Sound Science Inc

IN THE THREE DECADES SINCE THE EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL, IT HAS BEEN RECOGNIZED THAT FULL RECOVERY FROM THE SPILL WILL TAKE DECADES AND REQUIRES LONG-TERM MONITORING OF BOTH THE INJURED RESOURCES AND OTHER FACTORS TO DETERMINE WHAT MAY INHIBIT THE SYSTEM FROM RECOVERING TO PRE-SPILL CONDITIONS. THIS REQUIRES AN INTEGRATED MONITORING PROGRAM THAT PROVIDES INFORMATION ABOUT ENVIRONMENTAL DRIVERS, PELAGIC, AND INTERTIDAL COMPONENTS OF THE MARINE ECOSYSTEM. THE PROGRAM IS BUILT WITH A VARIETY OF COMPONENT PROJECTS THAT ADDRESS THE MONITORING OBJECTIVE OF THE PROGRAM. THE OVERARCHING GOAL OF THE GULF WATCH ALASKA-LONGTERM MONITORING PROGRAM IS TO CONTINUE TO PROVIDE SOUND SCIENTIFIC DATA AND PRODUCTS THAT INFORM MANAGEMENT AGENCIES AND THE PUBLIC OF CHANGES IN THE ENVIRONMENT AND THE IMPACTS OF THESE CHANGES ON THE RECOVERY OF INJURED RESOURCES. THE MONITORING IS COMPLEMENTED BY SEPARATELY FUNDED SCIENCE SYNTHESIS TO INCREASE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE GULF OF ALASKA ECOSYSTEM PROCESSES AND FUN

LONG TERM MONITORING AND HERRING RESEARCH AND MONITORING PROGRAMS (LTM-HRM)

RESEARCH AND MONITORING PROGRAMS IN THE EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL AFFECTED WATERS.

THE OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF THE MARICULTURE RESEARCH AND RESTORATION CONSORTIUM IS TO SUPPORT RESTORATION, HABITAT ENHANCEMENT, AND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT THROUGH RESEARCH AND PARTNERSHIPS BETWEEN SCIENTISTS AND SEAWEED AND SHELLFISH FARMERS. THIS SUITE OF APPLIED RESEARCH COMPONENTS TAKES A FARM-CENTERED APPROACH TO ADDRESS EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL TRUSTEE COUNCIL RESTORATION, ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT, OUTREACH, ADMINISTRATION, AND DATA MANAGEMENT INTERESTS THAT OVERLAP TOP PRIORITIES IDENTIFIED BY STAKEHOLDERS AND THE ALASKA MARICULTURE DEVELOPMENT PLAN DEVELOPED BY THE ALASKA GOVERNOR'S MARICULTURE TASK FORCE. RESULTS WILL INFORM SHELLFISH AND SEAWEED PRODUCTION, WITH FARMERS AS FULL PARTICIPANTS IN THE RESEARCH. TECHNOLOGY TRANSFER AND TRAINING FOR NEW AND EXISTING FARMERS WILL INVESTIGATE FARM DESIGNS AND SUPPORT INDUSTRY GROWTH, BRINGING GREEN JOBS AND ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION TO COASTAL COMMUNITIES IN THE OIL SPILL AFFECTED AREA. ECOSYSTEM STUDIES WILL EVALUATE THE ROLE OF MARICULTURE IN R

