SFOS Facilities Overview
Fairbanks
The Fairbanks campus is located on a ridge with a panoramic view of the Tanana River Valley and the Alaska Mountain Range and Mt. McKinley to the south. Fishery and Marine Science Students will attend classes and work with faculty in Juneau and/or Fairbanks. University of Alaska Fairbanks is 4 miles from downtown Fairbanks, on 2250 acres. Fairbanks is located in the Interior of Alaska about 130 miles from the Arctic Circle. Fairbanks' geographic location is advantageous for the study of interior Alaska aquatic habitats. Numerous subarctic streams and lakes are within easy reach of the campus. Main access to the marine environment from the Fairbanks campus is in Prince William Sound (362 miles), Seward (360 miles), or Homer (584 miles).
Juneau Center
The Juneau Center is located in the Tongass National Rainforest overlooking the pristine Auke Bay Lab in Juneau, Alaska. The Center is nestled at the foot of the glacier-rich coastal mountains and is a wonderful place to study marine organisms and fisheries. There is access to both marine and freshwater habitats. The Juneau center is equipped with freshwater and seawater wet labs as well as state of the art computer labs.
Seward Marine Center
Located 130 miles from Anchorage at the head of Resurrection Bay, the Seward
Marine Center is the primary coastal facility operated by the Institute of
Marine Science. This facility provides access to salt water laboratories and
the coastal environment. There are excellent laboratories, constant temperature
chambers and a running seawater system. There is also a 4-plex apartment unit
for visiting scientists and students.
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Alaska SeaLife Center
Located in Seward, Alaska, the Alaska SeaLife Center (ASLC) occupies a seven acre waterfront site adjacent to the Institute of Marine Science. It is in close proximity to numerous seabird colonies, marine mammal concentrations, and salmon streams in Resurrection Bay and the adjacent Kenai Fjords National Park and Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. The Center is dedicated to understanding and maintaining the integrity of the marine ecosystem of Alaska through research, rehabilitation and public education. The ASLC provides a high level of infrastructure and staff support to research activities on invertebrates, fish, birds and mammals, including veterinary and husbandry care, project logistics, life support. The Center also serves as a regional stranding center, equipped to rehabilitate sick, stray, and injured marine birds, pinnipeds, sea otter and small cetaceans. The ASLC facilities include six dry laboratories, two wet laboratories, nine outdoor in-ground and four pens.
Kasitsna Bay
Photo: A scenic view from Kasitsna Bay. SFOS photo
by Bodil Bluhm.
Kasitsna
Bay is a unique resource for marine research and teaching. The Laboratory
is located on 15 wooded acres overlooking Kasitsna Bay, a scenic embayment
protected by McDonald Spit. The bay is on the south side of the much larger
Kachemak Bay. The laboratory is nine miles by road from the nearest town,
Seldovia. Seldovia, which is located on the Kenai Peninsula, is accessible
by the state ferry system and air service. Kasitsna Bay laboratory include
living accommodations for up to 18 people, laboratories, a maintenance shop,
storage, running seawater system, animal holding tanks, boats and a dock.
With one of the most productive marine ecosystems in the world, Kasitsna Bay
is one of the best locations for marine research and teaching.
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Fishery Industrial Technology Center
Fishery Industrial Technology Center (FITC) is located on the Trident Basin
in Kodiak, Alaska. FITC works year-round to discover better methods to harvest,
preserve, process, and package Alaska's rich ocean bounty. With state-of-the-art
seafood research and development facility, FITC has research kitchens, biochemistry
labs and food labs with experimental seafood processing equipment researchers
use to test production techniques and develop new seafood products. FITC staff
work closely with the industry to convey research results and provide educational
opportunities that help seafood workers improve efficiency and the quality
of their products.
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