2023 Seward Marine Science Symposium:
Discover the Edge of the Unknown

September 17, 2023 ~ 10 a.m. - 5 p.m. AKDT
University of Alaska Fairbanks - K.M. Rae Marine Education Building, 125 3rd Avenue

On September 17, 2023, the Alaska Sealife Center , Chugach Regional Resources Commission’s Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute , University of Alaska Fairbanks Seward Marine Center , NOAA Ocean Exploration and the National Park Service Ocean Alaska Science and Learning Center will host the first annual 2023 Seward Marine Science Symposium.

Join us for the opportunity to tour local marine science facilities, meet and hear from ocean scientists and explorers, and contribute to a community art project. Learn about local marine science activities, including Indigenous-led science research and recent work on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer to explore deep waters in the region, and how all of these activities impact the City of Seward, the Resurrection Bay area, Kenai Fjords Park, and beyond. Event details will continue to be added as they are available.

NOTE: Space in the auditorium where the presentations will be given is limited. Register in advance to secure your spot!

On this page: Event Schedule | Additional Information

While conducting mapping operations off the coast of California, Saildrone Surveyor mapped this previously undiscovered seamount that rises nearly 3,500 meters (2.17 miles) off the seafloor. Shaped much like the butte features found in the deserts of the Southwest, researchers do not know why or how the seamount gained its cylindrical shape but do think it was most likely a volcanic formation.

Event Schedule

Alaska Marine Science Presentations

10 a.m. - 5 p.m. ~ K.M. Rae Marine Education Building, Auditorium
Listen to 30-minute talks from marine scientists about their work impacting the local region. Note that space for presentation seating will be limited; register in advance to guarantee a spot.

10 - 10:30 a.m.: Opening Remarks
Dr. Maile Branson and Carol Conant, Chugach Regional Resources Commission
Meredith Westington and Sam Candio, NOAA

10:30 - 11 a.m.: Chugach Regional Ocean Monitoring Program
Emily Mailman, Chugach Regional Resources Commission

11 - 11:30 a.m.: Tribally Led Fish and Wildlife Research and Management Efforts in Southcentral Alaska
Dustin Carl, Chugach Regional Resources Commission

11:30 a.m. - 12 p.m.: Student Scientists Monitor Seabirds in Seward: Engaging Community in Observations of Our Bay
Dr. Tuula Hollmen, Alaska SeaLife Center and University of Alaska Fairbanks

12 - 12:30 p.m.: Keeping a Finger on the Pulse of the Marine Environment: Gulf Watch Alaska Long-Term Monitoring Program
Heather Coletti, Southwest Alaska Network, National Park Service

12:30 - 1 p.m.: DEMBones
Kendall Mashburn, University of Alaska Fairbanks

1 - 1:30 p.m.: BREAK

1:30 - 2 p.m.: Northern Gulf of Alaska Long Term Ecological Research: Observing Long-Term Ecosystem Dynamics in the Gulf of Alaska
Emily Ortega, University of Alaska Fairbanks

2 - 2:30 p.m.: Marine Research and Economic Development at the Alutiiq Pride Marine Insitute
Annette Jarosz, Chugach Regional Resources Commission

2:30 - 3 p.m.: Alaska's Flying Marine Mammals: Little Brown Myotis Forage Within a Marine-Terrestrial Ecotone Along the Kenai Peninsula's Coast
Timothy Mullet and Paul Burger, National Park Service

3 - 3:30 p.m.: Changes in the Overwintering Diet of Steller Sea Lions
Dr. John Maniscalco, Alaska SeaLife Center

3:30 - 4 p.m.: Sleeper Shark Studies in Prince William Sound and the Kenai Fjords Region of Alaska
Dr. Markus Horning, Wildlife Technology Frontiers

4 - 4:30 p.m.: Closing Remarks
Dr. Wei Ying Wong, Alaska SeaLife Center

Alaska Marine Science Poster Session

3 - 5 p.m. ~ K.M. Rae Marine Education Building, Auditorium Lobby
Browse scientific posters covering a range of Alaska marine science topics and talk to scientists and explorers from the different symposium partner organizations.

Facility Tours

University of Alaska Fairbanks Seward Marine Center Tour
Two tours available: 11 a.m. - 12 p.m., 2 - 3 p.m.
Sign up for tours will take place at the Seward Marine Center the day of the symposium
Tour the Seward Marine Center , a major marine research and support facility operated by the University of Alaska Fairbanks College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences .

Chugach Regional Resources Commission’s Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute Tour
Two tours available: 11 a.m. - 12 p.m., 4 - 5 p.m.
Sign up for tours will take place at the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute the day of the symposium
Tour the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute , a tribally managed marine research facility that is a major subsidiary of the Chugach Regional Resources Commission , a tribal consortium established for the purposes of management and advocacy in the preservation of natural resources and subsistence opportunities for the native peoples of Southcentral Alaska.

Alaska SeaLife Center Tour
Two tours available: 2 - 3 p.m., 4 - 5 p.m.
Sign up for tours will take place at the Alaska SeaLife Center the day of the symposium
Tour the Alaska SeaLife Center and learn about efforts to generate and share scientific knowledge to promote understanding and stewardship of Alaska's marine ecosystems.

Community Mural Art Project

Mural Painting Contributions
10 a.m. - 4:30 p.m. ~ Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute Garage
Paint your favorite deep-sea animal and contribute to a larger community art project. Through funding from NOAA Ocean Exploration, the Seward Arts Council has commissioned the development of a mural by local artists Luzan Quintero and Marissa Amor , inspired by exploration on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer, for display near the Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute. During the symposium, members of the community are invited to paint ocean-inspired art on small aluminum squares that will be integrated into the larger mural display.

September 18: Regional Student Marine Science Event (by invitation only)

On September 18, middle school and high school students and educators from the Kenai Peninsula have been invited to join the Alaska Sealife Center, Chugach Regional Resources Commission’s Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute, University of Alaska Fairbanks Seward Marine Center, and NOAA Ocean Exploration to learn about Okeanos Explorer, meet scientists and learn about exploration science and technology and associated careers, tour the University of Alaska Fairbanks Seward Marine Center and Alutiiq Pride Marine Institute, and add their talent to the local community mural art project.

Additional Information

Event Parking

In order to minimize disruptions to other operations taking place at the same time as the event, we ask that you please park in the parking lot located behind the K.M. Rae Marine Education Building, located at 125 3rd Avenue. Look for signs pointing you in the right direction!

Event Maps

Map showing the locations where different activities will take place during the Seward Marine Science Symposium.

This map shows the locations where different activities will take place during the Seward Marine Science Symposium.

This map shows the layout of the Alaska SeaLife Center. Symposium guests will be able to sign up the day of the event to tour this facility.

This map shows the layout of the first floor of the University of Alaska Fairbanks - K.M. Rae Marine Education Building. Presentations during the sypmosium will take place in the auditorium; space for presentation seating will be limited, so guests are encouraged to register in advance to secure a seat. Posters will be available in the building's main lobby and symposium guests will be able to sign up the day of the event to tour this facility.

Last updated September 6, 2023
Published August 11, 2023