Sitka Sound Science Center

FOCUSED COPE: BUILDING COMMUNITY SENSOR NETWORKS FOR COASTAL HAZARDS AND CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA -THIS AWARD IS FUNDED IN WHOLE OR IN PART UNDER THE AMERICAN RESCUE PLAN ACT OF 2021 (PUBLIC LAW 117-2). THE HIGH PRECIPITATION RATES AND STEEP TOPOGRAPHY OF SOUTHEAST ALASKA COMBINE TO CREATE FLOODING AND LANDSLIDES THAT ENDANGER LIVES AND DESTROY PROPERTY. THIS FOCUSED COPE HUB WILL BRING GEOSCIENTISTS, ATMOSPHERIC SCIENTISTS, AND LOCAL RESIDENTS TOGETHER TO DEPLOY AND MONITOR A NETWORK OF NATURAL HAZARD SENSORS ACROSS THE REGION. THE HUB WILL INTEGRATE WEATHER FORECASTS WITH REAL-TIME SENSOR DATA IN A PROJECT DASHBOARD. THE ON-LINE DASHBOARD WILL ENABLE MEMBERS OF SIX ALASKA TRIBAL COMMUNITIES TO PLAN AND PREPARE FOR EXTREME RAINFALL HAZARDS AND THE SUBSEQUENT IMPACTS ON SUBSISTENCE ACTIVITIES. AN INNOVATIVE, COMMUNITY-LED PROJECT, THIS HUB SEEKS TO RESPOND TO RESEARCH QUESTIONS OF LOCAL RELEVANCE WHILE INCREASING ENGAGEMENT AND OPPORTUNITIES FOR EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING AMONG RURAL AND ALASKA NATIVE STUDENTS AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS, WHO ARE UNDERREPRESENTED IN STEM DISCIPLINES. THE SENSOR NETWORKS THAT ARE THE FOUNDATION OF THIS HUB INCLUDE TIPPING-BUCKET RAIN GAUGES, STREAM GAUGES, AND SOIL MOISTURE AND GROUNDWATER SENSORS CONNECTED TO THE REGIONAL DASHBOARD VIA SATELLITE TELEMETRY. THE DASHBOARD WILL INCORPORATE MACHINE LEARNING AND BAYESIAN ANALYSIS OF REAL-TIME SENSOR DATA TO CREATE A LANDSLIDE WARNING SYSTEM THAT MAY BE MODIFIED FOR USE IN OTHER HAZARD-PRONE U.S. COMMUNITIES THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

GRANTED:CONNECTING FSMLS TO RURAL AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES -ALASKAN NATIVES HAVE BEEN OBSERVING AND RESPONDING TO THE NATURAL WORLD FOR THOUSANDS OF YEARS. THIS HAS GENERATED AN INVALUABLE BODY OF KNOWLEDGE AND A WORLD VIEW THAT HAS RESULTED IN HUMAN ADAPTATION AND RESILIENCE THROUGH THE MILLENNIA. TODAY, ALASKA NATIVE PEOPLE HAVE A HUGE STAKE IN STUDIES OF ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE AT A TIME WHEN THEY ARE DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACTED BY TRANSFORMATIONS TO NATURAL SYSTEMS. YET, ALASKA NATIVES AND NATIVE AMERICANS HAVE THE SMALLEST PARTICIPATION RATES OF ALL UNDER-REPRESENTED GROUPS WORKING IN THE STEM FIELDS. THE SITKA SOUND SCIENCE CENTER (SSSC) IS AN EMERGING RESEARCH INSTITUTION IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA THAT PROPOSES TO IMPROVE ACCESS TO, AND STRENGTHEN THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE BY, CREATING A MODEL FOR FIELD STATIONS TO PARTNER WITH TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS. THERE ARE MORE THAN 650 FIELD STATIONS ACROSS THE NATION THAT PERFORM AN IMPORTANT ROLE AS THE NEXUS BETWEEN COMMUNITY RESEARCH AND EDUCATION. SSSC HAS PREVIOUSLY OBTAINED NSF FUNDING TO WORK WITH COMMUNITIES ACROSS THE REGION ON COPRODUCED PROJECTS MEANT TO DEVELOP A STEM WORKFORCE, TRAIN VISITING RESEARCHERS ON EFFECTIVE COMMUNICATION WITH RURAL AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES, AND ADDRESS CLIMATE CHANGE ISSUES THAT DISPROPORTIONATELY IMPACT THESE DIVERSE ALASKAN POPULATIONS. THIS PROJECT SHIFTS THE PARADIGM OF HOW FIELD STATIONS INTERACT WITH RURAL COMMUNITIES AND TRIBAL ENTITIES. IT WILL EXPAND UPON THE EARLIER WORK BY DEVELOPING AN INCLUSIVE RESEARCH CULTURE MEANT TO MAXIMIZE RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION OF RURAL AND ALASKA NATIVES IN STEM FIELDS, STRENGTHENING THE ORGANIZATIONAL CAPACITY OF A RURAL FIELD STATION, AND BUILDING STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN A FIELD STATION AND RURAL AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES. THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF SSSC?S GRANTED: CONNECTING FIELD STATIONS TO RURAL AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES IS TO CREATE A MODEL FOR MARINE LABORATORIES AND FIELD STATIONS AROUND THE NATION TO ENGAGE WITH TRIBAL AND RURAL COMMUNITIES IN THE PROCESS OF CO-PRODUCTION OF KNOWLEDGE. THIS PROJECT HAS A TWO-PRONGED APPROACH TO BOLSTERING RESEARCH CAPACITY THAT RESULTS IN STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN THE SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY AND RURAL AND INDIGENOUS PEOPLE AND ALLOWS MORE AND DIVERSE ACCESS TO THE RESEARCH ENTERPRISE. FIRST, SSSC WILL EXPAND AND DEEPEN ITS RELATIONSHIPS WITH TRIBAL ENTITIES TO INCREASE ENGAGEMENT BETWEEN ALASKA NATIVES AND THE SCIENCE CENTER AS A FIELD STATION TO CREATE MORE CO-PRODUCED RESEARCH. SECOND, IT WILL EXPAND AND SUPPORT RESEARCH CAPACITY FOR PROJECTS THAT REFLECT THE NEEDS OF RURAL AND INDIGENOUS COMMUNITIES. SSSC WILL INCREASE ITS CAPACITY TO ENSURE TRIBAL INTERESTS ARE MET AND TO FULFILL NEEDS THAT WILL IMPROVE THE SUCCESS OF A CO-PRODUCED RESEARCH ENTERPRISE. THE ENTIRE PROJECT WILL BE EVALUATED IN TWO PARALLEL PATHWAYS. A TRADITIONAL EVALUATION FROM A WESTERN SCIENCE FRAMEWORK WILL FOLLOW HOW THIS PROGRAM IMPACTS THE NUMBER OF CO-PRODUCED PROPOSALS SUBMITTED AND FUNDED AND THE PUBLICATIONS ARISING FROM THIS WORK. A SECOND SIMULTANEOUS EVALUATION WILL BE DESIGNED BY INDIGENOUS PARTICIPANTS WHO WILL BUILD INDICES AND METRICS FOR EVALUATING THE SUCCESS OF THE PROGRAM FROM THEIR PERSPECTIVE. THIS CO-PRODUCTION MODEL WILL EMPHASIZE THE IMMENSE VALUE AND NECESSITY OF INCLUDING INDIGENOUS VOICES AND KNOWLEDGE IN ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE RESEARCH AND ADAPTATION PLANNING. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

