Jessica Glass, Laura Frisone and Christina Sutton for their efforts.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway in the Gulf of Alaska and southeast Alaska in support of Drew Steen’s (University of Tennessee) enzyme stability project and Allyson Tessin’s (Kent State) Gulf of Alaska benthic iron coring project, which are funded by the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences.

CFOS in the News

Alaska Native News and other outlets covered new research by Peter Westley and former postdoc Samuel May about the effects of hatchery fish on the genetic diversity of wild pink salmon.

Courtney Carothers was interviewed for KMXT public media’s Talk of the Rock about her work examining the decline of limited-entry permits for fishers on Kodiak Island and elsewhere in Alaska.

Publications

May, S.A., K.R. Shedd, K.M. Gruenthal, [...], M.D. Atkison, [...], and P.A.H. Westley. 2024. Salmon hatchery strays can demographically boost wild populations at the cost of diversity: quantitative genetic modelling of Alaska pink salmon. Royal Society Open Science. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.240455
 
Larson, S.M., K. McMonigal, Y. Okumura, D. Amaya, et al. 2024. Ocean complexity shapes sea surface temperature variability in a CESM2 coupled model hierarchy. Journal of Climate. https://doi.org/10.1175/JCLI-D-23-0621.1
 
Corliss, K., V. von Biela, H. Coletti, J. Bodkin, D. Esler, and K. Iken. 2024. Relative importance of macroalgae and phytoplankton to nearshore consumers and growth across climatic conditions in the Northern Gulf of Alaska. Estuaries and Coasts. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-024-01371-6
 
Dykstra, S.L., G. Ricche, G. Marmorino, and A.E. Yankovsky. 2024. Forcing conditions of cross-shelf plumes on a wide continental shelf, Winyah Bay, South Atlantic Bight. Remote Sensing of Environment. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rse.2024.114279
 
Fachon, E., R.S. Pickart, G. Sheffield, E. Pate, [...], D.A. Stockwell, et al. 2024. Tracking a large-scale and highly toxic Arctic algal bloom: Rapid detection and risk communication. Limnology and Oceanography Letters. https://doi.org/10.1002/lol2.10421

Grants and Awards for June 2024

New awards for CFOS researchers

• Grant G-16116 "Acoustic Tracking of King Crab and Tanner crab Using AUV Glider in the Bering Sea" - Seth Danielson - Alaska Department of Fish and Game - $9,999.00 (May 1, 2024)
• Grant G-16163 "Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council" - Michael Stekoll - Alaska Conservation Foundation - $125,000.00 (February 1, 2022)

Awards receiving incremental funding

• Grant G-16058 "Telemetry and genetic identity of Chinook salmon in Alaska (2)" - Andy Seitz - Department of the Navy - Mod 1 - $408,677.00 (April 21, 2024)

Message from the Dean

We have now closed out the first half of 2024, and it is worth reflecting on some of our accomplishments to date. Since January, we held our fourth all-hands faculty retreat, continued to see broad student interest and hence growing enrollment in all of our academic degree programs, and are in the final stages of faculty searches in marine policy, fisheries and oceanography. Our world-class research programs and major facilities, including Sikuliaq ship operations, continue to grow and garner broad recognition. Taken together, and despite continued state funding challenges, we can be proud of our diverse capabilities, expertise and resilience in delivering excellence in research, instruction and outreach. Thank you for all your good work.

Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable Fourth of July weekend.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway in the western Gulf of Alaska in support of Mark Zumberge’s (Scripps Institution of Oceanography) Near-Trench Community Geodetic Experiment, which is funded by the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences. Sikuliaq is scheduled to arrive at Seward on July 3 and will spend the Independence Day holiday at homeport.

CFOS in the News

Alaska Public Media highlighted research by Curry Cunningham and former CFOS postdoc Joe Langan in a story about changing salmon migration patterns.

Accomplishments

Sikuliaq Science Operations Manager Ethan Roth has been appointed to the UNOLS Arctic Marine Research Capabilities Committee, which provides perspectives on current and emerging needs for polar research.

Kay McMonigal has been granted an Arctic Fellows Award through the Office of Naval Research, which will support a project to build low-cost temperature-monitoring sensors for remote Arctic deployments.

Publications

Aguilar-Islas, A., H. Planquette, M.C. Lohan, W. Geibert, and G. Cutter. 2024. Intercalibration: A cornerstone of the success of the GEOTRACES program. Oceanography. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2024.404

Dallimore, S.R., L.L. Lapham, M.M. Côté, R. Bowen, R. MacLeod, H.A. McIntosh Marcek, C.G. Wheat, and T.S. Collett. 2024. Source, migration pathways, and atmospheric release of geologic methane associated with the complex permafrost regimes of the outer Mackenzie River delta, Northwest Territories, Canada. Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JF007515

Message from the Dean

This Wednesday is Juneteenth, the federal holiday that commemorates the freeing of enslaved African Americans. Please take a moment to reflect on the collective progress made in advancing human rights in our nation, and the remaining work needed to fully realize an equitable society.

This Thursday marks summer solstice—I hope everyone takes time to get out and enjoy the great Alaskan outdoors.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is in Seward undergoing the International Safety Management Code recertification and safety system audit. Later this week Sikuliaq will get underway for Mark Zumberge’s Alaska GNSS-A project, which is funded by the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences.

CFOS in the News

A story about the 25th anniversary of the CFOS scientific diving program was covered by Alaska Native News.

KUAC and other outlets covered new research by Curry Cunningham and former CFOS postdoc Joe Langan about salmon migration to the Canadian Arctic.

The Cool Down highlighted research by CFOS student Tony Blade that determined walruses on St. Lawrence Island are consuming significant amounts of microplastics.

Jessica Glass was featured by the Seychelles Broadcasting Corporation for her research on the genomic connectivity of giant and bluefin trevallies in the Western Indian Ocean. She gave a public talk about the subject to the Seychelles Sport Fishing Club on May 21.

An article by Julian Race about maritime cybersecurity [PDF] was published in Marine Technology Reporter.

Accomplishments

Shackleton, an autonomous underwater vehicle operated by the CFOS glider lab, has set a new record for consecutive days at sea for an Alaska-based AUV. Also known as Glider 191, it has operated for more than 100 straight days since being launched on March 8.

Publications

Alcantar, M.W., J. Hetrick, J. Ramsay, and A.L. Kelley. 2024. Embryonic and early larval development of the Pacific razor clam (Siliqua patula). The Biological Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1086/730784

Dunmall, K.M., J.A. Langan, C.J. Cunningham, J.D. Reist, H. Melling, et al. 2024. Pacific salmon in the Canadian Arctic highlight a range expansion pathway for sub-Arctic fishes. Global Change Biology. https://doi.org/10.1111/gcb.17353

Grants and Awards for May 2024

New awards for CFOS researchers

• Grant G-16098 "Advancing Pinto Abalone Farming in Alaska: Developing Protocols for an Efficient Transition from Laboratory Nurseries to Ocean-Farmed Growth Systems" - Alexei Pinchuk - Southeast Conference - $149,982.00 (May 20, 2024)
• Grant G-16101 "A Framework for the Cultivation of Dulse (Devaleraea mollis) in Alaska: development of a manual and economic analysis" - Schery Umanzor - Southeast Conference - $87,487.00 (May 20, 2024)
• Grant G-16105 "Beluga Whispers: Filtering Beluga Dietary Patterns through eDNA and Passive Acoustics" - Sonia Kumar - Oil Spill Recovery Institute - $30,000.00 (May 1, 2024)

Awards controlled by another department

• Grant G-13850 "Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES)" - Franz Mueter - IARC - University of Washington - $173,000.00 (July 1, 2023)

Awards receiving incremental funding

• Grant G-15721 "Understanding Trophic Interactions between zooplankton and fish in the coastal Gulf of Alaska and southeastern Bering Sea" - Alexei Pinchuk - ADFG - Mod 1 - $181,437.00 (May 1, 2023)
• Grant G-15886 "Assessments of geochemistry, concentration, and scalability of REEs recovery from seaweeds" - Schery Umanzor (Michael Stekoll co-PI) - Department of Energy - $964,724.00 (April 1, 2024)

Message from the Dean

Over the past few months we have experienced an unusual number of faculty search meetings. As a brief update, on-campus interviews of candidates for the tenure-track assistant professor in marine policy have concluded. That search committee has solicited input from faculty, staff and students as it prepares a final recommendation regarding next steps. Searches for fisheries and oceanography faculty hires are ongoing, and we expect to conclude these on-campus interviews in the coming weeks. I would like to again thank all members of these search committees for their time and effort, and the faculty, staff and students who are engaging in this important process to help advance our mission.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway in support of the Ocean Observing Initiative Papa and Waves at Papa projects at Ocean Station Papa. Both projects are funded by the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences.

CFOS in the News

Graduate student Keith Herron was featured in a KTVF news segment about possible factors that could be leading to a decline of Yukon River chinook salmon, including disease and warm water.

A new Arctic climate initiative that includes grayling research by Peter Westley was highlighted in Alaska Native News.

Schery Umanzor’s “seaweed mining” project to extract minerals from Southeast Alaska kelp was featured in a roundup in The Week.

Sport Fishing Magazine quoted Peter Westley in a story about the decline of chinook salmon in Alaska rivers.

Fish Focus covered research by Curry Cunningham and former CFOS postdoc Joe Langan about a newly created database that gives insights into salmon movements in the ocean.

Accomplishments

CFOS Ph.D. student Chloe Kotik won first place in the graduate student lightning talks at the Annual Meeting of the Pacific Northwest Chapter of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry.

CFOS graduate student Emily Mailman was awarded the Brandon C. Reiley Scholarship from the Alaska Community Foundation.

Publications

Lowin, B., S. Strom, W. Burt, T. Kelly, and S. Rivero-Calle. 2024. Temporal variability in the relationship between line height absorption and chlorophyll concentration: a case study from the Northern Gulf of Alaska. Optics Express. https://doi.org/10.1364/OE.521758

Keenan, M., N. Misarti, L. Horstmann, S.G. Crawford, T. O'Hara, L.D. Rea, and J.P. Avery. 2024. Total mercury concentrations in Steller sea lion bone: Variability among locations and elements. Marine Pollution Bulletin. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2024.116471

Stadler, L., K. Gorman, V. von Biela, A. Seitz, and K. Iken. 2024. Does the extent of glacial cover across watersheds and discharge periods affect dietary resource use of nearshore fishes in the Northern Gulf of Alaska? Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2024.152022

Ringer, D., R. Donkersloot, and C. Carothers. 2024. Charting a new course: Ungraying the fleet and comprehensively supporting fishing livelihoods and communities. Frontiers in Sustainability. https://doi.org/10.3389/frsus.2024.1394083

Message from the Dean

This Thursday UAF will host the annual Arctic Research Open House, and CFOS will showcase some of our research programs and field equipment. A big thank-you to Jeff Richardson and the faculty, staff and students who help make this a successful event.

Please join me in congratulating the following faculty who successfully advanced through promotion, tenure and emeritus review:

Curry Cunningham - Associate Professor of Fisheries with tenure
Seth Danielson - Professor of Oceanography
Megan McPhee - Professor of Fisheries
Mark Johnson - Professor of Oceanography Emeritus

With the 2024 spring semester now complete, I hope you find time to enjoy Alaska’s leafing-out season and spectacular scenery.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway for the second leg of Russ Hopcroft’s Northern Gulf of Alaska Long-Term Ecological Research spring cruise, which is funded by the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences, NOAA and UAF.

CFOS in the News

Jessica Glass was interviewed in an episode of the America’s Test Kitchen podcast Proof, discussing her DNA analysis of a portion of the infamous Explorers Club mammoth.

An ongoing CFOS oceanography project to monitor the spring phytoplankton bloom was highlighted in the Alaska Ocean Observing System newsletter.

KSTK public media highlighted work by Rural Alaska Students in One-Health Research confirming the presence of microplastics in Wrangell’s harbors. RASOR is a CFOS program for Southeast Alaska high school students led by Ellen Chenoweth.

A Q&A about Natalie Monacci’s work at the Ocean Acidification Research Center was featured in the Alaska Ocean Observing System newsletter. 

Accomplishments

Gordon Kruse chaired an international snow crab workshop in St. John's, Newfoundland. The workshop compared ecosystems, crab population dynamics, fishery management and future outlooks as the climate changes across the North Pacific and North Atlantic. 

Researchers aboard Sikuliaq for the ongoing Northern Gulf of Alaska LTER cruise identified harmful algal species in net tow samples in Prince William Sound. The discovery allowed the Alaska Harmful Algal Bloom Network to update local stakeholders.

Publications

O’Brien, T.D., L. Blanco-Bercial, J.M. Questel, P.G. Batta-Lona, and A. Bucklin. 2024. MetaZooGene Atlas and Database: Reference sequences for marine ecosystems. Methods in Molecular Biology. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-0716-3581-0_28

Kim, M.A., and K. Iken. 2024. Effects of glacial discharge on thallus condition of northern rockweed (Fucus distichus) in the Gulf of Alaska. Journal of Experimental Marine Biology and Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jembe.2024.152019

Grants and Awards for April 2024

New awards for CFOS researchers

• Grant G-15982 "Developing a pipeline for automating the analysis of nesting bird video data" - Tuula Hollmen - US Fish & Wildlife Service - $73,297.00 (February 16, 2024)
• Grant G-16042 "Pinto Abalone Mariculture Potential (PAMP Part B)" - Schery Umanzor - NPRB - $112,473.00 (January 1, 2024)
• Grant G-16049 "Collaborative Research: Constraining Planktic Foraminiferal Ecology Using Compound Specific Isotope Analysis of Amino Acids" - Shannon Doherty - NC State University - $102,114.00 (August 1, 2023)
• Grant G-16052 "Geochemical Studies of Borehole Waters from IODP Exp. 399 C.G. Wheat PEA" - Geoff Wheat - Columbia University - $19,970.00 (November 1, 2023)  
• Grant G-16058 "Telemetry and genetic identity of Chinook salmon in Alaska (2)" - Andy Seitz - Department of the Navy - $390,816.00 (April 12, 2024)

Awards receiving incremental funding

• Grant G-13959 "ECOHAB19: Trophic Transfer & Effects of HAB Toxins in Alaskan Marine Food Webs" - Dean Stockwell - Sitka Tribe of Alaska (IRA) - Years 3, 4 and 5 - $195,000.00 (September 1, 2020)
• Grant G-15438 "Examine health metrics of Copper River sockeye salmon stocks to inform management decision making" - Kristen Gorman - NPS - Mod 3 - $155,774.00 (April 13, 2023)

Awards controlled by another department

• Grant G-13379 "NMREC Infrastructure Upgrades" - Andy Seitz - ACEP - University of Washington - PLUS UP funding (April 11, 2024)
• Grant G-16054 "Alaska Sea Grant Omnibus 2024-2027" - Curry Cunningham - ASG/MAP - $81,466.00 (February 1, 2024)
• Grant G-16054 "Alaska Sea Grant Omnibus 2024-2027" - Jessica Glass - ASG/MAP - $83,017.00 (February 1, 2024)

UA Foundation PCCRC endowment awards

• 273125 "Microplastic in Northern Fur Seals" - Lara Horstmann - $78,986.00 (April 1, 2024)
• 273126 "Marine Drivers in Western Alaska Salmon" - Peter Westley and Morag Clinton - $68,833.00 (April 1, 2024)
• 273128 "Reducing Killer Whale Bycatch Risk" - Hannah Myers - $45,438.00 (April 1, 2024)

UA Foundation accounts that received incremental funding

• FDN20022 "National Ocean Sciences Bowl" - Bradley Moran - $28,162.00 (July 1, 2022)
• FDN60999 "Dieter Family Tsunami Bowl Endowment" - Bradley Moran - $16,723.00 (July 1, 2022)
• FDN21263 "Hilcorp Arctic Fisheries Support" - Trent Sutton - $125,000.00 (July 1, 2022)
• FDN20378 "CFOS Graduate Student Support" - Bradley Moran (Katrin Iken) - $10,000.00 (July 1, 2022)
• FDN20979 "Kasitsna Bay" - Jennifer Reynolds - $1,000.00 (July 1, 2022)
• FDN60694 "Howard Feder and David Shaw Graduate Student Support" - Jennifer Reynolds - $7,096.00 (July 1, 2022)

Message from the Dean

As we conclude the spring 2024 semester, I would like to convey my appreciation to our dedicated students, staff and faculty for helping advance the mission of CFOS. On that note, this Saturday will be the 2024 UAF Commencement—congratulations to our graduates!

