sarjac ubalde benedict
Mallory Chowansky
The Alaska Sea Grant College Program conducts marine and coastal research, public education, and marine industry advisory services to help Alaskans wisely use and conserve the state's ocean resources. Funding comes from the state and federal government, and from industry.
From 2002 to 2004, Alaska Sea Grant will undertake seven marine research projects, support several graduate students at the University of Alaska, and carry out a statewide public education and industry advisory program.
Research and outreach projects described here address important regional issues identified by Alaska Sea Grant through consultation with marine user groups, members of the seafood industry, and officials in state and federal government agencies. Each project was reviewed by peers and an advisory panel.
Failed salmon runs, low salmon prices, and reduced timber harvests are causing severe economic hardship in some Alaska coastal communities. This project will identify the economic needs of impacted communities, design a program to assist the communities, and seek funding to implement the program.
Alaska's commercial salmon fishing industry is at a crossroads. Profitability continues to fall as salmon returns in some areas begin to decline. Fundamental changes may be necessary to maintain vibrant coastal fishing communities. This project will host a series of community workshops aimed at bringing stakeholders together to find ways to improve the industry.
Many of Alaska's seafood processors do not have the technical or marketing expertise needed to develop new products, respond to quality issues, or develop marketing efforts. However, this expertise can be found among the Marine Advisory Program (MAP) agents and specialists. The project will develop and distribute brochures describing the technical assistance programs, workshops, and courses available from MAP.
Many seafood processors have limited access to research discoveries in seafood science and technology. This is an especially serious handicap for processors in Alaska's remote locations. This project will produce two issues of a bibliography highlighting new technologies for handling, processing, and storing seafood in 2002, and four issues in 2003. Subscribers will be able to choose between receiving it as a hard copy or electronic.
Seafood plays an important role in Hong Kong's trade activity. Hong Kong annually imports about $1.3 billion worth of seafood. This project will analyze the seafood product variety available in several Hong Kong supermarkets. Evaluations of quality indicators of selected seafood products also will be conducted. A manual will be prepared to describe the evaluated products.
In Alaska, there is interest in increasing the trade volume and value of herring products other than roe. To increase the use of herring, issues such as seafood technology, marketing, and knowledge of existing infrastructures must be addressed. In conjunction with other projects, a scientifically based mail survey will be conducted to identify the consumption patterns, price, and quality preferences of users of herring products in Belgium, Germany, and France.
Increasing costs and diminishing supplies of energy and water require immediate attention by seafood processors. This project will yield a minimum of six bulletins for the seafood industry that provide information to enhance energy and water conservation, minimize waste, and increase plant productivity.
New federal and state seafood processing regulations, as well as the increased need to supply high-quality fresh and frozen seafood products, make training in seafood quality and safety essential for the industry. Increased production of farmed salmon continues to raise quality standards for all salmon species. This project provides the training needed by seafood companies to comply with state and federal regulations for seafood processing, as well as information needed to produce high-quality products.
Harvesters of wild-caught Pacific salmon have lost markets to the burgeoning salmon farming industry and other economic conditions, forcing hundreds of fishermen out of the business and causing upheaval in rural coastal communities dependent on commercial fishing. Direct marketing of salmon from the dock to the consumer is one way to lower expenses and bolster profits to fishermen. This project will update the Alaska Fishermen's Direct Marketing Manual and expand its contents to be relevant to fishermen along the entire West Coast. The project also will include regional workshops aimed at helping fishermen, especially in hard-pressed rural communities, successfully adjust to changing economic conditions in the fishing industry.
The National Ocean Sciences Bowl is an annual event that pits high school students from across the country in a competition to see who knows the most about our nation's oceans. In Alaska, where one of several regional competitions is held prior to the national finals, high schools from across the state compete for the honor of representing the state. During three of the last four competitions, the Marine Advisory Program has produced a video of the event. It has been exciting for those in the event to see the videos, and they have been useful to organizers in helping them explain the competition and recruit new schools. This project will result in videos of the 2002 and 2003 Alaska competitions. The videos will be aired on television stations throughout the state and shown in the classrooms of those interested in participating in the event.