CF CONGRESSIONALLY DIRECTED GRANTS

ALASKA RESEARCH ACCOMMODATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT -THE ALASKA RESEARCH ACCOMMODATION INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT WILL EXPAND RESEARCH INFRASTRUCTURE AT THE SITKA SOUND SCIENCE CENTER (SSSC), A NONPROFIT FIELD STATION LOCATED IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA ON THE OUTER COAST OF THE EASTERN GULF OF ALASKA AND ADJACENT TO THE TONGASS NATIONAL FOREST. THE PROJECT WILL CONSTRUCT MODERN, SAFE, AND RELIABLE LODGING FACILITIES FOR VISITING RESEARCHERS, STUDENTS, AND POSTDOCTORAL SCHOLARS CONDUCTING MARINE, TERRESTRIAL, GEOSCIENCE, AND SOCIAL SCIENCE RESEARCH IN THIS REMOTE REGION. LIMITED HOUSING AVAILABILITY IN SITKA, PARTICULARLY DURING PEAK SUMMER FIELD SEASONS, CURRENTLY CONSTRAINS SCIENTIFIC ACCESS, COLLABORATION, AND LONG-TERM RESEARCH EFFORTS. BY IMPROVING ACCOMMODATIONS FOR VISITING SCIENTISTS AND PARTNERS, THE PROJECT WILL STRENGTHEN THE NATION?S CAPACITY TO CONDUCT RESEARCH ON GLOBALLY SIGNIFICANT ISSUES INCLUDING MARINE ECOSYSTEM CHANGE, LANDSLIDE HAZARDS, FOREST DYNAMICS, FISHERIES PRODUCTIVITY, AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE IN ARCTIC AND SUB-ARCTIC ENVIRONMENTS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO SUPPORT STRONGER PARTNERSHIPS AMONG RESEARCHERS, TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS, AND RURAL COMMUNITIES IN ALASKA BY ENABLING LONGER-TERM ENGAGEMENT AND CO-PRODUCTION OF RESEARCH ACTIVITIES. ENHANCED INFRASTRUCTURE WILL BROADEN PARTICIPATION IN STEM RESEARCH AND EDUCATION THROUGH ESTABLISHED SSSC PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT PROGRAMS INCLUDING SCIENTISTS IN THE SCHOOLS, SITKA WHALEFEST, PUBLIC SEMINARS, RADIO PROGRAMMING, AND SCIENTIST-IN-RESIDENCY PROGRAMS. THE PROJECT ADVANCES THE NATIONAL INTEREST BY SUPPORTING SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH, WORKFORCE DEVELOPMENT, AND COMMUNITY RESILIENCE IN A RAPIDLY CHANGING COASTAL AND ARCTIC REGION. THE PROJECT WILL DEVELOP A DEDICATED RESEARCH ACCOMMODATION FACILITY DESIGNED TO SUPPORT YEAR-ROUND SCIENTIFIC OPERATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH NSF-SUPPORTED FIELD RESEARCH AND EDUCATION ACTIVITIES IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA. THE FACILITY WILL PROVIDE HOUSING CAPACITY FOR MULTIDISCIPLINARY RESEARCH TEAMS CONDUCTING BIOLOGICAL, OCEANOGRAPHIC, ENVIRONMENTAL, GEOPHYSICAL, AND SOCIAL SCIENCE INVESTIGATIONS THROUGHOUT THE GULF OF ALASKA AND COASTAL RAINFOREST ECOSYSTEMS. THE PROJECT WILL IMPROVE LOGISTICAL COORDINATION, OPERATIONAL EFFICIENCY, RESEARCHER SAFETY, AND CONTINUITY OF FIELD CAMPAIGNS BY REDUCING BARRIERS ASSOCIATED WITH LIMITED LOCAL HOUSING INFRASTRUCTURE. THE ENHANCED ACCOMMODATIONS WILL SUPPORT ONGOING AND FUTURE COLLABORATIONS INVOLVING UNIVERSITIES, FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES, TRIBES AND TRIBAL ORGANIZATIONS, AND NONPROFIT RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS. THE PROJECT IS EXPECTED TO INCREASE ACCESS TO FIELD-BASED RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES FOR STUDENTS AND EARLY-CAREER SCIENTISTS WHILE STRENGTHENING THE LONG-TERM RESEARCH SUPPORT CAPACITY OF THE SITKA SOUND SCIENCE CENTER AS A REGIONAL HUB FOR ARCTIC AND COASTAL SCIENCE. THIS PROJECT ALIGNS WITH THE NSF?S BIOTECHNOLOGY PRIORITY AREA AND IT ENHANCES THE RESEARCH COMPETITIVENESS OF AN ESTAB?LISHED PROGRAM TO STIM?U?LATE COM?PET?I?TIVE RESEARCH (EPSCOR) JURISDICTION. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

