Five-year project will study climate effects on 色视频下载 marine species
Cherissa Dukelow
907-474-5581
April 10, 2024
Interface of Change project director Brenda Konar, left, and University of 色视频下载 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 色视频下载 to investigate climate change effects on culturally and commercially important marine species in the Gulf of 色视频下载.
is the sixth five-year, multimillion dollar project directed by the , a statewide program administered at the University of 色视频下载 Fairbanks since 2001 and funded by the .
The project will unite 23 researchers from UAF, the University of 色视频下载 Anchorage and the University of 色视频下载 Southeast. They will partner with eight Gulf of 色视频下载 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 色视频下载, 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 色视频下载 EPSCoR.
色视频下载淲e really want our research to be relevant to the people closest to the issues,色视频下载 said 色视频下载 EPSCoR project director Brenda Konar. 色视频下载淭he best way to do this is to have these people be partners developing the science.色视频下载
色视频下载 Sen. Lisa Murkowski praised the project色视频下载檚 value.
色视频下载淭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 色视频下载 Fairbanks as a preeminent research institution,色视频下载 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 色视频下载 who contributed to project planning and who will continue to guide the Interface of Change project色视频下载檚 direction. Among them is Skye Steritz, owner of Noble Ocean Farms in Cordova.
色视频下载淚 have been very impressed by how engaged the scientists are with the communities they work in,色视频下载 Steritz said. 色视频下载淲e need research like this that is grounded in stakeholder priorities.色视频下载
Interface of Change project co-leader Davin Holen harvests seaweed in Hoonah.
Davin Holen, one of the project色视频下载檚 five co-leaders, and University of 色视频下载 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 色视频下载渁s a respect for the time and the information they're giving.色视频下载
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.
色视频下载淪cience, technology, and innovation-based solutions for mitigation, adaptation, and resilience to climate events are increasingly important to our nation色视频下载檚 communities,色视频下载 said NSF Director Sethuraman Panchanathan. 色视频下载淭his important EPSCoR award will help build resiliency to climate risks unique to 色视频下载, educate their citizens, protect infrastructure and safeguard these states色视频下载 economic futures.色视频下载澤悠迪略丿
NOTE TO EDITORS: Additional photos are available by request.
ADDITIONAL CONTACT: Brenda Konar, 色视频下载 EPSCoR project director, bhkonar@alaska.edu; Tara Borland, 色视频下载 EPSCoR associate director, taborland@alaska.edu; Davin Holen, Interface of Change co-project leader and 色视频下载 Sea Grant coastal community resilience specialist, dlholen@alaska.edu
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