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

IMPACTS OF CLIMATE CHANGE AND MELTING GLACIERS ON COASTAL ECOSYSTEMS IN THE NEARSHORE WATERS OF THEG

STUDY SEABIRD PREDATION ON JUEVENILE HERRING IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND

ATARUQ: CONNECTING COASTAL COMMUNITIES TO POLAR RESEARCH

DESCRIPTION:THE AGREEMENT PROVIDES FUNDING TO PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY INSTITUTE. SPECIFICALLY, THE RECIPIENT WILL DETERMINE IF WASTE HEAT CAN BE USED TO EFFICIENTLY DRY LARGE QUANTITIES OF SEAWEED. THE OBJECTIVES ARE TO 1) ESTABLISH A TEMPORARY STRUCTURE THAT USES WASTE HEAT FROM A DIESEL POWER PLANT TO DRY SEAWEED EFFICIENTLY, 2) IDENTIFY LONG-TERM OPTIONS FOR PROCESSING AND ASSESS BUSINESS VIABILITY, 3) BUILD ACCEPTANCE OR SOCIAL LICENSE FOR MARICULTURE AND 4) PROVIDE TRAINING TO INCREASE THE MARICULTURE WORKFORCE. THESE OBJECTIVES WILL PROVIDE DEDICATED CAPACITY AND DIRECTLY SUPPORT MARICULTURE INDUSTRY GROWTH FOR PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND AND COASTAL ALASKAN COMMUNITIES. THE PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND IS LOCATED IN SOUTHCENTRAL ALASKA AND IS HOME TO FIVE COMMUNITIES, CHENEGA, CORDOVA, TATITLEK, VALDEZ, AND WHITTIER. THEIR ECONOMY IS DISPROPORTIONATELY AFFECTED BY ENVIRONMENTAL ISSUES BECAUSE OF THEIR DEPENDENCE UPON COMMERCIAL SALMON FISHERIES. SINCE 2016, PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND HAS EXPERIENCED FIVE FISHERIES DISASTERS, DRASTIC POPULATION DECLINES, THAT HAVE AFFECTED ALL FIVE SALMON SPECIES NATIVE TO THIS REGION. THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC ADDED TO ECONOMIC STRAIN AND FOOD INSECURITY BY DISRUPTING SUPPLY CHAINS THAT PROVIDE 95% OF ALASKA'S FOOD. THE STATE OF ALASKA AND THE PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT HAVE IDENTIFIED THE MARICULTURE INDUSTRY TO INCREASE ECONOMIC DIVERSITY AND FOOD SECURITY. PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND CURRENTLY HOLDS 26% OF ALASKA'S SEAWEED FARM PERMITS AND THOUSANDS OF POUNDS OF KELP IS HARVESTED EACH YEAR. HOWEVER, THERE IS NO DEDICATED CAPACITY TO PROCESS SEAWEED. THIS IS A BARRIER THAT PREVENTS GROWTH OF AN INDUSTRY THAT CAN INCREASE ECONOMIC DIVERSITY AND FOOD SECURITY, WHICH THE OBJECTIVES OF THIS PROJECT WILL ADDRESS. ACTIVITIES:THE ACTIVITIES INCLUDE: ESTABLISHING A TEMPORARY STRUCTURE FOR DRYING SEAWEED USING WASTE HEAT FROM A POWER PLANT; DRYING LOCALLY GROWN SEAWEED; QUANTIFYING DRYING TIMES, RATES, HEATING NEEDS AND LABOR HOURS NECESSARY FOR ADEQUATE DRYING; ANALYZING THE DATA; HOLDING REGULAR STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS; REASSESSING AND OPTIMIZING DRYING EFFICIENCY; BUILDING SOCIAL LICENSE FOR KELP FARMING; EVALUATING SCALABILITY AND LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS; ASSESSING BUSINESS VIABILITY; TRAINING CURRENT A PROSPECTIVE KELP FARMERS ABOUT KELP PROCESSING; AND DISSEMINATING RESULTSSUBRECIPIENT:THE SUBAWARD TO THE PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT DISTRICT WILL ARRANGE STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS, ADVERTISE COMMUNITY EVENTS, NETWORK WITH STAKEHOLDERS TO IDENTIFY LONG-TERM SOLUTIONS FOR PROCESSING CAPACITY, PROVIDE MARKET INFORMATION FOR THE BUSINESS VIABILITY ANALYSIS, AND DISSEMINATE PROJECT RESULTS ACROSS THE PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND REGION. OUTCOMES:THE ANTICIPATED DELIVERABLES INCLUDE DRYING DATA, BUSINESS VIABILITY ANALYSIS, 40 PARTICIPANTS TRAINED ON KELP PROCESSING, RESULTS DISSEMINATION THROUGH CONFERENCE PRESENTATIONS, NEWSLETTERS, AND PUBLIC ENGAGEMENT ACTIVITIES. THE EXPECTED OUTCOMES INCLUDE AN OPTIMIZED KELP PROCESSING PROCEDURE, A DEVELOPED WORKFORCE OF KELP FARMERS, THE SCALABILITY OF SOCIAL LICENSE, A LONG-TERM PLAN FOR THE MARICULTURE INDUSTRY IN THE COMMUNITY. THE INTENDED BENEFICIARIES INCLUDE THE COMMUNITIES OF THE PRINCE WILLIAMS SOUND AND OTHER COASTAL ALASKAN COMMUNITIES AS WELL AS KELP FARMERS.

