A (Vertical) Marathon Effort

There is an old saying that "in order to appreciate the view from the top of a mountain, one must first appreciate the mountain from below"...

The saying is often used as an analogy for life experiences, but in the case of Seward's Mt Marathon, it is a perfect statement of the significance of Seward's rugged mountain backdrop to those of us who gaze up again and again... wondering.

For months now, and especially since spring began, the mountain has been bugging me to "appreciate the view from the top". That nagging built up during my son Richard's visit in May - he went up to the top on a training run with Amy and Nancy and has let me know every week since then that "its a true test of fitness"! The nagging reached a crescendo on July 4th when Karla and I watched the Mt Marathon race and we saw an amazing cross section of humanity race up and down the mountain in unbelievable times (especially given this year's record heat)...
And so on Wednesday when I found out that a group of ASLC staff and Seward residents were making the trek up to show the mountain to novices, I finally (and with some trepidation) offered to join them.

There really is no way to prepare for an experience like Mt Marathon unless you are born with four legs, the front two of which are shorter than the others.

You get out of the car, and its up, up, up, up ... until you get to the halfway point and then its up, up, up, up and up... you get the idea! Cindy, Susan, Jessica, Nancy, Shiway, Patti, Mandy, Beate and I slogged our way up through the trees and shrubs, taking full advantage of shade and local knowledge about which trail to follow. As we slugged up through the berry bushes, my mind briefly wondered how we might deal with errant bears, but that thought was quickly cast aside as I struggled with the lack of oxygen! Perhaps that is the secret to all mountaineering?

I can truly say that reaching the half way point is a heck of an achievement and I strongly considered graciously calling it my 2009 pinnacle until an image of explaining that to Richard flashed across my mind... and so we continued up, up, up... until it actually felt as if one of my legs really was shorter than the other... blame it on the decreasing oxygen, that last reindeer sausage over lunch with Darryl and Randy or just a general lack of fitness?

The burden of my slow ascent was lessened by the convivial company of the group - they seemed to find a kind way of allowing me to bring up the tail without too much embarrasment...

Reaching the summit felt like an even greater achievement than many other mountains I have climbed - even scrambling up 13,000' Mt Fuji in Japan did not seem as big a deal as Mt Marathon (although that was on legs 20 years younger...).

To say that the view was well worth the effort is a true understatement - the view from the top is one of the most spectacular I have seen anywhere in the world.

From peering down into the deep blue of Resurrection Bay and watching the white plumes of returning boats, to tracing the jagged outline of Mt Alice and seeing the downy glory of the Harding ice field, the panorama is truly unbelievable!

Oh... and yes the return trip was down, down, down, down, down... quickly.... easy... could do it again tomorrow (once I learn to walk again...).

Thank you to my fellow mountaineers for introducing me to one of Alaska's most amazing experiences.

Check this video of the great downhill technique by Shiway - could this be the next big thing in sport??

SeaLife Ships Blog Now Open to ASLC Members

After six months of blogging and positive feedback from staff and Board members on content to date, I feel its time to open the blog up to a wider audience... so we'll now be promoting this blog to ASLC members and other "close friends" over the next 6 months, but we won't be publicly advertizing the blog and we'll continue to keep it off searchable lists.

We'd ask that, in accordance with guidelines posted in my first blog (scroll through the months below for details) that readers continue to self moderate any comments appropriately. Our 'rule of thumb' is that we would not like to see anything posted here that we would not be comfortable seeing in tomorrow's Anchorage Daily News!

As always, we welcome feedback on the blog and encourage you to submit comments and suggestions on any of the articles posted.
I look forward to your input!

Ian

Taking the Plunge?

Wonderful news today... after many years of effort by many people, we received news that the Alaska SeaLife Center is now officially accredited as a full member of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences (AAUS)

The value of AAUS membership are many and include:

1. As an organizational member we follow a set of standards which enables AAUS member organizations to enjoy reciprocity when collaborating on research projects with other AAUS member organizations. For example, the University of Alaska Fairbanks DCB has recently implemented a policy of only accepting reciprocity from other AAUS organizational members.

