Doug Schneider
907-474-7449
10/12/0

Mandy Lindeberg always knew what she wanted to be when she grew up.

“I knew it would have something to do with the beach. I love that zone, it’s so dynamic,” said Lindeberg, a marine biologist with NOAA’s Auke Bay Lab in Juneau. “You can’t really choose what you’re passionate about, and it definitely is a passion for me.”

For Lindeberg, a federal fisheries biologist, her passion for the beach includes a fascination with seaweeds. So much so that she and fellow Juneau biologist Sandra Lindstrom authored a new book on the subject, “Field Guide to Seaweeds of Alaska.”

To the uninitiated, such a book would likely be rather short. How many different seaweeds could there be in Alaska?

“There are more than 500 seaweed species, and counting,” said Lindeberg. “People say to me, ‘Wow, I had no idea there were that many.’”

About 100 of those species are described with full-color photos and descriptions in the new field guide just published by the Alaska Sea Grant Program at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. The new book is available at most local bookstores or directly from Alaska Sea Grant at www.alaskaseagrant.org.

The guide is the first of its kind for Alaska seaweeds and it took Lindeberg nearly 15 years to compile it. Lindeberg said she began working on the book because scientists and friends needed it—there just wasn’t a decent reference book available.

“That was the big complaint—people would grab a specimen and try to identify it, and the books had drawings that didn’t help much,” Lindeberg said. “So I wanted to be sure to have photos of what they look like in their natural habitat; that was the big priority for me.”

Besides seaweeds, the nearly 200-page, water-resistant guide features sections on seagrasses and marine lichens. Lindeberg said she took about 80 percent of the photos during the course of two decades of fieldwork. Getting decent photos that could be used in a scientific guide proved difficult, she said.

“It’s a big challenge to take photos on the beach, because it’s usually raining and dark and everything is wet and is kind of a mess,” said Lindeberg. “It took years for me to find the beach with the right species I needed, and then to get good weather and good lighting for it. It took a lot of patience.”

Lindeberg did have some help. Colleagues at NOAA and the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences also contributed photos.

Sandra Lindstrom, a world-renowned seaweed taxonomist, is the book’s co-author.

“I could not have done this without Sandra,” said Lindeberg. “She helped with the taxonomic work and reviewed the scientific descriptions and nomenclature.

With so many different seaweed species to choose from, asking Lindeberg to name her favorite is a bit like asking a mother to pick her favorite child.

“I am a nerd so there are a whole bunch of subcategories that are my favorites,” said Lindeberg, laughing at the thought. “Some people like the kelps, some people like the red algae. I think the red algae are the most beautiful, and they are the most diverse, so I lean more toward the red algae.”

Among the book’s most interesting specimens is a newly discovered species of brown seaweed called the golden V kelp, so named for the bright yellow outline along the stalk and edges of the leaf-like structure called the thallus. Lindeberg said her discovery in 2006 of the new kelp species in the central Aleutian Islands might be the pinnacle of her career.

“That was one of those eureka moments,” said Lindeberg. “There was no one around to hear me yelling and screaming. But there was no doubt when I first saw it that it was something very unique. Once we got the genetic analysis done, it turned out that it is a new genus and a new species, and it might even be a new family. So, to me, that is very cool. You just don’t find that kind of stuff on the planet anymore. I don’t know how to top that.”

Lindeberg might be able to top it with a future second edition of the book, which likely would feature more of the known species as well as some of the new species that she and her colleagues believe they have discovered.

“We found what we think are more new species of seaweeds during the survey in which we found the golden V kelp,” said Lindeberg. “We don’t know for sure yet, but we think we may have 15 new species to describe.”

Book signings and lectures sponsored by the Cook Inlet Regional Citizens Advisory Council are planned around the state beginning later this month:

Homer: Alaska Islands and Oceans Visitor Center, Oct. 23, 2–4 p.m.

Fairbanks: Institute of Marine Science, 201 O’Neill Bldg., UAF, Oct. 27, 3:30–4:30 p.m.

Fairbanks: Alaska Invasive Species Conference, Princess Lodge, Oct. 28, 3–3:30 p.m.

Kodiak: Kodiak Fisheries Research Center, Nov. 1, 3:30 p.m.

Juneau: Hearthside Books (downtown), Nov. 5, 4:30–7 p.m.

Sitka: Sitka Whalefest, Market Place, Old Harbor Books booth, Nov. 6, 2:45 p.m.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Mandy Lindeberg, NOAA/NMFS Auke Bay Laboratory, 907-789-6616 or [email protected]. Kathy Kurtenbach, marketing coordinator, 907-474-7476 or [email protected].