S3: SCIENCE SYMPOSIUM TO ENGAGE STEM STUDENTS

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

GP-IN: ALASKA AQUACULTURE SCIENCE KNOWLEDGE (ASK)

THE U.S. FISH AND WILDLIFE SERVICE (USFWS) HAS IDENTIFIED THE ALEUTIAN TERN AS A SEABIRD OF HIGH CONSERVATION CONCERN. ALEUTIAN TERN BREEDING SITES ARE RESTRICTED TO ALASKA AND THE RUSSIAN FAR EAST. WHILE POPULATION TREND INFORMATION FOR RUSSIAN POPULATIONS IS SPARSE, POPULATIONS AT KNOWN BREEDING SITES IN ALASKA HAVE DECLINED DRAMATICALLY IN RECENT DECADES. A RECENT STUDY ESTIMATED THE POPULATION AT KNOWN BREEDING COLONIES HAS DECLINED BY 8.1 ANNUALLY SINCE 1960, OR 92.9 OVER THREE GENERATIONS. GIVEN THE LACK OF A FORMAL MONITORING EFFORT ACROSS THE RANGE, UNCERTAINTIES RELATED TO CENSUS METHODS, AND AN INABILITY TO ASSESS IF BIRDS HAVE DISPERSED FROM DECLINING COLONIES TO AS-OF-YET UNKNOWN COLONIES, ALEUTIAN TERN HAS BEEN INCLUDED ON SEVERAL SPECIES WATCH LISTS. THE USFWS HAS GREAT INTEREST IN COLLECTING INFORMATION THAT WOULD PROVIDE A STATUS UPDATE FOR THE SPECIES. THROUGH THE ALEUTIAN TERN TECHNICAL COMMITTEE WORKING GROUP, THE USFWS IS UNDERTAKING A PROJECT TO DETERMINE DISTRIBUTION AND ABUNDANCE OF ALEUTIAN TERNS AT A STATEWIDE SCALE. FUNDS ARE AVAILABLE TO SUPPORT A THREE-YEAR STUDY (2023-2025) THAT WILL INVOLVE AERIAL SURVEYS TO IDENTIFY CURRENT BREEDING COLONY LOCATIONS, AND ON-THE-GROUND ACCESS TO COLONIES TO ESTIMATE TERN ABUNDANCE. GIVEN THE STUDY DESIGN, THE COMPLICATED LOGISTICS, AND THE VAST GEOGRAPHY, THE USFWS HAS IDENTIFIED THE NEED FOR A DEDICATED COORDINATOR TO SUPPORT DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE STATEWIDE ALEUTIAN TERN CENSUS. THE PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND SCIENCE CENTER (PWSSC) THROUGH THEIR EXISTING COOPERATIVE ECOSYSTEM STUDIES UNIT AGREEMENT AND STAFF EXPERTISE IS UNIQUELY QUALIFIED TO FILL THE COORDINATOR ROLE IN YEAR 1. ANNE SCHAEFER, WHO WILL SERVE AS THE COORDINATOR, WILL COORDINATE PLANNING AND LEAD IMPLEMENTATION OF THE 2023 AERIAL AND GROUND-BASED TERN SURVEYS IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA FROM CORDOVA TO GUSTAVUS. PLANNING AND LOGISTICS WILL BEGIN IN JANUARY 2023, AND INCLUDE COORDINATING AND LEADING MEETINGS WITH THE WORKING GROUP, HIRING AND TRAINING FIELD CREW, ARRANGING TRAVEL AND LODGING FOR THE FIELD CREW, PROCURING SURVEY GEAR, COORDINATING WITH THE PILOT, SECURING ADDITIONAL PILOTS AND AIRCRAFT AS NEEDED, OBTAINING NECESSARY PERMITS FOR LAND ACCESS, AND DEVELOPING A BUDGET. FIELD ACTIVITIES WILL BE CONDUCTED MAY-JUNE, 2023. THE COORDINATOR WILL IMPLEMENT THE SURVEY PLAN DEVELOPED BY THE WORKING GROUP, WHICH WILL INCLUDE COMMUNICATING DAILY WITH THE PILOT(S), FIELD CREWS, AND THE BIOMETRICIAN, OVERSEEING DATA COLLECTION IN THE FIELD, AND CONDUCTING FIELD WORK AS NEEDED. THE COORDINATOR WILL WORK WITH THE BIOMETRICIAN TO COLLATE SURVEY RESULTS, QA QC DATA, AND ENTER DATA INTO THE DATABASE, AND WILL LEAD THE EFFORT TO DRAFT AN ANNUAL REPORT THAT SUMMARIZES THE STUDY OBJECTIVES, METHODS, RESULTS, AND KEY FINDINGS. THE COORDINATOR WILL ALSO WORK TO MEET REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCESS AND OTHER RELEVANT PERMITS (SEPTEMBER THROUGH FEBRUARY).THE COORDINATOR S SUCCESS WITH PLANNING LOGISTICS, IMPLEMENTING THE STUDY DESIGN, SUPERVISING AND LEADING DATA COLLECTION, COMMUNICATING CLOSELY WITH THE BIOMETRICIAN AND THE PLANNING TEAM, AND MEETING REPORTING REQUIREMENTS FOR COMPLIANCE WILL BE CRITICAL TO THE PROGRAM S OVERALL OBJECTIVE OF ESTIMATING BREEDING ALEUTIAN TERN ABUNDANCE IN SOUTHEAST ALASKA.THE DRAFT REPORT SUMMARIZING THE 2023 SURVEY EFFORTS WILL BE SUBMITTED ELECTRONICALLY TO THE WORKING GROUP BY SEPTEMBER 15, 2023. THE COORDINATOR WILL WORK TO INCORPORATE COMMENTS INTO SUBSEQUENT VERSIONS OF THE REPORT THROUGH FEBRUARY. THE FINALIZED REPORT WILL BE DISBURSED AMONG THE WORKING GROUP AS WELL AS TO INTERESTED STAKEHOLDERS (E.G., ICY BAY LODGE, NATIONAL PARK WILDERNESS PARTNERS).

