NOAA Live! Alaska

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NOAA Live! Alaska is a weekly series of interactive webinars, aimed at Alaska students in grades 2-8 (but of interest to all ages!). We will feature NOAA scientists, educators and partners to explore NOAA’s work in Alaska. Learn about current research. Connect to what’s going on in your communities. Join us to ask questions to our presenters and learn more about weather, oceanography, marine life, fisheries and more in Alaska!

NOAA Live! Alaska is coordinated by NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center, NOAA's Alaska Regional Collaboration Network, and the National Weather Service. The series is modeled on the NOAA Live! webinars coordinated by Woods Hole Sea Grant and the NOAA Regional Collaboration Network. Contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov with any questions.

NOAA Live! Alaska Webinar Recordings

View recordings of all of our previous NOAA Live! Alaska events.

Or scroll down for a link to each webinar under its description.

April 27, 2021 - Needle in a Haystack: Studying the World's Rarest Large Whale

Tuesday, April 27, 2021 - 11:00 am Alaska time 

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Dana Wright, University of Washington, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies (CICOES) and Duke University Marine Laboratory, working with NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA

How do you study the rarest whale on earth in one of the most remote places in the ocean? Come learn how scientists use a variety of tools, including sound recordings, to research the rarest population of whales today – the North Pacific right whale.

Webinar

Register for the GoToWebinar event

The webinar will also be live streamed on Facebook Live on the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Facebook page (@NOAAFisheriesAK).

Educational Resources

• Understanding Why North Pacific Right Whales Are Endangered
• Interesting Facts About North Pacific Right Whale
• North Pacific Right Whale Research in Alaska
• North Pacific Right Whale - fact sheet
• First Recording of North Pacific Right Whale Song
• Spotlight on the North Pacific Right Whale - An Interview with NOAA Fisheries Marine Mammal Scientist Jessica Crance - video
• 'Song' of Rare Whale Recorded for the First Time - CNN
• New Study Sheds Light on Mysterious Movements of Rarest Great Whale

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

April 20, 2021 - Breaking Up is Hard To Do: River Ice Breakup in Alaska

Tuesday, April 20, 2021 - 11:00 am Alaska time 

Crane Johnson, NOAA's National Weather Service Alaska Pacific River Forecast Center 

Each spring, rivers in Alaska go from ice covered to open water during a time of year we call 'Breakup'. It is a time to be prepared. Ice jams can form during breakup and cause flooding. Join us to look at river ice and how ice jams form, and learn how we monitor breakup around Alaska. We will also find out what to expect for breakup this Spring.

Webinar

Register for the GoToWebinar event

The webinar will also be live streamed on Facebook Live on the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Facebook page (@NOAAFisheriesAK).

Educational Resources

• NOAA's National Weather Service - Alaska-Pacific River Forecast Center
• Citizen Science: Local Environmental Observer (LEO) Network
• NOAA's National Weather Service - Educational Resources
• NOAA's National Weather Service - River Watch Program

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

April 13, 2021 - What do you know about Alaska salmon? Exploring the job of a salmon biologist

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Tuesday, April 13, 2021 - 11:00 am Alaska time 

Joshua Russell, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Juneau, Alaska 

What do you know about Alaska salmon? Join us to learn about salmon lifecycles, what daily research looks like at a fish weir, Alaska salmon management, and the importance of stewardship.

Webinar

Register for the GoToWebinar event

The webinar will also be live streamed on Facebook Live on the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Facebook page (@NOAAFisheriesAK).