ON THE WEB:

www.alaskaseagrant.org

http://www.seaweedsofalaska.com/about.asp?pg=mlbio

NOTE TO EDITORS: To arrange interviews, please call Mandy’s cell phone at 907-209-4615.

DS/10-12-10/069-10

Carin Stephens
907-322-8730
10/4/10

The Census of Marine Life, a ten-year initiative to describe the distribution and diversity of ocean life, draws to a close today with a celebration, symposium and press conference in London. At the press conference, scientists revealed the results of the census, including the discovery of new species, new patterns of biodiversity and more. Scientists at the University of Alaska Fairbanks have played a major role in what the census calls its “decade of discovery.”

UAF scientists have led two multi-year projects as part of the census. Both projects—the Arctic Ocean Diversity project and the Natural Geography in Shore Areas project—are dedicated to explaining the biodiversity of different areas in the world’s ocean. Between them, the projects identified dozens of new species and cataloged nearshore organisms at more than 200 sites worldwide.

The Arctic Ocean Diversity project, also called ArcOD, is an international effort to identify the number and variety of marine creatures living in the Arctic. The project looks at organisms that live in arctic sea ice, the water column and on the seafloor, from microscopic plankton to fishes and birds.

Bodil Bluhm, associate professor of marine biology, Rolf Gradinger, associate professor of oceanography, and Russ Hopcroft, professor of oceanography, are leading the project.

The scientists are using historical data as well as new findings to create a broad inventory of arctic species. The project operates as an umbrella program under which independently funded arctic projects join together to compile a species database. Currently, the database contains 250,000 records. The database is available online at http://dw.sfos.uaf.edu/arcod/ and through www.iobis.org, the censuswide data portal.

“What we are also trying to do is fill in the geographic and taxonomic gaps in our knowledge of arctic species with new expeditions and improved taxonomic resolution,” said Bluhm.

During their research, the scientists discovered 71 species that Bluhm says are new to science. They say the research is particularly important because the Arctic is showing the effects of climate change.

“The Arctic Ocean is the region where the impacts of climate change are strongest expressed,” said Hopcroft. “Ongoing climate warming and reduction in sea ice makes the effort to identify the diversity of its life an urgent issue.”

An important part of the project is the distribution of knowledge to the public through educational outreach and publications. Gradinger, Bluhm, Hopcroft and the ArcOD team of nearly 100 scientists have published multiple book chapters, books and articles on arctic biodiversity.

Natural Geography in Shore Areas is a Census of Marine Life project that describes the biodiversity in the world’s coastal regions. The project is also called “NaGISA,” a Japanese word for the area where the ocean meets the shore. The effort will produce the world’s first nearshore global census.

This international project is headquartered at both UAF and Kyoto University and led by UAF scientists. The principal investigator is Katrin Iken, associate professor of marine biology and the co-principal investigator is Brenda Konar, a professor of marine biology. The project is managed by postdoctoral researcher Ann Knowlton and assisted by research technician Heloise Chenelot.

NaGISA scientists developed standardized sampling techniques that have been used by a global network of scientists at more than 240 sites along the shores of 28 countries. The sites include rocky shore areas and seagrass beds in the intertidal zone out to a depth of 20 meters.

“The advantages of a standardized protocol are that global quantitative data is comparable over large spatial scales,” said Iken. “Also, the hierarchical design allows us to analyze data from local to regional to global scales.”

The data gathered by NaGISA can be used as a baseline to determine changes in biodiversity over latitude, longitude and time. All NaGISA data has been submitted to www.iobis.org. To date, 54,666 entries have been contributed. Along with this database, many scientific and outreach publications have been produced using the NaGISA data.

NaGISA scientists say an important goal of the program has been to involve local communities in the sampling and increase coastal residents’ awareness of local marine habitat. According to Knowlton, one of the project’s greatest legacies is the continued and future use of the NaGISA sampling protocol by both K-12 and university students.

With more than 2,700 scientists from 670 institutions, census leaders say that the Census of Marine Life is one of the largest scientific collaborations ever conducted. The Census of Marine Life is primarily funded by the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.

Scientists from each of the projects will present at the census finale. Although the Census of Marine Life ends today, scientists from both the ArcOD and NaGISA projects say that they will continue their efforts to explore biodiversity in the sea.