ATARUQ: CONNECTING COASTAL COMMUNITIES TO POLAR RESEARCH

S3: SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM TO ENGAGE STEM STUDENTS

RAPID: SURVEY STUDY OF COVID-19 RESPONSES IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA

GP-IN: ALASKA AQUACULTURE SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE (ASK)

SOUTHEAST ALASKA SPERM WHALE AVOIDANCE PARTNERSHIP: FISHERMEN, MANAGERS AND SCIENTISTS WORKING TOGETHER TO IMPROVE SABLEFISH ASSESSMENT AND REDUCE I

FSML: GULF OF ALASKA DIVE AND MARINE RESEARCH SUPPORT INFRASTRUCTURE PROJECT

PROJECT TITLE: DATA MANAGEMENT AND MAINTENANCE FOR LANDSLIDE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING IN SOUTHEAST ALASKAPROJECT PERIOD: 09 20 2023 - 09 19 2024AWARD PURPOSE (AVOID ACRONYMS OR FEDERAL OR AGENCY-SPECIFIC TERMINOLOGY) THIS PROJECT WILL COMPLETE SCOPING AND ARCHITECTURAL PLANNING FOR A DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR LANDSLIDE AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING DATA IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA, PROVIDE THE NECESSARY DATA SHARING AGREEMENTS REQUIRED TO CONSTRUCT THE SYSTEM, AND BUILD CAPACITY TO MAINTAIN DATA COLLECTION SYSTEMS. ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED (DO NOT INCLUDE LINKS) ACTIVITIES IDENTIFIED IN THE PROPOSAL INCLUDE DEVELOPING A DATABASE STRUCTURE FOR RECORDING LANDSLIDE EVENTS AND MECHANISM FOR THE PUBLIC TO INPUT LANDSLIDE EVENT DATA INTO THE DATABASE. ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES INCLUDE MEETING WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO IDENTIFY EXISTING DATA SETS AND DATA NEEDS FOR UNDERSTANDING LANDSLIDE INITIATION AND IMPACTS. A WEB-BASED PLAN FOR INTEGRATING THE DATABASE STRUCTURE, EXISTING DATA COMPONENTS AND MECHANISM FOR RETRIEVING DATA WILL SUBSEQUENTLY BE DEVELOPED. BUILDING A SYSTEM WILL REQUIRE THAT DATA SHARING AGREEMENTS EXIST FOR ALL THE ENTITIES INVOLVED IN USING THE SYSTEM. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO DEVELOP A TEMPLATE FOR DATA SHARING AGREEMENTS BETWEEN THESE ENTITIES INCLUDING TRIBAL GOVERNMENTS. FINALLY, THE RECIPIENT WILL TRAIN LOCAL PEOPLE TO MAINTAIN INSTRUMENTS THAT SUPPLY ENVIRONMENTAL DATA RELEVANT TO LANDSLIDE INITIATION.DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES UPON COMPLETION, A PLAN FOR CONSTRUCTING A DATA MANAGEMENT SYSTEM WILL BE IN PLACE AS WELL AS A SET OF DATA SHARING AGREEMENTS AND A TEMPLATE FOR FUTURE AGREEMENTS. IN ADDITION THERE WILL BE A CADRE OF LOCAL CITIZENS THAT AGENCIES CAN RELY ON TO TROUBLESHOOT AND PROVIDE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE TO INSTRUMENTS MONITORING ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS. INTENDED BENEFICIARY(IES) AND THE BENEFICIARIES OF THIS WORK WILL BE THE COMMUNITIES OF SOUTHEAST ALASKA THAT CURRENTLY EXPERIENCE RISKS TO PUBLIC SAFETY FROM LANDSLIDES AND RESEARCHERS WORKING TO UNDERSTAND CLIMATE IMPACTS ON LANDSLIDE INITIATION.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES, IF KNOWN OR SPECIFIED AT THE TIME OF AWARD.THE SUBRECIPIENT (CENTRAL COUNCIL OF THE TLINGIT AND HAIDA INDIAN TRIBES OF ALASKA) WILL WORK WITH STATE AND FEDERAL AGENCIES TO DEVELOP A PROGRAM FOR TRAINING LOCAL CITIZENS TO TROUBLESHOOT AND MAINTAIN ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING INSTRUMENTS.