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

DEVELOPMENT AND TESTING OF AN IN SITU IMAGING AND IDENTIFICATION SYSTEM FOR THE ASSESSMENT OF FISH PASSAGE IN SMALL STREAMS.

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.

CLIMATE CHANGE HAS TAKEN HOLD IN GULF OF ALASKA FISHERIES, WITH NUMEROUS FISHERIES DISASTERS OVER THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND CONTINUING ECOSYSTEM CHANGES THAT ARE ALTERING FOUNDATIONAL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN THE PEOPLE IN THE REGION AND THE PLACE. ACROSS THE MANY GEOGRAPHICALLY ISOLATED AND FISHING DEPENDENT COMMUNITIES WITHIN THE GULF OF ALASKA, FISHERIES LOSSES MAY BE DEVASTATING FOR LOCAL ECONOMIES THAT LACK ECONOMIC DIVERSITY, MAINTAIN FISHING- DEPENDENT FOOD SYSTEMS, AND HAVE CULTURAL FISHING PRACTICES THAT CANNOT BE REPLACED. DESPITE THE TREMENDOUS COSTS OF DECLINING FISHERIES IN THE REGION, THERE IS A DEARTH OF ADAPTATION PLANNING TO ENSURE THE RESILIENCE OF FISHING COMMUNITIES INTO THE FUTURE. THIS PROJECT ADDRESSES THE CRITICAL NEED FOR FISHING COMMUNITIES IN THE GULF OF ALASKA TO FORMALIZE FISHERIES RESILIENCE STRATEGIES IN ADAPTATION PLANS, FOCUSING ON THREE OF THE MOST HIGHLY DEPENDENT AND DIVERSE FISHING COMMUNITIES IN THE REGION - CORDOVA, KODIAK, AND SITKA.

