Our 2009 Top 20

As we count down to midnight on December 31st, it’s a common tradition to reflect on the events that have shaped our lives and actions over the past year.

The following “top 20 countdown” summarizes the major events and activities that have characterized the work of the SeaLife Center over the past year – it includes both the positives and the challenges we worked through – in all cases we learned valuable lessons that strengthen our organizational resilience and effectiveness.

Thanks again to all staff and volunteers, Board and Science Advisory Committee members, SeaLife Center Members and to our many partners and donors for your commitment and superb efforts to ensure the Alaska SeaLife Center has been able to continue to deliver important research, education, conservation and strandings outcomes for Alaska’s seas and beyond.

Our Top 20 Achievements in 2009

20. Reorganize & empower Senior Management Team; formalize conservation department and re-organize science, education and aquarium operations, expand diversity and recruit new SMT “mentee” to build succession capability.
19. Establish uniform organizational workplan process (GOSP) that define top 5 priorities by department and enable all individual staff business plans to be aligned to achieve organizational priorities and underpinned first standardized staff performance appraisal process in five years.
18. Internal communications and staff morale improved by circulation of monthly CEO reports and key updates, ASLC blog (http://sealifeceo.blogspot.com/), monthly all staff meetings and working groups on key topics (e.g. health care, green issues, etc.) and via team building retreats at Challenger Center in Kenai

17. Detailed online staff, visitor (interview) and member (online) surveys undertaken to better understand our strengths and opportunities for improvement as we prepare for a further decline in base federal revenue for the Center and for the 2010 tourism season which is expected to see further declines in cruise ship visitation to Seward (up to 17%)

16. Completed full organizational audit by a new independent external audit team with no adverse findings reported. We used this audit as an opportunity to further strengthen compliance systems and refine operational, risk management and HR procedures.

15. Alaska SeaLife Center invited to partner with Port and City of Anchorage and others to establish an Anchorage Salmon Learning Center – proposal proved not feasible at current time, but valuable intelligence was gathered and the ASLC profile raised in Anchorage

14. Regular discussions with State and Federal Government legislators and their senior staffers, active engagement with key government agencies and synchronization of ASLC lobby priorities with City of Seward; first meeting with Governor of Alaska in >3 years.

13. High profile rehabilitation activities with rapid response to mass walrus mortality event and successful transfer of trumpeter swan (“Marshmallow”) to Seattle, but loss of sea otter (“Skittle”) due to exhibit design failure – lessons learned in all cases and applied to future strandings activities

12. Active engagement of ASLC in National Aquarium and Climate Change initiative and Alaska Governor’s Climate Change Sub-cabinet, Alaska Coastal Communities Compact and via numerous public lectures and presentations, including a three day partner and staff training with Alaska Conservation Solutions.

11. Inaugural staff, volunteer and partner awards scheme established and funded by donations - first awards granted at annual staff dinner with Board

10. External communications dramatically expanded with first annual report in three years, two outreach newsletters (with combined circulation of 12,000 copies) and 30 refereed scientific papers published.

9. Deep Blue 2020 process established and underway – designed to establish a 2020 Strategic Plan for the Center; process led by team of senior staff and Board members and will be complete by mid 2010.

8. Staff incentives and reward scheme established to promote recognition of good ideas for costs savings and to acknowledge individual contributions to mission success. Led to an estimated $250,000 savings in operational costs and contributed to several winning project proposals from new donors, including the innovative seawater heat pump project currently in design

7. Lease Operating Agreement renewed with City of Seward on interim and long term basis after in-depth engagement with City staff and community; ASLC provided City use of Depot building for nominal rental and provided $150,000 in funding and volunteer labor for construction of new community pavilion

6. Board empowered to be an even more effective overseer and advocate for the Center – three new Board members added and formal link made between Board and Science Advisory Committee; Board actively engaged now in fundraising activities and two new Board Standing Committees established – Risk Management and Community Relations

5. Successful breeding of a Steller Sea Lion – the first such breeding effort in North America since 1987 – process involved meeting demanding permit protocols and complex husbandry and veterinary care for breeding animals – birth expected summer 2010.

4. Rapidly expanded efforts to secure new funding; Top 10 fundraising priorities list established and shared with donors; “Proposal blitz” team formed – meets monthly - 58 grant proposals submitted and >$800,000 of new funding raised mostly from new donors to the Center.

3. ASLC invited to exhibit at State Fair in Palmer for first time in 10 years – ASLC exhibit was in center of the path of fair attendees and we estimate >30,000 visitors participated in our activities; related promotional activities ensured that 2009 visitor revenue did not suffer same drop as other Alaska tourism operations.

2. Inaugural “Fish for the Future” fundraising event in Seward attracted some 140 participants and raised >$25,000 for ASLC activities and “Alaska Marine Gala” planned for January 17th, 2010. Gala is the largest fundraising event in ASLC history and is designed to both raise funds and profile of ASLC in Alaska. A key part of the event involves recognition of Alaska’s Ocean Heroes via sponsored awards.

1. ASLC core values defined and codified via participatory process led by staff – shared values now drive organizational behavior and improve accountability and risk management

Thanks again everyone –

lets plan to continue this very positive momentum into 2010!

Adapting to Climate Change Quickly - A Lesson from the Birds?

On the eve of the Copenhagen Climate Change Conference (COP 15 - see http://en.cop15.dk/) it is disappointing to see so little light at the end of what has been a long tunnel of preparation meetings and conferences.  Expectations for the event are being dialled back daily and it now looks like there has to be even more unfocussed meetings and delays before global leaders link arms to address the most pressing threat to the future of humanity. 
I appreciate that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is a difficult task, but the world has previously acted in unison to address critical threats to our life support systems (e.g. Montreal Protocol on CFCs)... so what is holding us up now?
As a reforming scientist, I have been fascinated by recent attempts to obscuficate the science of climate change.  In a presentation to the City of Kenai last week (see http://www.webcasting.com/kenai/player.php?clientname=kenai&eventname=-board&eventdate=11.24.2009), I explained that the science of CC is clear - we are now in new climate territory and so need to think differently.  In that regard, I have been delighted by the willingness of many Alaska Councils to sign on to a Coastal Climate Change Compact that creates momentum towards climate change adaptation (see http://www.akmarine.org/pressroom/alaska-coastal-communities-global-climate-change-compact/).

Its a pity that such collaboration is apparently so much harder to achieve at higher political levels, but always the optimist, I am still hopeful that humans will make the adjustments we need to make (and have the capacity to do so) in time to avoid creating an unlivable planet.  I'll be watching the Copenhagen debates with great interest and truly hope that we can take positive steps to make the changes we need to make in time to avoid the worst effects of warming.

This week an article was posted about how nature has begun to make its own change - see http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/british-birds-rapid-evolution-signals-human-impact/article1387804/.  In the article, a combination of warmer temperatures and human feeding of birds in Britain has led to marked changes in the physiology of blackcap warblers (pictured in center frame above) in just a  few decades!

The article is fascinating reminder that species such as birds can adapt quickly, but will likely need a helping hand... one can only hope that the importance of such principles is not lost on those diplomats gathering in Copenhagen.