December 13, 2002 — NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center conducts research and provides resource managers information to best utilize and conserve the living marine resources of the coastal oceans off Alaska and the U.S. West Coast. This vast region of nearly 3 million square miles includes the Gulf of Alaska and the eastern Bering Sea which support some of the most important commercial fisheries in the world. Commercial landings off Alaska in 2001 were the greatest in the nation totaling nearly 5 billion pounds with a value of $1.0 billion. These productive waters are also home to the largest marine mammal populations in the nation. The AFSC is made up of four research laboratories and the Office of the Science & Research Director. The mission of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center is to plan, develop and manage scientific research programs, which generate the best scientific data available for understanding, managing and conserving the region's living marine resources and the environmental quality essential for their existence. The Alaska Fisheries Science Center conducts field and laboratory research to help conserve and manage the region's living marine resources in compliance with the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1996, the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and the Endangered Species Act of 1973. Center scientists compile and analyze broad databases on fishery, oceanography, marine mammal and environmental research. These analyses are used to develop policies and strategies for fisheries management within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone, monitor the health of the region's marine mammal populations, and assess the impacts of chemical contaminants and physical alterations on select organisms and marine habitats. AFSC Program objectives are carried out from Center laboratories and facilities in Alaska, Washington, and Oregon.

AFSC Responsibilities
The primary responsibilities of the Center are to provide scientific data and technical advice to:

• The NOAA Alaska Regional Office
• The North Pacific Fishery Management Council
• The Pacific Fishery Management Council
• U.S. representatives participating in international fishery and marine mammal negotiations
• The fishing industry and its constituents
• Academic and environmental constituents

The center also coordinates fisheries and marine mammal research with other federal and state agencies, academic institutions and foreign nations.

AFSC Divisions and Laboratories
Research programs at the Center are managed and conducted through the Auke Bay Laboratory, National Marine Mammal Laboratory, Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering Division, and Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management Division:

• Auke Bay Laboratory: Scientists at the Auke Bay Laboratory have been studying living marine resources in Alaska for more than 40 years. ABL scientists examine genetic variation in salmon, the impact of oil on salmon life history, and the development of enhancement strategies for endangered salmonid populations. ABL scientists conduct annual long line surveys to assess Alaska rockfish and sablefish populations. As 2003 nears, ABL scientists are reaching a milestone of nearly 30 years of tagging sablefish in Alaska, which has offered scientists a wealth of data to help better understand how sablefish grow and mature. These assessment surveys are carried out cooperatively with the center's RACE Division and state agencies. ABL researchers also examine the effects of both natural and anthropogenic factors on habitat utilization by aquatic species. ABL scientists were some of the first researchers on the scene of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and currently their studies in Prince William Sound are being used to examine the long-term effects of the Exxon Valdez oil spill on the region’s environment and wildlife. ABL scientists are currently using archival satellite tags to track sleeper sharks to determine if they prey on Steller sea lions, and if so, estimate the predation rate.
• National Marine Mammal Laboratory: National Marine Mammal Laboratory scientists conduct research on cetaceans (whales, porpoises, and dolphins) and pinnipeds (seals and sea lions) off the coasts of Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California. Working with state agencies and private organizations, NMML scientists census marine mammals from vessels, aircraft and from land. Radio and satellite-linked telemetry is utilized to determine movements and migrations, important feeding areas and other behavioral data for a wide variety of marine mammals, such as Steller sea lions, harbor seals and beluga whales. New technologies, such as passive acoustics, are being used to determine the seasonal distribution of the North Pacific right whales and other cetaceans in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. In 1997, the western population of Steller sea lions was listed as endangered under the Endangered Species Act while the eastern population remained listed as threatened. This change in status for the Steller sea lion created new challenges and forged new partnerships among AFSC scientists. As part of the newly formed Steller Sea Lion Coordinated Research Program, center scientists from all divisions and disciplines are working together to protect and aid in the recovery of the Steller sea lion while at the same time providing for sustainable and economically viable fisheries under the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act.
• Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering Division: Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering Division scientists conduct fishery surveys to measure the distribution and abundance of commercially important fish and crab stocks in the North Pacific Ocean and eastern Bering Sea. RACE scientists study biological processes and ecosystem interactions to estimate growth, mortality and recruitment to improve the precision and accuracy of the center's stock assessments. RACE scientists recently conducted archival tagging studies on Atka mackerel and Pacific cod, which gave researchers a better understanding of how time of day, season and current velocity can affect their movement in the water column, a factor that should be considered when designing survey techniques for sampling them. RACE scientists also conduct research on fisheries recruitment processes, essential fish habitat requirements, impacts of fishing gear on the sea floor, fish behavior and develop selective fishing gear to reduce bycatch. Division scientists are also leaders and innovators in the use of fisheries acoustic technology in assessment of fishery stocks. RACE Division surveys and research are supported by approximately 600-700 days at sea annually aboard a variety of vessels such as the NOAA ship Miller Freeman, chartered commercial fishing vessels and foreign research vessels.
• Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management Division: Resource Ecology and Fisheries Management Division scientists assist the North Pacific and Pacific Fishery Management Councils in managing fishery resources principally within the U.S. EEZ. REFM scientists study the life history, trophic interactions, population dynamics, harvest and economics of marine fisheries in the area. REFM’s newly formed Fisheries Interaction Team is employing a multidisciplinary approach to investigate the potential impact of commercial fishing on the spatial distribution of marine fishes, specifically on Steller sea lion prey species. For example, REFM scientists are currently designing and performing field experiments to determine what impact the winter trawl fishery for Pacific cod in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea-Aleutian Islands may have on the local abundance of cod, a known prey of the Steller sea lion. Division scientists use data collected from commercial fisheries as well as ABL and RACE resource assessment surveys to evaluate the biological impacts of different harvesting and management strategies on the resources. The Division trains fisheries observers to collect data on fishing vessels and at processing plants which is used in the management of the region’s fisheries. REFM scientists develop models to study food web interactions of the region’s ecosystems, as well as develop new techniques for ageing fish caught in surveys and commercial fisheries. REFM economists collect data and develop models to monitor the economic performance of the region's fisheries and assess alternative management strategies.

AFSC Facilities
Program objectives are carried out from the Sand Point facilities on Lake Washington in Seattle; at the Auke Bay Laboratory, Kodiak Laboratory, Little Port Walter field station and Dutch Harbor Observer Office in Alaska; and at the Mark O. Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, Oregon:

• Western Regional Center Sand Point Facility
• Auke Bay Laboratory
• Kodiak Laboratory
• Little Port Walter Field Station
• Dutch Harbor Observer Office
• Hatfield Marine Science Center
• Anchorage Observer Program Office
  

Relevant Web Sites
Alaska Fisheries Science Center

Auke Bay Laboratory

National Marine Mammal Laboratory

Resource Assessment and Conservation Engineering Division

Resource Ecology and Fishery Management Division

Steller sea lion web

Fisheries Interaction Team (FIT)

Exxon Valdez long-term studies

Atka mackerel tagging studies

Steller Sea Lion Coordinated Research Program

Alaska Staff Win Bronze Awards

Deep-sea Seamount Expedition

Report on Sablefish Tag Program

Satellite Tracking of Steller Sea Lions

Steller Team Receives Silver Award

NOAA Fisheries

Media Contact:
Gordon Helm, NOAA Fisheries, (301) 713-2370