Coastal communities are socially and economically affected by Steller sea lion protective measures. This project will provide the opportunity for residents and mariners to participate in research by reporting sightings and collecting fish samples needed to assess the distribution and diet of Steller sea lion predators and competitors in the Gulf of Alaska. This project will provide both biological and social benefits. It will inexpensively facilitate collection of valuable biological data and samples needed to improve our knowledge of Steller sea lions, and refine the assumptions on which fisheries management plans are based. Public involvement in this research will generate a grassroots-level sense of stewardship, and an understanding of and involvement in research on Steller sea lion ecology.
Under this project, a series of adult education workshops and conferences will be conducted for residents of the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta region in the area of fisheries and related fields. Ten workshops will be held in Bethel at the UAF Kuskokwim campus. Another workshop will be held in Goodnews Bay. This project will help Y-K Delta residents make decisions that will improve their fishing industry and economy, and provide training to produce higher quality products, improved marketing strategies, and a more skilled workforce.
This project is a continuation of a series of televised debates among principal spokespeople on issues pertinent to the wise use of Alaska's resources. To date, tens of thousands of people throughout Alaska have watched the 21 programs in the series, and have gained a better understanding of resource issues facing them and their state. Thus, public opinion on these issues has been developed from a more informed, rational basis, and better decisions have resulted.
This project is a continuation of two ongoing publications that meet some of the information needs of commercial fishermen and marine recreation tourism operators in Alaska. Charter Log is the only dedicated information source for charter operators in the state, and has wide readership. Boatkeeper articles address common problems in boat operation and maintenance, and are intended to improve efficiency and profitability in the commercial fisheries by helping to lower ownership and operating costs.
A growing marine ecotourism industry is dependent on continuing availability of marine wildlife to view. Charterboat operators are sometimes in conflict with passengers who want to get as close as possible to the animals, and wildlife managers who want to minimize disturbance. Regulation is arbitrary, not situation-specific, and difficult to enforce. In some regions, operators have agreed to voluntary standards, which tend to be followed out of good will and possibly also out of peer pressure. This project will develop a set of voluntary standards or guidelines for commercial marine wildlife viewing, covering approach distances, disturbance prevention, and other issues.
The survival of the Alaska shellfish culture industry depends on its ability to diversify production to species other than the Pacific oyster. Over the past eight years, the Alaska shellfish farming industry has conducted a series of projects aimed at producing native shellfish species, such as the purple hinge rock scallop. Shellfish hatchery technology was developed in 1999 to produce seed from purple hinge rock scallop. However, procedures for growing these scallops to marketable size have not been developed. The intent of this project is to conduct growth research in cooperation with participating farms and provide the information to the farming industry.
Current regulations to obtain an aquatic farming permit in Alaska are the most cumbersome in the nation. Applications for aquatic farm permits are only accepted in even-numbered years, and the yearlong review process significantly slows industry growth. The primary objective of this two-year project is to produce an aquaculture development plan for Prince of Wales Island, Alaska, that will enable rapid issuance of aquatic farming permits.
Graduate student research and training are a special asset of a university-based research program. Since 1985, Alaska Sea Grant has provided stipends to more than 80 graduate students in direct support of Alaska Sea Grant research. Most of these students graduate to productive careers in business, academia, and government.
Effectively communicating science and other useful information to industry, policy makers, conservationists, resource managers, educators, and the general public is a crucial function of Alaska Sea Grant. Information Services communication specialists carry out this function by organizing conferences, workshops, and symposia that bring scientists together for professional exchanges of ideas and information; through production and distribution of educational books, videos, and other publications; and through community-based marine education projects. The communication specialists also convey useful information to people through the World Wide Web, and through local, state, and national news media via news releases, magazine articles, and an internationally broadcast weekly radio news service.
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