DEVELOPMENT OF A RAPID ECOREGIONAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE CHIHUAHUAN DESERT  SUPPORT AND CONCEPTUAL MODELING

SASONAL & INTER-ANNUAL TRENDS IN SEABIRD PREDATION - JUVENILE HEERING IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND

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.

SONAR WEIR IN THE LOWER COPPER RIVER TO ENUMERATE EARLY RUN SALMON FOR IN-SEASON MANAGEMENT

: COPPER RIVER (CR) SOCKEYE SALMON POPULATIONS (STOCKS) ARE AMONG THE MOST SIGNIFICANT NATURAL RESOURCES OF WRANGELL-ST. ELIAS NATIONAL PARK AND PRESERVE (WRST). ECOLOGICALLY, THEY REPRESENT A VITAL SOURCE OF ENERGY AND MARINE-DERIVED NUTRIENTS TO PARK ECOSYSTEMS. CULTURALLY, THEY ARE CENTRAL TO THE TRADITIONS AND SUBSISTENCE PRACTICES OF INDIGENOUS AHTNA AND OTHER RURAL RESIDENTS AFFILIATED WITH THE CR DRAINAGE (FEDERAL SUBSISTENCE USERS) AND ARE VALUED BY MANY ALASKA RESIDENTS WHO PARTICIPATE IN SEVERAL STATE-MANAGED (ALASKA DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND GAME, ADF&G) FISHERIES THAT HARVEST CR SOCKEYE. SOCKEYE SALMON OF THE CR ALSO REPRESENT A CRUCIAL ECONOMIC RESOURCE TO THOSE WHO PARTICIPATE IN CR FISHERIES AND TO THE REGION, WITH SOCKEYE SALMON HARVESTED IN THE COMMERCIAL GILLNET DRIFT FISHERY (WHICH ACCOUNTS FOR APPROXIMATELY 84% OF THE ANNUAL CR SOCKEYE SALMON HARVEST) VALUED UP TO $40M ANNUALLY. BY FAR, SOCKEYE SALMON IS THE SINGLE MOST IMPORTANT SUBSISTENCE RESOURCE FOR MANY OF THE RURAL ALASKA COMMUNITIES AFFILIATED WITH WRST, AS MEASURED BY MEAN ANNUAL HARVEST WEIGHT PER HOUSEHOLD.FISHERIES THAT HARVEST CR SOCKEYE SALMON ARE MANAGED TO ACHIEVE SPECIFIED GOALS FOR DRAINAGE-WIDE ESCAPEMENT (DEFINED AS THE ANNUAL ESTIMATED AMOUNT OF SPAWNING SOCKEYE SALMON), WITH ESCAPEMENT GOALS SPECIFIED WITHIN RANGES NECESSARY FOR CONSERVING AND SUSTAINING LONG-TERM SALMON PRODUCTION AND MAINTAINING NORMAL ECOSYSTEM FUNCTIONING. IN ADDITION TO ESCAPEMENT AMOUNT, ESCAPEMENT IS TO BE MANAGED IN A MANNER THAT MAINTAINS GENETIC AND PHENOTYPIC CHARACTERISTICS OF CR SOCKEYE SALMON STOCKS BY ASSURING APPROPRIATE GEOGRAPHIC AND TEMPORAL DISTRIBUTION OF SPAWNERS THROUGHOUT THE CR DRAINAGE, INCLUDING THE SIGNIFICANT PROPORTION OF SOCKEYE SALMON DESTINED