Vol. XXV, No. 4
April 2005
Marine
Advisory
Program
Genome Research
Alaska Sea Grant–funded graduate student Andrew Krohn is doing genome research to find out more about saxitoxin, a paralytic shellfish poison. Understanding the genome of the saxitoxin-producing cyanobacterium Anabaena circinalis could lead to a technology that would sense the presence of toxin-producing organisms, including Alaska dinoflagellates. Developing a portable technology to detect saxitoxin poisons would provide an on-the-spot test for health hazards of algal blooms in Alaska and worldwide.
So far, Krohn has concluded that the genome is much smaller than expected, and he has discovered a notable, large extrachromosomal element that may shift in and out of the chromosome depending on the growth phase of the cyanobacterial culture. The purpose of extrachromosomal elements is unknown.
End-sequences of cloned fragments have turned up a surprising amount of "junk" DNA, as well as repeat sequences. Junk DNA is DNA that seems to not code for anything. "Bacterial genomes tend to be composed of coding region after coding region," says Krohn, "so the mere existence of non-coding DNA sequences among our data is exciting." Also, when compared to the genome of a similar Anabaena organism, the Anabaena circinalis genome seems to have significant chromosomal rearrangement.
Krohn was awarded travel grants from UAF, the International Society for the Study of Harmful Algae, and the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research, to attend the XIth International Conference on Harmful Algae, in Cape Town, South Africa, in November 2004. He presented the still unpublished paper, "Genome Characterization of a Saxitoxin-Producing Cyanobacterium" by A.L. Krohn, J.A. Bickmeier, and F.G. Plumley.
Krohn, who earned his undergraduate degree at UAF, is seeking a master's in biochemistry and molecular biology under Gerry Plumley. He hopes to get his degree in 2005, and possibly work as an educator in his hometown of Homer, Alaska.
Empowering Communities Conference Highlighted by Fish Radio
Alaska Sea Grant is sponsoring Laine Welch's Alaska Fish Radio show and newspaper column from April to July 2005. Fish Radio is broadcast on public radio stations across Alaska, and the column appears in the Anchorage Daily News and other newspapers every two weeks. The story is also posted at http://www.kinyradio.com/fishfactor.html. Welch is a Kodiak-based fisheries journalist.
In her April 1 column Welch highlighted the upcoming April 21–23 conference on community-based fisheries management, "Managing Fisheries—Empowering Communities," designed to find ways to give communities more of a voice in shaping fisheries management. Welch quoted Paula Cullenberg, Coastal Community Development Specialist and MAP program leader, who is on the organizing committee. "Fisheries management often takes into account the individual, and how a regulation will impact that person's economic situation. But managers don't necessarily have the tools or the inclination to look at the bigger picture."
A primary goal of the conference is to acquaint participants with the systems that govern fisheries management at the state and federal level. "The guys in the smaller communities have to understand how to use the system, and the guys who run the system have to understand the smaller communities," says Phil Smith, director of Restricted Access Management, NOAA Fisheries, in Juneau. Travel scholarships to the conference are available to coastal Alaskans. For more information on the meeting, see http://seagrant.uaf.edu/conferences/fish-com/announce.html.
New Publications
Common Edible Seaweeds in the Gulf of Alaska, by Dolly Garza, is a new Alaska Sea Grant book that will be particularly useful for local residents in Southeast Alaska, youth groups, and Alaska visitors. Garza tells how to locate, identify, and preserve six species of seaweeds and one land plant as tasty snacks and for the dinner table. Garza was raised in Southeast Alaska where her family harvested seaweeds as a diet staple, a practice many Southeast Natives continue today. The softcover book, which includes recipes, is 57 pages long and sells for $10.00. Garza, a MAP agent in Ketchikan, can be reached at ffdag@uaf.edu.
Terry Johnson is the author of the new brochure Preventing and Treating Seasickness. Johnson presents all the information needed for choosing seasickness remedies, including prescription drugs, over-the-counter drugs, and alternative cures such as acupressure. The brochure is ideal for sea-fishing charter operators to give to clients, as well as research vessel passengers. Single copies are free, and available from Sea Grant. Johnson, a MAP agent in Homer, can be contacted at rftlj@uaf.edu.
Publication Awards
The Association for Communication Excellence (ACE) granted a Gold Award for Alaska Sea Grant's book The Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands, by Terry Johnson, for production, as well as a Gold Award for graphic design. Kurt Byers designed and edited the book, Kathy Kurtenbach formatted it, Tatiana Piatanova prepared the photographs, Sue Keller edited, and Doug Schneider produced audio CDs.
ACE also awarded a Silver for video/teacher guide production for Life on the Beach. Byers was co-executive producer, co-writer, and videographer of the video; and Schneider edited and did audio. Keller and Kurtenbach helped produce the accompanying teacher guide. In addition, ASG publications have won seven awards from the National Association of Government Communicators for 2004 books and videos.
Salmon Enhancement
MAP aquaculture specialist Ray RaLonde and SFOS faculty Bill Smoker led a workshop on salmon enhancement research in February in Anchorage, which attracted 30 participants. Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program sponsored the workshop.
Participants drafted a research plan for salmon enhancement for private nonprofit hatcheries, and created a committee to coordinate research statewide. After being revised by hatchery administrators and managers, the plan will be given to funding agencies.
Participants were from Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corporation, Cook Inlet Aquaculture Corporation, Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, UAF/SFOS Fisheries Division, ADEC Community and Economic Development, Alaska Sea Grant/MAP, McDowell Corporation, ADFG Commercial Fisheries Management and Development, Alaska SeaLife Center, Douglas Island Pink and Chum Salmon Corporation, and others.
MAP Highlights
At the Vancouver Pacific Fisheries Technologists meeting, Dillingham MAP agent Liz Brown was elected to serve as secretary for the 2006 PFT meeting.
MAP leader Paula Cullenberg secured NOAA National Ocean Service funds to develop an initiative to increase Alaska Native students in NOAA-related sciences. Ketchikan MAP agent Dolly Garza and UAF College of Rural Alaska staff will be involved.
MAP conservation specialist Rick Steiner helped organize the public forum "The Selendang Ayu and the Future of Shipping Safety." The forum was held in Anchorage, in late March, to look at ways to anticipate and prevent oil spills in the Great Circle Route.
Sea Grant Preproposals
Alaska Sea Grant held a meeting to review 51 preliminary proposals in Anchorage March 25. Eleven Sea Grant Advisory Committee volunteers reviewed preproposals in their area of expertise.
Media
Doug Schneider wrote a UAF Web feature on Ray RaLonde's aquaculture work in Alaska, "Marine advisory agent crashes shellfish hurdles." He spotlights RaLonde's tireless work helping coastal communities diversify their economies through shellfish aquaculture. Read the story at http://www.uaf.edu/news/featured/05/aquaculture/index.html.
Schneider also wrote ASJ radio stories on Alaska's oil field ravens, based on UAF research; Canada's shrinking ice caps, on NASA research; and oil development and gray whales on Sakhalin Island, with information from Rick Steiner. See the ASJ home page for recent stories and archives.
Fishlines is a monthly in-house newsletter that highlights Alaska Sea Grant and Marine Advisory Program activities. Photo © 2004, Johnny Johnson, AlaskaStock.com. For an online subscription, contact Sue Keller, (907) 474-6703, fnsk@uaf.edu.