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the BREAKWATER 
A newsletter from the Prince William Sound Science Center
August 2015


Summer is flying by and we are loathe to say goodbye to the un-Cordova-like sunny weather and our fantastic seasonal staff. Read on to learn more about what our team has been focused on during some of our busiest months of the year.


Until next time,
Katrina Hoffman
Katrina Hoffman
President/CEO
  Three new funding sources for Dr. Rob Campbell in 2015
The North Pacific Research Board awarded Dr. Campbell over $415,000 for his project, "High frequency observations of the secondary (zooplankton) production cycle in Prince William Sound". This grant will allow him to add a cutting-edge zooplankton imaging system to his already existing autonomous moored profiler.

With funding from the Copper River/Prince William Sound Marketing Association, Dr. Campbell deployed four imaging sonar systems near the 36-mile bridge in the Copper River to test their ability to image salmon. After evaluating system performance, the next step will be to produce operational counts that could be made available in near-real-time to enhance in-season management of the fishery.

Most recently, Dr. Campbell received a $15,000 grant from the Rasmuson Foundation to purchase a Seal Analytical AutoAnalyzer3, which will be used to measure nutrients in water samples collected during ongoing Science Center monitoring programs, such as Gulf Watch Alaska.
Put a bird on it with Dr. Mary Anne Bishop
Dr. Bishop and her collaborators have been focusing on numerous studies involving seabirds, shorebirds, gulls, and terns.

If you've been down at Cordova's Breakwater fill lot in the early mornings this summer, you may have seen a team of biologists capturing Glaucous-winged Gulls to tag and collect data. This project aims to better understand how the distribution of gulls changes in response to human activities such as salmon processing and what the implications are for transmission of pathogens like avian influenza among bird populations.

Dr. Bishop's Semipalmated Plover study on Egg Island has been ongoing since 2006. This year, researchers set up field camp in June to locate nests, capture and band adults, and spot previously banded birds. Data collected from this project will help us understand adult survival and the nesting ecology of these shorebirds.

Education Corner
May was a busy month for education staff. They took our oil spill curriculum and Remotely Operated Vehicle kits to Kodiak and St. Paul Islands. Click here to learn more!

Cordova's fifth grade students wrapped up their school year by releasing 199 coho fry that they, along with the fourth and sixth grade students, reared in the Mt. Eccles Elementary School salmon tank.

This summer, Meadow Scott has led several very popular "Discover Cordova" outings, geared towards families with young children (though everyone is welcome). Themes include: tidepooling, wildflowers, and salmon. The last program of the summer, Our Forest Home, will be on Wednesday, August 19. Meet at Nirvana Park at 10:00 AM!

New faces at the Science Center
There are a number of new folks at the Science Center and we want to be sure you get a chance to meet them all!  Click  here  to get acquainted with Meadow, Julia, Pete, Iris, and our summer crew!
Events in 2015
On April 22, we celebrated our 26th anniversary with two delicious Diane Ujioka cakes, raffle tickets to Childs Glacier with Riverside Inn, and a viewing of People of a Feather. 

June 6 marked our 16th annual Copper River Nouveau benefit gala. We honored Alaska Airlines and Lynden at the Fisheries Achievement Award, then enjoyed a gourmet salmon dinner prepared by Chefs Kirsten and Mandy Dixon. See pictures of the festivities  here.

This fall we have numerous community events planned--click here to check out the calendar.
The Science Center is committed to understanding how one place on earth can maintain a reliable economy and natural environment for the long-term. 
 
We invite you - donors, researchers, partners, funders, elected officials, citizens - to join us in better understanding one of the world's last, great natural regions, home of the world's richest waters.
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