FOR SPAWNING GROUNDS IN WRST. THESE STOCK CHARACTERISTICS, AS WELL AS SIZE RANGE, SEX RATIO, AND OTHER POPULATION ATTRIBUTES ARE ENCOMPASSED BY THE CONCEPT OF ESCAPEMENT QUALITY.IN 2018 AND AGAIN IN 2020, UNEXPECTEDLY LOW NUMBERS OF SOCKEYE SALMON RETURNED TO THE CR DRAINAGE SYSTEM FROM THE MARINE ENVIRONMENT, WITH DRAMATIC CONSEQUENCES FOR CR FISHERIES AND STAKEHOLDERS. THESE INCLUDED THE UNPRECEDENTED CLOSURE OF THE COMMERCIAL FISHERY FOR 41 CONSECUTIVE DAYS IN 2018 AND ONLY FISHING SEVEN PERIODS IN 2020; THE FIRST-EVER CLOSURE OF THE STATE SUBSISTENCE FISHERY IN 2018; AND EXPANDED CLOSURES OF THE PERSONAL USE FISHERY IN 2018 AND 2020. IN 2018, CONCERN AMONG FEDERAL SUBSISTENCE USERS ABOUT THE LOW SOCKEYE SALMON RETURN AND IMPACTS OF STATE-MANAGED FISHERIES ON SOCKEYE SALMON STOCKS RESULTED IN UNPRECEDENTED WRITTEN REQUESTS THAT THE WRST SUPERINTENDENT ISSUE EMERGENCY SPECIAL ACTIONS CLOSING ONE OR MORE STATE FISHERIES PURSUANT TO HIS DELEGATED AUTHORITY FROM THE FEDERAL SUBSISTENCE BOARD.IN ADDITION TO RECENT RELATIVELY LOW NUMBERS OF RETURNING CR SOCKEYE SALMON, THERE HAS BEEN A LONG-TERM DECLINE IN BODY SIZE OF RETURNING CR SOCKEYE SALMON, WHICH MAY BE AN IMPORTANT BIOLOGICAL FACTOR CONTRIBUTING TO RECENT LOW ESCAPEMENT. SMALLER FISH MAY BE MORE LIKELY TO SUFFER EN-ROUTE (PRE-SPAWNING) MORTALITY, POTENTIALLY DRIVEN BY IMPACTS OF CHANGING MARINE CONDITIONS (WARMING AND COMPETITION) ON HEALTH PARAMETERS AND THE CAPACITY OF SOCKEYE SALMON TO RESPOND TO CHANGING RIVERINE CONDITIONS (FLOW AND TEMPERATURE REGIMES).IN THIS CONTEXT, THERE IS AN URGENT NEED TO BETTER UNDERSTAND HOW ENVIRONMENTAL CHANGES IN THE GULF OF ALASKA AND THE CR WATERSHED MAY IMPACT SPAWNING MIGRATION SUCCESS BY SOCKEYE SALMON UNDER FUTURE ECOLOGICAL SCENARIOS. THIS PROJECT AIMS TO INTEGRATE PRIOR AND ONGOING RADIO-TELEMETRY DATA ON CR SOCKEYE SPAWNING MIGRATION WITH SEVERAL LONG-TERM ADF&G DATA SETS TO DEVELOP FORECASTING MODELS FOR SOCKEYE THAT WOULD INCORPORATE NEW INFORMATION FROM A RECENTLY AVAILABLE HYDROLOGICAL MODEL DEVELOPED BY USGS. THIS INFORMATION WILL BE USED TO EVALUATE THE CONDITION OF CR SOCKEYE STOCKS AS INDICATED BY MIGRATORY SUCCESS AND INCIDENCE OF EN ROUTE OR PRE-SPAWN MORTALITY.

