Scientist to Discuss Alaska's Humpbacks

Submitted by Vicki Daniels
Phone: (907) 474-5823
01/29/03

Humpback whales are graceful, 40-ton giants that can be found breaching the nutrient-rich summer waters of Alaska’s Inside Passage. Learn where they go in the winter, how long they live, what they eat and much more at a free presentation for people of all ages.

Jan Straley, assistant professor of marine biology at the University of Alaska Southeast in Sitka, will present a free lecture exploring the life of these gentle giants at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 4 at the Chena River Convention Center in Fairbanks.

During her multimedia presentation, Straley will present images of humpback whales in their natural habitat. Her lecture will reveal 23 years of research on humpbacks of the North Pacific. She will discuss where and how far the whales migrate as well as life history details, such as average calving and survival rates.

The lecture is the third of six weekly presentations included in the 2003 Science for Alaska free public lecture series, coordinated by the UAF Geophysical Institute and sponsored by the Alaska Science and Technology Foundation and the University of Alaska.

All lectures will be held at 7 p.m. Tuesdays in the Chena River Convention Center through the end of Feb. For more information about the lectures, call the Geophysical Institute at (907) 474-7558 or visit the science for alaska free public lecture series Web site.

FOR MORE INFORMATION: Additional biographical information about Jan Straley and a comprehensive schedule of the statewide series can be found on the Science for Alaska Free Public Lecture Series website.

CONTACT: Jan Straley, Assistant Professor of Marine Biology, UAS-Sitka: (907) 747-7779 Lynda McGilvary, UAF Geophysical Institute Information Office: (907) 474-7558