REDUCING SPERM WHALE LONGLINE FISHERIES INTERACTIONS: ENABLING FISHERMEN TO USE AVOIDANCE THROUGH REAL-TIME UPDATES FROM SATELLITE TAGS AND FISHERMEN

PROJECT TITLE: ADVANCING LANDSLIDE INITIATION SCIENCE AND MONITORING SYSTEMS IN SOUTHEASTALASKAPROJECT PERIOD: JUNE 1, 2026 MAY 31, 2028THIS PROJECT WILL STRENGTHEN ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING AND LANDSLIDE HAZARD ASSESSMENT CAPACITYACROSS SOUTHEAST ALASKA WHILE ADVANCING UNDERSTANDING OF LANDSLIDE INITIATION PROCESSESASSOCIATED WITH ATMOSPHERIC RIVERS AND EXTREME STORMS. LANDSLIDES AND DEBRIS FLOWS AREINCREASING HAZARDS IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA COMMUNITIES, WHERE STEEP TERRAIN, INTENSE RAINFALL, ANDSTRONG WINDS CAN CONTRIBUTE TO SLOPE FAILURE. EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SYSTEMS IN THEREGION REQUIRE ONGOING MAINTENANCE, TECHNICAL SUPPORT, AND IMPROVED DATA INTEGRATION TO SUPPORTHAZARD ASSESSMENT, FORECASTING, AND FUTURE EARLY WARNING EFFORTS.PROJECT ACTIVITIES WILL INCLUDE MAINTENANCE, CALIBRATION, TROUBLESHOOTING, AND REPAIR OF WEATHERAND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING STATIONS ACROSS SOUTHEAST ALASKA DEVELOPMENT OF STANDARDIZEDWORKFLOWS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL DATA MANAGEMENT, QUALITY CONTROL, AND INTEGRATION OF DATASETSCOLLECTED BY FEDERAL, TRIBAL, STATE, AND LOCAL PARTNERS AND SUPPORT FOR REGIONAL MONITORINGCOORDINATION. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO EVALUATE HOW WELL WEATHER AND CLIMATE MODELS REPRODUCELOCAL PRECIPITATION PATTERNS ASSOCIATED WITH ATMOSPHERIC RIVER EVENTS AND INVESTIGATE THE ROLE OFWIND-DRIVEN FOREST LOADING IN SLOPE INSTABILITY THROUGH TARGETED INSTRUMENTATION DEPLOYMENT ANDFIELD MEASUREMENTS NEAR SITKA, ALASKA.DELIVERABLES WILL INCLUDE STANDARDIZED DATA MANAGEMENT WORKFLOWS AND ANALYSIS-READYENVIRONMENTAL DATASETS INVENTORY AND PRIORITIZATION TOOLS FOR REGIONAL MONITORING STATIONMAINTENANCE ONGOING MAINTENANCE AND TECHNICAL SUPPORT FOR REGIONAL MONITORING STATIONS PEERREVIEWEDAND TECHNICAL REPORTS EVALUATING LOCAL AND STORM-SCALE PRECIPITATION PATTERNS AND HOWWELL THESE ARE REPRODUCED BY CLIMATE MODELS DEPLOYMENT OF WIND-MONITORING INSTRUMENTATIONNEAR SITKA AND QUANTIFICATION OF TREE MOVEMENT AND WIND LOADING DURING STORM EVENTS ANDPRESENTATION OF FINDINGS AT SCIENTIFIC AND PUBLIC MEETINGS. EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE IMPROVEDRELIABILITY AND USABILITY OF ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING SYSTEMS, REDUCED DELAYS BETWEEN DATACOLLECTION AND OPERATIONAL USE, ENHANCED UNDERSTANDING OF LANDSLIDE INITIATION PROCESSES, ANDINCREASED REGIONAL CAPACITY FOR LANDSLIDE HAZARD ASSESSMENT AND FUTURE EARLY WARNING EFFORTS.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE TRIBAL CITIZENS AND SOUTHEAST ALASKA RESIDENTS LIVING IN LANDSLIDEPRONEAREAS HUNTERS, RECREATIONISTS, AND OTHERS TRAVELING BENEATH STEEP SLOPES EMERGENCYMANAGERS THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RESEARCHERS LAND MANAGERS AND FEDERAL, TRIBAL, STATE,AND LOCAL AGENCIES INVOLVED IN HAZARD MONITORING AND RESPONSE. THESE GROUPS WILL BENEFIT FROMIMPROVED ENVIRONMENTAL DATA AVAILABILITY, ENHANCED MONITORING RELIABILITY, AND IMPROVEDUNDERSTANDING OF LANDSLIDE HAZARDS AND TRIGGERING PROCESSES.SUBRECIPIENT AND CONTRACTED ACTIVITIES MAY INCLUDE SUPPORT FOR LOCAL-SCALE ANALYSIS OFPRECIPITATION PATTERNS AND PERFORMANCE OF CLIMATE MODELS, TECHNICAL INSTRUMENTATION SUPPORT, ANDCOORDINATION WITH MONITORING AND RESEARCH PARTNERS AND AGENCIES ACROSS SOUTHEAST ALASKA.