Spring 2024 Graduates

Jared Weems. PhD Fisheries, Advisor: Ginny Eckert
Anastasia Maliguine. MS Marine Biology, Advisor: Tuula Hollmen
Kevin McNeel. MS Fisheries, Advisor: Gordon Kruse
Benjamin Rich. MS Fisheries, Advisor: Peter Westley
Emily Stidham. MS Oceanography, Advisor: Russ Hopcroft
Samantha Allen. BS Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Concentration: Marine Science
Rachel Heimke. BS Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Concentration: Marine Science
Lauren Hynes. BS Fisheries and Marine Sciences, Concentration: Fisheries Science

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway in support of Russ Hopcroft’s Northern Gulf of Alaska Long-Term Ecological Research spring cruise. The NGA LTER project is funded by the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences.

CFOS in the News

Ellen Chenoweth was featured in a KCAQ public media story about the possible sighting of a bowhead whale in Sitka Sound.

Alaska Native News and other outlets covered work by Curry Cunningham and former CFOS postdoc Joe Langan to create a huge new database of salmon ocean ecology.

Schery Umanzor was featured in a Hakai Magazine article about the potential of using “seaweed mining” to collect rare-earth elements from seawater.

Peter Westley was quoted in an article in The Guardian about a controversial plan to boost the Yukon River salmon population.

Accomplishments

Proposals by Ph.D. students Megan Brauner and Chloe Kotik were selected for North Pacific Research Board Graduate Student Research Awards. Brauner, who also received the funding as a master’s student, is the first two-time NPRB award recipient.

Message from the Dean

As we near the end of the spring 2024 semester, I would like to convey my appreciation to our dedicated students, staff and faculty for advancing the mission of CFOS. In this regard, please join me in congratulating the recipients of this year’s Dean’s Recognition Awards, as well as our hard-working CFOS community.

2023 CFOS Dean’s Recognition Awards

Outstanding Advisor: Gwenn Hennon
Outstanding Instructor: Peter Westley
Outstanding Researcher: Schery Umanzor and Brenda Konar
Outstanding Staff: Laura Frisone
Outstanding Research Staff: Rachel Potter
Outstanding R/V Sikuliaq Crew Member: Timothy Morrow
Outstanding Undergraduate Student: Samantha Allen
Outstanding Graduate Student: Kyle Dilliplaine

It is my pleasure to recognize CFOS staff members who were honored at the recent annual UAF Staff Recognition and Development Day. These individuals and all of our hard-working staff help to ensure that CFOS operates efficiently and effectively. Please join me in congratulating the following employees for their dedicated service to CFOS and to the university:

• 1 year: Jonathon Baugher, Sean Gardiner, Eli Gould, Willa Johnson, Sarah McManus, Alexandra Poje, Charles Reynolds, Ian Sherwood, Kyle Worcester-Moore, David Young
• 5 Year: Claudia Paul, Sarah Walters
• 10 Year: John Hamill, Bernard McKiernan, Steven Roberts, Peter Shipton

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is currently transiting north from Newport, Oregon, to Seward. In Seward, Sikuliaq's crew will begin preparing for Russ Hopcroft’s Northern Gulf of Alaska Long-Term Ecological Research (NGA LTER) spring cruise. The project is funded by the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences.

CFOS in the News

A "State of the Salmon" article in Fish Alaska Magazine highlighted research and comments by Peter Westley.

Professor emeritus Jim Reynolds was quoted in an article in the Montana Standard and other publications about the potential drawbacks of electrofishing for fish populations.

Accomplishments

Tony Blade received the CFOS Dean’s Choice Award at the URSA Research and Creative Activity Day for his presentation on microplastics in Pacific walrus tissues. Isabelle Nicolier received an honorable mention for her work identifying genetic variations of herring in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska.

Interface of Change, an EPSCoR project led by Brenda Konar, received a 5-year, $20 million award from the National Science Foundation to investigate climate change effects on marine species in the Gulf of Alaska. Other CFOS researchers on the project include Jessica Glass, Katrin Iken, Brian Ulaski and Schery Umanzor. Congratulations Team EPSCoR!

Publications

Mills, K.K., K.P.B. Hildebrandt, K.M. Everson, L. Horstmann, N. Misarti, and L.E. Olson. 2024. Ancient DNA indicates a century of overhunting did not reduce genetic diversity in Pacific walruses (Odobenus rosmarus divergens). Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-57414-2

O’Daly, S., G. Hennon, T.B. Kelly, S. Strom, and A. McDonnell. 2024. Strong and efficient summertime carbon export driven by aggregation processes in a subarctic coastal ecosystem. Limnology and Oceanography. https://doi.org/10.1002/lno.12561

Phelps, J., K. Dunton, B. Konar, S. Umanzor, A. Muth, and K. Iken. 2024. The effect of sedimentation on spore settlement and recruitment of the endemic Arctic kelp, Laminaria solidungula (Phaeophyceae). Journal of Phycology. http://doi.org/10.1111/jpy.13453

Stukel, M. R., M. Décima, T.B. Kelly, M.R. Landry, et al. 2024. Relationships between plankton size spectra, net primary production, and the biological carbon pump. Global Biogeochemical Cycles. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GB007994

Grants and Awards for February 2024

Awards controlled by another department

• Grant G-15990 "Enhancing the Integrated System for Operations in Polar Seas (ISOPS) 2" - Steve Dykstra, Mark Johnson and Dmitry Brazhnikov - GI - Department of Defense - $1,538,220.00 (February 20, 2024)
• Grant G-16007 "Interdisciplinary Research for Arctic Coastal Environments (InteRFACE) - Year 5" - Megan Feddern (CFOS Post Doc) - IARC - Los Alamos National Laboratory - $26,448.00 (March 14, 2024)

Message from the Dean

For the past 27 years, CFOS has hosted the Alaska Tsunami Bowl. This year, the annual high school ocean sciences competition was held March 21–24 in Seward. It is a pleasure to congratulate Juneau-Douglas High School as the winner of the 2024 Tsunami Bowl. Teams from Ketchikan and Seward took second and third place, respectively, and Dimond was recognized with the Sportsmanship Award.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway off the Oregon and Washington coasts for Ed Dever’s OOI Endurance Array operations and maintenance project, funded by the NSF Ocean Observatories Initiative. The goal of this cruise is to recover and redeploy oceanographic moorings over the continental shelf.

Accomplishments

CFOS Ph.D. student Austin Flanigan has been awarded the Dean’s Research Assistantship for 2025.

The CFOS Scientific Diving Program hosted its 25th class of students during spring break at the Kasitsna Bay Lab. The program, launched by Brenda Konar in 2000, has trained more than 500 students.

Publications

Gonski, S. F., G.W. Luther III, A.L. Kelley, T.R. Martz, E.G. Roberts, X. Li, [...], and W-J. Cai. 2024. A half-cell reaction approach for pH calculation using a solid-state chloride ion-selective electrode with a hydrogen ion-selective ion-sensitive field effect transistor. Marine Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2024.104373

Langan, J.A., C.J. Cunningham, J.T. Watson, and S. McKinnell. 2024. Opening the black box: New insights into the role of temperature in the marine distributions of Pacific salmon. Fish and Fisheries. https://doi.org/10.1111/faf.12825

Stephens, T. and S. Umanzor. 2024. Comparative nutrient drawdown capacities of farmed kelps and implications of metabolic strategy and nutrient source. Journal of Phycology. http://doi.org/10.1111/jpy.13442

Veatch, J.M, J. Kohut, M.J. Oliver, H. Statscewich, and E. Fredj. 2024. Quantifying the role of submesoscale Lagrangian transport features in the concentration of phytoplankton in a coastal system. ICES Journal of Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsae036

Voet, G., A.F. Waterhouse, A. Savage, E. Kunze, J.A. MacKinnon, M.H. Alford, J.A. Colosi, H.L. Simmons, T. Klenz, S.M. Kelly, J.N. Moum, C.B. Whalen, R.C. Lien, and J.B. Girton. 2024. Near-inertial energy variability in a strong mesoscale eddy field in the Iceland Basin. Oceanography. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2024.302

Whippo, R., K. Iken, C.D. Amsler, A.T. Lowe, J.B. Schram, A.G. Klein, S. Heiser, M.O. Amsler, J.B. McClintock, and A.W.E. Galloway. 2024. Fatty acid profiles and stable isotope composition of Antarctic macroalgae: a baseline for a combined biomarker approach in food web studies. Polar Biology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-024-03234-z

Message from the Dean

The annual call for nominations for the CFOS Dean’s Recognition Awards is out, and I encourage everyone to submit thoughtful nominations that recognize our faculty, staff and students. As in prior years, we will announce those recognized at the annual CFOS State of the College, to be held next month.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaqis underway off the coast of Washington state for Andrea Ogston’s Cascadia Canyons project, funded by the National Science Foundation Division of Ocean Sciences, Marine Geology and Geophysics. This cruise is to recover moorings and tripods deployed in 2023 to measure the transfer of sediments in submarine canyons off the West Coast.

Accomplishments

Nearly 20 CFOS students gave research presentations at the 27th annual American Fisheries Society Student Symposium on March 8. Winners of the event included Lindsey McCulloch (Best Short Talk), Austin Flanigan (Best Long Talk) and Dakota Keller (People’s Choice Award).

Sikuliaq completed its sea acceptance trials for the new EM304 MKII multibeam echosounder, with Ethan Roth as the chief scientist. The EM304 MKII is considered one of the most advanced ocean-mapping systems, and this is its first installation on an ice-class vessel.

Publications

Hasan, E.L., K.B. Gorman, H.A. Coletti, and B. Konar. 2024. Species distribution modeling of northern sea otters (Enhydra lutris kenyoni) in a data-limited ecosystem. Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.11118

Hetherington, E.D., H.G. Close, S.H.D. Haddock, A. Damian‐Serrano, C.W. Dunn, N.J. Wallsgrove, S.C. Doherty, and C.A. Choy. 2024. Vertical trophic structure and niche partitioning of gelatinous predators in a pelagic food web: Insights from stable isotopes of siphonophores. Limnology and Oceanography. http://doi.org/10.1002/lno.12536

McPhee, M.V., P.D. Barry, C. Habicht, S.C. Vulstek, J.R. Russell, W.W. Smoker, J.E. Joyce, and A.J. Gharrett. 2024. Hatchery supplementation provides a demographic boost but alters age composition of sockeye salmon in Auke Lake, Southeast Alaska. Evolutionary Applications. https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13640

Mullins, L., J. Cartwright, S.L. Dykstra, K. Evans, J. Mareska, P. Matich, J.D. Plumlee, E. Sparks, and J.M. Drymon. 2024. Warming waters lead to increased habitat suitability for juvenile bull sharks (Carcharhinus leucas). Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-024-54573-0

Rosenbaum, S.W., S.A. May, K.R. Shedd, C.J. Cunningham, R.L. Peterson, B.W. Elliot, and M.V. McPhee. 2024. Reliability of trans-generational genetic mark-recapture (tGMR) for enumerating Pacific salmon. Evolutionary Applications. https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13647

Westgaard, J-I., K. Præbel, P. Arneberg, B.P. Ulaski, R. Ingvaldsen, O. Wangensteen, and T. Johansen. 2024. Towards eDNA informed biodiversity studies – Comparing water derived molecular taxa with traditional survey methods. Progress in Oceanography. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pocean.2024.103230

Grants and Awards for February 2024

New awards for CFOS researchers:

• Grant G-15951 "Bristol Bay Inseason Salmon Assessment and Forecasting" - Curry Cunningham - Alaska Pacific University - $94,142.00 (January 1, 2024)
• Grant G-15952 "Second Generation consequences of sockeye salmon enhancement in Auke Creek, Alaska Year 3" - Megan McPhee - Pacific Salmon Commission - $24,619.00 (July 1, 2023)
• Grant G-15959 "2024 Beaufort Sea Fish Monitoring Project" - Trent Sutton - Hilcorp Alaska LLC - $64,463.00 (January 1, 2024)
• Grant G-15973 "FY24 - UAF Noatak Dolly Varden Support" - Andy Sietz - Alaska Department of Fish & Game - $7,942.00 (July 1, 2023)

Awards received incremental funding:

• Grant G-13129 "Impacts of Sedimentation and Drivers of Variability in the Boulder Patch Community, Beaufort Sea" - Katrin Iken - University of Texas at Austin - Mod 4 - $29,702.00 (September 18, 2019)
• FFEA 271118 "Reducing Chinook Salmon Bycatch" - Andy Seitz - PCCRC - $14,174.00
• FFEA 271119 "Bering Sea Pacific herring genetic structure" - Andres Lopez and Jessica Glass - PCCRC - $1,751.00
• FFEA 271220 "Yukon Chum Early Life History" - Megan McPhee - PCCRC - $72,966.00
• FFEA 271221 "Snow Crab Environmental Ratchet" - Franz Mueter - PCCRC - $70,579.00

Awards controlled by another department:

• Grant G-13295 "Alaska Space Grant Program FY20-24" - Maris Goodwin (Jessica Glass) - GI Space Physics - $21,630.00 (February 10, 2024)
• Grant G-15689 "Alaska Coastal Mapping Center for Excellence, Phase 2" - Steve Dykstra - INE - $10,827.00 (August 1, 2023)

Award set up on assumption:

• Grant G-13850 "Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES)" - Katrin Iken (IARC) - Project R46 - $57,656.00 (July 1, 2023)

Message from the Dean

Since 2015 the state of Alaska has provided $500,000 annually to support research and education programs conducted by UAF-based researchers and collaborators aboard R/V Sikuliaq. As operator of Sikuliaq, CFOS facilitates the allocation of these state funds through the Alaska Sikuliaq Program. The deadline for the CY2025 online proposal submission is March 25.

As noted in the prior C-Notes, faculty interested in the Associate Dean for Research Administration position are encouraged to submit their application to Debby Queen by April 1.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is conducting calibration of the two multibeam echosounders (MBES). Following patch tests of the shallow-water and midwater MBES, Sikuliaq will collect backscatter data with the shallow-water MBES for bottom surface calibration.

CFOS in the News

A Fishermen’s News article highlighted presentations at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium by Peter Westley and Russ Hopcroft.

Publications

Fu, S., S. Hu, X. Zheng, K. McMonigal, S. Larson, and Y. Tian. 2024. Historical changes in wind-driven ocean circulation drive pattern of Pacific warming. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-024-45677-2

Waterbury, C.R., T.M. Sutton, A.L. Kelley, and J.A. López. 2024. Effects of temperature acclimation on the upper thermal tolerance of two Arctic fishes. Conservation Physiology. https://doi.org/10.1093/conphys/coae001

Message from the Dean

Jennifer Reynolds will complete her appointment as Associate Dean for Research Administration, effective June 30, 2024. I am grateful for Jennifer’s expertise, dedication, time and effort in this leadership role, and for her continued support of our research mission. I invite faculty interested in this important leadership position to send their application to Debby Queen by April 1.

The ASLO/AGU Ocean Sciences Meeting takes place this week in New Orleans, Louisiana. CFOS has a strong presence, with numerous oral and poster presentations by our students, researchers and faculty. A special thank-you to Jeff Richardson for organizing the CFOS booth (#536) and Barbara Wadlinger for logistical support—stop by to help showcase our programs and current faculty searches in oceanography and fisheries.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is transiting from Seward to Seattle after completing a challenging shipyard period. In Seattle, Sikuliaq’s crew will complete some maintenance activities and prepare for the first cruise of CY2024, the Sea Acceptance Test of the newly installed, upgraded multibeam echosounders, the Kongsberg EM304 and EM712.

Accomplishments

Peter Westley was nominated by the UAF Honors College for the 2024 Robert Piacenza Teaching in Excellence Award.

CFOS in the News

A KBBI news segment highlighted research by Ph.D. student Marina Alcantar and Amanda Kelley on the effects of ocean acidification on razor clam development.

The Alaska Beacon published an article about recently graduated M.S. student Alexandria Sletten and undergraduate student Tony Blade’s research on microplastics found in body tissues of walruses.

Publications

Atkinson, S. 2024. Reproductive physiology of dolphins. In: A. Fahlman and S.K. Hooker (eds), The Physiology of Dolphins. Elsevier, pp. 227–242. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-323-90516-9.00012-9

Alcantar, M.W., J. Hetrick, J. Ramsay, and A.L. Kelley. 2024. Examining the impacts of elevated, variable pCO₂ on larval Pacific razor clams (Siliqua patula) in Alaska. Frontiers in Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2024.1253702

Amsler, C.D., M.O. Amsler, S. Heiser, J.B. McClintock, K. Iken, A.W. Galloway, and A.G. Klein. 2023. Vertical distribution of brown and red macroalgae along the central Western Antarctic Peninsula. Botanica Marina. https://doi.org/10.1515/bot-2023-0085

Fullerton, H., L. Smith, A. Enriquez, D. Butterfield, C.G. Wheat, and C.L. Moyer. 2024. Seafloor incubation experiments at deep-sea hydrothermal vents reveal distinct biogeographic signatures of autotrophic communities. FEMS Microbiology Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1093/femsec/fiae001

Message from the Dean

February marks Black History Month. Established in 1926, Black History Month recognizes and celebrates the achievements of the African American population in the nation’s history. Please take a moment to reflect on the important contributions from our Black community.

