Our Location
The Kodiak Laboratory resides in the Kodiak Fisheries Research Center owned by the Kodiak Island Borough. The Kodiak Laboratory within KFRC consolidates NOAA Fisheries and management programs in Kodiak and makes them more accessible to the fishing industry and the public.
What We Do
The Kodiak Laboratory consists of Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC) RACE Shellfish Assessment Program and Groundfish Assessment Program. Scientists for both Shellfish and Groundfish Assessment Programs conduct field and laboratory research on the abundance and distribution of marine invertebrate and fish populations, their life history, population dynamics, habitats, ecological interactions, and impacts of human activities such as bycatch, discard mortality, and habitat alteration. In addition, scientists at the Kodiak Lab provide information necessary to conserve, protect, and manage economically important Alaskan shellfish resources, including king, Tanner, and snow crabs, for the benefit of the nation.
The AFSC's Kodiak field office of the Fisheries Monitoring and Analysis Program (FMA), the Alaska Regional Office of the Sustainable Fisheries Division and port samplers from the Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) occupy space within Kodiak Lab.
The Kodiak Lab meets the needs for a base of operations for field research, expanding management and observer coordination in groundfish fisheries and timely cooperation with Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) on shellfish surveys and fishery management decision-making.
The Kodiak Fisheries Research Center (KFRC) was designed to provide a multi-agency marine research facility that would foster marine fishery research as well as serve as a resource for providing educational opportunities to the Kodiak community.
The Kodiak Fisheries Research Center is on approximately seven acres in close proximity to the Fisheries Industrial Technology Center and Alaska Department of Fish & Game on Near Island. There are approximately 12,000 - 15,000 of people who visit the facility annually.
Our Leadership
Mike Litzow
Program Manager, Kodiak Laboratory Director
Mike Litzow became the Director of the Kodiak Lab and Shellfish Assessment Program Manager in November 2019. Mike previously worked for the Shellfish Assessment Program from 2003 through 2007, and then left for stints at a non-profit research lab and at the University of Alaska. Mike received his B.S. from the University of Alaska Fairbanks, M.S. from the University of California, Santa Cruz, and Ph.D. from the University of Tasmania.