Inaugural Alaska Marine Gala - Oh What a Night!

The spectacular octopus garden created in the Denaina Center by Char McClelland (GA)

Auction Items on Display at the Gala proved popular with guests! (CM)

Our inaugural Alaska Marine Gala on January 17th, 2010 was one of those experiences one wishes could be captured and replayed again and again - what a fantastic evening!  I want to again thank everyone who helped make the evening such a tangible success.   With some 570 registered participants (we unfortunately turned away @ 40 other inquirers in the last few days as we had no more space), 50 talented volunteers helping out and a superb team of around a dozen staff, the gala really put the Alaska SeaLife Center firmly on the Anchorage Social Map!

Gala Emcee John Tracy and his family with Jean-Michel Cousteau before the gala (GA)

It was fantastic to see such great participation by people from all walks of life – as Board Chair Todd Allen noted during his welcoming remarks at the VIP reception, this event was a big deal for the Center and it was thus really helpful for us to have so many partners, supporters and members engaged in preparing for the event and linked in with the evening program. As you can see from the photos in this blog provided by Glenn Aronwits (see http://www.ga-digitalphotos.com/index.html) and Clark Mishler (http://www.mishlerphotos.com/), the venue was stunningly decorated and we had some very stylish and dapper looking guests, staff, volunteers and Board members present – all of whom had a differering creative interpretation of the "blue tie dress code"!

Distinguished guests, Senator Mark Begich, Jean-Michel Cousteau with IMD (CM)

As Board Treasurer, David Gottstein and others on the event committee have constantly reminded me, this was a ‘friend and profile raising’ event – we now have a lot of re-invigorated and new friends in both the Anchorage and wider marine science community and have built stronger relationships with many key donors and prospective partners in government, industry, the community and in the education sector.  Funds raised from the event are targeted to support our education programs in 2010, particularly Internships and Sea Trek.

I have met with dozens of event attendees over the past 4 days at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium and the overwhelming message is that "we changed the game for marine science week in Anchorage". Dr. Clarence Pautzke from the NPRB commented in his opening remarks that the event is now firmly part of the marine science community schedule – he worries that instead of a gala as a side event for the symposium, the symposium is now in danger of being a side event to the gala!!

Jean-Michel Cousteau receiving a beluga sculpure made especially for the event by local artist Gina Hollomon (GA)

We are meeting with various key event partners (Char McClelland our superb event planner), donors and others key participants over the next 2 weeks to seek their inputs on what we might do better in future. The good news is that we have already locked in the same date and place for 2011 (the Sunday night before the start of the Alaska Marine Science Symposium) - save the date.

We’d very much welcome your thoughts and ideas also on the 2011 gala – please feel free to call me anytime if you’d like to discuss directly or send me a note.
This was on heck of a team effort and I could not be more proud of what we accomplished as a team this first time out!  A big thank you again to our sponsors and supporters (see http://www.alaskasealife.org/ for full details).

Alaksa Ocean Leadership Awards Committee Chair, Arliss Sturgulewski with JMC (CM)

- see next blog below for details

Alaska’s “Ocean Heroes” Recognized at First Alaska Marine Gala

(Press Release 19 January, 2009)

Last Sunday evening, before an enthusiastic audience of nearly 600 guests at the first Alaska Marine Gala at the Dena’ina Center in Anchorage, the Alaska Ocean Leadership Awards Committee presented awards to six different organizations and individuals who have made significant contributions to awareness and sustainability of the state’s marine resources.

The Alaska Ocean Leadership Awards were established to encourage and recognize outstanding achievements in marine-focused media, industry, research, education, and resource management. Committee Chair Mrs. Arliss Sturgulewski presented the awards to:

• The Kenai Fjords Tours Marine Science Explorer Program won the award for Ocean Literacy, sponsored by COSEE (Centers for Ocean Science Education Excellence, an NSF-funded program). As part of CIRI Alaska Tourism, Kenai Fjords Tours has provided unique vessel-based programs for over 36,000 students and teachers since 1995.