On Sunday, January 28, we held our fourth all-hands CFOS faculty retreat in Anchorage. This retreat provided an opportunity for faculty to engage in setting near-term goals and priorities to continue to advance our academic programs, support student success, and bolster research. With a strong turnout, engaging discussions, and an enjoyable reception, the retreat was by many accounts successful and an important part of our continued implementation of the CFOS Decadal Plan. It is a pleasure to thank Debby Queen for logistic support.

Following the faculty retreat, the Alaska Marine Science Symposium kicked off with a morning presentation of Coastal Marine Institute–funded projects. This was the first CMI symposium held with in-person/hybrid presentations in several years, and included our BOEM partners. My thanks to Jennifer Reynolds and Barbara Wadlinger for ensuring this meeting was a success. And, AMSS featured numerous presentations by CFOS students, staff and faculty. The CFOS booth organized by Jeff Richardson showcased our programs, facilities and activities, as did the booth organized by Ashleigh Lipsey and Brian Mullaly in support of the 2024 Tsunami Bowl and R/V Nanuq operations. Congratulations to all CFOS students, staff and faculty for their excellent work.

It is a pleasure to convey that Tom Kelly has been appointed as research assistant professor in CFOS. A graduate of Florida State University, Tom has held a postdoctoral position in CFOS since 2021, working on several funded research projects. A biogeochemical oceanographer, his research focuses on the marine biological pump and related ecosystem processes. Please join me in congratulating Tom on his research faculty appointment.

Fisheries. Concentration: Fisheries Business and Social Sciences
Logan Niemann. B.A. Fisheries. Concentration: Fisheries Business and Social Sciences

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq continues to be moored in Seward where the ship’s crew is conducting maintenance and repairs in preparation for upcoming regulatory inspections.

Accomplishments

Russ Hopcroft gave one of the keynote addresses at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium, discussing zooplankton research in the Gulf of Alaska.

Tom Kelly highlighted the educational potential of virtual reality at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium’s Communicating Ocean Sciences Workshop.

Graduate student Chloe Kotik won best poster in the PhD category at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium.

Katrin Iken was invited to present at an inaugural workshop on the Arctic Coastal Biodiversity Observation Network as part of an international collaboration between Denmark/Greenland, Norway, Poland, Lithuania, Iceland, Canada and the United States. The workshop was held January 23–25 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

CFOS in the News

The Cordova Times previewed Russ Hopcroft’s Alaska Marine Science Symposium keynote address about Gulf of Alaska zooplankton.

Publications

McMonigal, K.. 2024. Aerosols hold the key to recent and future Pacific warming patterns. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.2322594121

Monacci, N.M., J.N. Cross, W. Evans, J.T. Mathis, and H. Wang. 2024. A decade of marine inorganic carbon chemistry observations in the northern Gulf of Alaska – insights into an environment in transition. Earth System Science Data. https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-647-2024

Parsons, P.K.F., C.G. Wheat, A.T. Fisher, E.A. Silver, and M. Hutnak. 2024. Hydrothermal seepage of altered crustal formation water seaward of the Middle America Trench, offshore Costa Rica. Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023GC011246

Thomas, L.N., S.M. Kelly, T. Klenz, W.R. Young, L. Rainville, H. Simmons, V. Hormann, and I. Stokes. 2024. Why near-inertial waves are less affected by vorticity in the Northeast Pacific than in the North Atlantic. Oceanography. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2024.301

Grants and Awards for January 2024

New awards for CFOS researchers:

• Grant G-15905 "UAF FY24 Support for Marine Scientist Hollmen" - Tuula Hollmen - Alaska SeaLife Center - $157,828.00 (January 1, 2024)
• Grant G-15911 "AOOS: Glacier Bay OA Data Rescue" - Natalie Monacci - AOOS - $22,038.00 (July 1, 2023)

Awards receiving incremental funding:

• Grant G-12044 "Development of Scalable Coastal and Offshore Macroalgal Farming" - Michael Stekoll - Dept. of Energy - Mod 10 - $155,676.00 (April 11, 2018)
• Grant G-12127 "University of Alaska Fairbanks / Sikuliaq Oceanographic Technical Support Year 1 of 5 - Ethan Roth - NSF - Mod 13 - $398,272.00 (June 15, 2018)
• Grant G-12178 "University of Alaska Fairbanks / Sikuliaq Ship Operations CY2018-2022" - Bradley Moran - NSF - Mod 18 - $3,600,000.00 (July 1, 2018)
• Grant G-14485 "National Ocean Acidification Observing Network (NOA-ON) Stations: Gulf of Alaska (GAKOA) and Bering Sea (M2) Moorings (M2 & GAK Moorings)" - Natalie Monacci - AOOS - Mod 2 - $161,905.00 (July 1, 2021)
• Grant G-15157 "Arctic High-Frequency Radar FCC Compliance (HFR Operations)" - Seth Danielson - AOOS - Mod 1 - $15,293.00 (July 1, 2022)
• Grant G-15195 "A Sea-scale Effort to Assess Sensitivity to Change in Nutrients and Ecosystem within the Pacific Arctic" - Tom Kelly - NPRB - Mo 2 - $225,828.00 (October 1, 2022)
• Grant G-15369 "Alaska Ocean Observing Infrastructure Funding" - Seth Danielson - AOOS - Mod 1 - $478,095.00 (December 1, 2022)

Awards controlled by another department:

• Grant G-15190 "Assessment of Humpback Whale Health and Residency Patterns with Respect to Varied Tourism Levels in Juneau, AK" - Shannon DeMaster - UAS - $26,135.00 (July 1, 2022)
• Grant G-15859 "RII Track-4: NSF: Extracting Pan Genomic Information from Metagenomic Data: Distinguished Algorithms and Scalable Software" - Jessica Glass - INE - $26,804.00 (January 1, 2024)

Message from the Dean

With the start of the spring 2024 semester last week, it is a pleasure to welcome our returning and new CFOS students. Our faculty and staff are here to support you, and we wish you great success.

As part of the continued implementation of the CFOS Decadal Plan, we will host our fourth all-hands faculty retreat at the Hotel Captain Cook on Sunday afternoon, January 28. As with prior faculty retreats, a key goal is to establish specific actions to help advance our academic programs and research activities over the next 1–2 years. Following the retreat, we will host a reception that will include some of our stakeholders.

On the Monday following the faculty retreat, we look forward to presentations by our students, staff and faculty at the 2024 Alaska Marine Science Symposium. Please note that Russ Hopcroft will deliver a keynote presentation on Monday afternoon. CFOS will have a booth during the poster sessions, so please stop by and check it out.

Congratulations to our fall 2023 graduates:

Lia Domke. Ph.D. Fisheries. Major Advisor: Ginny Eckert
Courtney Hart. Ph.D. Fisheries. Major Advisor: Ginny Eckert
Lillian Hart. M.S. Fisheries. Major Advisor: Curry Cunningham
Madeleine McArthur. M.S. Marine Biology. Major Advisor: Brenda Konar
Hannah Myers. Ph.D. Marine Biology. Major Advisor: Brenda Konar
William Samuel. M.S. Fisheries. Major Advisor: Jeff Falke
Tristan Sebens. M.S. Fisheries. Major Advisor: Curry Cunningham
Alexandria Sletten. M.S. Marine Biology. Major Advisor: Lara Horstmann
Matthew Smukall. Ph.D. Fisheries. Major Advisor: Andy Seitz
Kathryn Langlois. B.A. Fisheries. Concentration: Fisheries Business and Social Sciences
Logan Niemann. B.A. Fisheries. Concentration: Fisheries Business and Social Sciences

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is moored in Seward. The ship’s crew is conducting maintenance and repairs and preparing for the upcoming regulatory shipyard work.

CFOS in the News

Numerous outlets covered new research led by Ph.D. student Audrey Rowe and Matthew Wooller on the intersection between woolly mammoths and the earliest inhabitants of Alaska. Publications included the New York Times, Discover Magazine and Newsweek.

Publications

Esquible, J., [...], J. Black, R. Donkersloot,l; C. Stevens, B. Woods, D. Chya, and C. Carothers. 2024. Aulukluki neqkat: Centering care of salmon and relational research in Indigenous fisheries in the Kuskokwim River, Alaska. Arctic Science. https://doi.org/10.1139/AS-2023-0039

Hauri, C., R. Pagès, K. Hedstrom, S.C. Doney, S. Dupont, B. Ferriss, and M.F. Stuecker. 2024. More than marine heatwaves: A new regime of heat, acidity, and low oxygen compound extreme events in the Gulf of Alaska. AGU Advances. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023AV001039

Liedtke, T.L., J.E. Harris, C.J. Wang, and T.M. Sutton. 2024. Bringing partners together: A symposium on native lampreys and the Pacific Lamprey Conservation Initiative. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10970

Seewald, J.S., C.G. Wheat, E.P. Reeves, M.K. Tivey, S.M. Sievert, D. Stakes, S.P. Sylva, M.D. Lilley, and V. Heuer. 2024. Spatial evolution and temporal stability of hydrothermal processes at sediment-covered spreading centers: Constraints from Guaymas Basin, Gulf of California. Geochimica et Cosmochima Acta. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.gca.2023.12.006

Spanos, M.C., C.J. Cunningham, K.A. Drew, and T.M. Sutton. 2023. Evaluating the viability of the use of T-bar and radiotelemetry on prespawn Arctic lamprey. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10939

Stokes, I.A., S.M. Kelly, A.J. Lucas, A.F. Waterhouse, C.B. Whalen, T. Klenz, V. Hormann, and L. Centurioni. 2024. A generalized slab model. Journal of Physical Oceanography. https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-23-0167.1

Message from the Dean

Happy New Year! It is a pleasure to wish everyone a warm welcome after what was hopefully a relaxing winter break spent with friends and family—and here is to a safe and productive 2024.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is moored in Seward. The ship’s crew is conducting maintenance and repairs and preparing for the upcoming regulatory shipyard work.

Activities and Accomplishments

Steve Dykstra and coauthors were invited to present their new publication on sea level rise, Baranes et al. (2023), to California Senator John Laird and his staff.

R/V Sikuliaq Science Operations Manager Ethan Roth presented a poster about GNSS precise point positioning of ships at the AGU23 annual meeting held in San Francisco in December.

Tony Gharrett, Professor Emeritus of Fisheries, was recently inducted into the American Fisheries Society Genetics Section Hall of Excellence.

CFOS in the News

The 2023 CICOES Magazine’s “Postcard from the Field” featured Natalie Monacci’s Gulf of Alaska Ocean Acidification buoy project in the Gulf of Mexico.

CFOS grad student Chloe Kotik was quoted in a KTOO story about the rescue of trapped orcas from a lake near Coffman Cove.

UAF News highlighted work led by Jessica Glass to use new techniques to map a vast “tree of life” for a large group of tropical fishes.

Publications

Baranes, H., S.L. Dykstra, D.A. Jay, and S.A. Talke. 2023. Sea level rise and the drivers of daily water levels in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. Nature: Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-49204-z

Dilliplaine, K.D., and G. Hennon. 2023. Impacts of crude oil on Arctic sea-ice diatoms modified by irradiance. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2023.00074

Grants and Awards for December 2023

New awards for CFOS researchers:

• Grant G-15846 "Southeast Alaska Trolling Vessel Ocean Measurement Program" - Tyler Hennon - AOOS - $22,800.00 (July 1, 2023)
• Grant G-15870 "LTER: Seasonal Controls and emergent effects of changing land-ice-ocean interactions on Arctic coastal ecosystems (BLE II)" - Katrin Iken - University of Texas at Austin - $139,832.00 (September 1, 2023)
• Grant G-15882 "Feasibility study for a novel instrumental technique to characterize subsurface currents and hydrography within the Alaska OCS" - Kay McMonigal - BOEM - $30,354.00 (September 21, 2023)
• Grant G-15892 "CY2023-CY2028 R/V Sikuliaq ONR Ship Days" - Doug Baird - ONR - $1,650,000.00 (December 1, 2023)

Award set up on assumption:

• Grant G-15886 "Assessments of geochemistry, concentration, and scalability of REEs recovery from seaweeds" - Schery Umanzor - Department of Energy - $20,000.00 (December 2, 2023)

Message from the Dean

As we wind up 2023, it is a pleasure to express my sincere appreciation to our students, staff and faculty, and to our Captain and crew in ensuring the safe and successful operation of R/V Sikuliaq—well done, CFOS!

Happy holidays and best wishes for the New Year!

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is moored in Seward. The ship’s crew is conducting maintenance and repairs and preparing for the upcoming regulatory shipyard work.

Activities and Accomplishments

Steven Dykstra presented at the 22nd JALBTCX Airborne Coastal Mapping and Charting Technical Workshop held November 28–30, 2023, in Kiln, Mississippi. His topic was “Interpreting Tidal and Storm Surge Hydrodynamics from Topobathy Data.”

Lara Horstmann and undergraduate student Tony Blade presented their preliminary findings on microplastics in walrus tissues to the Eskimo Walrus Commission on December 8 in Anchorage.

At the American Geophysical Union 2023 in San Francisco, Gwenn Hennon and graduate student Megan Brauner presented a poster on the co-occurrence networks of marine microbes in the Northern Gulf of Alaska.

CFOS in the News

The Juneau Empire ran a story on Schery Umanzor’s federally funded project that investigates mining rare earth elements from seaweeds. Umanzor was also interviewed by NPR reporter Jack Darrell regarding this project. Part of the interview was aired on December 8 on KTOO.

Research by graduate student Alex Sletten on microplastics found in spotted seals was featured in a Strait Science lecture and covered by the Nome Nugget.

Peter Westley, who was among the authors of the 18th Arctic Report Card, was mentioned in a UAF News summary of the report.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner highlighted research by Kay McMonigal on the North Atlantic warming hole in a roundup of UAF research presentations at the American Geophysical Union meeting.

UA News reported that Reid Brewer, a CFOS alumnus, will take on a new role as the Kasitsna Bay Lab Director and Supervisory Environmental Scientist for NOAA.

Publications

Amsler, C.D., M.O. Amsler, S. Heiser, J.B. McClintock, K. Iken, A.W.E. Galloway, and A.G. Klein. 2023. Vertical distribution of brown and red macroalgae along the central Western Antarctic Peninsula. Botanica Marina. https://doi.org/10.1515/bot-2023-0085

Message from the Dean

As an update on our faculty searches, the marine policy faculty search is moving through the screening stage and soon we can expect to invite finalists for campus visits. The oceanography faculty search is now advertised and receiving applications. The search for two tenure-track fisheries faculty has been approved and will soon be advertised. Many thanks to the search chairs and committees engaged in this important work.

It is a pleasure to convey that the 2023 CFOS annual report is now complete and available online. A big thank you to Jeff Richardson for leading this effort, Carol Kaynor for expert editing and attention to detail, and to Molly Putman for final layout and production. Well done, team!

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is moored in Seward after completing a successful 2023 field season. The ship’s crew is conducting maintenance and repairs and preparing for upcoming regulatory shipyard work.

Activities and Accomplishments

Natalie Monacci was featured in the 100 Women in Polar Science.

Graduate student Alex Sletten gave a talk about her microplastics research at the Strait Science Series lectures presented by UAF Northwest Campus and Alaska Sea Grant.

CFOS in the News

UAF News and several other outlets highlighted a newly funded project led by Schery Umanzor that will explore whether seaweeds are absorbing rare-earth elements in Southeast Alaska.