Educational Resources

• Meet Joshua Russell: Summer Intern Now Part of Auke Bay Staff
• Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP)
• Annual Study of Salmon in Southeast Alaska - science blog
• Alaska Salmon Travels - science blog
• Yukon River Salmon Survey - science blog
• Salmon Research in Alaska
• Alaska Native Women in Bristol Bay Salmon Fisheries - science blog
• Auke Creek Research Station
• Alaska Fisheries Science Center Auke Bay Laboratories

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

March 30, 2021 - A Dive Into Daily Life at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center's Kodiak Lab

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Tuesday, March 30, 2021 - 11:00 am Alaska time 

Allie Conrad, Chris Long, and Switgard Duesterloh, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Kodiak, Alaska 

Come along for a virtual tour of the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center's lab in Kodiak, Alaska! We'll highlight a few of our daily operations, our crab research, our long-standing ocean acidification research projects and learn about our dive team operations! This NOAA Live! Alaska Webinar is part of our NOAA Open House Series during which we will "travel" (virtually) across the country to showcase some of the amazing places our NOAA scientists, engineers, educators, technicians, and interns work.

Webinar

Webinar recording: NOAA Live! Alaska - A Dive Into Daily Life a the Alaska Fisheries Science Center's Kodiak Lab

The webinar will also be live streamed on Facebook Live on the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Facebook page (@NOAAFisheriesAK).

Educational Resources

• Alaska Fisheries Science Center Kodiak Laboratory

• A View From Inside the Kodiak Lab Aquarium - science blog
• NOAA Live! Alaska webinar - The Crab-tivating Life of Crustaceans
• Tracking the Alaskan Red King Crab - science blog
• Dutch Harbor Snow and Tanner Crab Growth Study - science blog
• Ocean Science Discovery Program 
• Meet Switgard Duesterloh - Alaska Ocean Acidification Network

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

March 23, 2021 - Hitching a Ride: How to Spot and Stop Marine Invasive Species

Tuesday, March 23, 2021 - 11:00 am Alaska time 

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Jasmine Maurer from NOAA's Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Kachemak Bay, Alaska 

How do invasive and exotic marine species arrive and spread in Alaska? We will talk about how to monitor and identify European green crab and tunicates, how they affect ecosystems, and what actions to take before the summer season to prevent marine invasive species from impacting your community.  

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - Hitching a Ride: How to Spot and Stop Marine Invasive Species

The webinar will also be live streamed on Facebook Live on the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Facebook page (@NOAAFisheriesAK).

Educational Resources

• Community Monitoring - Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

• Invasive Species - Alaska Department of Fish and Game

• Stop Aquatic Hitchhikers!

• Invasive Species - U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

• Kachemak Bay Environmental Education Alliance - Grab & Go Educational Resources

• Invasive and Exotic Marine Species - NOAA Fisheries
• What is an Invasive Species? - NOAA's National Ocean Service (video)

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

March 16, 2021 - Cold Dark Secrets: Discovering Alaska's Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges

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Tuesday, March 16, 2021 - 11:00 am Alaska time 

Pam Goddard, Vanessa Lowe, and Rachel Wilborn, NOAA Fisheries' Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA

Did you know that corals live in the deep, cold waters of Alaska? Come learn about deep-sea corals and sponges, and their importance for underwater communities in Alaska. We will talk about how we study these cold water creatures, how they have adapted to this environment and how they eat and grow.

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska Webinar - Cold Dark Secrets: Discovering Alaska's Deep Sea Corals

The webinar will also be live streamed on Facebook Live on the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Facebook page (@NOAAFisheriesAK).

Educational Resources

• Deep-Sea Corals and Sponges of Alaska (Story Map)

• Deep-Sea Corals and Sponge Research in Alaska

• Coral Forests of the Deep (2 min video)

• Surveying the Depths of the Gulf of Alaska - science blog

• Deep-Sea Coral Habitats (National)

• NOAA Deep-Sea Coral Data Portal (Digital Map & Database - Worldwide)

• National Marine Sanctuaries (America’s West Coast)

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

March 9, 2021 - How Old Is That Fish? And What Fish Ear Stones Can Tell Us

Tuesday, March 9, 2021 - 11:00 am Alaska time 

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Craig Kastelle, NOAA Fisheries' Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA

What is a fish ear stone, called an otolith, and what can we learn from them? Join us to see how we find out a fish’s age and what other information scientists get about oceans and fish, all from their tiny otoliths.