2. Our membership in and support of the American Academy of Underwater Sciences ensures that scientific diving will continue in a safe and effective manner in the future. As an organizational member, we can feel comfortable in the knowledge that our program is participating in underwater research in a manner consistent with the standard of practice for the entire community.

3. We will also have access to forums, databases, and up to date information concerning the latest practices on training, equipment, and diving procedures.

Kudos to our Dive Safety Officer Chip Arnold, to Brett Long who is Chair of our Dive Control Board and all past and present staff and external partners who have served as members of our Dive Control Board - this is an historic achievement and one that will enable us to maintain the highest standards of dive safety.

Now the big question facing me is whether I really ought to make good on my promise to Chip to take the plunge and make my first dive ever in water less than 6oF sometime this winter... what say you?

Playing Scientist for a Day!

I have long wondered just what goes on behind the closed doors and quarantine signs that surround the South Beach facility. So when Dr Jo-Ann Mellish invited me to come and 'help process' our last batch of juvenile Steller sealions, my curiosity overcame my natural trepidation about being in a laboratory again... for those of you who are used to laboratories and can't understand why anyone would find them "places of angst" skip ahead...

Flashback #1 - somewhere in a laboratory in the bowels of the University of Canberra circa 1977

... My biology partner (Dub Mundy) and I were taking apart and then cleaning up an entire lab, test tube by test tube as we hunted for 7 hours (yes count em) for an escaped tiger snake. Dub was blaming me for not closing the aquarium lid! - I blamed him for choosing such a venomous snake to study!... needless to say we never found the snake and failed that exercise...

So there I was in a lab again after many years, in my blue coveralls, extra tuffs and latex gloves hoping that nothing as eventful as a SSL escape would occur and that I could actually avoid the sight of blood being drawn...

Flashback #2 - in the belly of a Red Cross laboratory somewhere in Jakarta circa 2003
... The Bali bombing had just happened and I was giving a pint of my B- blood (a rarity in Asia) every few days to help victims - one particularly memorable day it took 8 attempts to find the vein... it may have been more but I lost count after passing out the second time...

As we awaited our first SSL into the lab at South Beach we were well briefed, and the equipment was checked and rechecked but I was still a tad apprehensive about what might unfold. Clearly this team was well prepared but could they handle all eventualities? Would this really be the "routine procedure" we were hoping for? Would the team achieve the ambitious goals Jo has set for them?

As it turned out, YES to all of the above.

Reminiscent of a well rehearsed Formula One pit crew, Megan Peterson, John Skinner (thanks for the pix John), Mandy Keogh, Justin Jenniges and Jane Belovarac, under the guidance and watchful eyes of maestros Pam Tuomi and Jo-Ann Mellish, delivered a text book series of procedures on each of the juvenile sea lions. From the moment they were enticed into the trolley cage through the anaesthesia stage until the final blood draw and their return to feed and play showing no post operative stress, there was never a hint of concern despite the inherent risks of aggressive and nervous animals being in such close proximity to staff, the use of complex and sensitive equipment and the inevitable challenges of performing all procedures in accordance with strict IACUC guidelines and keeping track of the extensive lab data and voluminous reports that must accompany every analysis... oh yes - and they had promised Nancy that I'd be done by noon!

The process was way more complex than a simple pit stop!

The closest analogy I could think of was that I was watching a Discovery Channel mini series of a hospital emergency room providing diagnosis and treatment for the same six problems on six different special needs patients sequentially... all in a four hour stretch with no commercials (although there were a few mini chocolate and coffee breaks)!! Maybe we could pitch such this series to Discovery?

Impressive is an understatement.

Any flashbacks I have from this day will clearly be a positive counterbalance to my previous laboratory experiences - - thank you juvenile SSL research team for restoring my scientific faith!

Make a Date to View the new Ken Burns Parks Documentary

Last Thursday night at the Attwood Theater in Anchorage, I had the rare privilege to participate (as Howard Ferren would describe) in a conversation about conservation between a legendary film maker/historian and more than 1,000 members of Alaska's extended conservation community. The privilege was three part: part magic hearing how a 10 year film project idea became a reality - I am always fascinated how producers, authors and others scope and then deliver on an idea that is as complex as national parks. Part fascination, hearing how America's parks evolved in both the 19th and 20th centuries - the interplay between social values of different eras and the challenges of setting aside land and water for non consumptive use was especially insightful. Part celebration - seeing great cinematography and hearing (from Burns and many in the audience) about how parks have shaped their lives reminds us that we have inherited a truly magnificent gift.