Kristen Gorman was interviewed by the Sun and Soil Podcast, a project with KUAC on Alaskan food systems, for her work on Copper River sockeye salmon. The podcast is available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

Publications

Ross, A.C., C.A. Stock, A. Adcroft, E. Curchitser, R. Hallberg, M.J. Harrison, K. Hedstrom, et al. 2023. A high-resolution physical–biogeochemical model for marine resource applications in the northwest Atlantic (MOM6-COBALT-NWA12 v1.0). Geoscientific Model Development. https://doi.org/10.5194/gmd-16-6943-2023

Grants and Awards for November 2023

New awards for CFOS researchers:

• Grant G-15845 "Cooperative Seaweed Aquaculture Research" - Michael Stekoll - BLU3, Inc. - $184,366.00 (September 1, 2023)

Awards receiving incremental funding:

• FDN21063 "Identifying Fish Assemblages in the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers Compared with Cook Inlet Beluga Acoustic Presence" - Sonia Kumar - UA Foundation NGOA Award - FFEA 273018 - $5,000.00 (July 1, 2023)
• Grant G12804 "Coastal Marine Institute Program Administration 2019-2024" - Jennifer Reynolds - BOEM - Mod 7 - $65,894.00 (May 1, 2019)
• Grant G-15381 "Rural Alaska Students in One-Health Research (RASOR)" - Ellen Chenoweth - Mod 6 - $262,082.00 (December 4, 2022)

Message from the Dean

As we look forward to enjoying Thanksgiving Day with friends and family this week, please take a moment to reflect on the many positive aspects of our daily lives. It is my pleasure to thank the faculty, staff and students for all their good work, which provides significant benefits to Alaska and our nation. Wishing everyone a safe and enjoyable Thanksgiving holiday.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is transiting from Nome to Seward at the end of the 2023 field season. After arriving in Seward, the Sikuliaq crew will demobilize the science gear from the last cruise and begin preparations for the upcoming regulatory shipyard maintenance and repairs.

Activities and Accomplishments

Brenda Konar attended the Bridging Arctic Gateways workshop at UAF November 15–16 and talked about mariculture research being done in association with the Mariculture Research and Restoration Consortium (Mariculture ReCon) and Alaska EPSCoR.

Natalie Monacci gave a presentation titled, “Ocean Acidification Research Center: Monitoring Alaska's Ocean Chemistry” at the Prince William Sound Science Center Tuesday Night Talk.

CFOS in the News

Kenai Conversation, a program on KDLL public radio, featured an interview with graduate student Sonia Kumar, who studies the Cook Inlet beluga population in the Kenai and Kasilof Rivers.

A presentation by Peter Westley at the Mat-Su Basin Salmon Science and Conservation Symposium was highlighted in a column in the Mat-Su Valley Frontiersman.

Publications

Brauner, M., and B.R. Briggs. 2023. Microbial iron acquisition is influenced by spatial and temporal conditions in a glacial influenced river and estuary system. Environmental Microbiology. https://doi.org/10.1111/1462-2920.16541

Message from the Dean

Plans are underway to hold our all-hands faculty retreat at the Hotel Captain Cook in Anchorage on the afternoon of Sunday, January 28, 2024, immediately preceding the Alaska Marine Science Symposium. Since the last CFOS faculty retreat in January 2022, we have continued to successfully implement our shared vision as outlined in the CFOS Decadal Plan. The purpose of the 2024 faculty retreat is to provide an opportunity for our faculty to engage in setting near-term priorities to help advance our academic programs, ensure student success, and bolster research. Details of our first in-person faculty retreat since 2018 will be forthcoming, including dinner and reception following our afternoon discussions.

This Saturday is Veteran’s Day. Please take a moment to reflect on and honor the military veterans who served our country.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq remains in the Beaufort Sea in support of Craig Lee’s (University of Washington) Arctic Mobile Observing System project, led by chief scientist Lee Freitag of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. The project is funded by the Office of Naval Research.

Activities and Accomplishments

Professor Emeritus Gordon Kruse gave a keynote address titled "Ecosystem-based fisheries management of crab fisheries in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands" at the 12th International Conference and Workshop on Lobster (and Crab) Biology and Management held in Fremantle, Australia, October 22–27.

Graduate student Sonia Kumar Cook presented her research on passive acoustic monitoring of Cook Inlet beluga whales to the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council at its Environmental Monitoring Committee meeting October 13 at the Captain Cook Hotel.

Natalie Monacci, Megan Feddern and graduate student Hannah Kepner presented at the PICES (North Pacific Marine Science Organization) annual meeting in Seattle, September 23–October 2. Several other CFOS faculty, students, and staff were in attendance.

Seth Danielson co-presented a Strait Science seminar at the UAF Northwest Campus in Nome on Sikuliaq and the Distributed Biological Observatory cruise. The presentation is available as a YouTube recording.

CFOS in the News

KCAW public media covered an effort by Sitka high school students to rearticulate a humpback whale skeleton. Shannon Atkinson is assisting with the project.

The Cordova Times published a story about the Alaska Federation of Natives honoring Courtney Carothers with the 2023 Denali Award.

Publications

Glass, J.R., R.C. Harrington, P.F. Cowman, B.C. Faircloth, and T.J. Near. 2023. Widespread sympatry in a species-rich clade of marine fishes (Carangoidea). Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. https://dx.doi.org/10.1098/rspb.2023.0657

Kruse, G.H. 2023. Are crabs in hot water? Science. https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adk7565

Grants and Awards for October 2023

New awards for CFOS researchers:

• Grant G-15696 "LTER: NGA Phase II - Resilience and Connectivity Across Transitions in the Northern Gulf of Alaska Ecosystem" - Russ Hopcroft - NSF - $1,275,000.00 (October 1, 2023)
• Grant G-15743 "Coho Salmon Growth in Glacial and Non-glacial Watersheds" - Megan McPhee - USDA Forest Service - $ 54,992.00 (June 12, 2023)

Awards receiving incremental funding:

• Grant G-13469 "Zooplankton Monitoring Along Coastal Regions and Tidewater Glacier Fjords of Glacier Bay and Wrangell-St. Elias National Park & Preserves" - Jennifer Questel - NPS - Mod 2 - $52,060.00 (June 30, 2020)
• Grant G-14207 "Collaborative Research: Taking the Pulse of the Arctic Ocean - A US Contribution to the International Synoptic Arctic Survey" - Seth Danielson - NSF - Mod 1 - $96,587.00 (July 15, 2021)
• Grant G-14399 "AccelNet-Implementation: Crustal Ocean Biosphere Research Accelerator (COBRA)" - Geoff Wheat - Bigelow Labs - Mod 3 - $20,000.00 (October 1, 2021)

Awards controlled by another department:

• Grant G-13079 "Landfast Ice Climatology within the Arctic OCS" - Seth Danielson - GI - BOEM - $103,991.00 (September 24, 2019)
• Grant G-15802 "NNA Collaboratory: ACTION - Alaska Coastal Cooperative for Co-producing Transformative Ideas and Opportunities in the North" - Kay McMonigal - GI - NSF - $18,056.00 (October 1, 2023)

Message from the Dean

Expanding the breadth of our research expertise and the diversity of our academic programs through new faculty hires is critical to the future of the college. In this regard, and in addition to hiring two tenure-track and one research faculty in oceanography over the past year, we are moving forward with active searches to hire two tenure-track faculty in fisheries, one tenure-track faculty in marine policy, and one tenure-track faculty in oceanography. Stay tuned as these searches progress in the coming months.

Snow is on the ground, and with that comes another magical Alaska ski season..

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway in the Beaufort Sea in support of Craig Lee’s (University of Washington) Arctic Mobile Observing System project, led by chief scientist Lee Freitag of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. The project is funded by the Office of Naval Research.

Activities and Accomplishments

Courtney Carothers was honored by the Alaska Federation of Natives with the 2023 Denali Award, which “recognizes the contributions of a non-Native person who has demonstrated strong commitment, dedication and service to the Alaska Native community and to rural Alaska.”

Thomas Kelly was invited to UAF Educator's Night at the Museum of the North to demonstrate his program, Alaska Science Stories, and its virtual reality headsets to local educators.

Amanda Kelley and graduate student Shelby Bacus will oversee the carbon chemistry monitoring component of a sustainable mariculture development project that is part of a $25M effort funded by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council to support restoration, habitat enhancement and economic development through research and partnerships between scientists and seaweed and shellfish farmers.

Graduate student Mack Hughes was awarded best poster for his research presentation at the 2023 Student Conference on Conservation Science in New York, hosted by the American Museum of Natural History and the Yale School of the Environment.

The CFOS Mariculture Lab, led by Schery Umanzor, collaborated with the White Abalone Captive Program to successfully spawn pinto abalone as the first production effort of an abalone program for the state of Alaska.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has awarded a permit for a seaweed hatchery at Lena Point in Juneau. The hatchery is part of an applied research project funded by the Alaska Blue Economy Center through its Mariculture Innovation Research Fund.

CFOS in the News

A Chinook salmon tagging program led by ADFG biologist and CFOS Ph.D. student Sabrina Garcia was highlighted in a story by KYUK public media.

Alaska Native News published a story about research by postdoc Samuel May on pink salmon genetics. The study included a finding that pinks generally spawn within 100 meters of the spot where their parents spawned.

Coastal News Today covered a $13.9 million NSF grant to aid coastal climate resilience that includes funding for two Sikuliaq cruises.

Professor Emeritus Gordon Kruse was featured in an Alaska Beacon story about the struggling Bering Sea king crab fishery.

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute published a press release about a study identifying nutrients as a driver of the Great Atlantic Sargassum Belt. Thomas Kelly was a coauthor on the study.

Peter Westley and graduate student Elizabeth Mik’aq Lindley were featured in a Wired article about chum salmon spawning in Arctic waters.

KBBI public radio published an interview with Amanda Kelley and graduate student Shelby Bacus about their research on limpets in Kachemak Bay.

Publications

Charrier, B.R., J. Ingels, S.L. Danielson, and S.L. Mincks. 2023. Infaunal community structure, diversity, and function in Pacific-Arctic shelf sediments: a comparison of meiofaunal- and macrofaunal-sized nematodes. Marine Ecology Progress Series. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14397

George, J.C.C., G.H. Givens, L. Horstmann, et al. 2023. Reproductive parameters of Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort Seas bowhead whales. Marine Mammal Science. https://doi.org/10.1111/mms.13079

May, S.A., K.R. Shedd, P.S. Rand, and P.A.H. Westley. 2023. Tidal gradients, fine-scale homing and a potential cryptic ecotype of wild spawning pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). Molecular Ecology. https://doi.org/10.1111/mec.17154

McGillicuddy, D.J., P.L. Morton, R.A. Brewton, C. Hu, T.B. Kelly, A.R. Solow, and B.E. Lapointe. 2023. Nutrient and arsenic biogeochemistry of Sargassum in the western Atlantic. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-41904-4

Samuel, W.T., L.E. Yancy, E.G. Hinkle, and J.A. Falke. 2023. Validating morphometrics as a non-lethal tool to determine Arctic Grayling sex. North American Journal of Fisheries Management. https://doi.org/10.1002/nafm.10956

Message from the Dean

Today we celebrate Indigenous Peoples’ Day and the many contributions from Indigenous voices in fisheries and ocean sciences. The traditional knowledge of Alaska Native communities and their deep connection to rivers, coasts and oceans enriches our understanding and stewardship of these vital aquatic ecosystems. Please take a moment to reflect on the importance of our Native partners and how we can work together to build a more sustainable future for Alaska and beyond.

Many of you have received notice of our plan to invest in our dedicated staff by providing resources to support professional development activities. This initiative builds on other strategic investments in the college, including celebrating student, staff and faculty success through Dean’s Recognition Awards, supporting student gatherings and related activities, and returning a portion of ICR to our faculty and researchers. These investments follow the CFOS 2023 goals memo to ensure an effective and efficient administration and to meet the needs of our growing faculty and student body.

Jeff Richardson is putting the finishing touches on the 2023 CFOS Annual Report—stay tuned as this report will highlight some of our exciting and innovative research, teaching and service activities.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is in Dutch Harbor in preparation for Craig Lee’s (University of Washington) Arctic Mobile Observing System project in the Beaufort Sea, led by chief scientist Lee Freitag of the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute. The project is funded by the Office of Naval Research.

Activities and Accomplishments

The Tamamta program has been honored with the Advancing Diversity and Inclusion in University Research Award from the Association of Public and Land-grant Universities.

Jeff Muehlbauer was an invited member of an AquaSYNC working group, "Mapping biologically mediated movements of chemical contaminants from freshwaters to land," held September 26–28 in Copenhagen, Denmark.

Graduate student Emily Reynolds was a panelist in a discussion hosted by Point Reyes National Seashore Association about sea otters and aquaculture during Sea Otter Awareness Week held September 24–30.

Graduate student Chloe Kotik, along with a team of scientists from the Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Orca Conservancy and NOAA, participated in successfully freeing two naturally trapped killer whales from Barnes Lake on Prince of Wales Island.

CFOS in the News

The Fishing Daily highlighted a new study about the dangers invasive pink salmon pose to native species that included contributions from Alan Springer.

Research by doctoral student Hannah Myers was cited in an Anchorage Daily News article about killer whales being incidentally caught by Bering Sea trawl vessels.

Numerous outlets published stories about the confirmation of spawning salmon in an Arctic watershed. Peter Westley, Andy Seitz, Julia McMahon, and grad students Elizabeth Mik’aq Lindley and Joe Spencer contributed to the finding.

Publications

Rotjan, R.D., K.L. Bell, J.A. Huber, C.G. Wheat, et al. 2023. COBRA Master Class: Providing deep-sea expedition leadership training to accelerate early career advancement. Frontiers in Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1223197

Schloemer, J., L. Munk, and K. Iken. 2023. Marine and not terrestrial resources support nearshore food webs across a gradient of glacial watersheds in the Northern Gulf of Alaska. Estuaries and Coasts. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-023-01277-9

Grants and Awards for September 2023

New awards for CFOS researchers:

• Grant G-15681 "Stock-specific modeling of Bering Sea chum salmon" - Joseph Langan - Bering Sea Fishermen's Association - $200,408.00 (September 1, 2023)
• Grant G-15721 "Understanding Trophic Interactions between zooplankton and fish in the coastal Gulf of Alaska and southeastern Bering Sea" - Alexei Pinchuk - AK Department of Fish & Game - $83,768.00 (May 1, 2023)

Awards receiving incrmental funding:

• Grant G-15020 "FY23 State Economic Development Mariculture R&D" - Michael Stekoll - MIRF - AK State Legislature Senate Finance Committee - $164,603.00 (July 1, 2023)
• Grant G-15020 "FY23 State Economic Development Mariculture R&D" - Schery Umanzor - MIRF - AK State Legislature Senate Finance Committee - $54,706.00 (July 1, 2023)
• Grant G-15104 "Investigating impacts of Alaskan shellfish and finfish mariculture on soft sediment benthic ecosystems" - Sarah Mincks (Jonah Jossart) - NOAA - Mod 1 - $59,966.00 (August 1, 2022)
• Grant G-15161 "AMBON - linking biodiversity observations in the Arctic" - Katrin Iken - NASA - Mod 1 - $60,000.00 (September 1, 2022)
• Grant G-15223 "Planning: Connecting Inupiaq and Veterinary Knowledge about Wildlife Diseases and Food Safety" - Tuula Hollmen - NSF - Mod 1 - $99,363.00 (December 1, 2022)

Awards controlled by another department:

• Grant G-15263 "RISE-UP: Resilient Innovative Sustainable Economies via University Partnerships" - Natalie Monacci - VCR Office - ONR - $10,000.00 (September 1, 2023)
• Grant G-15689 "Alaska Coastal Mapping Center of Excellence, Phase 2" - Steve Dykstra - CEM INE Water Research Center - Woolpert, Inc. - $21,074.00 (August 1, 2023)

Message from the Dean

One of the priorities listed in the 2023 CFOS goals memorandum is to ensure an effective and efficient administration to meet the needs of our faculty and growing student body. In that regard, over the past several months we have made new staff hires in support of our science programs and ship operation. Barbara Wadlinger (bjwadlinger@alaska.edu) has accepted the position of Coastal Marine Institute Project Manager and Recharge Manager. Barbara brings a wealth of experience in grant-funded program management and university administration. Regarding ship operations, Julian Race-Moore (jwracemoore@alaska.edu) is our new Sikuliaq IT Manager and Kyle Gronewold (kpgronewold@alaska.edu) has been hired as the ship’s IT Systems Analyst. Julian has worked extensively on IT support for U.S. research vessels, including E/V Nautilus, and has worked with the U.S. Antarctic Program. Kyle brings over a decade of IT experience supporting the University of Alaska Office of Information Technology. Please join me in welcoming Barbara, Julian, and Kyle to CFOS.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is in the Bering Sea in support of chief scientist Jackie Grebmeier (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science) and co-chief scientist Seth Danielson’s (UAF/CFOS) projects on the Distributed Biological Observatory, Ecological Fisheries Oceanography Coordinated Investigations/Chukchi Ecosystem Observatory, and the Arctic Marine Biodiversity Observation Network, funded by NOAA and the UAF/CFOS Alaska Sikuliaq Program.

Activities and Accomplishments

The Seward Marine Center hosted the inaugural Seward Marine Science Symposium, which included Alaska marine science presentations, Indigenous-led research, and activities for local middle and high school students. The symposium coincided with a visit from the NOAA vessel Okeanos Explorer, which docked at SMC last week.

