MESAS IGERT Internships
Summer 2010
Groundfish Research and Management in Alaska
Megan Peterson
I worked with Senior Plan Coordinator, Jane DiCosimo and Deputy Director, David Witherell at the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in Anchorage, Alaska. The internship was focused on groundfish management issues in Alaska. I synthesized information on historic catch, catch specifications, biomass estimates and retrospective biomass for all species managed under the Bering Sea Aleutian Islands (BSAI) and Gulf of Alaska (GOA) groundfish Fishery Management Plans (FMP). This data was incorporated into 2010 Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluations. I also reviewed biology and fishery management information and created updated species profile documents for all target groundfish species managed under the BSAI and GOA FMPs. The final product will be published in glossy pamphlet format and online by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in 2011. My internship with the Council provided unique exposure to groundfish research, management and policy in Alaska.
Groundfish Species Profiles 2011
The History of Crab Fishing in Alaska
Courtney Lyons
My internship addressed the historical development of crab fisheries in Alaska. Through archival research of traditional native place names, old research expedition notes and government records, I documented the temporal and spatial spread of crab fisheries throughout the state. I then entered these data into a public Google Earth database: the Historical Atlas of Marine Ecosystems (http://hmap.unh.edu), an easily accessible, user-friendly database allowing the compilation of historical fishing efforts for use in fisheries research and management. Fisheries management rarely addresses data at such large temporal and spatial scales. Doing so, however, allows for the interpretation of social and political influences on management regimes. It also provides a more extensive historical baseline by which to measure modern fishery performance.
Oral Histories of Sea Ice from Blönduós, Iceland
Catherine Chambers
In the summer of 2010, I traveled to Blönduós, Iceland for my MESAS internship at the Sea Ice Exhibition Centre. The Sea Ice Centre opened in 2006 to exhibit the history of sea ice around Iceland, and partnered with Hólar University College in 2009 to enhance new collaborative research in the humanities and the social and physical sciences. First, I updated English texts regarding the latest facts and figures on sea ice and climate science for the exhibition. Second, I gave a non-academic talk about Inupiat culture, dependence on sea ice, and TEK collaboration with Western academics entitled “Alaska Natives and Sea Ice: Pictures and Stories from a Changing World” during a community festival. Third, my major project was to collect oral histories on memories of sea ice and make a short film for the Sea Ice Centre. Sea ice is a visible symbol of hard times in Iceland, because the presence of sea ice means the blockage of shipping routes and important fishing grounds, so there are a variety of opinions and memories about sea ice. This project had the dual purpose of preserving important stories and histories about ice for future generations as well as collecting information for a variety of researchers. The film is on display at the Centre and on YouTube1, and DVD’s were given to all participants with a copy of their full interview. Additionally, the full interviews will be included in the ESF’s Fishernet Cultural Heritage Network2 for access by researchers. Finally, I presented a talk entitled “Considerations of Knowledge and Time: Exploring Oral History of Sea Ice in Iceland” that analyzed and reflected on the oral history project as a research method at the Alaska Chapter of AFS in November of 2010.
(1)       http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IA5WWRo3kfs&feature=related        Â
(2)Â Â Â Â Â Â Â www.fishernet.is
Threatened and Endangered Species Content for the ADF&G Website
Rachael Blevins
During my internship, I completed species profiles for threatened and endangered species for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) website. I started by creating a master list by compiling all the species that have information from the ADF&G Wildlife Notebook Series, the ADF&G Comprehensive Wildlife Conservation Strategy, and the Alaska Natural Heritage Program. The final list was a spreadsheet that indicated which sources had information on each species and a notes column with additional information such as what subspecies were included and any alternate names for the species. After completing this list, I began working on the main body of my internship. I completed species profile pages and special status pages for 22 species: beluga whale, walrus, yellow-billed loon, wood bison, polar bear, Kittlitz’s murrelet, sea otter, pinto abalone, black-footed albatross, North Pacific right whale, Pacific marten, short-tailed albatross, Steller sea lion, spectacled eider, Steller’s eider, Eskimo curlew, Pacific herring, red knot, Olive Ridley sea turtle, loggerhead sea turtle, leatherback sea turtle, and green sea turtle. The first section of the species profile was a description with description section that included general appearance and how to distinguish similar species, a life history section that included reproduction, feeding ecology, behavior, and migration, a range and habitat section, a status, trends, and threats section, and a section of fast facts. The other sections of the species profile were uses, research, management, get involved, which included opportunities for the public to be involved in management decisions or citizen science projects, and more resources that included links to other useful websites. The special status page had four sections: summary, policy actions, pertinent documents, and critical habitat. The summary included 1-2 paragraphs summarizing how and why the species was listed. The policy actions section included a timeline of policy actions with links to the federal registrar documents, rulings, and petitions. The pertinent documents section had items that didn’t fit in the policy actions section such as recovery plans, conservation plans, and co-management agreements. The critical habitat section contained a general definition of critical habitat and the specific critical habitat for that species. The critical habitat section was only included for species that were listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act and not those that were candidates or being considered for listing. Aside from the 22 species that I completed full write-ups, I completed special status pages for eight additional species: humpback whale, bowhead whale, blue whale, ringed seal, bearded seal, sperm whale, fin whale, and sei whale. At the end of the internship, I attended the meeting of the Species Team for the website redesign. At the meeting I presented my work, offered recommendations and input for further work, and helped them prioritize the work for the consultant they would hire to complete the remaining species profiles.
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