Reid Brewer with a giant Pacific octopus.
SFOS Newsletter
Fall 2009
Surveying the giant Pacific octopus
by Tara Borland, Proposal Coordinator
In a partnership with the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center, SFOS Marine Advisory Program agent, Reid Brewer, is working on a project studying the ecology of the giant Pacific octopus. With little existing information on the species, this project will establish baseline data on the octopus through SCUBA observations, octopus captured in pots and specimen dissection.
The goal of the project is to establish the early life history, distribution and abundance of the giant Pacific octopus. Brewer says that a large part of the study will involve tag-and-recapture studies as well as seasonal reproductive investment, testing habitat pot gear and performing dive surveys to determine seasonal denning by females.
"I have been interested in octopuses since I began diving in 2000— when I met my first octopus face-to-mask," says Brewer.
"For me, the most interesting aspects of octopuses are their adaptations to life on the seafloor, their dozen or more unique defense mechanisms and a thinking capacity estimated to be on the same level as birds."
Giant Pacific octopuses are the largest known species of octopus in the world. They can reach more than 30 feet in length and weigh more than 150 pounds. They also grow at an amazing rate of up to two percent of their body weight per day. This species is found throughout the Pacific Ocean from Japan to Alaska to California, inhabits waters from 1 to 1500 meters and is thought to live 3-5 years.
"I have been interested in octopuses since I began diving in 2000— when I met my first octopus face-to-mask."
Octopuses are one of the top prey resources for Pacific halibut, Pacific cod and Steller sea lions and are known to feed on juvenile crab and fish species as well as clams and shrimp, yet we know virtually nothing about where and when they occur.
Though cephalopod fisheries are important world-wide, there is little interest in cephalopod fisheries in the United States. Japanese researchers and fishermen have been observing octopus behavior for three decades but no study to date has documented seasonal changes in distribution, movement and growth of octopuses. Brewer says this study will use a novel tagging technology that will give researchers and fisheries managers important seasonal information that is not currently available.
The tag-and-recapture study will be conducted from a charter vessel out of Dutch Harbor from fall 2009 to winter 2010. Octopus, like many invertebrates, are notoriously difficult to tag. This study will use Visible Implant Elastomer tags developed by Northwest Marine Technologies to tag octopus subdermally using a colored liquid that quickly cures into a bio-compatible solid. The tags are available in several different colors which will allow each individual tagged to have a unique color code.
Each octopus collected will be identified, measured, tagged and released with hopes of being recovered later in the season. Brewer estimates that 500 octopus will be tagged each season. Data gathered from the tagging study will provide information on the movement patterns of the octopus, in situ growth and seasonal migrations.
One issue with studying octopus is the limited ability to collect specimens. The standard commercial pot gear currently used is labor-intensive and generally only allows for one specimen to be caught at a time. In this study, the researchers will construct and test longline habitat pot gear which they hope will provide a much more efficient way of gathering specimens. These types of pots are much smaller and are built to provide an artificial habitat for the octopus. The longline habitat pots are bait-free and are deployed several at a time. In addition, several hundred additional pots will be constructed of different sizes and different materials ranging from wood to ceramics. Based on the capture rate of each pot type, it will be determined which type of pot is most successful.
SCUBA communities in both Kodiak and Dutch Harbor will also be involved in the collection of data. One main objective of the study is to locate dens and then revisit them on a monthly basis. By monitoring the dens, they hope to learn about the seasonal dynamics of early life history.
With the completion of this project, the researchers hope to have gained a better understanding of the giant Pacific octopus and to have begun a database of information on the species to be expanded upon by further studies.
Learn more about Reid Brewer at http://seagrant.uaf.edu/map/staff/brewer.html.
Click on the image to download the Fall 2009 newsletter (5.6 MB PDF).
Greetings from the Dean
This will be an exciting year for
the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. After adding seven new faculty members last year, five new faculty
will join us this semester and two more after the first of the year. We also begin this semester with more graduate students and the largest incoming class of fisheries undergraduates (20) in our history.