CFOS in the News

The Peninsula Clarion highlighted the inaugural Seward Marine Science Symposium, which was held September 17–19 at the Seward Marine Center.

Ellen Chenoweth, along with a University of Alaska Southeast student, appeared in the first episode of the PBS documentary Evolution Earth, which aired on September 6, and discussed humpback whale feeding at hatchery sites.

KINY news covered new research about the effects of ocean acidification on Kachemak Bay limpets by graduate student Shelby Bacus and Amanda Kelley.

Graduate student Hannah Myers discussed her research on killer whale behavior near trawl vessels in the Bering Sea in an Anchorage Daily News story on killer whales caught by trawlers this year.

Publications

Bucklin, A., J.M. Questel, P.G. Batta-Lona, M. Reid, A. Frenzel, C. Gelfman, P.H. Wiebe, R.G. Campbell, and C.J. Ashjian. 2023. Population genetic diversity and structure of the euphausiids Thysanoessa inermis and T. raschii in the Arctic Ocean: inferences from COI barcodes. Marine Biodiversity. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12526-023-01371-y

Timm, L.E., N. Tucker, A. Rix, S. LaBua, J.A. López, K. Boswell, and J.R. Glass. 2023. The untapped potential of seascape genomics in the North Pacific. Frontiers in Conservation Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fcosc.2023.1249551

Message from the Dean

Over the past several years, a priority of the college has been to strengthen and grow our academic programs, both in terms of degrees offered and in student enrollment. In addition to our long-standing M.S. and Ph.D. degrees in fisheries, marine biology and oceanography, we now offer non-thesis master’s degrees in marine policy (jointly with UAS), marine studies, and a Blue MBA with the College of Business and Security Management. And, our undergraduate degree that originally focused on fisheries has been expanded to include fisheries and marine science, and is now offered both in person and as a fully online program.

With regard to enrollment, over the past year undergraduate enrollment has increased by roughly 50 percent and total graduate enrollment this fall is close to our highest enrollment over the past decade. These enrollment trends underscore that students are increasingly choosing CFOS to advance their careers in fisheries, marine biology and oceanography. We can take pride in our collective efforts to grow these high-quality undergraduate and graduate degree programs. I want to thank all of CFOS for a job well done—let’s keep up the good work!

I hope you take time to enjoy the beautiful fall season colors.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway in the Bering Sea in support of chief scientist Jackie Grebmeier (University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science) and co-chief scientists Seth Danielson (UAF/CFOS) and Katrin Iken (UAF/CFOS), funded by NOAA and UAF’s Alaska Sikuliaq Program. This voyage will support the Distributed Biological Observatory–Ecological Fisheries Oceanography Coordinated Investigations/Chukchi Ecosystem Observatory–Arctic Marine Biodiversity Observation Network.

Activities and Accomplishments

Schery Umanzor was a guest speaker at a Sealaska Heritage Institute lecture and a panelist at the 2023 Seagriculture USA conference.

CFOS in the News

Curry Cunningham was featured in a KDLG segment about next year’s Bristol Bay salmon forecast.

A story on KYUK public media highlighted appointees to the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force and Yukon/Kuskokwim working group, including CFOS faculty Megan McPhee and Curry Cunningham.

UAF News covered research by Trent Sutton and CFOS alumni Kevin Fraley and Carolyn Hammon on the levels of PFAS contamination in Arctic fish species.

Research by graduate student Shelby Bacus was included in an Associated Press story about the future of crab fisheries in the Bering Sea.

Publications

Atkinson, S., V.M. Melica, S. Teerlink, K.L. Mashburn, J.R. Moran, and H. Pearson. 2023. Use of hormones in assessing reproductive physiology of humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) from Juneau, Alaska. Theriogenology Wild. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.therwi.2023.100050

Brandhuber, M., S. Atkinson, C. Cunningham, T. Roth, and E. Curry. 2023. Assessing Dehydroepiandrosterone Sulfate (DHEAS) as a novel biomarker for monitoring reproduction in polar bears. General and Comparative Endocrinology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ygcen.2023.114276

Iken, K., C.D. Amsler, K.B. Gorman, A.G. Klein, A.W.E. Galloway, M.O. Amsler, S. Heiser, R. Whippo, A.T. Lowe, J.B. Schram, Z.X. Schneider, and J.B. McClintock. 2023. Macroalgal input into the coastal food web along a gradient of seasonal sea ice cover along the Western Antarctic Peninsula. Marine Ecology Progress Series. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14388

Grants and Awards for August 2023

New awards for CFOS researchers:

• G-15650 "Baseline Fishery Surveys Using Autonomous Underwater Gliders" - Seth Danielson - NOAA - $1,750,000.00 (July 1, 2023)
• 271634 "Improving the Stock Assessments of Sleeper Shark (Somniosus pacificus) and Pacific Spiny Dogfish (Squalus suckleyi)" - Garrett Dunne - Foundation Northern Gulf of Alaska (NGOA) Applied Research - $5,000.00 (March 1, 2023)

Awards receiving incremental funding:

• G-12178 "University of Alaska Fairbanks/Sikuliaq Ship Operations CY 2018-2022" - Bradley Moran - NSF - Mod 17 - $2,500,000.00 (July 1, 2018)
• G-13041 "Collaborative Research: Monitoring in Southeast Alaska Parks" - Seth Danielson - NPS - Mod 2 - $265,176.00 (September 25, 2019)
• G-14380 "Arctic High-Frequency Radar Operations and Maintenance (Arctic HFR)" - Seth Danielson - AOOS - Mod 2 - $156,000.00 (july 1, 2021)
• G-14395 "Enhancing ocean color remote sensing tools to better constrain fisheries forecasting models in a critical subarctic system" - Tom Kelly - NASA - Mod 2 - $247,936.00 (August 23, 2021)
• G-14420 "Integrating oceanographic research and monitoring efforts in the NE Gulf of Alaska" - Seth Danielson - NPS - Mod 1 - $19,938.00 (September 17, 2021)
• G-14451 "Seward Line Monitoring (Seward Line)" - Russ Hopcroft - AOOS - Mod 2 - $116,000.00 (July 1, 2021)
• G-14471 "Alaska Ecosystem Observatory Network Build Out, Operations and Maintenance (Eco-Moorings)" - Seth Danielson - AOOS - Mod 2 - $85,000.00 (July 1, 2021)
• G-14472 "Measuring Ocean Currents in Bering Strait with High Frequency Radars (Bering Strait HFR)" - Seth Danielson - AOOS - Mod 2 - $115,000.00 (July 1, 2021)
• G-14473 "Alaska Region Glider Missions Supporting an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management (EAFM Gliders)" - Seth Danielson - AOOS - Mod 2 - $240,000.00 (July 1, 2021)
• G-14482 "An Arctic Marine Mammal Observing System (Chukchi Glider)" - Seth Danielson - AOOS - Mod 2 - $65,000.00 (July 1, 2021)
• G-14484 "Time-Series Monitoring of Ocean Acidification in Alaska (OA Timeseries)" - Natalie Monacci - AOOS - Mod 2 - $29,000.00 (July 1, 2021)

Message from the Dean

Last week a number of invited university leaders, faculty, staff and students joined Tamamta program leadership, students and honored guests at the Howard Luke Gaalee’ya Spirit Camp near Fairbanks to share reflections on this important NSF–funded research traineeship program, now in its third year. The fall retreat was special in many ways, particularly given the growth of the program and its increasing visibility. This was a delightful opportunity to share stories and perspectives, while enjoying a wonderful home-cooked meal prepared by Indigenous chefs. It is a pleasure to recognize Tamamta program leaders Courtney Carothers, Jessica Black, Charlene Stern, Peter Westley and their team for organizing this retreat—thank you very much for your time, energy and dedication to broadening the scope of our fisheries programs to include traditional knowledge and experiences.

Speaking of joining together, please be sure to mark your calendars for the CFOS Welcome Back event this Thursday, starting at 3 pm in O’Neill 201. Many thanks to Christina Sutton for organizing this event. We also plan to resume the Coffee with the Dean gatherings as part of our continued effort to ensure a welcoming environment for our students, staff and faculty.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq remains in the Bering Sea in support of Sarah Fowell’s (UAF/CNSM) Bering Sea coring cruise, funded by NSF Office of Polar Programs.

Activities and Accomplishments

The Subarctic Oceanography Field Course 425/625 was held for the first time in Seward. Students spent 10 days learning oceanographic sampling techniques, including 5 days aboard R/V Nanuq in Resurrection Bay and Aialik Fjord. A big thanks to the National Parks Service for providing support so that we could offer this course at no cost to students.

CFOS in the News

Research by UAF graduate student Dana Bloch was highlighted in a Discover story about the role whale poop plays in fertilizing the ocean.

A UAF News article explored research by Geoff Wheat on deep-sea thermal springs that enhance octopus breeding grounds.

Hank Statscewich was interviewed by the Teledyne Marine Tech Talk podcast about how CFOS uses underwater gliders to support Alaska fisheries management.

Publications

Barry, J.P., S.Y. Litvin, A. DeVogelaere, D.W. Caress, C.F. Lovera, A.S. Kahn, E.J. Burton, C. King, J.B. Paduan, C.G. Wheat, F. Girard, et al. 2023. Abyssal hydrothermal springs—cryptic incubators for brooding octopus. Science Advances. https://doi.org/10.1126/sciadv.adg3247

Message from the Dean

With the fall semester now officially underway, it is a pleasure to welcome everyone back—thank you for all your good work CFOS! We look forward to a number of exciting events this semester. To kick things off, this week we will host a board meeting of the Pollock Conservation Cooperative Research Center and the CFOS Advisory Council, which will both meet in Juneau. Looking further ahead, a priority for this semester will be to launch searches for new faculty hires in fisheries, oceanography and marine policy to help advance our diverse research and academic programs. These are just a few highlights that underpin the mission of our college to support our students. In that regard, congratulations to our summer 2023 graduates:

Claire Delbecq. M.S. Fisheries, Major Advisor: Jeff Falke
Oliva Edwards. M.S. Fisheries, Major Advisor: Jeff Falke
Kevin Fitzgerald. M.S. Fisheries, Major Advisor: Jeff Falke
Madeline Lee. M.S. Fisheries, Major Advisor: Peter Westley
Samuel Rosenbaum. M.S. Fisheries, Major Advisor: Megan McPhee
Katie Corliss. M.S. Marine Biology, Major Advisor: Katrin Iken
Mary Keenan. M.S. Marine Biology, Major Advisor: Lara Horstmann
Jaide Phelps, M.S. Marine Biology, Major Advisor: Katrin Iken
Madelyn Hoefer. B.A. Fisheries, Concentration in Fisheries Business and Social Sciences
Bethany Matala. B.S. Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Concentration in Ocean Sciences

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway in support of Sarah Fowell’s (UAF/CNSM) Bering Sea coring cruise, funded by NSF Office of Polar Programs. Fowell and her team will collect sediment cores from the Bering Sea shelf to better understand how the most recent glacial/interglacial transition affected the ecology and climate of the Bering Land Bridge.

Activities and Accomplishments

Shannon Atkinson, along with graduate students Courney Pegus and Emily Mailman, helped lead and support a 10-day camp hosted by Orutsararmiut Native Council at the UAF Kuskokwim Campus, July 12-20. The camp focused on science and culture while allowing students to earn two college credits.

Franz Mueter accompanied the Arctic Leadership Initiative advisory group on a tour of R/V Sikuliaq in Nome on August 3. Along with the mayor, city manager and Kawerak staff, the group also met with faculty and staff at UAF's Northwest Campus.

CFOS in the News

An article in the Nome Nugget highlighted R/V Sikuliaq’s detection of a harmful algal bloom in the Bering Strait region.

KTVF aired a news segment about the ongoing Bering Sea Land Bridge research cruise aboard R/V Sikuliaq.

Publications

Fraley, K.M., C.R. Hamman, T.M. Sutton, M.D. Robards, T. Jones, and A. Whiting. 2023. Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and mercury in Arctic Alaska coastal fishes of subsistence importance. Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.1002/etc.5717

Haag, J., H. Dulai, and W. Burt. 2023. The role of submarine groundwater discharge to the input of macronutrients within a macrotidal subpolar estuary. Estuaries and Coasts. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-023-01231-9

Grants and Awards for July 2023

New awards for CFOS researchers:

• G-15511 "Pinto Abalone Mariculture Potential (PAMP): Developing Prognostic Tools for Intensive Polyculture Farming Based on Organismal Growth and Feeding Demand" - Schery Umanzor - Murdock Charitable Trust - $19,000.00 (May 1, 2023)
• G-15525 "Oceanography of Cook Inlet Tide Rips" - Tyler Hennon - Oil Spill Recovery Institute - $98,900.00 (April 1, 2023)
• G-15576 "BRC-BIO: Evolutionary Patterns of Ice-Binding Proteins in North Pacific Intertidal Invertebrates" - Jessica Glass - NSF - $498,522.00 (July 1, 2023)
• G-15580 "CR: US GO-SHIP 2021-2026 Repeat Hydrography, Carbon and Tracers" - Kay McMonigal - University of California, San Diego - $96,539.00 (July 1, 2023)
• G-15598 "Southeast Alaska Trolling Vessel Ocean Measurement Program" - Tyler Hennon - Pacific Salmon Commission - $74,645.00 (February 1, 2023)
• 271220 "Linking Climate and Early Life History to Recruitment of Yukon River Chum Salmon" - Megan McPhee - PCCRC Endowment - $53,597.00 (July 1, 2023)
• 271221 "The environmental ratchet, revisited: the role of temperature and predation in controlling abundances of snow crab in the Bering Sea" - Franz Mueter - PCCRC Endowment - $70,620.00 (July 1, 2023)

Awards receiving incremental funding:

• G-12178 "University of Alaska Fairbanks/Sikuliaq Ship Operations CY2018-2022" - Bradley Moran - NSF - Mod 15 and Mod 16 - $126,166.00 and $2,500,000.00 (July 1, 2018)
• G-12819 "Cooperative Training and Research for Alaska Fisheries Science" - Alexei Pinchuk - NOAA - Mod 8 - $188,000.00 (July 1, 2019)
• G-14241 "Bio-physical drivers of bowhead whale distribution on the Alaskan Beaufort Shelf During a Period of Rapid Environmental Change" - Seth Danielson - BOEM - Mod 2 - $1,037,326.00 (July 1, 2021)

Award set up on assumption:

• G-15546 "Academic and research support for satellite tagging Pacific cod" - Andy Seitz - Aleutians East Borough (August 1, 2022)

Message from the Dean

The start of the new academic year is now just two weeks away, when we will welcome back current and new students. We are also delighted to welcome several new staff and faculty to CFOS. Thank you all for your dedication to our mission to deliver excellence in fisheries and ocean sciences research, education and outreach for the benefit of Alaska and the nation.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is in port at Nome, Alaska, after completing Kevin Arrigo’s (Stanford University) Fate of Primary Production in the Chukchi Sea cruise, funded by the NSF Office of Polar Programs. Sikuliaq is being prepared for Sarah Fowell’s (UAF/CNSM) Bering Sea coring cruise, also funded by NSF Office of Polar Programs.

Activities and Accomplishments

A workshop on harmful algal bloom biotoxins held at the Seward Marine Center was hosted by Shannon Atkinson, Jennifer Elhard, and in collaboration with the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute.

CFOS in the News

Peter Westley was featured in a New York Times article about Alaska’s declining Chinook salmon population.

UAF News published an article about eDNA research being conducted in Jessica Glass’ lab.

Alaska Public Media highlighted research by graduate student Dana Bloch about the ecological benefits of humpback whale poop.

Publications

Cotea Islas, H.M., and R.R. Hopcroft. 2023. Abundance, composition and distribution of predatory gelatinous zooplankton in the Northern Gulf of Alaska. Journal of Plankton Research. https://doi.org/10.1093/plankt/fbad032

King, E.L., M.V. McPhee, S.C. Vulstek, C.J. Cunningham, J.R. Russell, and D.A. Tallmon. 2023. Alternative life-history strategy contributions to effective population size in a naturally spawning salmon population. Evolutionary Applications. https://doi.org/10.1111/eva.13580

McMonigal, K., N. Evans, D. Jones, J. Brett, R.C. James, M.C. Arroyo, et al. 2023. Navigating gender at sea. AGU Advances. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023AV000927

Message from the Dean

Last week, UAF/CFOS faculty and staff engaged with the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission in Fairbanks to discuss future research cruises aboard Sikuliaq. In this regard, 2023 marks the seventh year implementing the Community and Environmental Compliance Standard Operating Procedures (CECSOP) for Sikuliaq research operations. Established in 2017, these best practices for Sikuliaq operations have proven valuable in avoiding conflicts between Alaska Native subsistence hunting communities and seagoing scientific researchers. This is the only such community operating procedure in the U.S. Academic Research Fleet, and one that we can take pride in developing with NSF and helping to advance together with Alaska Native organizations. I would like to thank Sikuliaq Science Liaison Jeff Richardson for his good work leading this important aspect of our ship operations.

