Adventures in the Aleutians

Reid Brewer

opalescent nudibranch
The opalescent nudibranch (Hermissenda crassicornis) is one of myriad species Reid has photographed in the Aleutians. Photo R. Brewer

Alaska's Aleutian Islands are the most remote and unexplored marine region in the United States—and one of the most biologically rich. Alaska Sea Grant's Marine Advisory Program agent in the Aleutian Islands, Reid Brewer, based in Unalaska/Dutch Harbor (home base for the "Deadliest Catch"), is one of the fortunate handful of scuba-diving scientists in the world who enjoys the great good fortune of exploring the underwater world of the Aleutians, including many places never before seen by humans.

Tuesday night at Sea Grant Week, Reid will thrill and amaze us with rare and captivating photos and video he has captured during hundreds of dives in the Aleutians. Reid delivers his stories with humor and wit, and will leave you wishing for more tales of the not-so-deep Aleutians. Reid's nearly completed doctoral work focuses on the ecology of the Pacific giant octopus, and he'll fill us in on some of the fascinating highlights of his groundbreaking study of that mysterious species.

Reid is lead author of Alaska Sea Grant's national awarding winning photo book, Sea Life of the Aleutians: An Underwater Exploration, which features more than 100 large format, color photos he and fellow divers have shot in the Aleutians over the past several years. The dives resulted in the discovery of many new species and range extensions of species previously not known to inhabit the Aleutians. In the book's foreword, Sylvia Earle says, "Adventures of crab fishermen depicted in a popular television series suggest that no sane person would choose to deliberately venture beneath the surface." Attend Reid's engaging show, and you be the judge.

Reid and dead humpback whale
Reid Brewer (red PFD), is a member of the Alaska Marine Mammal Stranding Network. He is certified to untangle whales from fishing nets and lines, and responds to reports of dead marine mammals, this one a humpback whale near Dutch Harbor, to take tissue samples for NMFS.

See some of Reid's underwater photos at this photo exhibit in the Museum of the Aleutians.

Sea Life of the Aleutians: An Underwater Exploration won the Gold Award for Graphic Design this past spring in the 2012 Blue Pencil/Gold Screen Award Competition, National Association of Government Communicators.