The world's most extensive and most valuable fisheries happen here in a spectacular setting. Conservation biology has had some of its greatest successes in Alaska waters over the past 50 years, sustained harvestibility of halibut and salmon among them. But the challenges facing resource biologists today are more complex and demanding than ever. Also, they are training broadly in disciplines outside of science because problem solving in fisheries deals with diverse aspects of life. More than half the graduates stay in Alaska and work for private companies and public agencies.
Many students work as professional interns for agencies during their course of study.
Study sites Fisheries represents a diverse range of research interests including quantitative fisheries science, fish genetics, fish ecology, and fisheries oceanography. The Genetic Stock Separation Lab is in place at the National Marine Fisheries Service Auke Bay Lab, near the Juneau Center, and salmon aquaculture genetics studies are in progress at our Salmon Broodstock Lab, a cooperative effort with one of the state's private nonprofit companies that produce salmon by ocean ranching. Our faculty have directed field studies on the effect of the Exxon Valdez oil spill, in addition to continued involvement in research supporting fishery managers around Alaska. Field studies are conducted regularly at the Seward Marine Center, Toolik Lake, Glacier Bay, Prince William Sound, Chukchi Sea, Bering Sea, the Arctic Coast, and lakes and rivers throughout the Interior. Financial and logistical support Several major research foundations and agencies support fisheries research and students at the University of Alaska.