From Southeast Alaska to the Bering Sea, Alaska halibut fishermen are gearing up to head out to sea as the 2018 halibut season opens at noon March 24. It’s an annual ritual for both commercial fishermen and charter operators seeking to make their living through the pursuit of the tasty flatfish. Out of concern for […]
The North Pacific right whale is split into two populations, the western and eastern. The Eastern North Pacific right whale is one of the most critically endangered large whales in the world. With only 30 individuals left, if this population goes extinct, it is highly likely that we would never see any more right whales in the […]
Fisheries management throughout Alaska relies on a mix of state, federal, and international laws and regulations. These rules provide the guidance for programs such as the Alaska Subsistence Halibut Program. The program permits rural residents and members of Alaska Native tribes to catch halibut for direct personal or family consumption as food, sharing for personal […]
Researchers at NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center are reporting a never-before-seen phenomenon in Alaska waters—an influx of strange organisms that resemble flattened, translucent sea pickles. It may sound like déjà vu. A similar story made headlines along the West Coast last summer, but this is a new situation for Alaska. Scientists call these jelly-like organisms pyrosomes. The creatures […]