April Newsletter

Get an update on what the Coalition is up to and some of the things going on around Alaska in our latest newsletter!

Three PAID internships!!!!

Three paid internships are available from the Alaska Marine Science and Fisheries Career Coalition this summer working with one of our partner organizations. Interns will recieve a hands-on experience in marine science and fisheries which can help develop your academic and career goals, while assisting the sponsoring organizations. 

This is a paid internship experience with a required 10-week commitment. Internships are open to undergraduate and graduate students who are from coastal Alaska communities and/or are Alaska Natives and who have an interest in fisheries or marine science careers. Internship credit through the University of Alaska is also available. 

This year we have the following three opportunities! 

• Aquaculture and Science Education - Sitka Sound Science Center, Sitka

This internship will provide work experience in aquaculture and science education. The intern will work with professional staff to provide hands on learning experiences for students and visitors. In addition, the intern will help with hatchery operations and be exposed to scientific experimental research. This internship will start in late May. 

To apply to the Sitka Internship – send a cover letter stating your interest, resume, contact information for one professional reference, and a copy of your transcript to Asia Beder (asia.beder@gmail.com) by May 10th, 2012

• King Crab Growth and Recruitment – University of Alaska Fairbanks, based in Juneau

Many king crab populations in Alaska declined in the 1980s and have not recovered in the absence of fishing. The lack of recovery is intriguing, and we are examining the growth and recruitment of king crabs to understand the biology of this species during the first few years. Activities for this internship will include, but are not limited to, crab husbandry, crab measurements, field collections, data analysis and data presentation. Internship will take place in Juneau at the School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, UAF. Start date is flexible between mid-May to early-June. 

• Sport Fish Division - Alaska Department of Fish and Game, based in Fairbanks

This internship will work on a variety of projects essential to the management of the salmon fisheries in Region III. These include: sockeye and king salmon sampling in the Chitina dipnet personal using fishery, working on the Chena River counting tower, access projects, and other projects as available. This position will be located in the field for about a month and then in Fairbanks. Housing will be provided. Food will also be provided when in the field. Internship dates are June 1 – August 17. 

To apply for the Juneau and Fairbanks Internships go to www.uakjobs.com/applicants/Central?quickFind=73306 - attach a cover letter stating your interest and reference the AMSFCC Internship, resume, contact information for one professional reference and copy of your transcript. Deadline for applicants is May 10th, 2012.

If you any difficulty applying to the posting or have any questions please contact Asia Beder - asia.beder@gmail.com or 907-274-9699 

Online Education: A Viable Medium For Future Alaskan Marine Scientists?

As technology continues to improve in the educational system, more students are choosing to take courses and even entire programs online. However, there are some programs, such as marine biology, that are more hands-on. In such instances, an online program may not be a viable option.

The Rise in Online Graduate Degrees

The increase in accredited, online universities suggests a growing demand. The popularity of online graduate degrees has grown so much that even some of the most prestigious, traditional colleges have expanded educational services to meet that demand. According to The Chronicle of Higher Education, colleges have seen a 17 percent increase in online enrollment. For programs such as marine biology in coastal states like Alaska, students can take core courses online and transfer them into the degree.

Sustainability

With the growth of technology in the education field, online education is a sustainable model for students who are unable to be present in the physical classroom. As stated by Morten Flate Paulsen, the movement toward online education is inevitable for colleges and universities in the 21st century.

For those that live in coastal areas with strong marine-based employment opportunities, online courses can be beneficial as they allow students to intern while still taking core online marine science classes. This will provide the scholar with valuable work experience and give them the basic knowledge in the marine sciences field.

Economic Impact

Online education makes attending college much more convenient and less expensive for many students. Online scholars will spend less money on gas commuting to school, will not have to pay to live on campus and can work more hours without the need to be in the classroom. As a result, the job market will be flooded with qualified candidates. As the demand for online education increases and more graduates enter the workplace, there will also be an increase in competition for limited jobs.

Online programs are increasing enrollment and thus increasing profits. Students who may otherwise not be able to attend college in Alaska can take classes online and even graduate without ever entering the classroom. This bodes well financially for the school and state. On the other hand, residents of Alaska can enroll in core online courses elsewhere and transfer that knowledge to Alaskan-based programs. Unfortunately some Alaskan collegiate programs, such as marine science, are not entirely obtainable online. According to the University of Maine, marine biology requires laboratory and field experience. This does not coincide with e-learning which is distance-based.

Online Marine Science Programs

As identified by Education-Portal.com, an online degree in marine science is rare. However, online courses can play a role in the pursuit of a marine science degree. Basic courses in biology and chemistry, which do not require laboratory or field work, can be taken online. Although no college in Alaska currently offers an online marine biology degree, by taking core e-learning classes through  Alaskan universities, out-of-state students will acquire the framework to transition into a marine biology program. Some degrees can be taken entirely online while others require a “hands-on” approach to learning. Either way, online education will continue to grow and expand in the future.


We would like to thank Brooke Folliot for showing an interest in the Coalition and writing this amazing blog for us. Brooke is an avid writer that strives to write about topics surrounding the rising emergence of online education and how it could effect the way that students of the future will learn, interact, and contribute to the world around them.  Brooke holds a graduate degree in business and is also currently considering further graduate work in the field of organizational behavior.

Summer Camps in Homer

The Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies is offering a number of summer camps in Homer this summer! 

Check out their website for more information or give them a call at (907) 235-6667

Re-articulating a Killer Whale

The process of working from a whole animal found on Kruzof Island to a skeleton hanging in the Sitka Sound Science Center is much longer than anyone expected.  The project began with Shannon Atkinson and a group of veterinarians, biologists and volunteers working on a young killer whale on a beach near Sitka.  After months of work, the skeleton is cleaned, reassembled and hung in the Science Center’s aquarium.  It is a huge accomplishment that almost a year to the day after the project began, we could stand back and admire our completed skeleton.

The first step in the process was getting people to the beach.  The Forestry Service generously offered time and help to ferry people out.  Once there, the whale was measured, and cut into manageable chunks that could be hauled to the boats and brought back to Sitka. The next process was cleaning the bones.  They were boiled to get the muscle and soft tissue off, then the Making Waves summer camp stepped in.  Middle school students from Sitka donned gloves and picked up scrub brushes to clean the slimy, messy bones.  The students were a huge help, particularly in small spaces like the brain case where adult hands had trouble fitting.  

Once the bones were mostly clean, the degreasing began.  All bones have some grease in them, from marrow and the very things that keep bones alive and healthy in the body.  Whales have much more grease in their bones than the average animal and degreasing took months, longer than anyone expected.  The grease needs to come out so that the bones do not smell or discolor over time.  Chemicals like ammonia, detergents and peroxide were used to degrease and then whiten the bones.  While cleaning the bones, each one was measured, weighed, photographed and even scanned into a digital format by the Idaho State Virtualization Laboratory.  All of that information is being put into a database to learn more about this orca, and even orcas in general.  We know this animal was a juvenile, but what differences might there be between young bones and adult bones?  Do the shapes change?  Do certain bones grow very little as the animal ages?  We are trying to find out.

The final process was perhaps the most fun, taking all the bones, and puzzling them back together into their original places.  It took five days to get the whale reassembled with some bones strung on bars or bolted together.  Now the whale is up and hanging, and waiting for the grand unveiling on April 22^nd!

We would like to thank the Sitka Sound Science Center's AmeriCorp Alaina Avery for this wonderful recap of the last year and for sharing her photos. We are all so excited to see the final product when the center reopens on Earth day!