1. “Kodiak Area Marine Science Symposium Tackles Climate Change and Its Impact on Alaskan Coastal Environments

Kodiak Area Marine Science Symposium, which is held every three years, took place this week. Scientists from across the archipelago and Alaska gathered to share their research. This year’s symposium was led by Julie Matweyou, who is the marine advisory program agent in Kodiak. The event started on April 23 and ended on April 25, featuring films about coastal life.

Organized by Alaska Sea Grant, which funds scientific research in coastal and marine resources, the symposium included two full days of plenary talks, evening activities, and various presentations on topics such as climate change, monitoring of invasive species, ocean acidification, tours of the R/V Oscar Dyson and mariculture evaluations.

The keynote speaker for this year was Rick Thoman, a climate specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy. Thoman discussed how temperatures in Alaska have been affected by climate change. He noted that average temperatures in the northernmost regions of the state have risen more significantly than those in Kodiak over the past 50 years. He also highlighted the increase in extreme weather events such as “the blob” in the North Pacific Ocean in 2018, which are expected to become more common in the future.

Thoman provided insights into Kodiak’s climate history dating back to the 1870s and shared projections for the island’s future climate showing a general warming trend in graphs. The symposium served as a platform for scientists to exchange information and collaborate on solutions for addressing climate-related challenges in coastal and marine environments.

The fifth Kodiak Area Marine Science Symposium was held this week at Kodiak Island Maritime National Historical Park Visitor Center. The event brought together scientists from across the archipelago and Alaska every three years to share their research.

Julie Matweyou introduced Keynote Speaker Rick Thoman on opening night of the symposium organized by Alaska Sea Grant which funds scientific research in coastal and marine resources.

This year’s symposium had two full days of plenary talks with various presentations on topics such as climate change monitoring invasive species ocean acidification tours of R/V Oscar Dyson mariculture evaluations.

Rick Thoman spoke about how temperatures have been affected by climate change noting that average temperatures have risen significantly more than those