In the News in 2012
A sampling of headlines and stories about Alaska Sea Grant and Marine Advisory Program (MAP) people, projects, and activities.
- Thar She Blows! Whale Research around the Emerald Isle: Alaska Sea Grant marine mammal specialist Bree Witteveen grabbed the attention of Kodiak Public Radio reporter, Brianna Gibbs, who recorded for broadcast Witteveens's Summer Sessions Land and Sea Lecture on whale research. Gibbs later joined Kate Wynne and Bree Witteveen for a day on a research boat and aired a second story on whale research.
- Sea Grant research shows salmon evolution: Results from Tony Gharrett's long-term Alaska Sea Grant research was published in New Scientist July 11, “Climate change drives salmon evolution,” and in Nature July 11, “Pink salmon evolve to migrate earlier in warmer waters: Study finds genetic evidence of climate-change adaptation.” Alaska Sea Grant began funding Tony's research in the 1980s.
- Whale deterrents show promise: Kate Wynne was interviewed by Tom Tkacz for a June 14, 2012, article in the Alaska Journal of Commerce, “‘Pingers’ show promise to keep whales away from nets,” on the effectiveness and benefits of whale pingers.
- Seal public service announcement offered in several languages: Bering Strait MAP agent Gay Sheffield has been in the thick of the investigation of a strange illness being suffered by seals in her region. Reports of sick seals are essential to solving the mystery. Native subsistence hunters are prime sources of reports, but as members of different local cultures, the hunters don't all speak the same language. To alert the hunters, community elders, and others in her multicultural region to the need for reports, Gay asked Nome radio station KNOM to produce a public service announcement in five local languages—English, Siberian Yupik, Russian, Iñupiaq (King Island dialect), and Yupik. Listen to four of the PSAs here (all are mp3 format):
- Seal PSA—English [1.4 MB]
- Seal PSA—Iñupiaq [1.4 MB]
- Seal PSA—Russian [1.8 MB]
- Seal PSA—Siberian Yupik [1.8 MB]
- Sick seals baffle scientists: Some ice seals are failing to grow fur and suffering from sores in the northern reaches of Alaska. Despite a scramble by scientists to determine the cause, the mystery persists. Bering Strait Marine Advisory agent and marine mammal expert Gay Sheffield is on the front lines, collecting information and keeping arctic communities abreast of the latest news. Listen to an interview with Gay on KNOM [mp3; 16.5 MB], May 4, 2012.
- Sea Life of the Aleutians makes cover of Pacific Fishing: The cover photo and inside images of the March 2012 issue of Pacific Fishing magazine is the Alaska Sea Grant–published book, Sea Life of the Aleutians: An Underwater Exploration.
- Alaska Young Fishermen's Summit: KMXT's Alaska Fisheries Report features a nice segment on the 2012 Alaska Young Fishermen's Summit, which begins at 9:55:00. Listen to the story [mp3; 6.4 MB], February 16, 2012.
- Alaska Young Fishermen's Summit: The 2012 Alaska Young Fishermen's Summit was a great success, with some 50 people meeting in Juneau Feb 13–14 to talk about a wide range of issues affecting the state's commercial fishing industry. KTOO Radio filed this report, February 15, 2012.
- Ocean acidification: Ocean acidification, the subject of the latest issue of Alaska Seas and Coasts, caught the attention of KMXT-FM news in Dillingham, which filed this report [mp3; 2.9 MB] on the publication and the recent visit of SFOS assistant professor of chemical oceanography Jeremy Mathis, an expert on ocean acidification, February 15, 2012.
- Ice-coated birds: Reid Brewer, the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program agent based in Unalaska, recently spoke to KUCB-FM about local birds found coated in ice and unable to fly, following stormy weather in the region. The original story appears on KUCB-Unalaska. Read or listen to the story on Alaska Public Radio. PDFs of the stories are also available: KUCB-Unalaska [88 KB], and Alaska Public Radio [73 KB], January 10, 2012.
- Fish waste composting: Izetta Chambers, the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program agent based in Dillingham, recently discussed her new Sea Gram publication, Safe and Legal Fish Waste Composting in Alaska. Listen to the story on KDLG-FM [MP3; 2.5 MB], January 9, 2012.
- Wakefield researcher on Alaska Fisheries Report: Courtney Carothers, assistant professor of fisheries at UAF/SFOS, describes her IFQ research findings during the Alaska Sea Grant–sponsored 27th Lowell Wakefield Fisheries Symposium. Listen to the story on the Alaska Fisheries Report, KMXT-FM [mp3; 6.4MB], January 5, 2012