JUVENILE FISH ENERGETICS AND ALASKA'S LARGE MARINE ECOSYSTEMS

FSML: FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS FOR GULF OF ALASKA RESEARCH STATION

SITKA WHALEFEST SCIENTIST IN RESIDENCY FELLOWSHIP

BERING SEA CRITICAL HABITAT RESTORATION PROJECT II

SSSC PLUMBING AND ENERGY RELIABILITY IMPROVEMENTS

TRIBAL COMMUNITY MARINE DEBRIS REMOVAL IN THE BERING SEA CRITICAL HABITATS FROM BERING STRAITS TO THE ALEUTIANS.

INDIAN RIVER FISH PASSAGE DESIGN PHASE 2

SEAFLOOR MAPPING AND GEOLOGICAL CHARACTERIZATION OF THE MARGIN OFFSHORE SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA AND BRITISH COLUMBIA

PROJECT TITLE: LOW-COST PRECIPITATION MONITORING TO IMPROVE LANDSLIDE FORECASTS IN SOUTHEAST ALASKAPROJECT PERIOD: JUNE 01, 2025 - MAY31, 2026AWARD PURPOSE:THIS PROJECT SEEKS TO ENHANCE LANDSLIDE FORECASTING IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA, A REGION HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLETO DEBRIS FLOWS TRIGGERED BY HEAVY RAINFALL ON STEEP HILLSIDES. THROUGH THE INSTALLATION OF A LOWCOST,COMMUNITY-MAINTAINED RAINFALL MONITORING SYSTEM, THIS INITIATIVE AIMS TO IMPROVE THEACCURACY OF LANDSLIDE RISK FORECASTS BY GATHERING REAL-TIME PRECIPITATION DATA FROM MID-SLOPELOCATIONS PRONE TO LANDSLIDES. THE DATA COLLECTED WILL BE INCORPORATED INTO AN EXISTING DEBRIS FLOWFORECASTING MODEL TO ASSESS THE IMPACT OF LOCALIZED RAINFALL ON LANDSLIDE PREDICTION AND ULTIMATELYINCREASE PUBLIC SAFETY IN THE REGION.ACTIVITIES TO BE PERFORMED:THE SITKA SOUND SCIENCE CENTER (SSSC) WILL DEPLOY A SYSTEM OF 10 TIPPING-BUCKET RAIN GAUGES(TBGS) IN SITKA, ALASKA, TO MONITOR PRECIPITATION AT VARIOUS MID-SLOPE ELEVATIONS. THE SYSTEM WILLBE INSTALLED AND MAINTAINED BY SSSC. RAINFALL DATA WILL BE COLLECTED FROM THESE GAUGES ANDTRANSMITTED TO THE UNITED STATES GEOLOGICAL SURVEY (USGS) BIWEEKLY FOR ANALYSIS. THE DATA WILLBE COMPARED TO THE CURRENT PRECIPITATION DATA USED IN SITKA S LANDSLIDE FORECASTING MODEL, WHICHRELIES ON RAINFALL MEASUREMENTS FROM AN AIRPORT WEATHER STATION LOCATED 3 KM AWAY FROM KEYLANDSLIDE-PRONE AREAS. THE PROJECT WILL ALSO INVOLVE DOCUMENTING THE COSTS, EQUIPMENT, ANDMAINTENANCE NEEDS TO ESTABLISH A REPLICABLE RAINFALL MONITORING SYSTEM FOR OTHER COMMUNITIES INSOUTHEAST ALASKA.DELIVERABLES AND EXPECTED OUTCOMES:1. A COMPREHENSIVE RAINFALL DATASET FROM THE DEPLOYED TBG SYSTEM, DETAILING PRECIPITATIONPATTERNS FROM MULTIPLE LOCATIONS AND ELEVATIONS ALONG THE SITKA ROAD SYSTEM.2. A REPORT EVALUATING THE INFLUENCE OF LOCALIZED PRECIPITATION DATA ON LANDSLIDE FORECASTINGACCURACY.3. A DETAILED INSTALLATION AND MAINTENANCE MANUAL THAT OUTLINES THE COST-EFFECTIVE SETUP,UPKEEP, AND OPERATION OF A RAINFALL MONITORING SYSTEM.4. ENHANCED FORECASTING CAPABILITIES FOR DEBRIS FLOW RISKS, AS THE PROJECT WILL DEMONSTRATE HOWINTEGRATING MID-SLOPE RAINFALL DATA IMPROVES LANDSLIDE ALERT FREQUENCY COMPARED TO THECURRENT MODEL USING AIRPORT DATA.THE OUTCOMES ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE THE LANDSLIDE FORECASTING SYSTEM S ACCURACY, CONTRIBUTING TOBETTER RISK ASSESSMENT AND PUBLIC SAFETY. FURTHERMORE, THE PROJECT WILL CREATE A MODEL FOR EXPANDINGTHE RAINFALL MONITORING NETWORK IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA, WHICH WILL BE APPLICABLE TO OTHERCOMMUNITIES WITH SIMILAR LANDSLIDE RISKS.INTENDED BENEFICIARIES:THE PRIMARY BENEFICIARIES OF THIS PROJECT ARE THE RESIDENTS OF SOUTHEAST ALASKA, PARTICULARLY THOSELIVING IN LANDSLIDE-PRONE AREAS LIKE SITKA, WHERE STEEP HILLSIDES AND HEAVY RAINFALL CREATE SIGNIFICANTLANDSLIDE RISKS. EVALUATION OF OROGRAPHIC EFFECTS WILL ALSO BENEFIT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.IMPROVED FORECASTING WILL PROVIDE COMMUNITIES WITH MORE ACCURATE WARNINGS, HELPING TO REDUCETHE POTENTIAL LOSS OF LIFE AND PROPERTY DAMAGE FROM DEBRIS FLOWS. ADDITIONALLY, LOCAL GOVERNMENTS,EMERGENCY RESPONDERS, AND ENVIRONMENTAL AGENCIES WILL BENEFIT FROM BETTER DATA AND MOREEFFECTIVE RISK MANAGEMENT TOOLS.SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES:NO SUBRECIPIENT ACTIVITIES HAVE BEEN DEFINED.