It is a pleasure to announce that Ana Aguilar-Islas has accepted the appointment as CFOS associate dean for academic programs. Ana is well known to the UAF community for her research, teaching and service activities, and as an active seagoing scientist focused on understanding trace element cycles in the ocean. Ana’s appointment is effective immediately, and will continue for a three-year term. I am delighted that Ana has accepted this important administrative role, and I look forward to working with her as part of the CFOS leadership team. Please join me in congratulating and supporting Ana in her effort to help advance the academic mission of our college.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq remains in the Chukchi Sea in support of Kevin Arrigo’s (Stanford University) Fate of Primary Production in the Chukchi Sea cruise, funded by NSF Office of Polar Programs.

CFOS in the News

Sikuliaq-based research on harmful algal blooms was highlighted in the Nome Nugget.

Postdoc Brian Ulaski and Brenda Konar were interviewed by KBBI, a Homer public media station, for a piece on the importance of beach wrack, which was the focus of Ulaski's Ph.D. dissertation.

Publications

Amsler, C.D., M.O. Amsler, A.G. Klein, A.W.E. Galloway, K. Iken, J.B. McClintock, S. Heiser, A.T. Lowe, J.B. Schram, and R.Whippo. 2023. Strong correlations of sea ice cover with macroalgal cover along the Antarctic Peninsula: Ramifications for present and future benthic communities. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2023.00020

Drakard, V.F., J.A. Hollarsmith, and M.S. Stekoll. 2023. High-latitude kelps and future oceans: A review of multiple stressor impacts in a changing world. Ecology and Evolution. https://doi.org/10.1002/ece3.10277

Weitzman, B.P., B. Konar, M.S. Edwards, D.B. Rasher, M.C. Kenner, M.T. Tinker, and J.A. Estes. 2023. Changes in abiotic drivers of green sea urchin demographics following the loss of a keystone predator. Journal of Marine Sciences. https://doi.org/10.1155/2023/1198953

Message from the Dean

As we close out the first half of this year, it is worth reflecting on some of our accomplishments as a college. Since January, we held a CFOS Advisory Council meeting, continued to advance our new Master of Marine Policy degree jointly with UAS, are in the final stage of the marine policy faculty search, and welcomed new faculty, staff and students. Looking ahead, a key goal over the coming months is to begin searches for new tenure-track faculty hires in fisheries, oceanography and marine policy.

It is a pleasure to convey that Brian Crandall has been hired as CFOS Undergraduate Advisor and Recruitment Coordinator. Brian has a B.A. in Biology and Anthropology from Binghamton University, was a small-business owner of a STEAM franchise, and recently taught at Ben Eielson Jr. High School. Brian will begin work on Wednesday, July 5. Please join me in welcoming Brian to CFOS.

After three years serving as chair of the Department of Fisheries, Andy Seitz will step down to focus on his research, instruction and service work. I am thankful for Andy's dedicated service, and grateful to Franz Mueter for his willingness to serve as the new chair.

I hope that everyone enjoys a safe and relaxing Fourth of July extended holiday weekend.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq remains in the Chukchi Sea in support of Kevin Arrigo’s (Stanford University) Fate of Primary Production in the Chukchi Sea cruise, funded by NSF Office of Polar Programs.

Activities and Accomplishments

Courtney Carothers was invited to participate in the international symposium New Frameworks for Troubled Times: A Focus on the Global Fisheries Commons, hosted June 15–16 by the Mercatus Center at George Mason University and the Center for Governance and Markets at the University of Pittsburgh.

Ethan Roth represented R/V Sikuliaq and presented a talk, “Technical Challenges and Solutions for Operating in Polar Regions,” at the INMARTECH 2023 symposium at the World Trade Center in Barcelona, Spain, June 20–22.

Natalie Monacci is now director of the Ocean Acidification Research Center.

CFOS in the News

Alaska Native News and other outlets covered a research paper by postdoc Brian Ulaski and Brenda Konar about the complex ecosystem that exists in Alaska beach wrack.

An Alaska Beacon story about a new federal fish labeling proposal cited research being conducted at the Ocean Acidification Research Center.

Tyler Hennon was quoted in a KTOO public media story about the changing ocean ecosystem in Southeast Alaska.

A video about the Alaska Blue Economy Center, featuring Schery Umanzor and ABEC director Justin Sternberg, was published on the UA Empower Alaska website.

Brenda Konar contributed to a Times Standard article about the possible reintroduction of sea otters to California.

Research by Seth Danielson was cited in an Alaska Beacon article about gradual erosion occurring in the Bering Strait.

Publications

Kruse, G.H. 2023. Remembering Vera Alexander. PICES Press, Vol. 31, No. 2, pp. 72-73. https://www.uaf.edu/cfos/files/news/PICES-Press-2023-Vol31No2pp72-73.pdf

Message from the Dean

Today is Juneteenth, when our nation observes the youngest federal holiday that commemorates the freeing of enslaved African Americans. I encourage everyone to take a moment to reflect on the collective progress made in advancing human rights in our nation, and the remaining work needed to fully realize an equitable society.

I would like to highlight the appointment of Megan McPhee to the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force (below). Not only is this a highly deserved recognition of Megan’s expertise, and that of our alumni, it is one more example of how CFOS is sought after to help guide policy decisions relating to sustaining Alaska fisheries and aquatic resources.

This Wednesday marks summer solstice—time to get out and enjoy the great Alaskan outdoors.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway in the Chukchi Sea for Kevin Arrigo’s (Stanford University) Fate of Primary Production in the Chukchi Sea cruise, funded by the NSF Office of Polar Programs.

Activities and Accomplishments

Gwenn Hennon was an invited plenary speaker at the Ocean Carbon Biogeochemistry summer workshop in Woods Hole, Massachusetts, on June 12–15. Her talk in the Marine Biodiversity and Ecosystem Resilience session was entitled, "Find the helpers: prioritizing multiple-driver studies of key taxa."

Megan McPhee has been appointed to the newly formed Alaska Salmon Research Task Force, which will focus on sustainable fisheries management and population crashes in the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. Other appointees include CFOS alumni Ed Farley, Justin Leon, Michelle Stratton and Bill Templin.

Graduate student Stephanie O’Daly, along with Gwenn Hennon, former CFOS associate professor Andrew McDonnell, post-doctoral fellow Thomas Kelley, and others, presented a poster at the Aquatic Sciences meeting in Palma Mallorca, Spain, titled “Impact of fronts on Southern Ocean particle distribution in the mesopelagic.”

Graduate student Emily Mailman was awarded the 2023 Kathryn E. and John P. Doyle Scholarship from The Alaska Community Foundation.

Jennifer Questel, Seth Danielson, Tyler Hennon, Nicole Webster and Peter Shipton completed the second year of oceanographic sampling in Southeast Alaska for the National Park Service Outer Coast program. Activities included the turnaround of an overwintering mooring at the head of Disenchantment Bay near Hubbard Glacier and physical, chemical and biological oceanography measurements in Disenchantment, Yakutat, and Icy Bays and Taan Fjord.

The National Sea Grant program awarded graduate student Lindsey Stadler the prestigious Knauss Fellowship. She is spending her fellowship year with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Fisheries Office of Protected Resources.

CFOS in the News

UAF News published an article about work by Seth Danielson and Hank Statscewich in the northern Gulf of Alaska to better understand the spring phytoplankton bloom.

KINY and other outlets covered new research that showed early Alaskans relied on freshwater fishing for subsistence. Andrés López contributed to the study.

Publications

LaBarre, A., B. Konar, and K. Iken. 2023. Influence of environmental conditions on Mytilus trossulus size frequency distributions in two glacially influenced estuaries. Estuaries and Coasts. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12237-023-01175-0

Grants and Awards for May 2023

New awards for CFOS researchers:

• G-15444 "Yukon River and Norton Sound Chum Salmon marine ecology" - Alexei Pinchuk - NPRB - $33,125.00 (January 1, 2023)
• G-15470 "Genetic analysis of summer and winter distribution of GOA Pacific cod otolith analysis of thermal adaptation" - Jessica Glass - Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission - $332,553.00 (November 1, 2022)
• G-15484 "US Science Support Program Office associated with the International Ocean Discovery Program (USSSP-IODP)" - C. Geoff Wheat - Columbia University - $76,545.00 (April 1, 2023)
• G-15492 "Sea otter use of oyster farms in Kachemak Bay, Alaska" - Brenda Konar - Sea Otter Fundation & Trust - $6,936.00 (January 1, 2023)

Awards receiving incremental funding:

• G-12127 "University of Alaska Fairbanks/Sikuliaq Oceanographic Technical Support - Year 1 of 5" - Ethan Roth - NSF - Mod 12 - $962,148.00 (June 15, 2018
• G-12819 "Cooperative Training and Research for Alaska Fisheries Science" - Alexei Pinchuk - NOAA - Mod 6 - $185,000.00 (July 1, 2019)
• G-13469 "Zooplankton Monitoring Along Coastal Regions and Tidewater Glacier Fjords of Glacier Bay and Wrangell-St. Elias National Parks & Preserves" - Jennifer Questel - NPS - Mod 1 - $72,316.00 (June 30, 2020)

Message from the Dean

As recently announced, CFOS associate dean for academic programs Trent Sutton has accepted an appointment as UAF Vice Provost, Accreditation Liaison Officer and Dean of General Studies. I am grateful for Trent’s time and effort in helping to lead our academic programs through unprecedented state budget decrements and health-related challenges with the pandemic, and thank him for his support of our academic mission. The search for a new associate dean for academic programs is underway.

On-campus interviews of the candidates for the tenure-track assistant professor in marine policy have concluded. The search committee is now soliciting input from faculty, staff and students as they prepare the final recommendation regarding next steps.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is in Seward preparing for Emily Eidam’s (Oregon State University) Arctic Chief Scientist Training cruise and Kevin Arrigo’s (Stanford University) Fate of Primary Production in the Chukchi Sea cruise, both funded by NSF Office of Polar Programs. Arrigo and Matthew Mills will study microalgae and phytoplankton in sea ice and open water to assess how sea ice loss affects the Arctic Ocean food web.

Activities and Accomplishments

Bradley Moran has been appointed to serve as a member of the National Academies' 2025-2035 Decadal Survey of Ocean Sciences for the National Science Foundation committee.

Last week the Korean Polar Research Institute (KOPRI) hosted a joint workshop with the UAF International Arctic Research Center (IARC) to discuss plans for an international Siberian Distributed Biological Observatory network. Russ Hopcroft (virtual) and Tom Kelly (in person) participated at this meeting, helping to shape future research priorities.

Michael Martins, a student in the spring Nearshore Ecology Field Course, won a 2023 Chessable Research Award for studying the effects of diving on cognitive ability. Brenda Konar was Martins’ mentor for the project.

CFOS in the News

Undercurrent News quoted Curry Cunningham in an article about an effort to use citizen science to better track Chinook salmon in the Nushagak Commercial Salmon District near Dillingham.

Publications

Cheng, M. L., J. T. Thorson, J. N. Ianelli, and C. J. Cunningham. 2023. Unlocking the triad of age, year, and cohort effects for stock assessment: Demonstration of a computationally efficient and reproducible framework using weight-at-age. Fisheries Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2023.106755

Despins, M. C., R. P. Mason, A. M. Aguilar-Islas, C. H. Lamborg, C. R. Hammerschmidt, and S. E. Newell. 2023. Linked mercury methylation and nitrification across oxic subpolar regions. Frontiers in Environmental Chemistry. https://doi.org/10.3389/fenvc.2023.1109537

Gonzalez, S., J. K. Horne, S.L. Danielson, G. Lopez, and A. M. Segura. 2023. Temporal dynamics and environmental drivers of polar cod (Boreogadus saida) densities in the northeast Chukchi Sea. Polar Biology. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00300-023-03150-8

Message from the Dean

Last week marked a milestone for the National Academies’ Ocean Studies Board, which held its 100th meeting in Washington, DC. Notably, the meeting kicked off with several open-session presentations led by the OSB Fisheries Subcommittee, which focused on the intersection of fisheries management, climate change, policy and fishing communities. These discussions and other interesting presentations held throughout the week relate directly to the important research and teaching activities at CFOS, and serve as a reminder of the relevance of the work conducted by many of our faculty, researchers and students. My thanks and congratulations to OSB director Susan Roberts and her team for hosting an interesting and successful meeting.

Beginning this week, candidates interviewing for the assistant professor tenure-track position in marine policy will be visiting our Juneau and Fairbanks locations. I encourage everyone to engage in this process by attending the candidate presentations and meetings, and to provide input to the search committee. My thanks to search chair Andy Seitz and committee members Jessica Glass, Russ Hopcroft, Lara Horstmann, and Kasia Polanska from UAS for their effort on this important faculty search.

The UAF Arctic Research Open House held last Thursday was a great success. CFOS did a great job showcasing a variety of our research programs and field equipment, including displays by Hank Statscewich, Gwenn Hennon, Kyle Dilliplaine and Hannah Kepner. A big thank-you to Jeff Richardson and the many faculty, staff and students who helped make this a successful event.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway for Kris Newhall’s (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) Ocean Observatories Initiative Papa cruise and the collaborative project from Jim Thomson’s (University of Washington) Waves at Papa, funded by NSF/OCE Physical Oceanography.

Activities and Accomplishments

Graduate student Chloe Kotik gave a presentation on her killer whale ecotoxicology research at the Society for Marine Mammalogy Northwest Student Chapter annual meeting.

CFOS Grants Manager Pat Church received a 2023 Alaska NSF EPSCoR Travel Award to attend the 65th Annual National Council of University Research Administrators (NCURA) Meeting in Washington, DC, in August 2023.

CFOS in the News

Peter Westley was quoted in an Alaska Public Media story about some of the factors causing a decline in Alaska salmon populations.

Publications

Kehinde, O., M. Bourassa, S. Kranz, M.R. Landry, T. Kelly, and M.R. Stukel. 2023. Lateral advection of particulate organic matter in the eastern Indian Ocean. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. https://doi.org/10.1029/2023JC019723

Skyllingstad, E.D., R.M. Samelson, H. Simmons, L.S. Laurent, S. Merrifield, T. Klenz, and L. Centuroni. 2023. Boundary layer energetics of rapid wind and wave forced mixing events. Journal of Physical Oceanography. https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-22-0150.1

Message from the Dean

As we conclude the spring 2023 semester, I would like to convey my appreciation to our dedicated students, staff and faculty for helping advance the mission of CFOS. On that note, last Saturday was the 2023 UAF Commencement—congratulations to our graduates!

It is my pleasure to announce that Amanda Kelley has been awarded tenure and promotion to associate professor of marine biology.

2023 Dean’s Recognition Awards

Outstanding Advisor: Lara Horstmann
Outstanding Instructor: Mark Johnson
Outstanding Researcher: Jeff Falke and Russ Hopcroft
Outstanding Service: Rachel Potter
Outstanding Staff: Hans Pedersen
Outstanding Research Staff: Caitlin Smoot
Outstanding R/V Sikuliaq Crew Member: Artie Levine
Outstanding Undergraduate Student: Rachel Heimke
Outstanding Graduate Student: Hannah Myers
Special Dean’s Recognition Award for development of the joint CFOS–UAS Master of Marine Policy degree: Keith Criddle (CFOS) and Ljubomir Medenica (UAS)

Spring 2023 Graduates

Luke Henslee. MS Fisheries, Advisor: Andy Seitz
Alexandra Reich. MS Fisheries, Advisor: Megan McPhee
Lindsey Stadler. MS Marine Biology, Advisor: Katrin Iken
Monica Brandhuber. Ph.D. Fisheries, Advisor: Shannon Atkinson
Thilo Klenz. Ph.D. Oceanography, Advisor: Harper Simmons
Kathryn Langlois. BA Fisheries, Concentration: Fisheries Business and Social Science
Bethany Matala. BS Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Concentration: Ocean Science
Kyleigh McArthur. BS Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, Concentration: Fisheries Science

2023 Student Awards

Outstanding Senior: Rachel Heimke
Outstanding Junior: Samantha Allen
Outstanding Sophomore: Shelby Thompson
Outstanding Freshman: Lucy White

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is expected to arrive in Seward today after completing Russ Hopcroft’s spring cruise for the Northern Gulf of Alaska Long Term Ecological Research project, funded by NSF Ocean Sciences Biological Oceanography. Later this week, mobilization will begin for Kris Newhall’s (Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution) Ocean Observatories Initiative Papa cruise and the collaborative project from Jim Thomson’s (University of Washington) Waves at Papa.