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

SEAFLOOR SEDIMENTARY PROPERTIES OFFSHORE SOUTHEASTERN ALASKA

SEASONAL & INTERANNUAL TRENDS IN SEABIRD PREDATION ON JUVENILE HERRING IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND (EVOS

RESTORING CRITICAL HABITAT IN THE BERING SEA

INFRASTRUCTURE IMPROVEMENTS TO PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND SCIENCE CENTER TO PROVIDE ECONOMIC DIVERSIFICATION & WORKFORCE DEVEL OPPS IN PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND.

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.

DEVELOPMENT OF A RAPID ECOREGIONAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE CHIHUAHUAN DESERT  SUPPORT AND CONCEPTUAL MODELING

DEVELOPMENT OF A RAPID ECOREGIONAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE CHIHUAHUAN DESERT #22; SUPPORT AND CONCEPTUAL MODELING

ALASKA SCIENCE COMMUNICATION WORKSHOP

SOUND SCIENCE WILL DEVELOP A BASIC CONCEPTUAL ECOLOGICAL MODEL (CEM) OF THE NORTHERN SPOTTED OWL FOR SUBSEQUENT ELABORATION BY THE FWS AND ITS PARTNERS IN CONSERVING THIS SPECIES. THE PURPOSE OF THE MODEL IS TO ORGANIZE EXISTING KNOWLEDGE TO ENABLE EFFICIENT AND CONSISTENT ANALYSES AND PLANNING ACROSS A RAPIDLY CHANGING LANDSCAPE. WE WILL BUILD THE CEM BASED ON BIOLOGICAL, ECOLOGICAL, AND REGULATORY LITERATURE PROVIDED BY THE FWS. THE CEM WILL BE A DRIVER-LINKAGE-OUTCOME (DLO) MODEL ORGANIZED BY (A) LIFE STAGES, (B) ASSOCIATED CRITICAL BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES IN EACH LIFE STAGE THAT AFFECT SPECIES VIABILITY AT LOCAL AND REGIONAL POPULATION SCALES, (C) CRITICAL HABITAT REQUIREMENTS AND CONSTRAINTS THAT AFFECT THESE PROCESSES AT MULTIPLE SPATIAL SCALES, AND (D) DRIVERS INCLUDING CONSERVATION ACTIONSTHAT SIGNIFICANTLY AFFECT THESE CRITICAL BIOLOGICAL PROCESSES AND CRITICAL HABITAT CONDITIONS AND THEREFORE BEAR ON SPECIES MANAGEMENT. THE STRUCTURE OF THE CEM WILL CLOSELY RESEMBLE THAT OF OTHER MODELS USED BY THE FWS TO SUPPORT SPECIES MANAGEMENT AND ITS CONTENT WILL BE SUITABLE FOR USE IN FWS PLANNING PROCESSES. THE CONTRACTOR WILL PROVIDE A DRAFT OF THE CEM TO THE POCS AND A TEAM OF SPECIES EXPERTS SELECTED BY THE POCS FOR FEEDBACK, INCLUDING THROUGH ONE OR MORE ONLINE MEETINGS AND WILL THEN REVISE AND DELIVER THIS REVISED VERSION OF THE CEM AND ASSOCIATED SUPPORTING MATERIALS TO THE POCS FOR USE AND FURTHER REFINEMENT BY THE FWS AND PARTNER EXPERTS FROM FEDERAL AND STATE AGENCIES AND RESEARCH INSTITUTIONS.

DEVELOPMENT OF A RAPID ECOREGIONAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE CHIHUAHUAN DESERT  SUPPORT AND CONCEPTUAL MODELING

DEVELOPMENT OF A RAPID ECOREGIONAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE CHIHUAHUAN DESERT  SUPPORT AND CONCEPTUAL MODELING

NATIVE PLANTS GARDEN

DEVELOPMENT OF A RAPID ECOREGIONAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE CHIHUAHUAN DESERT #22; SUPPORT AND CONCEPTUAL MODELING

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

ASSESSING CASPIAN TERN POPULATION

THIS MINI GRANT WILL PROVIDE THREE CORDOVA-BASED MARICULTURISTS WILL TRAVEL TO SEAGROVE KELP COMPANY IN THE FALL OF 2022 AND HOLD THE FIRST "KELP THE SOUND" WORKSHOP IN CORDOVA, ALASKA TO MEET THE FOLLOWING OBJECTIVES: 1) LEARN FROM AN ALASKAN KELP NURSERY AND FARMERS ABOUT SITE SELECTION, SEED COLLECTION, NURSERY OPERATIONS, AND OUT PLANTING YOUNG KELP AND 2) SHARE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES WITH RESIDENTS OF PRINCE WILLIAM SOUND. AT THE END OF THIS PROJECT, WE WILL HAVE THE FOLLOWING OUTCOMES BY THE APRIL 1, 2023: 1) A FREE, HANDS-ON WORKSHOP ABOUT KELP FARMING HELD IN CORDOVA, ALASKA; 2) SURVEY FEEDBACK, NOTES FROM LISTENING SESSIONS, AND A LIST OF TOPIC AREAS FOR FUTURE WORKSHOPS; 3) A DESIGN AND STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE FOR A NEW PWS-BASED KELP NURSERY.

ASSESSING CASPIAN TERN POPULATION