About SFOS
The UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences conducts world-class marine and fisheries research, education and outreach across Alaska, the Arctic and Antarctic. 60 faculty scientists and 150 students are engaged in building knowledge about Alaska and the world’s coastal and marine ecosystems. SFOS is headquartered at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and serves the state from facilities located in Seward, Juneau, Anchorage and Kodiak.

NOTE TO EDITORS: Researchers are in London for the symposium and can be contacted through Stephens at 907-322-8730 or e-mail at [email protected].

ON THE WEB: www.sfos.uaf.edu

CS/10-4-10/065-11

Carin Stephens
907-322-8730
8/31/10

A University of Alaska Fairbanks fisheries scientist has teamed up with Alaska Power and Telephone to study how a new power-generating turbine affects fish in the Yukon River.

So far, the news looks good for the fish.

“In the brief testing that we have been able to accomplish, we have no indication that the turbine has killed or even injured any fish,” said Andrew Seitz, project leader and assistant professor of fisheries.
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Carin Stephens
907-322-8730
8/27/10

The University of Alaska Fairbanks has created a new research center dedicated to studying ocean acidification in Alaska.

Jeremy Mathis, assistant professor of chemical oceanography and an ocean acidification expert, will be the director of the center.

Ocean acidification is a term to describe increasing acidity in the world’s oceans. The ocean absorbs carbon dioxide from the air. As the ocean absorbs more carbon dioxide, seawater becomes more acidic. Scientists estimate that the ocean is 25 percent more acidic today than it was 300 years ago. According to Mathis, ocean acidification is happening more rapidly, and more severely, in Alaska waters.

“The Ocean Acidification Research Center will provide a unique opportunity to collect an unprecedented dataset in a vulnerable region,” said Mathis.
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Marine biology student Ann Knowlton will present a lecture and learning session, “Squidding Around: Adaptations to Life in the Ocean,” on Monday, August 9, as part of the Monday Marvels series presented by UAF Summer Sessions & Lifelong Learning and the Alaska Summer Research Academy.

This free event will be held at 7 p.m. in Reichardt 201 on UAF campus and is family-friendly.

Knowlton will discuss the adaptability traits of squid.

Carin Stephens
907-322-8730
7/15/10

After two years of design and development, oceanographers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks are installing a new alternative energy device along the arctic coast of Alaska.

The device will provide power to scientific instruments in remote areas, where sources of electricity are often scarce.

“In principle, the device means that we can deploy the radar systems anywhere along Alaska’s coast,” said Tom Weingartner, professor of physical oceanography and the principal investigator for the project.

The device, called a remote power module, is equipped with four wind turbines, a solar array and a backup generator. The wind and solar energy provide five days’ worth of battery charge. If the batteries get low, the module recharges using a biodiesel generator.

Scientists will install the module in Barrow this month and test it from July to November. It will power high-frequency radars that map sea surface currents along the coast of the Beaufort Sea. The radars send signals over the water’s surface, where they are reflected off the top of the waves. The radar signals are bounced back to the antennae and the data is transmitted to scientists in Fairbanks in real-time.

“The radar and remote power module allows us to better understand marine ecosystems processes, inform engineering designs for offshore activities, assist in search and rescue operations, and, in the event of a marine spill, assist in clean-up response,” added Weingartner.

The radars typically are powered by shore-based power sources, such as those available in homes or commercial buildings, he said. “Power sources are few and far between in Alaska and, where available, are not necessarily ideally suited for sampling.”

The module is also equipped to collect meteorological and oceanographic data and houses communications equipment that allows researchers in Fairbanks to configure the device via satellite. The module weighs about 6000 pounds and is about 16 by 20 feet wide. A key design feature of the unit is that it breaks down into modular components weighing less than 120 pounds each, so that two people can deploy, service or relocate the device.

“We made the decision to utilize renewable energy technology due to our requirements for a relatively maintenance-free, lightweight and autonomous power supply,” said Hank Statscewich, researcher at the UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences and the project lead.

“The hybrid combination of solar, wind, batteries and a small backup generator meets the load demands of the equipment while maintaining a compact footprint,” added Statscewich.

The $890,000 project is funded by the Department of Homeland Security.

About SFOS
The UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences conducts world-class marine and fisheries research, education and outreach across Alaska, the Arctic and Antarctic. 60 faculty scientists and 150 students are engaged in building knowledge about Alaska and the world’s coastal and marine ecosystems. SFOS is headquartered at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and serves the state from facilities located in Seward, Juneau, Anchorage and Kodiak.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Tom Weingartner, professor of physical oceanography, 907-474-7993, [email protected].  Hank Statscewich, researcher, 907-474-7245, [email protected]. Marmian Grimes, UAF public information officer, 907-474-7902, [email protected].