• The Ocean Media Award, for excellence in journalism that has raised public awareness of Alaska’s oceans, went to Elizabeth Arnold, producer of “Encounters: Radio Experiences in the North.” The UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences sponsored the award.

• For his work on mathematical models and fisheries data analysis that has shaped harvest management policies, Dr. Gordon Kruse from UAF was given the Ocean Research Award, sponsored by the Alaska SeaLife Center.

• The Marine Conservation Alliance (MCA) was recognized with the Stewardship and Sustainability Award, sponsored by Mr. Jason Brune. The MCA is a coalition of seafood processors, harvesters, communities, CDQ groups, and support services that has been instrumental in protecting marine ecosystems through sound science and open public processes.

• Governor Walter J. Hickel and his wife Ermalee have endowed the Lifetime Achievement Award for the next 10 years, and the committee decided to recognize two different individuals who have made exceptional contributions to management of Alaska’s coastal and ocean resources over a period 25 years or more. The first award went to Dr. Vera Alexander, Professor Emeritus at the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences and first woman to earn a Ph.D. at UAF. The committee cited Dr. Alexander’s exceptional contributions to marine research.

Senator Ted Stevens earned the other Lifetime Achievement Award, based in part on his role in authoring the Magnuson-Stevens Act that governs marine fisheries management and helps ensure sustainable resource development. Senator Stevens was unable to accept his award in person, but sent thanks and appreciation for the recognition.

Mrs. Sturgulewski, who has served the community as an elected official and on many statewide boards and commissions, chaired the awards committee. Other members included Mike Devlin of Evergreen Films, Dr. Clarence Pautze of the North Pacific Research Board, Jason Brune of the Resource Development Council, and Molly McCammon of the Alaska Ocean Observing Systems, along with SeaLife Center Education Manager, Nikki Nelson.

“These awards attracted widespread interest with more than 20 nominations made in 2009, and they will be a key component of the Alaska Marine Gala in future years.” said Dr. Ian Dutton, Alaska SeaLife Center CEO. “We were delighted to be able to help recognize the great work being undertaken by these ocean heroes.” A plaque recognizing all award winners will be displayed at the SeaLife Center. Calls for nominations for the next round of awards will be made in mid 2010.

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.

COSEE and a New Alaska SEANET website

As many of you know, the Alaska SeaLife center is a key participant in the COSEE Alaska program - a new initiative between ocean scientists, communicators and educators from the Alaska Ocean Observing System, University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, UAF Center for Cross Cultural Studies, Alaska Sea Grant, Alaska SeaLife Center and the Anchorage School District.


COSEE Alaska is the newest center in the national network of centers for ocean sciences education excellence COSEE, aimed at helping ocean scientists reach broad audiences with their research. The COSEE AK theme is People, Oceans and Climate Change, focused on weaving together traditional knowledge and western science to share place-based knowledge of ocean climate change in the north.  Full details are on the website - http://www.coseealaska.net/


SEANET is the Ocean Scientists and Educators in Alaska Network under COSEE and has the goal of promoting Alaska ocean and climate change literacy. The group is open to everyone with an interest in communicating about research and traditional knowledge about Alaska's seas - scientists, educators, outreach, communication, and media specialists; students of all ages, and community members.

For more information about participating in SEANET, contact Marilyn Sigman, msigman@alaska.edu, or Nora Deans, nora.deans@nprb.org, or just go and check out the site directly - its a very easy to navigate platform, has some nice material ready to use and is geared towards open discussion of topics - see http://oceanseanet.ning.com/.

Coastal America Partnership

Over recent weeks, we have been actively engaged with various partners in the Coastal America partnership to both better define our role and initiate a range of new collaborative activities. 

As the Coastal America web summary notes:
"The Coastal America Partnership is an action-oriented, results-driven collaboration process dedicated to restoring and preserving coastal ecosystems and addressing critical environmental issues. The partnership brings together people and resources from federal agencies, state and local governments, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector to collaboratively address our nation's coastal environmental challenges. With a goal of better management of coastal resources, the partnership coordinates the statutory responsibilities and combines the resources and expertise of 16 federal agencies, 23 Coastal Ecosystem Learning Centers, and hundreds of corporate partners".

