A newsletter from the Prince William Sound Science Center

September 5, 2024

Flying by the Aghileen Pinnacles near Cold Bay while conducting Aleutian tern colony surveys. Photo by Sarah Hoepfner.

The Rasmuson Foundation selected PWSSC President and CEO Katrina Hoffman for a 2024 sabbatical award. She began her four-month leave in August and will return at the beginning of the new year.



The sabbatical program provides time away from the office for rest and personal renewal. Leaders are expected to disconnect entirely from work and focus on spending time with family, pursuing individual interests, and decompressing. Katrina plans to travel internationally and reconnect with people dear to her and is excited to share new experiences with her husband and young son.

Biological Oceanographer and Chief Science Officer Dr. Rob Campbell is the acting PWSSC CEO & Acting OSRI Executive Director.

Map showing the extent of the coastline surveyed during the summer of 2024.

PWSSC is proud to participate in the statewide Aleutian tern survey. This multi-year and multi-agency survey will cover over two-thirds of the Alaskan coast and provide valuable information on Alaska's Aleutian tern population estimates and nesting locations. The collaborators on this project include USFWS, USFS, McDonald Data Sciences, Tern Again Consulting, National Audubon Society Seabird Institute, Oregon State University, and PWSSC.

The tern surveys consist of both aerial and ground surveys. Sarah Hoepfner, a research technician at PWSSC, participated in this year's surveys. Aerial surveys were flown 4-8 hours daily on transects along the coast and up to 6 km inland. While flying, Sarah, the pilot, and two other observers looked out the window for terns, which was tricky because gulls and terns can look similar from the air. Once a nesting colony of terns was identified, the observers recorded the GPS coordinates of the colony and estimated the number of terns present. After the colony was successfully documented, the plane returned to the transect and repeated the process.

Learn more about this project on our website!

We hope you can join us this month for some educational fun! Different programs are intended for specific ages, as noted below. Younger participants need to be accompanied by a caregiver. Everyone is welcome to attend. A current calendar of events can be found on our website. Subscribe here if you'd like to receive email notifications for upcoming community education programs.

September 10 (7-8 pm) Tuesday Night Talk: Chugach Imaq

We will be joined by various members of the Chugach Imaq group, who will give a series of mini-presentations. Chugach Imaq informs future research and monitoring activities to sustain a healthy and balanced ecosystem and safeguard the subsistence needs of the Chugach region. Starting at 6 p.m., members of the Chugach Imaq group will host booths in the PWSSC atrium before the talks.

September 11-16: Mushroom Scavenger Hunt at Crater Lake Trail Head

This interactive scavenger hunt lets you choose your own adventure while learning about fungus and its role in our forest. Grab a scavenger hunt sheet from the box below the Crater Lake Trail sign, and head out to find some fungus!

This activity is designed for families to come and go on their own. All the "mushrooms" are within a zone on the right-hand side of the trail as you head away from Skater's Cabin, stretching about 100 feet to the right of the trail (off-trail) and about 300 feet up from the trailhead. You may want to wear boots and rain pants. Please leave the installed "mushrooms" where you find them.

September 13 (2:30-4:00 pm) Discover Cordova: Fungus Among Us

Join us for this fungus-themed Discovery Cordova. We will enjoy fungus dissection, arts and crafts, a mushroom hunt, and button-making! This event will be at Nirvana Park, targeted at children pre-K through elementary.

September 15 (7-8 pm) Nature Yoga: Shroomy Stretch Sesh  

Join Aviva at the Science Center for a nature yoga session. This month's focus will be mushrooms and what fungus can teach us about connecting and letting go. Please arrive five minutes early and bring a yoga mat. Need a mat? Let us know, and we can bring in extras.

September 17 (7-8 pm) Tuesday Night Talk: The Coral Triangle

This talk will be a meeting of the Prince William Sound Audubon Society. Allen and Susanna Marquette will discuss their recent journey to the Coral Triangle in Raja Ampat, Indonesia. This meeting is open to the public.

We are so grateful to everyone who attended camp this year. Thank you for bringing laughter, joy, and curiosity to our summer.

Mark your calendars for our fall online auction from October 21 – 24, 2024! Support the PWSSC while bidding on art, jewelry, handicrafts, and more!

If you would like to donate to the auction, please fill out the donation form or email Signe. We also welcome individual and corporate sponsors.