Vol. 29, No. 6
June 2009
Alaska Sea Grant released the new 192-page book Illustrated Keys to Free-Living Invertebrates of Eurasian Arctic Seas and Adjacent Deep Waters, Vol. 1, coordinated by SFOS scientists Bodil Bluhm and Rolf Gradinger. Identification keys to twelve taxonomic groups are included in this volume. It is the first book of a series, translated from Russian to English by Ken Coyle, to provide the international science community with tools to identify species in Russian seas.
The outstanding taxonomic expertise is based on Russia’s long history of arctic invertebrate taxonomy, and persistent exploration of the arctic seas over the past century. The book is published in cooperation with series editor B.I. Sirenko, Zoological Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg, as part of the Arctic Ocean Diversity project. Alaska Sea Grant and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation funded book production. Printed on waterproof paper, it is available for $30 at http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/pubs/AK-SG-09-02.html.
Marine Advisory marine mammal specialist Kate Wynne recently accompanied staff from World Wildlife Fund Costa Rica, NOAA Office of Protected Resources, and U.S. State Department as they toured Pacific Ocean research sites in Puntarenas and Cuajiniquil, Costa Rica. The group held public meetings to update longline fleets on research efforts to determine effectiveness of circle hooks at catching tuna while reducing turtle bycatch.
To protect endangered turtles, WWF and its partners are encouraging local fishermen in Central American countries to move from the “J” shaped hook, which can be snagged or swallowed by turtles, to a new circle hook, which is much less likely be swallowed by turtles and easier to unhook if turtles are caught. The circle hooks reduce the capture of sea turtles by 70-90% and do not seem to affect the catch of commercial fish species.
Fishing vessels in eight countries in the eastern Pacific are testing different types and sizes of circle hooks. Voluntary on-board observers collect information to improve understanding of fishing operations and interactions with the turtles.
In addition to turtles, Wynne is concerned about dolphin bycatch in the region. Fishermen told Wynne that hooking dolphins on longlines is rare at present because there are few hooks in the water, but she believes dolphin bycatch can increase in the future as fishing operations increase and more dolphins attempt to steal fish off the hooks. Wynne also gave a seminar on marine mammal biology and worldwide mammal bycatch to students and observers at the College of Biology in San Jose.
Marilyn Sigman, COSEE Alaska coordinator and MAP education specialist, taught “Indigenous and Western Science Observations on Climate Change: Resources for Teachers” at the 2009 Summer Institute for Grade 7-12 Science Educators. Thirty rural teachers and 10 Anchorage teachers participated in the institute, which was part of the Anchorage School District Summer Academy. The institute was held to promote active participation of Alaska Natives in atmospheric, earth, and ocean sciences.
Terry Smith, National Sea Grant program director for fisheries in Silver Spring, Maryland, will be Alaska Sea Grant’s new program officer starting July 1. In the 1980s Smith served eight years as a staff analyst for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. He was on the faculty at the UAA Institute of Social and Economic Research in the early 1990s, and most recently has been a liaison between National Sea Grant and the National Marine Fisheries Service.
Alaska Sea Grant publications coordinator Jen Gunderson won the Outstanding Professional Skills award in graphic design from the Association for Communication Excellence, for her design of the cover on Terry Johnson’s Rat Control for Alaska Waterfront Facilities. Each year the Gold Award winners from all classes in the graphic design category are judged against one another, and Gunderson’s entry was selected “best of the best” for 2009. To see the cover or order the book, go to http://seagrant.uaf.edu/bookstore/pubs/MAB-62.html.