New findings show increased
ocean acidification in Alaska
The same things that make Alaska's marine waters among the
most productive in the world may also make them the most vulnerable to ocean acidification.
According to new findings by a University of Alaska Fairbanks scientist, Alaska's oceans
are becoming increasingly acidic, which could damage Alaska's king crab and salmon fisheries.
Christie takes over Alaska Sea Grant
The University of Alaska Fairbanks has appointed David Christie as the director of the Alaska Sea Grant College Program.
Bristol Bay region welcomes local as new Marine
Advisory Program agent
Bristol Bay, home to Alaska's largest wild commercial salmon fishery, once again has an Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory
Program agent to help fishermen, seafood processors and marketers, and other marine resource users.
Spotlight: Richard H. Carlson Scholarship
Scholarships are increasingly important as our current economy encourages more people to attend and return
to higher education. In times like these, scholarships are vital because for many students scholarships are the
difference between taking two classes or four, filling up their gas tank or buying books, and
they provide stability in otherwise uncertain times.
Mathis didn't graduate with his bachelor's degree saying "I want to be an oceanographer," but he did say "I want an adventure."
Featured faculty
Jeremy Mathis, Asst. Prof. of Oceanography
Jeremy Mathis never expected to be an oceanographer in Alaska, and he certainly
never expected to be a voice for the effects of climate change on Alaska waters.
Atkinson takes the helm at the Fisheries Division
Shannon Atkinson is the new interim director of the UAF Fisheries Division, headquartered in Juneau.
Atkinson took the helm from Bill Smoker, after he retired this summer.
Standouts - Faculty and Staff News
AOOS launches Prince William Sound Field Experiment
This summer, the Alaska Ocean Observing System conducted high-tech, high-speed field experiments in Prince William Sound
to collect data and evaluate models that predict wind, waves, ocean circulation, and oil spill trajectories.
More
"I grew up hearing about Alaska from my parents and neighbors and later in college from friends who worked on fishing boats. The stories fed my imagination and much of what I imagined I found to be true."
Featured Staff
Deborah Mercy, Program Development Media Specialist
Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program
In 1976 I visited Anchorage during the spring break of my final year at the University of Washington. After graduation, that
same year, I got a job on a Southeast Alaska salmon purse seine fishing boat. We were based out of Craig on Prince of Wales
Island.
PROJECT Spotlight
Surveying the giant Pacific octopus
by Tara Borland, Proposal Coordinator
In a partnership with the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center, SFOS Marine Advisory Program agent, Reid Brewer, is working
on a project studying the ecology of the giant Pacific octopus.
"the curriculum has integrated classroom learning and 'real world' opportunities"
Featured Student
Mark Young, Bachelor of Arts in Fisheries
The Army brought my family and me to Alaska. My involvement with UAF started almost immediately upon my
arrival, both as a student and an adjunct instructor in the music department.
Welcome Aboard
by Madeline Scholl, Academic Programs Assistant
As we usher in a new academic year I would like to welcome and introduce our new graduate students joining the SFOS
community this fall. The 19 graduate students joining SFOS this September...
Undergraduate enrollment up at SFOS
SFOS has more undergraduate students than ever before, with 51 total undergraduate fisheries students enrolled this fall.
Standouts - Student News
Congratulations to our Spring 2009 graduates!
Congratulations to our Summer 2009 graduates!
Other Student News
Featured Alumna
Joan Braddock, Ph.D. Oceanography, 1989
SFOS alumnus honored by President Obama
President Obama recently awarded SFOS alumnus Dana Hanselman the 2008 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers.
Featured photo
Photo by Pam Goddard
Uinniq Ahgeak (second from left), a B.S. fisheries major, helps sort rockfish with the scientific crew on board
the F/V Vesteraalen as part of her summer internship with the NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center.