ICE BRIDGE: PROFILES OF BERINGIA

TAKING AME (AQUACULTURE AND MARINE EDUCATION):PREPARING SOUTHEAST ALASKA FOR CAREERS IN AQUACULTURE AND MARINE SCIENCE.

SITKA ALASKA COASTAL COMMUNITY CLEANUP OF TSUNAMI MARINE DEBRIS FROM THE TOHOKU EARTHQUAKE (TDCCC)

SEAFLOOR SEDIMENTARY PROPERTIES OFFSHORE SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA

RESTORING CRITICAL HABITAT IN THE BERING SEA

PLANNING: SOUTHEAST ALASKA RESEARCH COORDINATION FOR COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT -WITH ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGE OCCURRING AT A RAPID RATE IN HIGHER LATITUDES, SOUTHEAST ALASKA RURAL AND TRIBAL RESIDENTS ARE EXPERIENCING SIGNIFICANT CHANGES TO THEIR TRADITIONAL AND CULTURAL WAY OF LIFE. ADDITIONALLY, RESIDENTS ARE ALSO KEENLY AWARE OF THE INFLUENCE OF SCIENTIFIC RESEARCH IN THE ARCTIC, YET OFTEN FEEL DISCONNECTED FROM THE RESEARCHERS WORKING IN THEIR COMMUNITIES. THIS PLANNING PROJECT WILL SUPPORT THE SITKA SOUND SCIENCE CENTER (SSSC) AND CENTRAL COUNCIL TLINGIT HAIDA INDIAN TRIBES OF ALASKA TO IMPROVE ENGAGEMENT AND COLLABORATION BY PROVIDING COMMUNICATION TRAINING TO SCIENTISTS WORKING WITH SMALL, RURAL, AND TRIBAL COMMUNITIES IN THE REGION. THE PLANNING GRANT WILL BE USED TO DEVELOP A COMMUNICATION STRATEGY THAT WILL DEEPEN AND STRENGTHEN THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN SOUTHEAST ALASKA RESIDENTS AND SCIENTISTS WORKING IN THE REGION, AN AREA AS BIG AS THE STATE OF FLORIDA. THE SCIENCE COMMUNICATION TRAINING PROGRAM WILL FOCUS ON PROVIDING SCIENTISTS WITH PRACTICAL SKILLS FOR ENGAGEMENT, APPROACHES FOR WORKING WITH AND WITHIN RURAL ALASKA COMMUNITIES, AND LEARNING CULTURALLY APPROPRIATE COMMUNICATION TECHNIQUES AND CONNECTING WITH LOCAL KNOWLEDGE. THE WORKSHOP WILL BE LED AND DEVELOPED BY AN INTEGRATED TEAM, INCLUDING INDIGENOUS CULTURE BEARERS, AN ALASKAN SCIENCE COMMUNICATION EXPERT, AN ALASKAN JOURNALIST, AND SCIENTISTS WITH EXPERIENCE WORKING IN THE REGION. THESE PLANNING EFFORTS WILL EXPLORE AND EVALUATE EFFECTIVE WAYS TO PROVIDE COMMUNICATION TRAINING TO SCIENTISTS, POTENTIALLY LEADING TO BROADER EFFORTS ACROSS THE STATE OF ALASKA. BROADER IMPACTS INCLUDE CREATING STRATEGIES TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATION AND COLLABORATION BETWEEN SCIENTISTS AND THOSE LIVING IN ALASKA. IT WILL ALSO BENEFIT THE BROADER SCIENTIFIC COMMUNITY BY EXPOSING SCIENTIST AND STUDENTS TO THE CONCEPTS OF CO-PRODUCTION AND COMMUNICATION WITH THE GOAL OF BUILDING A FUTURE THAT ALLOWS A DIVERSE CITIZENRY TO ACCESS AND UNDERSTAND SCIENTIFIC THINKING AND SCIENTIFIC APPROACHES TO COMMUNITY PROBLEMS. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.- SUBAWARDS ARE NOT PLANNED FOR THIS AWARD.