The excerpts that Burns previewed for us whetted my appetite for more - his story telling skills are legend and this series does not disappoint. This series comprises stories from the perspective of some 50 individuals - explorers, rangers, scientists, naturalists, bureaucrats, politicians and others lost in the annals of history but who accomplished extraordinary things! There are, of course, the grand stories about the big accomplishments and yet Burns also manages to weave in the back story and sub-plots, including a fascinating piece on Seward told in the words of people we know!

I just love a good story well told... in this series Ken Burns has produced one of the most delightful stories I have ever seen told about the relationship between humans and nature. He and co-producer Dayton Duncan (both pictured above receiving honorary ranger appointments) deserve a place up there with Thoreau, Muir, Leopold and others who have have provoked us to think about that relationship and why it is important to our future.

http://www.pbs.org/nationalparks/

Bookmark this site and then clear your calendar for an evening with friends and family on 27th September, 2009 to see the premiere of the 6 part series.

2009 US Climate Change Report - A Must Read!

In the United States, the Global Change Research Act (GCRA) of 1990 mandates that every 4 years an assessment of the impacts of global change in the U.S. be conducted by the U.S. Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) which represents the work of many agencies and experts. Between 2004 and 2009, the Climate Change Science program (CCSP), which incorporated the USGCRP, produced a series 21 studies culminating in today’s release by the White House of the 2009 Global Climate Change Impacts in the United States report which provides unequivocal scientific data regarding the impacts climate change is projected to have, and is already having, on our communities, ecosystems and wildlife.

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

To See Alaska as Others Do

My wife, son and I had the privilege last week to enjoy a week off doing something I never really thought that we would ever do... take a cruise to Alaska. Somehow, a cruise vacation is not something we have ever thought about doing - most of our vacations tend to involve family or just 'doing our own thing'.

This year we decided to combine my need for a relaxing week away from work with a chance to enjoy a family vacation and, along the way, satisfy our innate curiousity about how the cruise ship industry works in Alaska. The experience was truly worth the investment.

We joined a Royal Caribbean Cruise Ship (Radiance of the Seas) that traveled from Vancouver to Seward and stopped along the way in Ketchikan, Skagway, Juneau and Hoonah.

Highlights included:

1. spending quality time together doing fun things - ships are great spaces to hang out and the Radiance offered a seemingly endless array of recreation, dining, relaxation and entertainment choices - I did not imagine that I would ever rockclimb 13 stories above the ocean in the middle of the Gulf of Alaska then participate in a 3 on 3 basketball tournament below the rock climb and then head downstairs for a gourmet meal all in the space of 2 hours and then not have to worry about driving back to a hotel!- such is the wonderful self-contained unreality of cruising!

2. just being at sea - there is no substitute for spending time on the water, even if that means being a little higher above the waterline than most of our usual sailing trips! We saw sea lions, whales and an amazing diversity of marine life at close quarters in parts of the Gulf that are very hard to access any other way!

3. seeing SE Alaska - I had not been to several of the towns/villages we visited and was very impressed with the way they are set up to deal with tourism. I was even able to see places I had been to previously (such as Juneau) in a completely different light! Hoonah is particularly impressive - a refurbished salmon cannery is now the core of a day trip destination that has a major focus on cultural and natural area tourism. The photo below shows some of the great architectural detailing that I believe we could learn (and benefit) from here in Seward.

Hoonah serves as a great example of how impacts of mass tourism can be limited and local communities really benefit from self-regulated tourism even at relatively large scales. The community only allows one ship per day and controls tourist access and activities carefully, but with a great emphasis on presenting local Tlingit culture and history and providing employment and business opportunities that range from guided nature walks such as the bear viewing trip to the world's longest zip line (featured below in photos). Both are truly world class experiences.

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.