Just 2 weeks ago, Nikki Nelson, our Education Program manager, attended the annual partnership meeting in Washington State to define key priorities for collaboration.  While there, Nikki joined the high level welcoming ceremony for the newest partnership member, the Vancouver Aquarium which is a globally significant aquarium and science center.  I had previously met with the Director, Dr John Nightingale, to discuss potential collaboration.

During the ceremony to admit the Vancouver aquarium, various US and Canadian agencies and Coastal America network partners made pledges.  Our commitment was "ASLC will work with the Vancouver Aquarium and other CELC Partners on collaborative projects focused on the Arctic". 

That commitment was consistent with both our geographical and scientific niche and reflects our shared interests in arctic issues which are increasingly prominent both in Alaska and globally.

We encourage all ASLC staff, members and partners to visit the Vancouver aquarium and let them know how much we are looking forward to working more closely with them and welcome your feedback on this new partnership.

PICES 2009 - sharing knowledge to share understanding

As most of you know, this past week after visiting with the Yeosu Mayor (see blog below), I joined Dr Clarence Pautzke, Executive Director of the North Pacific Research Board, at the Annual North Pacific Marine Science Organization (PICES) 2009 meeting in Jeju, South Korea. PICES is the premiere marine vehicle for science/fisheries collaboration between the six North Pacific Countries (Russia, Korea, China, Japan, the USA and Canada). NPRB is an active partner in PICES activities. My attendance was primarily in support of my role as Chair of the NPRB, although I did manage to get a little Sealife Center business done while here!

This year’s PICES meeting was one of the largest ever – 490 delegates from 17 countries, 272 oral presentations and another 147 posters – full program details are available at http://www.pices.int/meetings/annual/PICES-2009/2009-background.aspx, and presentations and reports will be uploaded to that site over the next 3-6 months. The theme of the conference was ‘Understanding ecosystem dynamics and pursuing ecosystem approaches to management”.  The conference pointed out the challenges of understanding marine ecosystems as climate change effects such as warming and acidification occur.  Even in long studied systems such as the Sea of Japan we have such a limited understanding of species and ecosystem status that differentiating climate chnage effects can be very difficult.
I managed to attend 41 oral presentations and also delivered a presentation (jointly prepared with Kerrie Wilson and Hedley Grantham) on Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) that was well received… despite being on the last afternoon of the last day of the conference! MSP is a key topic globally and is a specific focus of the current President’s Task Force on Ocean Policy.

Overall, I was very impressed by both the quality of the research presented and the organization of the meeting – PICES have a tremendous secretariat and worked very well with local hosts from KORDI and other local institutions to maximize the synergies between PICES members. I learned a lot about trends in ecosystems dynamics in Alaska and across both sides of the North Pacific. I was especially pleased to be able to spend time with key Alaskan/North Pacific researchers such as Drs David Fluharty (UW), Andrew Trites (UBC), Bill Sydeman (Farallon) and Franz Mueter (UAF). I also appreciated the chance to connect with new colleagues from Europe, China, Korea, Japan and Australia. I was especially impressed with work being done in Norway by Dr Erlend Moksness on approaches to modeling and assessing coastal ecosystem functions – the work is described further at http://www.spicosa.eu/.

I am looking forward to sharing what I learned with NPRB Board members and ASLC Board and SAC members and staff and would be happy to provide further details on any aspect of PICES if anyone wants more information. PICES is clearly a forum ASLC researchers should be more engaged with going forward….

The impressive ICC Conference Center in Jeju - PICES venue

The spectacular coastal basalt cliff scenery in front of the conference venue is also a site for traditional marine resource harvesting by female marine divers. Jeju is very proud of its world heritage listing - coastal volcanic features are a key reason for that designation.

The marine produce harvested locally and quickly made available to passing tourists - not cheap ($25/lunch), but very fresh!