INVESTIGATION OF RECENT DEFORMATION ALONG THE QUEEN CHARLOTTE-FAIRWEATHER FAULT SYSTEM IN

NATURAL HISTORY SEMINAR AND SCIENTIST-IN-RESIDENCY PROJECT

CONFERENCE: BEYOND COVID: PANDEMIC PREPAREDNESS IN THE CIRCUMPOLAR NORTH -THIS WORKSHOP BRINGS MULTIPLE COVID-19 RESEARCH TEAMS FROM ACROSS THE U.S. TO ALASKA TO SHARE FINDINGS, SYNTHESIZE RESULTS, AND ENHANCE PLANNING AND MESSAGING EFFORTS FOR FUTURE PANDEMICS. THE WORKSHOP WILL PROVIDE OPPORTUNITIES TO COMPARE DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYTIC METHODS, DEVELOP NEW COLLABORATIONS, AND PRESENT RESEARCH FINDINGS. WORKING TOGETHER, WORKSHOP PARTICIPANTS WILL SYNTHESIZE RESEARCH ACROSS DISCIPLINARY LINES, ADDRESSING PANDEMIC RESPONSES IN ALASKA COMMUNITIES WITH VAST DIFFERENCES IN CULTURE, ECONOMICS, INFRASTRUCTURE, AND GEOGRAPHY. BY AMPLIFYING THE RESULTS OF FUNDED PROJECTS, THE WORKSHOP WILL ADVANCE UNDERSTANDING OF PANDEMIC RESPONSES, STRENGTHEN RESEARCH CAPACITY IN ALASKA, AND FOSTER CONVERGENT APPROACHES TO SOCIETAL CHALLENGES. OUTPUTS OF THE WORKSHOP INCLUDE A PEER-REVIEWED PUBLICATION IN AN INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL THAT SYNTHESIZES THE APPROACHES, FINDINGS, AND RECOMMENDATIONS DEVELOPED COLLABORATIVELY BY THE RESEARCH TEAMS; A SERIES OF PUBLIC OUTREACH ACTIVITIES, AND SCIENCE COMMUNICATION TRAINING FOR PARTICIPANTS. TOGETHER, THESE ACTIVITIES WILL GENERATE AN INTERDISCIPLINARY NETWORK OF RESEARCHERS ACROSS THE STATE, DELIVER ACCESSIBLE SCIENCE TO THE RESEARCH COMMUNITY AND THE GENERAL PUBLIC, AND ELEVATE THE VISIBILITY OF ARCTIC RESEARCH ON COMMUNITY HEALTH AND WELL-BEING. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

INDIAN RIVER FISH PASSAGE IMPROVEMENT CONCEPTUAL DESIGNS

THE GOAL OF THIS PROJECT IS TO WORK WITH COMMUNITIES IN THE YUKON RIVER REGION TO BUILD CAPACITY FOR LOCALIZED FISHERIES RESEARCH AND MANAGEMENT ALONGSIDE ENHANCING DATA SOVEREIGNTY THROUGH ARCHIVING FISH HEALTH DATA COLLECTED IN THE REGION. THE BUDGET FOR THIS PROJECT WILL FACILITATE DEVELOPMENT OF TRAINING MATERIALS AND COMMUNITY VISITS. PROJECT PERSONNEL WILL TRAVEL TO COMMUNITIES SUCH AS THE VILLAGE OF TANANA TO DELIVER SKILL SHARING EVENTS IN WHICH HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ARE TRAINED IN APPROACHES TO FISHERIES DISEASE SURVEILLANCE WITH A FOCUS ON ?SQUASH PREPARATIONS. FINALLY, THIS PROJECT BUDGETS FUNDS TO DIGITIZE AND PERMANENTLY ARCHIVE FINDINGS OF PREVIOUS DISEASE SURVEILLANCE EFFORTS IN THE TANANA AND FORT YUKON REGIONS SO THESE DATA CAN BE STORED LONG-TERM AND ACCESSIBLE TO COMMUNITIES. SPECIFIC DELIVERABLES WILL INCLUDE MATERIALS FOR SKILL-SHARE LEARNING EVENTS (LABS) AND PROVISION OF EQUIPMENT FOR CONDUCTING SQUASH PREPARATIONS AS NEEDED TO SCHOOLS. THIS WORK IS CONDUCTED WITH THE HOPE THAT OUTCOMES WILL INCLUDE MORE LOCALIZED FISHERIES DATA COLLECTION TOWARDS ENHANCED COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT IN RESEARCH THAT INFORMS FUTURE MANAGEMENT DECISIONS. INTENDED BENEFICIARIES OF PROJECT DELIVERABLES ARE VARIED, HOWEVER WE INTEND TO FOCUS INITIALLY ON HIGH SCHOOL AGED STUDENTS TO NOT ONLY ENGAGE STUDENTS IN DISEASE SURVEILLANCE OF THEIR FISHERIES, BUT ALSO EXPOSE STUDENTS TO A TECHNIQUE WITH APPLICATIONS ACROSS BIOLOGICAL FIELDS.

