A Close Encounter with Green Fluorescent Protein

Some months ago we received notification that Dr Roger Tsien, the Nobel Laureate from San Diego, would be visiting the Center in August. During his visit, he hoped that we might be able to provide him with a chance to see one of the bioluminescent jellyfish that has made his work on protein marker so famous.

According to Richard, ..."the jellyfish in question is Aequorea , probably A. victoria up here, and the common name is water jellyfish. Even though they can grow 7” or so across they are hydrozoans rather than scyphozoans like the large moon jellies and lion’s manes. I’ve never seen their polyp/hydroid stage but they apparently live on mussels". There is an excellent description of the jellyfish by a long time researcher in Washington State, Dr Claudia Mills at http://faculty.washington.edu/cemills/Aequorea.html

With his usual penchant for detail, Richard immediately set in train a summer long search for the jellyfish - a search that proved fruitless until just the day before Dr Tsien's visit. Jared, Nathaniel, Heather and Asia were out in the SeaSearcher yesterday in Humpy Cove south of the Center on a collecting trip. Richard asked them to take a look for these and... as he says "boy, it was a lucky break they found ‘em since no one was giving me much hope elsewhere we tried. On the trip yesterday, they also came across some juvenile prowfish and a juvenile crested sculpin using the lion’s mane jellies for cover".

Given this build up, it was with some trepidation that I went down to the holding tanks with Dr Tsien, Richard, Jared and Nathaniel... I'm so glad I did - with the aid of a special flashlight, Dr Tsien was able to show me the amazing green luminescent ring inside our newest jellfish - WOW!

Bioluminscence has always fascinated me and discussing the evolutionary advantages of this and related phenomena with Dr Tsien made the encounter even more memorable.

Ask our amazing aquarists if you too can get up close and personal with a GFP loaded jellyfish sometime...

p.s. the image here is for illustration purposes and was clipped from the Google Image bank - our jelly was much more spectacular!

Summer Reading

Karla and I just attended a family wedding back in MA. Long plane trips on aircraft that are not fitted with inseat videos are always a great chance to catch up on non-work reading. I tend to think of magazines and newspapers as "mind snacks", and of books as meals... and so was happy to fill my backpack with an eclectic collection of light eating (Time, Newsweek, Economist, etc.) and the more hearty gourmet dinners that I had been collecting for months but not really found time to read...

Given that I am bored with most contemporary fiction works (don't you just hate paying $20 for a novel then working out where it is headed at the start of page 2?) and that we have had a couple of great authors visit the Center recently (and left me a copy of their new books), its not surprising that my summer reading tends towards new insights into the natural world and how humans interact with that world.

My three traveling companions could not have been better chosen as each has that core theme.

First up was Cold - the stunning debut novel from our newest SAC member, Bill Streever, a biologist who lives in Anchorage. Bill has a big hit on his hands - Cold was reviewed well in both the NY Times and in this week's Economist and deserves the accolades. I won't spoil it by describing the subtle plot or how Bill brilliantly overlays an incredible array of scientific facts against a back plot of life in Anchorage with a rare dry humor... but for those who like being teased, tantalized or tricked then this one if a keeper! My only slight criticism was the ending - a bit too subtle, but maybe that is just me?

The next selection is a perfect plane read. A series of short stories by one of the best story tellers in the business, Alaska's own Nick Jans. Many of the stories feature the infamous Mendenhall Glacier wolf, Romeo who has quickly become the stuff of legends - this book formalizes the Romeo folklore. Nick just spent a week with us developing some stories about the Alaska Sealife Center and after reading Glacier Wolf, I have an even more eager sense of anticipation for what he will write about us. His writing style is sublime - the way he describes every day events has a Steinbeck like quality. When he gets into his favorite Alaskan settings and situations he holds a mirror up to all of us that is both comforting and provocative - kind of like realizing that really is how we look/live!

The final part of my summer trilogy was a new book from another well know writer - author of Cod and other maritime classics. Mark Kurlansky is a NY based author who dabbles in New England history, arts and politics. The Last Fish Tale is a sweeping tale about the Massachusetts coastal city of Gloucester and how the fishing industry there has changed over the past 400 years... its like reading the rise and fall of the Roman Empire! Along the way he weaves in a bunch of fascinating facts about great artists such as Winslow Homer and TS Eliot (a person favorite - I didn't realize he spent his summers in Gloucester as a teenager and how they influenced his writings), Sicilian fishers and their culture(s) in America and Sicily, the ineffectiveness of New England fisheries regulators and the dire impact of technologies that changed forever our relationship with nature even when nature seemed limitless... needless to say I saw much in this book of relevance to Alaska.

Three very different books, but all with much in common - a true three course meal that satisfies and stimulates...

Aquarium of the Bay - PG+E Exhibit

During my recent trip to San Francisco to meet with potential sponsors and partners I visited the Aquarium of the Bay which is a key part of the San Francisco Pier 39 waterfront tourism precinct. My visit was hosted by Carrie Chen who is the Education Manager for the Aquarium of the Bay and who has been a key member of the team working with us to implement the follow up from the National Aquaria and Climate Change Summit held in Monterey in December 2008 (http://209.232.236.13/climatechangesummit/).

The Aquarium of the Bay has a most interesting history and recently, under the auspices of the Bay Institute, transitioned from a commercial aquarium to a non-profit facility with full 501 (3) (c) status (see http://thebayinstitute.blogspot.com/2009/06/its-official-tbi-has-acquired-aquarium.html).
The Aquarium of the Bay recently opened a new 1200 square feet climate change exhibit known as the PG+E Lab (see http://www.aquariumofthebay.org/%20pgelab.aspx?n=424904) which incorporated many of the messaging and design principles enunciated at the Monterey Summit.

It was really cool to see the creative way in which the Aquarium design and education teams have taken those ideas from concept to reality. The exhibit is an impressive fusion of simple, easy-to-engage and understand elements that are very “kid friendly” and some sophisticated messaging about energy use and climate impacts. The exhibit operates on many levels. From the innovative use of charismatic land animals like chinchillas and tree frogs to explain climate impacts on animals to purpose-built interactive software that enables users to better understand their energy consumption choices and impacts, the exhibit demonstrates how aquaria can (and should) better engage the public in understanding the many facets of change in our oceans.

I encourage all staff and members to visit the Aquarium and particularly this exhibit next time you are in the bay area – as we move forward with plans to develop our own climate change and oceans exhibit, we’d welcome your thoughts on what that should look like and how we can enable public understanding of this complex issue.

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!