Activities and Accomplishments

Two projects have been approved for 2024 funding through the Alaska Sikuliaq Program: the NOAA OER Gulf of Alaska seamounts project led by Russ Hopcroft and Jennifer Questel, and an Arctic marine ecosystem monitoring cruise led by Seth Danielson and Katrin Iken. Each project will receive funding for four ship days aboard Sikuliaq.

Graduate students Shelby Bacus, Carter Johnson and Chelsea Kovalcsik were awarded Graduate Student Research Awards by the North Pacific Research Board.

Graduate student Alex Sletten discussed her research on microplastics as part of Earth Day at the Rasmuson Library

Graduate student Shelby Bacus received the AY2023–24 CFOS Dean's Graduate Student Research Assistantship Award.

Brenda Konar cohosted a workshop on zero-visibility scuba diving at the American Academy of Underwater Sciences annual conference in Pensacola, Florida.

CFOS in the News

Peter Westley was quoted in an Alaska Public Media story about some of the factors causing a decline in Alaska salmon populations.

Publications

Bacus, S.C., and A.L. Kelley. 2023. Effects of ocean acidification and ocean warming on the behavior and physiology of a subarctic, intertidal grazer. Marine Ecology Progress Series. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14308

King, E.M., D.A. Tallmon, S.C. Vulstek, J.R. Russell, and M.V. McPhee. 2023. Reproductive success of jack and full-size males in a wild coho salmon population. Royal Society Open Science. https://doi.org/10.1098/rsos.221271

Rabault, J., M. Müller, J. Voermans, D. Brazhnikov, I. Turnbull, A. Marchenko, M. Biuw, T. Nose, T. Waseda, M. Johansson, Ø. Breivik, G. Sutherland, L. R. Hole, M. Johnson, et al. 2023. A dataset of direct observations of sea ice drift and waves in ice. Scientific Data. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-023-02160-9

Grants and awards for April 2023

New awards for CFOS researchers:

• Grant G-15390 "Yukon River and Norton Sound Chum Ecology" - Alexei Pinchuk - UA Foundation PCCRC - $50,000.00 (January 1, 2023)
• Grant G-15396 "The Role of Arctic Lagoons as Winter Refuge for Arctic Fish" - Alexei Pinchuk - North Slope Borough - $15,095.00 (July 1, 2022)
• Grant G-15397 "Monitoring Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Concentrations in Sediments of Port Valdez, Alaska" - Arny Blanchard - Alyeska Pipeline Service Company - $71,406.00 (January 1, 2023)
• Grant G-15405 "2023 Beaufort Sea Fish Monitoring Project'' - Trent Sutton - Hilcorp Alaska LLC. - $45,593.00 (January 1, 2023)
• Grant G-15438 "Examine health metrics of Copper River sockeye salmon stocks to inform management decision making" - Kristen Gorman - National Park Service - $111,148.00 (April 13, 2023)

Awards controlled by another department:

• Grant G-15439 "Alaska Mariculture Cluster Workforce Development" - Schery Umanzor - AK Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program - Southeast Conference - $175,461.00 (October 1, 2022)

Awards receiving incremental funding:

• Grant G-8633 "Rasmuson Fisheries Research Center - Fellowships" - Bradley Moran - UA Foundation - $80,000.00 (April 1, 2013)

Message from the Dean

Last Friday the CFOS Advisory Council met virtually to discuss priorities and action items in support of our research and teaching efforts. Discussion focused on advancing diversity, equity and inclusivity in the college; the importance of the Alaska Education Tax Credit to our fisheries researchers and students; and the revitalization of Seward Marine Center to support shoreside operations of R/V Sikuliaq. A big thank-you to Hannah Myers for her presentation on passive acoustic research of killer whales, and to Seth Danielson for his presentation on the CFOS underwater gilder program led by Seth and his ocean glider team. The next Advisory Council meeting is tentatively scheduled for June.

As we wind up the spring semester, CFOS will host a BBQ celebration on May 3, 2023, at 3 pm in 201 O'Neill, and Juneau’s BBQ will be announced soon. Stay tuned for final details regarding this popular event.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway for Russ Hopcroft’s Northern Gulf of Alaska Long Term Ecological Research project, funded by NSF Ocean Sciences Biological Oceanography. The chief scientist for this spring’s NGA LTER cruise is Ana Aguilar-Islas.

Activities and Accomplishments

Graduate student Chelsea Kovalcsik won the Dan Glass Memorial Award at the Midnight Sun Symposium for her talk “Paralytic shellfish toxins and domoic acid exposure risks to northern fur seals on St. Paul Island, Alaska.”

Graduate students Tamsen Peeples and Muriel Dittrich were named grand champions of the U.S. Department of Energy’s Algae Prize. The competition challenged competitors to develop innovative solutions for algae production, processing and product development.

Graduate student Hannah Myers gave a presentation about killer whales to the Hutchison High School marine biology class and led an acoustics project as part of the class’s Whale Week.

CFOS in the News

The Peninsula Clarion previewed a presentation by Peter Westley at a “State of the Salmon” event hosted by Kenai Peninsula College.

An article by Alaska Native News highlighted ongoing research by Brenda Konar and graduate student Emily Reynolds about interactions between sea otters and oyster farms.

Publications

Dammann, D. O., M.A. Johnson, A. R. Mahoney, and E. R. Fedders. 2023. First observations of sea ice flexural–gravity waves with ground-based radar interferometry in Utqiaġvik, Alaska. The Cryosphere. https://doi.org/10.5194/tc-17-1609-2023

Stukel, M. R., J. P. Irving, T. B. Kelly, M. D. Ohman, C. K. Fender, and N. Yingling. 2023. Carbon sequestration by multiple biological pump pathways in a coastal upwelling biome. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-37771-8

Ulaski, B. P., D. S. Sikes, and B. Konar. 2023. Beach-cast and drifting seaweed wrack is an important resource for marine and terrestrial macroinvertebrates in high latitudes. Marine Environmental Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marenvres.2023.105970

Message from the Dean

Last week the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) convened members of the board in Anchorage. The discussion focused on AOOS and Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) budgets, research activities, ocean policy updates and priorities for future funding. The meeting featured discussions with representatives from federal, state, industry and research entities, as well as a number of PI science presentations. Thanks to AOOS director Sheyna Wisdom and her team for hosting a productive and engaging meeting.

It is my pleasure to recognize the CFOS staff members who were honored last week at the annual UAF Staff Recognition event. These individuals and all of our hardworking staff help to ensure that CFOS operates efficiently and effectively. Please join me in congratulating the following employees for their dedicated service to CFOS and to the University:

• 1 Year: Jake Anderson, Thomas Buzzeck, Sam Elliot, Laura Frisone, Carman Greto, Kendall Mashburn
• 5 Years: Christoph Gabaldo, Heather McLeod, Danielle Ringer
• 10 Years: Michelle Warrenchuk
• 20 Years: Jennifer Elhard, Rachel Potter, Elizabeth Stockmar

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway for acoustic calibrations in Puget Sound and the North Pacific Ocean (funded by NSF OCE Integrative Programs Section), and then will transit to Seward to mobilize for Russ Hopcroft’s (UAF/CFOS) Northern Gulf of Alaska Long Term Ecological Research (NGA LTER) project, funded by NSF OCE Biological Oceanography. The chief scientist for this spring’s NGA LTER cruise is Ana Aguilar-Islas (UAF/CFOS).

Activities and Accomplishments

Several CFOS students won awards at the Alaska Chapter of the American Fisheries Society meeting, which was held in Fairbanks from May 27-31. Kristen Reece (best BS student poster), Sydney Almgren (best MS student poster), Lilian Hart (best MS oral presentation) and Matt Cheng (best PhD oral presentation) were honored.

Maggie Harings (Fisheries) and Nicole Webster (Oceanography) have been awarded National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowships.

NOAA’s 2022 Science Report listed graduate student Courtney Hart’s PhD research on algal bloom monitoring to explain geoduck clam toxicity in southeast Alaska. Her research received funding from NOAA’s ECOHAB division.

Sarah Walters has been named the new assistant port captain at the Seward Marine Center. Congratulations to Sarah on her recent appointment!

Last week, Isabelle Nicolier received the CFOS Dean’s Choice award at UAF Research and Creative Activity Day, and Kristen Reece was recognized with the CFOS Dean’s Honorable Mention.

CFOS in the News

Sierra magazine quoted CFOS graduate student Chelsea Kovalcsik in a story about proposed conservation measures in the waters around St. Paul Island.

New sea ice research by a team that included Mark Johnson was highlighted by UAF News. The study examined new methods for monitoring shorefast ice to improve public safety.

A story in the Fairbanks Daily News-Miner focused on the Spring Virtual Fishermen’s EXPO, which included a session by Tyler Hennon.

Publications

Dammann, D.O., M.A. Johnson, A.R. Mahoney, E.R. Fedders, M. Ito, J.K. Hutchings, C.M. Polashenski, and M. Fahnstock. 2023. Ground-based radar interferometry for monitoring of landfast sea ice dynamics. Cold Regions Science and Technology. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.coldregions.2023.103779

Mc Cartney, A.M., M.A. Head, K.S. Tsosie, B. Sterner, J.R. Glass, S. Paez, J. Geary, and M. Hudson. 2023. Indigenous peoples and local communities as partners in the sequencing of global eukaryotic biodiversity. npj Biodiversity. https://doi.org/10.1038/s44185-023-00013-7

Grants and Awards for March 2023

New awards for CFOS researchers:

• Grant G-15362 "Pinto Abalone Mariculture Potential (PAMP)" - Schery Umanzor - NPRB - $229,930.00 (January 1, 2023)
• Grant G-15369 "Alaska Ocean Observing Infrastructure Funding" - Seth Danielson - AOOS - $473,333.00 (December 1, 2022)
• Grant G-15372 "Ecosystem monitoring and detection of wind and ice-mediated changes through a year-round physical and biogeochemical mooring in the Northwest Chukchi Sea Yrs 4 and 5" - Seth Danielson - NPRB - $176,166.00 (December 1, 2022)

Awards receiving incremental funding:

• Grant G-8633 "Rasmuson Fisheries Research Center Fellowships" - Bradley Moran - UA Foundation - $30,000.00 (April 1, 2013)
• Grant G-14750 "Reducing Chinook Salmon Bycatch" - Andy Seitz - UA Foundation PCCRC - $19,253.00 (April 1, 2022)
• Grant G-14751 "Potential of Pollock Roe Peptides" - Quentin Fong - UA Foundation PCCRC - $60,322.00 (April 1, 2022)
• Grant G-15041 "Genetic composition of Bering Sea Pacific Herring (Clupea pallasii) aggregations" - Andres Lopez and Jessica Glass - UA Foundation PCCRC - $51,266.00 (August 1, 2022)

Awards receiving incremental funding controlled by another department:

• Grant G-15190 "Assessment of Humpback Whale Health and Residency Patterns with Respect to Varied Tourism Levels in Juneau, Alaska" - Shannon DeMaster - UAS - Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission - $50,597.00 (July 1, 2022)

Award set up on assumption:

• Grant G-15381 "Rural Alaska Students in One-Health Research (RASOR)" - Ellen Chenoweth - NIH - (December 4, 2022)

Message from the Dean

With just over a month remaining in this spring semester, it is a pleasure to extend my appreciation to all faculty and staff who support our students' success. In this regard, please mark your calendars for the 2023 CFOS State of the College, which will be held virtually at 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 20. In addition to highlighting our research, academic and outreach activities over the past year, we will present the annual Dean’s Recognition Awards to our faculty, staff and students.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway for a combined research voyage first led by John Mickett (University of Washington Applied Physics Laboratory) and then by Andrea Ogston (UW) off the coast of Washington and northern Oregon. Mickett’s physical oceanography project (Washington Shelf Acoustics Mooring Recovery) is funded by the Office of Naval Research, and Ogston’s geological oceanography project (Cascadia Canyons Deploy1) is funded by NSF Marine Geology and Geophysics.

Activities and Accomplishments

Kyle Dilliplaine won best student poster presentation at the Polar Marine Science Gordon Research Conference held March 5–10, 2023.

Schery Umanzor received a Murdock Trust grant to support further education of science teachers.

The Scientific Diving program’s Nearshore Ecology Field Course just completed its field trip to the Kasitsna Bay lab over spring break, where 20 divers completed 276 dives. Another successful year!

CFOS in the News

The Alaska Ocean Observing System website posted an article about the 10-year anniversary of the GAKOA (Gulf of Alaska Ocean Acidification) mooring in Resurrection Bay. A CFOS team led by Natalie Monacci maintains GAKOA.

Publications

Alabia, I.D., J.G. Molinos, T. Hirata, F.J. Mueter, and C.L. David. 2023. Pan-Arctic marine biodiversity and species co-occurrence patterns under recent climate. Scientific Reports. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41598-023-30943-y

Castro de la Guardia, L., K. Filbee-Dexter, J. Reimer, K.A. MacGregor, I. Garrido, R.K. Singh, S. Bélanger, B. Konar, K. Iken, L.E. Johnson, P. Archambault, M.K. Sejr, J.E. Søreide, and C.J. Mundy. 2023. Increasing depth distribution of Arctic kelp with increasing number of open water days with light. Elementa: Science of the Anthropocene. https://doi.org/10.1525/elementa.2022.00051

Message from the Dean

Last week the CFOS Advisory Council held a virtual meeting to discuss needs and priorities of the college, including updates on our academic and research programs and major facility operations. Discussion also focused on agenda items for the next meeting, which will take place in person in Fairbanks for a full day. Stay tuned for details.

Since 2015 the state of Alaska has provided $500,000 annually to support research and education programs conducted by UAF-based researchers and collaborators aboard R/V Sikuliaq. As operator of Sikuliaq, CFOS facilitates the allocation of these state funds through the Alaska Sikuliaq Program. The deadline for the CY2024 proposal submission is Friday, March 31.

I hope everyone enjoys a relaxing and safe spring break this week.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway for the OOI Coastal Endurance Array project, led by Ed Dever and Jon Fram from Oregon State University. The project, funded by NSF Ocean Observatory Initiative, will recover and deploy oceanographic surface moorings, profilers, and gliders off the coast of Oregon and Washington.

Activities and Accomplishments

Jaide Phelps won third place for student poster presentation at the International Seaweed Symposium in Hobart, Tasmania.

CFOS hosted the 26th annual Alaska Tsunami Bowl on March 3–5 in Seward. The Free Radicals from Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé took first place among a dozen teams in the statewide ocean sciences competition. A big thank-you to our donors, volunteers and all those who helped to ensure a successful competition.

Graduate student Alex Sletten was invited to present her work on microplastics in spotted seals on March 1 at the Ice Seal Committee annual meeting in Anchorage.

CFOS in the News

UAF News published a story about research on using drones to survey tidewater glacier habitat, quoting graduate student Court Pegus and Shannon Atkinson. The story was also picked up by KINY radio.

Anchorage Daily News published an opinion piece coauthored by graduate student Katja Berghaus about the UAF graduate students’ unionization efforts.

Alaska Native News highlighted a research partnership led by Tyler Hennon that will provide fishermen with instruments to collect sea water samples in Southeast Alaska.

Seth Danielson was quoted in an Arctic Sounder article about federal funding through AOOS that will pay for ocean monitoring equipment in the Arctic Ocean.

Publications

Cheng, M.L.H., C.J. Rodgeveller, J.A. Langan, and C.J. Cunningham. 2023. Standardizing fishery-dependent catch-rate information across gears and data collection programs for Alaska sablefish (Anoplopoma fimbria). ICES Journal of Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsad037

Marchenko, A., and Z. Kowalik. 2023. Tidal wave–elliptic island interaction above the critical latitude. Journal of Physical Oceanography. https://doi.org/10.1175/JPO-D-22-0018.1

Grants and Awards for February 2023

Awards receiving incremental funding:

• Grant G-12804 "Coastal Marine Institute Program Administration 2019-2024" - Jennifer Reynolds - BOEM - Mod 6 - $20,627.00 (May 1, 2019)
• Grant G-14395 "Enhancing ocean color remote sensing tools to better constrain fisheries forecasting models in a critical subarctic system" - Thomas Kelly - NASA - Mod 2 - $344,941.00 (August 23, 2021)

Message from the Dean

With the election of CFOS department chairs now concluded, it is a pleasure to convey that Lara Horstmann will continue to serve as chair of the Department of Marine Biology, Russ Hopcroft will continue as chair of the Department of Oceanography, and Franz Mueter will start a two-year term as chair of the Department of Fisheries. I am grateful to Lara, Russ and Franz for their willingness to lead their respective academic departments, and to outgoing fisheries chair Andy Seitz for three years of outstanding departmental service.

