Five-year project will study climate effects on AV狼论坛 marine species

 Interface of Change project director Brenda Konar, left, and University of AV狼论坛 Fairbanks postdoctoral researcher Brian Ulaski, right, prepare to survey an oyster mariculture farm in Simpson Bay near Cordova.
Photo by Sydney Wilkinson.
Interface of Change project director Brenda Konar, left, and University of AV狼论坛 Fairbanks postdoctoral researcher Brian Ulaski, right, prepare to survey an oyster mariculture farm in Simpson Bay near Cordova.

The National Science Foundation has awarded $20 million to the University of AV狼论坛 to investigate climate change effects on culturally and commercially important marine species in the Gulf of AV狼论坛.

is the sixth five-year, multimillion dollar project directed by the , a statewide program administered at the University of AV狼论坛 Fairbanks since 2001 and funded by the .

The project will unite 23 researchers from UAF, the University of AV狼论坛 Anchorage and the University of AV狼论坛 Southeast. They will partner with eight Gulf of AV狼论坛 communities: Seldovia, Halibut Cove, Homer, Cordova, Valdez, Juneau, Haines and Klukwan.

As climate change warms temperatures, increasing glacial melt flushes large amounts of freshwater, sediment and nutrients into the Gulf of AV狼论坛, altering the conditions of the nearshore coastal environment.

Researchers will study the effects of these changes on coastal species and the well-being of people and economies who rely on them. Project goals stem from conversations with local community members, tribal entities, shellfish and kelp farmers, and government agency representatives that took place over two years with the help of an NSF planning grant. The grant allowed researchers to listen to community concerns and develop relevant questions.

Skye Steritz (at center), owner of Noble Ocean Farms in Cordova, tends sugar kelp. Steritz is an advisory board member for AV狼论坛 EPSCoR.
Photo courtesy of Skye Steritz.
Skye Steritz (at center), owner of Noble Ocean Farms in Cordova, tends sugar kelp. Steritz is an advisory board member for AV狼论坛 EPSCoR.

鈥淲e really want our research to be relevant to the people closest to the issues,鈥 said AV狼论坛 EPSCoR project director Brenda Konar. 鈥淭he best way to do this is to have these people be partners developing the science.鈥

AV狼论坛 Sen. Lisa Murkowski praised the project鈥檚 value.

鈥淭his funding will equip local experts with the necessary knowledge to cultivate resilient business practices, help coastal infrastructure, and will further cement the University of AV狼论坛 Fairbanks as a preeminent research institution,鈥 Murkowski said.

Community input focused the project on red seaweeds, kelp, oysters, clams, mussels, salmon and eulachon (commonly called hooligan or candlefish). 

Time spent in communities yielded several key community collaborators from each region of the Gulf of AV狼论坛 who contributed to project planning and who will continue to guide the Interface of Change project鈥檚 direction. Among them is Skye Steritz, owner of Noble Ocean Farms in Cordova.

鈥淚 have been very impressed by how engaged the scientists are with the communities they work in,鈥 Steritz said. 鈥淲e need research like this that is grounded in stakeholder priorities.鈥

Interface of Change project co-leader Davin Holen harvests seaweed in Hoonah.
Photo courtesy of Davin Holen
Interface of Change project co-leader Davin Holen harvests seaweed in Hoonah.

Davin Holen, one of the project鈥檚 five co-leaders, and University of AV狼论坛 Anchorage epidemiology researcher Mica Hahn will arrange annual workshops to invite community feedback and discuss progress in group discussions. They will hire local coordinators to facilitate workshops and offer an honorarium for community participants 鈥渁s a respect for the time and the information they're giving.鈥

People interested in project updates will be able to browse online dashboards and databases that will make project data and results publicly available.

Multiple additional UA programs, tribal organizations, government agencies and ocean research groups will collaborate on the project.

鈥淪cience, technology, and innovation-based solutions for mitigation, adaptation, and resilience to climate events are increasingly important to our nation鈥檚 communities,鈥 said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. 鈥淭his important EPSCoR award will help build resiliency to climate risks unique to AV狼论坛, educate their citizens, protect infrastructure and safeguard these states鈥 economic futures.鈥濃

NOTE TO EDITORS: Additional photos are available by request.

ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Brenda Konar, AV狼论坛 EPSCoR project director, bhkonar@alaska.edu;  Tara Borland, AV狼论坛 EPSCoR associate director, taborland@alaska.edu; Davin Holen, Interface of Change co-project leader and  AV狼论坛 Sea Grant coastal community resilience specialist, dlholen@alaska.edu 

176-24