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Sockeye Salmon Migration Study in Long Lake
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| | Photo taken by Johnny McGrath on 11/16/2020. About 30 live fish were spotted in this spring, soon to be spawning area. |
PWSSC scientist Pete Rand, along with collaborator Kristen Gorman (UAF/PWSSC), have been studying migration and spawning patterns in Copper River salmon since 2016. In addition to tracking sockeye up the main river, this year they are including some detailed observations of a very unusual spawning population found in Long Lake in the Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.
The adults that return to this particular lake have been known to spawn much later than any other population in their natural range in North America and Asia. There have been anecdotal observations of spawning occurring as late as April. This year, for the first time, the researchers captured, radio-tagged, and released 10 individuals as they were entering the lake in August. The researchers have set up a radio antenna and have been tracking their movements in the lake for nearly three months.
These fish are now swimming under eight inches of ice, but will eventually spawn amongst a shallow spring-seep along the lake's shoreline that remains ice-free all winter. Rand and Gorman will be reporting a summary of their results in 2021. The study is supported by a grant from the North Pacific Research Board. For any questions about this project, please contact Pete Rand ([email protected]). The study website is here.
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PWSSC Offers New High School Course
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| | Pen and Ink at Hartney Bay. Photo by Nicole Webster. |
Introduction to Nature Journaling and Scientific Art is a class designed by Nicole Webster, our AmeriCorps Service Member (and fabulous artist). The structure of this course evolved from discussions about place-based education with local educators, the Cordova School District, and Nicole's passion for science and art.
These conversations developed over the past few years, focusing on strengthening students' sense of place by using our beautiful outdoor classroom and the long-standing partnerships between the school district and community partners such as PWSSC and the Copper River Watershed Project. In January 2020, three topics were identified as areas for growth: connection to place, involvement from expert community members, and artistic expression. Nicole was present at the January meeting and put it all together, giving us this amazing new class. It is currently in the middle of its inaugural run.
Using art as a medium, Nicole takes students on field trips to investigate whole or components of ecosystems, learning about them through observation, questioning, and art. The class has completed an in-depth study of mushrooms using colored pencils, spore prints, and crafting 3D felted mushrooms with Dotty Widmann of The Net Loft. They've also used pen and ink to draw shells and bones while "Zooming in, Zooming out" with magnifying glasses to catch the details not visible to the naked eye, made cyanotype prints of leaves, and investigated feathers using pastels. The class calls upon a number of community members - some scientists, some artists, some are both - to present and share their creative energy with students. While hands-on experience with different media is definitely a bonus outcome of this course, the main goal is to form deeper connections with the life, landscape, and people of Cordova.
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Winter Fundraising Campaign
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The wide variety of auction items that were donated to our fall event.
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'Tis the season of giving! We are entirely soft-money funded, which means that we don't exist without you. And because of you, we're able to complete our important research and education work in the world's richest waters.
We're so thankful to all of you who participated in our recent online auction. Whether you sponsored or donated to the auction, bid on an item, or better yet - won, we want to thank you all for participating! And if you didn't get a chance to participate in our fall online event, our end-of-year fundraising campaign begins now. You can participate online in a variety of ways, and we encourage you to visit our donor page to learn more. From the East Coast to the Gulf of Mexico to the Pacific Northwest and, of course, Alaska, we appreciate everyone for supporting our mission. Thank you to our long-time supporters, and to all of the new ones we have earned in 2020. We're grateful for your support.
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New Series: Pets of PWSSC!
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Hiking with friends. Photo by Deryn Carter.
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Most of our staff members have been working from home these past eight months, which means we've acquired some additional coworkers. We'll be introducing you to our new office companions over the next several months, starting with Miles!
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Hi, I'm Miles! I've been going into the PWSSC office with my human since I was about 3 months old and I love it there because I get a lot of attention, snacks, and cardboard to shred. I don't know if I'm the best boy, but I think I'm a pretty good boy.
PWSSC human: Lauren Bien, Education Director
Age/Breed: 3 years old/Chocolate Lab
Favorite Activities: Duck hunting, tennis ball/fetch, hiking, eating, whining when I'm not getting enough attention, cuddling, and somersaulting.
Favorite Toy: I love all toys, especially tennis balls. Tennis balls and Jolly Ball when I'm outside; Fleece Blanky and "Little Orange Ball" when I'm inside. Did I mention tennis balls?
Favorite Food: Apples and popcorn are my favorite-favorite, but I love ALL food. Except celery, gross.
Least Favorite Activity: Getting toweled off, just let me be soaking wet!
Fears: Being left out of activities and Christmas decorations.
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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 need your help now more than ever. If you believe in our mission and care about what we do, please consider making a donation today. Every dollar helps us stay stable during these uncertain times.
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