ALASKA SCIENCE COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP

NATIVE PLANTS GARDEN

SALT WATER HEAT PUMP DESIGN COMPLETION

MERISITCS ANALYSIS AND RE-ARTICULATION OF A YOUNG KILLER WHALE SKELETON AND A HARBOR SEAL SKELETON FROM STRANDED MARINE MAMMALS FROM SOUTHEAST ALASKA

COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH: THE ORIGIN OF THE LARGE BRAINS OF CETACEANS -CETACEANS (WHALES, DOLPHINS, PORPOISES) HAVE THE LARGEST BRAINS ON THE PLANET, EVER. EVEN WHEN SCALED FOR BODY SIZE, CETACEAN BRAINS ARE SECOND ONLY TO HUMANS IN SIZE. EXPANSION OF BRAIN SIZE IN CETACEANS HAS BEEN CONSIDERED A CONSEQUENCE OF ECHOLOCATION AND/OR AN INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF NEURONS. THIS PROJECT WILL USE THE STUDY OF FOSSIL CETACEANS TO IDENTIFY FACTORS LEAD TO BRAIN EXPANSION. BECAUSE CETACEANS ARE A CHARISMATIC GROUP OF MAMMALS WITH AN EXCEPTIONAL FOSSIL RECORD, THIS STUDY WILL USE BRAIN EVOLUTION AS A CASE STUDY THAT ENGAGES HIGH SCHOOL JUNIORS AND SENIORS FROM A RURAL STEM SCHOOL IN OHIO, AS WELL AS ALASKAN HIGH SCHOOL AND COLLEGE STUDENTS. STUDENTS WILL TAKE A COURSE FOCUSED ON WHALES, SEALS, AND EVOLUTION, WHICH INTEGRATES BROADER GEOLOGICAL AND BIOLOGICAL CONCEPTS. A SYMPOSIUM ORGANIZED BY THE SITKA SCIENCE CENTER IN ALASKA WILL BE USED TO PRESENT FINDINGS TO THE GENERAL PUBLIC. THIS STUDY ANALYZES A COLLECTION OF THE EARLIEST FOSSIL CETACEANS TO IDENTIFY FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO THE EVOLUTION OF BRAIN SIZE. THE PROJECT TEAM WILL TEST THE HYPOTHESIS THAT THE ACQUISITION OF ECHOLOCATION LED TO INCREASES IN BRAIN SIZE. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY STUDYING CHANGES IN EAR SHAPE IN FOSSIL WHALES OVER TIME TO IDENTIFY WHEN HIGH-FREQUENCY HEARING EVOLVED. IN ADDITION, THE TEAM WILL TEST WHETHER SIZE INCREASES IN THE CETACEAN BRAIN ARE A CONSEQUENCE OF INCREASING NUMBERS OF NEURONS OR OTHER SUPPORT CELLS. THIS WILL BE ACCOMPLISHED BY COMPARING THE NUMBER OF NEURONS WITHIN THE BRAINS OF LIVING ECHOLOCATING AND NON-ECHOLOCATING WHALES RELATIVE TO OTHER CELLS WITHIN THE BRAIN. THIS STUDY WILL FURTHER UNDERSTANDING OF CETACEAN EVOLUTION BY PINPOINTING WHEN THE EXPANSION OF THE BRAIN OCCURRED, HOW THIS EXPANSION RELATES TO THE ONSET OF HIGH-FREQUENCY HEARING, AND BY QUANTIFYING THE DIVERSITY AND ABUNDANCE OF CELLS WITHIN THE BRAIN. THIS AWARD REFLECTS NSF'S STATUTORY MISSION AND HAS BEEN DEEMED WORTHY OF SUPPORT THROUGH EVALUATION USING THE FOUNDATION'S INTELLECTUAL MERIT AND BROADER IMPACTS REVIEW CRITERIA.

TO SUPPORT THE CREATION OF A TRADITIONALLY-CARVED TLINGIT TOTEM POLE BY TLINGIT MASTER ARTIST TOMMY JOSEPH WHO WILL INCORPORATE SITKA SOUNDS ENVIRONMENTAL HISTORY USING THE TRADITIONAL ALASKAN ART FORM TO EXPRESS SCIENTIFIC IDEAS.

ENGAGES INDIVIDUALS IN SERVICE TO ELIMINATE POVERTY AND POVERTY-RELATED PROBLEMS IN LOCAL COMMUNITIES