ON THE WEB: www.sfos.uaf.edu

NOTE TO EDITORS: A photo of the module is available online at www.uafnews.com.

CS/7-15-10/008-11

Doug Schneider
907-474-7449
6/18/10

Experts at the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program are reminding the public that Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning poses a significant threat to people who eat wild shellfish harvested from Alaska beaches and waters not deemed safe by the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation.
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Carin Stephens
907-322-8730
6/17/10

Homer, ALASKA–When diver Nathan Stewart descends into one of Kachemak Bay’s underwater kelp forests, he is struck by the sheer number and variety of plants and animals that live there.

“The biodiversity is incredible,” says Stewart. “It’s like being in an old-growth forest.”

As he swims towards the seafloor, he slips through three layers of kelp forest habitat — the canopy, the mid-water layer and finally what scientists call the understory. At each layer, he finds different creatures that make their homes in the forest. At the seafloor, he lifts the kelp fronds to find a multitude of different species of snails, crabs, sponges, urchins, nudibranchs, sea stars and more.
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Carin Stephens
907-322-8730
6/8/10

Tracking fish across Alaska’s vast continental shelves can present a challenge to any scientist studying Alaska’s seas. Researchers at the University of Alaska Fairbanks have successfully tested a possible solution in the form of underwater gliders.
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Carin Stephens
907-322-8730
6/2/10

Humpback whitefish in the Chatanika River are recovering from a population crash in the 1980s, according to a scientist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks.

In the early 1980s, the Chatanika River supported a popular, sport spear fishery for humpback whitefish and least cisco. In 1987, the fishery peaked when fishermen caught more than 25,000 fish during the fall spawning season. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game placed limits on the fishery but population studies showed that the high harvest rates were unsustainable. The fishery was closed from 1994 to 2007, when it was reopened on a limited, personal use permit-only basis.

Trent Sutton, associate professor of fisheries at the UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, is leading studies of both humpback whitefish and least cisco in the Chatanika River. The two-year studies began in 2008.

The first study, led by Sutton’s graduate student, Lorena Edenfield, focused on the population dynamics of humpback whitefish and least cisco. They checked length, weight and age of the fish and compared those measurements to data collected before and after the fishery collapse.

“What we found is that when you compare size, age, and growth and mortality rates, humpback whitefish appear to have recovered,” said Sutton. “If you look at size structure now, you will find full distribution out there of all sizes.”

The data on the least cisco tells a different story. Their population suffered the most when the fishery collapsed, Sutton said. “We are being cautious about the least cisco. They don’t seem to have recovered yet.”

The second study, led by Sutton’s graduate student, Aaron Dupuis, looked at the humpback whitefish’s movement patterns and spawning habitat use. Humpback whitefish historically spawned near the Elliott Highway bridge. In June 2008, Dupuis collected and tagged 60 humpback whitefish in the lower Chatanika. He then used radio telemetry to track their movement. The population split into two groups: one group moved towards the Elliott Highway to spawn, and the second group stayed downriver.

In 2009, Dupuis tagged an additional 100 fish in Minto Flats. Of those, 61 went up the Chatanika River and split into two groups. One group went to the Elliott Highway bridge to spawn at their traditional spawning grounds. The second group stayed downriver.

“The really interesting thing is that the other 39 fish disappeared, for a while,” said Sutton.

Using aerial surveys, Dupuis found them. They had left Minto Flats, and entered the Tanana River, where they spawned between Fairbanks and the mouth of the Salcha River. Dupuis and Sutton say this is a previously unknown spawning area for humpback whitefish.

“It’s really a new discovery,” said Sutton. “It raises all sorts of questions. Are the fish in the newly discovered spawning area genetically different from those that spawn in the Chatanika River? A separate spawning stock could have implications for management of the subsistence, sport and personal use fisheries.”

Both projects are supported by the UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences with field support from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences conducts world-class marine and fisheries research, education and outreach across Alaska, the Arctic and Antarctic. 60 faculty scientists and 150 students are engaged in building knowledge about Alaska and the world’s coastal and marine ecosystems. SFOS is headquartered at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and serves the state from facilities located in Seward, Juneau, Anchorage and Kodiak.

ADDITIONAL CONTACTS: Trent Sutton, Associate Professor of Fisheries, 907-474-7285, [email protected]

ON THE WEB: www.sfos.uaf.edu

CS/6-2-10/243-10