Facility Improvements for the Seward Marine Center

University Of Alaska Fairbanks Campus, Fairbanks AK

Investigators

Abstract

The University of Alaska - Fairbanks requests funding for upgrades to the seawater system. The seawater system would be upgraded to a dual line system to provide redundancy, and a straining system would be installed to control line clogs due to debris and marine organisms. An improved seawater system would provide a guaranteed uninterrupted flow to the Hood lab and the mooring shop. The Hood lab supports a variety of biological research which requires a constant flow of seawater to sustain live organisms .It is home to the Alliance for Coastal Technology (ACT) which uses the system to test underwater equipment. The endocrinology lab would also benefit from an upgraded seawater system as future studies with fish and invertebrates are being pursued. In recent years, the wet lab has housed studies on a variety of live animals including halibut, zooplankton, blue and red king crab, Tanner and snow crab, sablefish, abalone, decorated warbonnet, searcher, and eulachon. These studies have increased our knowledge of the basic biology and habits of these organisms, as well as tested materials and techniques to further their study in the open ocean. Broader Impacts: The lab has a consistent history of supporting graduate student research, with numerous students from around the country residing here and carrying out research in the labs served by the seawater system. In this regard the SMC operates as a national center of sorts, particularly as the home port for the Alaska regional research vessel, and is unique in both its location and service to the oceanographic community. Research and training productivity of the facility is solid, with the SMC serving as the home base for both students and faculty, and as a staging base for visiting scientists. The SMC also provides a unique outreach to native populations, despite being in a small and remote area. It has done an excellent job in fostering the NOSB competition by involving several high schools, and by hosting the national competition in 2008. It has met the challenge of its remote location (it is 500 miles from the main campus at Fairbanks) through the use of video conferencing classes. The SMC hosts visitors to the neighboring Alaska Sea Life Center and they also host the Alaska region National Ocean Science Bowl (a marine-oriented quiz competition for high school students). They recently hosted the national Ocean Science Bowl competition.