It is a pleasure to announce that Demian Schane has accepted UAF Chancellor Dan White’s invitation to serve on the CFOS Advisory Council for a three-year term, effective March 1, 2023. Demian is Chief of the Alaska Section of the NOAA General Counsel Office in Juneau, and already has a connection to CFOS by co-developing and co-teaching with Keith Criddle our Law and Fisheries course (Fish 672). He brings tremendous experience in fisheries law and policy, which is timely given the new CFOS-UAS Master of Marine Policy degree.

CFOS recruitment coordinator Kyle Rivera has tendered his resignation effective June 2. It is a pleasure to thank Kyle for his dedicated service over the past three years, helping with our student recruitment and advising during a challenging period due to the pandemic. Please join me in wishing Kyle all the best in his future endeavors.

Last, I am pleased to convey that Jennifer Reynolds has agreed to serve as our associate dean for research. I want to express my gratitude to Jennifer for having served in this capacity on an interim basis for the past year and half, and for her willingness to continue to help support our research enterprise.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is underway for Robert Cowen’s (Oregon State University) plankton size spectra project, which is funded by the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences.

Activities and Accomplishments

Tamamta fellow Kimberly Kivvaq Pikok was honored by the Explorers Club as one of “50 People Changing the World that the World Needs to Know About” for her research on seasonal changes in Utqiagvik’s spring whaling season.

CFOS graduate student Jaide Phelps received the Robert and Judy Belous Global Change Research award from the UAF graduate school.

The Alaska Blue Economy Center has formed a partnership with Erlingur Gudleifsson, a seafood processing innovator from Iceland. The collaboration includes a memorandum of understanding to promote the transfer of scientific and technical knowledge in fisheries, energy and innovation between Iceland and Alaska.

The 26th annual CFOS Student Symposium was held on Friday, February 24, with 24 undergraduate, master and Ph.D. students presenting their research. Notable presentations included Austin Flanigan (best long talk), Carter Johnson (best short talk), Will Samuel (runner-up for best long talk) and Matt Cheng (best short talk).

CFOS in the News

An AOOS press release noted significant funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law awarded to CFOS for gliders, HF radars and ecosystem moorings.

The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner published an article coauthored by Alexei Pinchuk about the future of the Bering Sea ecosystem.

Brenda Konar was quoted in an Alaska Beacon article about the decline of sunflower sea stars, which could lead to their protection under the Endangered Species Act.

A photograph of R/V Sikuliaq was selected for the cover of the U.S. Arctic Research Commission’s Goals and Objectives for Arctic Research report for 2023–2024.

Alaska Beacon coverage of University of Alaska President Pat Pitney’s State of the University address included recognition of CFOS for boosting the mariculture industry. Pitney said the state’s $100 million goal for the industry “is within reach.”

The Times of London cited Professor Emeritus Gordon Kruse in an interview about the plight of snow crabs in the eastern Bering Sea.

UAF News announced the 2023 UAF honorary degree and service award recipients, which included former CFOS interim dean Joan Braddock as recipient of a Meritorious Service Award.

Publications

Huang, M., K.R. Robbins, Y. Li, S. Umanzor, M. Marty-Rivera, D. Bailey, M. Aydlett, J. Schmutz, J. Grimwood, C. Yarish, S. Lindell, and J.-L. Jannink. 2023. Genomic selection in algae with biphasic lifecycles: A Saccharina latissima (sugar kelp) case study. Frontiers in Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2023.1040979

Yang, B. T.L. Hawthorne, L. Aoki, D.S. Beatty, T. Copeland, L.K. Domke, G.L. Eckert, C.P. Gomes, O.J. Graham, C.D. Harvell, K.A. Hovel, M. Hessing-Lewis, L. Harper, R.S. Mueller, B. Rappazzo, L. Reshitnyk, J.J. Stachowicz, F. Tomas, and J.E. Duffy. 2022. Low-altitude UAV imaging accurately quantifies eelgrass wasting disease from Alaska to California. Geophysical Research Letters. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022GL101985

Message from the Dean

It is a pleasure to convey that Steven Dykstra has accepted the position of tenure-track assistant professor in the Department of Oceanography. Steve completed his Ph.D. in Marine Science at the Dauphin Island Sea Lab and is currently a postdoctoral fellow at the University of South Carolina. His research focuses on understanding the interconnection of the coastal ocean and rivers, combining oceanography with hydrologic and geologic sciences to address climate effects and direct human impacts on local to global scales. Steve will be based at the Fairbanks campus, and his start date is August 13, 2023. Steve can be reached by email at sdykstra@alaska.edu. Please join me in welcoming Steve to CFOS!

This will conclude the oceanography faculty search. I would like to thank search chair Mark Johnson and committee members Ana Agular-Islas, Seth Danielson, Gwenn Hennon, Brenda Konar and Franz Mueter for their time and effort on this successful search.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is moored in Newport, Oregon, preparing for the first research project of 2023: Robert Cowen’s (Oregon State University) Plankton Size Spectra project, funded by the NSF Division of Ocean Sciences.

Activities and Accomplishments

Brenda Konar, Justin Sternberg and other UAF speakers were part of a panel at the Alaska Forum on the Environment held February 6–10, 2023.

On February 8–9, several CFOS faculty and students attended an NSF EPSCoR meeting at the Alyeska Resort to discuss research highlights and opportunities to increase collaboration, and to meet with EPSCoR section head Sandra Richardson.

Seth Danielson and Lara Horstmann led science presentations at the Alaska Eskimo Whaling Commission's annual convention in Utqiagvik on February 1–2, 2023.

CFOS in the News

Schery Umanzor was mentioned in an Anthropocene article about kelp farms doubling as pollution clean-up sites.

Tyler Hennon was quoted in a National Fishermen article about the benefits of using commercial fishing vessels to collect research data.

Research by CFOS graduate student Sonia Kumar was cited in an Alaska Beacon article about the declining Cook Inlet beluga whale population.

Fishermen’s News covered a presentation from Gordon Kruse at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium. Kruse and fellow researcher Scott Goodman highlighted efforts to better understand the recent Bering Sea crab collapse.

The Alaska Beacon also quoted Kruse in an article about the collapse of the eastern Bering Sea snow crab stock and the potential role that high temperatures and high crab densities may have played in the decline.

Publications

Kimmel, D.G., L.B. Eisner, and A.I. Pinchuk. 2023. The northern Bering Sea zooplankton community response to variability in sea ice: evidence from a series of warm and cold periods. Marine Ecology Progress Series. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14237

Amiraux, R., C.J. Mundy, M. Pierrejean, A. Niemi, [...], K. Iken, et al. 2023. Tracing carbon flow and trophic structure of a coastal Arctic marine food web using highly branched isoprenoids and carbon, nitrogen and sulfur stable isotopes. Ecological Indicators. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecolind.2023.109938

Décima, M., M.R. Stukel, S.D. Nodder, A. Gutiérrez-Rodríguez, [...], T.B. Kelly, et al. 2023. Salp blooms drive strong increases in passive carbon export in the Southern Ocean. Nature Communications. https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-022-35204-6

Orrell, D.L., J.M. Questel, C.A. Smoot, T. Simpson, and N.E. Hussey. 2023. Alebion carchariae (Copepod: Caligidae) host plasticity and distribution: a new host and locality record from Ascension Island. Journal of the Marine Biological Association of the United Kingdom. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0025315422001060

Message from the Dean

The annual Alaska Marine Science Symposium held last week featured numerous presentations by CFOS students, staff and faculty. The CFOS booth organized by Jeff Richardson showcased our programs, facilities and activities, as did the booth organized by Jennifer Elhard and Brian Mullaly in support of the 2023 Tsunami Bowl. There was a strong appearance by our students, who presented numerous talks and posters (see also Accomplishments). Congratulations to all CFOS students, staff and faculty for their excellent work.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq remains moored in Seattle for winter repairs. In the second week of February, the ship is scheduled to transit to Newport, Oregon, to support the first research project of 2023.

Activities and Accomplishments

Professor Emeritus Gordon Kruse gave a keynote address, titled "Eastern Bering Sea crab fishery disasters—a tale of two crabs," and was interviewed by Fox Alaska News, at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium held in Anchorage, Alaska.

Several CFOS students were recognized last week at AMSS. Each received a $250 prize for their presentations.

• Emily Stidham (MS), "Two decades of observations on pelagic tunicates and pelagic snails in the Northern Gulf of Alaska (NGA)"
• Tristan Sebens (MS), "Estimating abundance trends by integrating data from multiple fishery-independent surveys"
• Megan Brauner (PhD), "Co-occurrence networks of marine microbes in the Northern Gulf of Alaska"

CFOS in the News

The Food & Environment Reporting Network quoted postdoctoral fellow Krista Oke in an article about ongoing changes in salmon size and biodiversity.

Numerous outlets published articles about research by Schery Umanzor on the potential for kelp farms to clean marine pollution in coastal areas.

Alaska Beacon published an interview with CFOS graduate student Alex Sletten about her project tracking microplastics found in Bering Strait–area spotted seals.

Publications

Atkinson, S., T. A. Branch, A. A. Pack, J. M. Straley, J. R. Moran, C. Gabriele, K. L. Mashburn, K. Cates, and S. Yin. 2023. Pregnancy rate and reproductive hormones in humpback whale blubber: Dominant form of progesterone differs during pregnancy. General and Comparative Endocrinology. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/364965660_Pregnancy_Rate_and_Reproductive_Hormones_in_Humpback_Whale_Blubber_Dominant_Form_of_Progesterone_Differs_During_Pregnancy

Atkinson, S., K. L. Mashburn, D. Vos, T. A. Romano, and B. Mahoney. 2022. Hormone profiles from Cook Inlet, Bristol Bay and aquarium beluga whales. Polar Research. https://doi.org/10.33265/polar.v41.5525

Cypher, A. D., H. Statscewich, R. Campbell, , J. Eiler, and S.L. Danielson, M. A. Bishop. 2023. Detection efficiency of an autonomous underwater glider carrying an integrated acoustic receiver for acoustically tagged Pacific herring. ICES Journal of Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsac241

Dokai, W. K., P. D. Barry, D. T. Zanatta, K. M. Gruenthal, M. V. McPhee, P. B. McIntyre, and W. A. Larson. 2023. Two for the price of one: eDNA metabarcoding reveals temporal and spatial variability of mussel and fish co-distributions in Michigan riverine systems. Environmental DNA. https://doi.org/10.1002/edn3.390

Hudson, K., M. J. Oliver, J. Kohut, M. S. Dinniman, J. M. Klinck, M. A. Cimino, K. S. Bernard, H. Statscewich, and W. Fraser. 2022. A subsurface eddy associated with a submarine canyon increases availability and delivery of simulated Antarctic krill to penguin foraging regions. Marine Ecology Progress Series. https://doi.org/10.3354/meps14211

Montenegro, J., A. G. Collings, R. R. Hopcroft, J. M. Questel, E. V. Thuesen, T. S. Bachtel, L. A. Bergman, M. N. Sangekar, J. C. Drazen, and D. J. Lindsay. 2023. Heterogeneity in diagnostic characters across ecoregions: A case study with Botrynema (Hydrozoa: Trachylina: Halicreatidae). Frontiers in Marine Science. https://doi.org/10.3389/fmars.2022.1101699

Pegus, C., S. Atkinson, T. Quinn, and S. Pyare. 2022. Evaluating the accuracy of unmanned aerial systems to quantify glacial ice habitats of harbor seals in Alaska. Ecosphere. https://doi.org/10.1002/ecs2.4287

Planas, J. V., C. N. Rooper, and G. H. Kruse. 2023. Integrating biological research, fisheries science and management of Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolepis) across the North Pacific Ocean. Fisheries Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.fishres.2022.106559

Message from the Dean

With the start of the spring 2023 semester this week, we welcome back our current and new CFOS students. As always, our faculty and staff are here to support you, and we wish you great success.

It is a pleasure to convey that Dr. Kay McMonigal has accepted our offer of a tenure-track assistant professor position in the Department of Oceanography. Kay completed his Ph.D. in meteorology and physical oceanography at the University of Miami and is currently a postdoctoral scholar at North Carolina State University. His primary research interest is the impact of ocean circulation on climate variability, using observations and models to improve understanding of ocean circulation variability and dynamics. Kay will be based at the Fairbanks campus, and his start date is August 13, 2023. Kay can be reached by email at ktmcmonigal@alaska.edu. Please join me in welcoming Kay to CFOS.

Next week, we look forward to many interesting presentations by our students and faculty at the 2023 Alaska Marine Science Symposium in Anchorage, and please note that Professor Emeritus Gordon Kruse will deliver a keynote presentation on Monday afternoon. During the poster sessions, CFOS will have a booth with plenty of swag and another booth in support of this year’s Tsunami Bowl, so please stop by and check them out.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is moored at the University of Washington pier in Seattle for winter repairs through the second week of February, when the ship is scheduled to transit to Newport, Oregon, for the first research project of 2023.

CFOS in the News

Peter Westley and graduate student Elizabeth Mik’aq Lindley were quoted in an Arctic Sounder article about the expansion of Pacific salmon into Arctic waters.

Publications

Charrier, B.R., S.L. Danielson, and S.L. Mincks. 2023. Trait-based assessment of polychaete assemblages distinguishes macrofaunal community structure among four distinct benthic eco-regions on a shallow Arctic shelf. Deep-Sea Research II. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2022.105240

Kowalik, Z. 2022. Arctic Ocean tidal constituents. Arctic Data Center. https://doi.org/10.18739/A2F47GV7M

Kowalik, Z., and A. Marchenko. 2023. Tidal motion enhancement on Spitsbergen Bank, Barents Sea. Journal of Geophysical Research: Oceans. https://doi.org/10.1029/2022JC018539

Umanzor, S., and T. Stephens. 2023. Nitrogen and carbon removal capacity by farmed kelp Alaria marginata and Saccharina latissima varies by species. Aquaculture Journal. https://doi.org/10.3390/aquacj3010001

Grants and Awards for December 2022

New awards for CFOS researchers:

• Grant G-15223 "Planning: Connecting Inupiaq and Veterinary Knowledge about Wildlife Diseases and Food Safety" - Tuula Hollmen - NSF - $99,767.00 (December 1, 2022)
• Grant G-15261 "University of Alaska-Fairbanks/Sikuliaq Oceanographic Instrumentation 2023" - Ethan Roth - NSF - $1,397,646.00 (December 15, 2022)

Awards controlled by another department:

• Grant G-14571 "CICOES Postdoc Fellowships at the University of Alaska Fairbanks" - University of Washington - IARC - Michael Stekoll - $96,294.00 (December 1, 2021)
• Grant G-13850 "Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES)" - University of Washington - IARC (July 1, 2020)
  • YR3-R19-I11 - Jessica Glass - $109,414.00
  • YR3-R24-II - Jessica Glass - $99,759.00
  • YR3-R25-II - Jessica Glass - $99,759.00
  • YR3-R26-II - Jessica Glass - $50,204.00
  • YR3-R31-II - Schery Umanzor - $127,654.00

Awards receiving incremental funding:

• Grant G-2865 "Meek Lecturers" - Andy Seitz - UA Foundation - $100,000.00 (October 1, 2005)

Message from the Dean

Happy New Year! It is a pleasure to wish everyone a warm welcome after winter break—and here is to a safe and productive 2023.

R/V Sikuliaq

Sikuliaq is moored in Seattle for winter maintenance and repairs.

Activities and Accomplishments

On December 12–14, the First Alaskans Institute hosted an in-person racial equity dialogue in Fairbanks for the Tamamta program and the CFOS Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion committee. Participants included CFOS faculty, researchers and students and Alaska Native and related organizations. The Tamamta program will publish a report on the event.

CFOS in the News

Ed deCastro, port captain at the Seward Marine Center, was profiled in the UAF December Rural Staff Spotlight.

CFOS alum Mandy Keogh (Ph.D. Marine Biology, 2011) was featured in a NOAA news article about the Alaska region’s NOAA stranding response team.

Heidi Pearson was interviewed about new research on how whales can serve as carbon sinks in the ocean ecosystem. Her overview of the study was featured on The Naked Scientists website.

CFOS Ph.D. student Hannah Myers was quoted in a Mother Jones story about the declining North Atlantic right whale population. The article analyzed a controversial connection between whale entanglements and the Maine lobster fishery.

Publications

Chapman, Z.M., F.J. Mueter, B.L. Norcross, and D.S. Oxman. 2023. Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) hatching season and growth rates in the Bering, Chukchi and Beaufort seas. Deep Sea Research II. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2022.105226