Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Make a Date to View the new Ken Burns Parks Documentary
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
2009 US Climate Change Report - A Must Read!
You can access a copy of the report at: http://www.globalchange.gov/publications/reports/scientific-assessments/us-impacts/download-the-report.
Dr Jane Lubchenco, under-secretary of commerce for oceans and atmosphere and administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration concluded today’s White House press briefing on the report by stating: “Climate change is happening now, it’s happening in our own backyards, and it affects the kinds of things people care about."
The report is easy to read and has several chapters of particular relevance to Alaska and the work that we do at the Alaska SeaLife Center, viz:
Excerpt from the Alaska Chapter:
“Over the past 50 years, Alaska has warmed at more than twice the rate of the rest of the United States’ average. Its annual average temperature has increased 3.4°F, while winters have warmed even more, by 6.3°F.
Over much of the past decade, as air and water temperatures rose, sea ice in this region declined sharply. Populations of fish, seabirds, seals, walruses, and other species depend on plankton blooms that are regulated by the extent and location of the ice edge in spring. As the sea ice retreats, the location, timing, and species composition of the plankton blooms changes, reducing the amount of food reaching the living things on the ocean floor. This radically changes the species composition and populations of fish and other marine life forms, with significant repercussions for fisheries”
Next steps – our Response
This report has reaffirmed the strategic importance of our work on climate change research and education and will be a central plank in the formulation of our 2020 strategic plan next year as well as our immediate research, education, conservation and strandings program priorities in 2010. No issue is more important to the future of Alaska’s marine ecosystems nor to the future of the people who depend on them.
I encourage all staff to:
a. take the time to read the report – if nothing else, read the Alaska Chapter so that you can share the findings with friends and visitors and be informed about the data we will be using to make resource allocation and other strategic decisions in the next year; and
b. discuss how this knowledge impacts your work and how we might better contribute to both climate change mitigation and adaptation – I’ll likely convene a town hall meeting to discuss your ideas and recommendations in the fall.
Please don’t hesitate to post your ideas here or set up a time to chat with me if you’d like to discuss further what we might do to address this unprecedented global challenge.
Ian
Thursday, June 4, 2009
To See Alaska as Others Do
If there was one disappointment on the cruise it was my observation that we "under-interpret" what Alaska has to offer. Nearly everyone I talked with on the ship (not a true random sample, but good enough given I was on vacation!) anticipated this trip as a life highlight. I was reminded of the appeal and power of Alaska as a destination by an elderly couple from Texas who has saved for this trip as their major retirement activity. Despite mobility limits, they tried to undertake every activity that would bring them into contact with the places and cultures and history that they had grown up reading about in adventure books for 60 years! Their enthusiastic participation was mirrored by the hundreds who attended free on board hisitory lectures and who clung to outdoor audio posts to hear recorded stories about glaciers and whales! Most passengers seemed to have a seemingly insatiable appetite for knowledge that is presented by real people telling real stories - they want to know what they are seeing and what it means and why it matters and they want that information in real time. As the photo below indicates, there were numerous opportunities for passengers to be exposed to some really cool (excuse the pun!) Alaskan experiences - this photo is of an early morning visit to the Hubbard Glacier.
Unfortunately without a trained naturalist on board this ship ( a common challenge I gather), there were few opportunities for Alaska's natural and cultural heritage to be presented in ways that satisfied the curiosity of visitors.
Those of you who know about my background in interpretation can imagine the wheels that turned in my mind throughout the trip, rethinking how we might better meet the interests of passengers such as the Texan couple. I suspect that one of the reasons why our visitors like the SeaLife center experience is because of our emphasis on personalized interpretation. Based on my cruise experience, I will now be working even more closely with our marketing, education/interpretation and other staff and partners in the Alaskan marine tourism industry to ensure that the SeaLife Center plays a key role presenting Alaska's marine ecosystems in ways that meet the needs and interests of Alaska's million + cruise ship guests. I am also planning to work on new ways to engage with the cruise ship industry to help ensure we provide direct outreach to tourists and support for marine educators across the Gulf of Alaska.
I'd welcome your thoughts on what more can and should do to ensure that every visitor to Alaska leaves here with a proper understanding and renewed appreciation of the amazing marine ecosystems that are such a big part of an Alaskan cruise ship experience.