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We are springing through March with many exciting events and happenings at the Science Center. You cod even say it's sharking how much has happened in the past month!
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We have several current Fisheries Summer Job Openings:
* Chum Salmon Project Field Crew Leader (2 in total)
* Chum Salmon Project Fishery Technician (5 in total)
Visit our employment page for more information.
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Food Web Cruise 2017
The Food Web Cruise, a fundraiser for the annual Sitka WhaleFest, took place on March 25 and was a great success. The morning boasted humpback whales spouting, sea lions and sea otters bobbing nearby, and herring seiners gliding out of the light of the morning sun to ready themselves for a possible Herring Opener. The day was capped by a grand finale of bubble feeding on four occasions! A group of whales exploded from the water, rostrum first, to gulp up herring they had corralled with air bubbles from their blow holes.
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In addition to the wonderful wildlife, the Food Web Cruise would not have been a success without the help of others. We would like to give a huge thank-you to speakers Lauren Bell, Ellen Chenoweth, Matt Goff and Andy Szabo. Another big thank-you goes to Allen Marine, Hames Corporation (Sea Mart Quality Foods), Nana Management Services, and everyone who donated food! Stay tuned for announcements on this year’s WhaleFest theme and how to get involved.
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Welcome our new Scientist in Residency, Cheryl Rosa
Join the SSSC staff and Board in welcoming Dr. Cheryl Rosa as our next Scientist in Residency Fellow, here from April 3 to May 2, 2017! Dr. Rosa is Deputy Director and Anchorage-based Alaska Director of the United States Arctic Research Commission (USARC), an independent federal agency of Presidential appointees that advises the White House and Congress on Arctic research matters! She is also trained as a wildlife veterinarian and biologist.
Soon after her arrival, Cheryl will give a public talk on climate change impacts in the Arctic as part of the UAS Natural History seminar series Thursday, April 6th, 7:30pm UAS room 229. Check out our website to learn more about her!
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Eco-Discovery : The Lucky Herring
Families flooded the Science Center on St Patrick's Day for an exploration of the herring life cycle. Stations throughout the Science Center offered fantastically fun experiments and activities for building understanding about the stages of herring life from egg to adult. Eco-discovery is a family program planned and implemented as a partnership between Sitka Sound Science Center, National Historical Park Service, and Sitka Conservation Society.
Behind the Scenes
Some of our most dedicated 'Behind the Scenes' participants joined Science Center staff in the creation of education materials for the Eco-Discovery program. Signage, clue cards, decorated boxes, fish prints, and science experiment preparation, along with refreshments and music, made for a fun evening! We held a second 'Behind the Scenes' later in the month focused on diving and aquatic life around Sitka Sound. Our dive team provided a crash course on diving gear and best practices before entering the water to fetch some critters for our aquarium exhibit. While the divers were diving, visitors went to the aquarium to learn how to identify the fish, invertebrates, and plants within our tanks.
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Pacific High Aquaculture Elective
Students in the Aquaculture Elective led by our very own Angie Bowers and Kristina Tirman were taken out to Deep Inlet, NSRAA's remote chum rearing facility across from the Eastern Channel. Brian LeBlanc and Kentre Horton provided the students with a tour of the facility and were able to help feed the chum!.
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Scientist in the School – Lauren Wild
Stable Isotopes and Trophic Levels
Blatchley Middle School’s 8th grade classes
“Who eats who?” was the essential question that 8th graders grappled with during the Science Center’s visit to 8th grade science teacher Julie Jordan’s classes. 8th graders teamed up to participate in interactive activities with marine food webs, trophic levels, nitrogen cycles, and inorganic chemistry. This prepared them for a classroom visit by PhD candidate and BMS alum, Lauren Wild. Lauren described the process of nitrogen enrichment through trophic levels and she showed students the technique for sampling whale skin! Then, the students used careful technique to sample food sources for analysis of N-15 isotope values. Lauren will return to the classroom so that students can graph the values and draw conclusions about the relationship of N-15 isotope values and trophic level.
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Research Updates
This month SSSC research divers began their work looking at changes in kelp forest communities throughout the year. Funded by the Charlotte Martin Foundation, our dive team's efforts consist of 4 seasonal surveys at four permanent sites throughout Sitka Sound. Our team is looking at size, structure and densities of sea urchins, sea stars, adult abalone and giant kelp plants. Additionally, they'll be monitoring the impacts of sea star wasting disease with an emphasis on documenting the impacts of sea star wasting disease.
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When you give to the SSSC, you are helping the scientific and education mission that explores the Sitka Sound Ecosystems. The SSSC relies on funding support from foundations, grants, corporations and individuals. Please also remember the SSSC in your will. The SSSC is a 501(c)3 charitable organization, and contributions are deductible to the extent allowed by the IRS.
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