UAF College of Fisheries & Ocean Sciences

09/08/2026

When isotope testing showed that extinct American cheetahs lived on fish in their Yukon habitat, CFOS professor Matthew Wooller was “mind-blown.” The species hunted terrestrial mammals further south. “They’re demonstrating über-specialization at two ends of their range, while also feeding on two completely different food sources.”

When the now-extinct American cheetah was enduring the last ice age, a glaciated barrier broke up its territory into two distinct territories — one in central North America and another much farther north. Analysis from the Alaska Stable Isotope Facility helped an international research team uncove...

09/04/2026

The Subarctic Oceanography Field Course, which is offered by CFOS in Seward each August, brings undergraduate and graduate students to Seward for a hands-on learning experience in oceanographic research.
Working aboard R/V Nanuq, each student designs a project exploring the physics, chemistry, biology, or geology of Resurrection Bay and the surrounding fjord systems. After three action-packed days collecting samples and data at sea, students head back to the lab to analyze their results. In a remarkably short period of time, they present their findings to colleagues at CFOS and throughout the Seward community.
Photos by Emily Seelen

09/04/2026

Established in 2004, the Alaska Ocean Observing System (AOOS) is a regional data hub of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

09/01/2026

CFOS grad students Alex Jenkins, Lilian Hart, Tanner Van Orden, Natalie Rouse and Julia Matteucci have been named 2026-27 Rasmuson Fisheries Research Center fellows. The fellowships provide funding for graduate assistantships and recognize scholastic achievement in fisheries and marine science research. Learn more: https://www.uaf.edu/news/rasmuson-fisheries-research-center-fellowships-awarded.php

08/27/2026

The prestigious National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship Program supports outstanding graduate students who are pursing research-based master’s and PhD degrees in science, technology, engineering and mathematics. The five UAF students selected for 2026-2027 GRFP awards are all from CFOS!
Congratulations to Tony Blade, Khrista Nicholas, Jackson Pillifant, Tanner Van Orden and Zach Vayder!
https://www.uaf.edu/news/five-uaf-students-earn-prestigious-nsf-fellowship.php

08/21/2026

The damage caused by storms in Western Alaska can seem random, with some areas much more affected by others. A new study led by CFOS’ Steven Dykstra points to the shape of bays in the region as a significant factor. “When we look at these differences, we need to find out what’s generating storm surges to begin with.” https://www.uaf.edu/news/shapes-of-western-alaska-bays-influence-local-flood-danger.php

08/20/2026

Congratulations to CFOS alumni Sydney Almgren, Elena Eberhardt, Maris Goodwin, Emily Nicholson, Riley O’Neil and Tamsen Peeples, who have been awarded 2026 Alaska Sea Grant fellowships!

08/13/2026

07/31/2026

Beluga whales have historically fed on salmon in the Kenai River, but a recent study by CFOS PhD student Sonia Kumar found they were absent from the river when human activity is at its busiest. Underwater microphones determined belugas were gone in the Kenai at the peak of the sockeye salmon run and absent altogether from the nearby Kasilof River.

Endangered Cook Inlet beluga whales, which have traditionally fed in the salmon-rich Kenai River throughout the summer, were absent during times of high human activity in a recent two-year period. A team led by Sonia Kumar, a Ph.D. student at UAF’s College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, spent tw...

06/11/2026

Avoiding bycatch is important for both the health of salmon species and the economics of commercial fishing fleets. After analyzing the movements of Chinook salmon for more than 13 years, a UAF research team developed a model to help trawlers avoid them. “It shows what you can do when you collect enough data about a species over a long enough time,” said CFOS grad student Marcel Gietzmann-Sanders.

A University of Alaska Fairbanks research team has translated a trove of data from a Chinook salmon tagging program into a predictive model that could help reduce bycatch by fishing trawlers. Chinook salmon range from the ocean’s surface to depths where trawl nets target groundfish species. The re...