Webinar

Recorded Webinar - NOAA Live! Alaska - How Old Is That Fish? And What Fish Ear Stones Can Tell Us

The webinar will also be live streamed on Facebook Live on the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Facebook page (@NOAAFisheriesAK).

Educational Resources

• Fish Age and Growth Research in Alaska

• Microworlds: How Old is a Fish? - video

• Microworlds: What do Marine Mammals Eat? - video

• Alaska Age and Growth Procedures for Otolith Examination

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

March 2, 2021 - That's the Seal-iest Thing I've Heard: Studying Ice Seals in Alaska

Tuesday, March 2, 2021 - 11:00 am Alaska time 

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Erin Moreland, Cynthia Christman, and Heather Ziel, NOAA Fisheries' Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA

What are ice seals and how do we study them? Join researchers from the Polar Ecosystems Program at NOAA Fisheries' Alaska Fisheries Science Center to learn about bearded, ringed, spotted, and ribbon seals in Alaska and the methods we use to learn more about where they live, how many there are and where they go.

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - Studying Ice Seals in Alaska

Educational Resources

• Ice Seal Research in Alaska

• Protected Threatened Ice Seals - video

• Developing Artificial Intelligence to Find Ice Seals and Polar Bears from the Sky

• Ice-Associated Seal Ecology Research Survey in the Bering Sea - science field blog

• Joint U.S.-Russian Aerial Surveys for Ice-Associated Seals in the Bering Sea

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

February 23, 2021 - Lose the loop: How did entangled Steller sea lions lead to Alaska's first Ocean Guardian schools?

Tuesday, February 23, 2021 - 11:00 am Alaska time 

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Kim Raum-Suryan, NOAA Fisheries' Alaska Region

Join us as we learn about how marine debris impacts Steller sea lions, how we disentangle Steller sea lions, and how this helped us bring NOAA’s Ocean Guardian School Program to Alaska. Explore more about the Ocean Guardian School Program, how you can get this program started in your school, and concrete steps you can take right now to reduce marine mammal entanglements and marine debris. 

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - How did entangled Steller sea lions lead to Alaska's first Ocean Guardian schools?

Educational Resources

• NOAA Fisheries Alaska Regional Office

• Marine Mammal Stranding Program (Stranding Hotline: 877-925-7773)

• Pinniped Entanglement in Marine Debris

• Tangled Sea Lions Get Help - Biologists Team Up for Capture and Aid

• Entanglement in Marine Debris - Alaska Department of Fish and Game

• Keep the Sea Entanglement Free! - brochure

• Ocean Guardian School Program

• Juneau Schools Launch Ocean Guardian Program to Combat Marine Mess - Juneau Empire, September 2018

• Planet or Plastic? Students do their part to protect oceans - Juneau Empire, May 2019

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

February 16, 2021 - Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow...But How Much?

Tuesday, February 16, 2021 - 11:00 am Alaska time 

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Dr. Jessica Cherry, NOAA's National Weather Service River Forecast Office

Snow is a critical part of the annual water cycle throughout Alaska and provides important ecosystem services to plants and animals (including humans). Join us to look at how snow interacts with the environment in different parts of our state and how we forecast and measure it. We'll also talk about what parts of the hydrologic (water) and ecological system are impacted with changes in the amount and timing of snow.  

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow...But How Much?

Educational Resources

• NOAA's National Weather Service - Alaska-Pacific River Forecast Center

• Citizen Science: Local Environmental Observer (LEO) Network

• Citizen Science: CoCoRaHS - Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network

• NOAA's National Weather Service - Educational Resources

• NOAA's National Severe Storms Laboratory - Learning Resources - Severe Weather 101, lesson resources, student activities

• NOAA's National Snow and Ice Data Center

• NOAA Education Resource Collection - Weather and Atmosphere data resources

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

February 9, 2021 - Let's Talk about Fish Food! Zooplankton in the Eastern Bering Sea

Tuesday, February 9, 2021 - 11:00 am Alaska time 

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Deana Crouser, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center

What do you think fish eat in the ocean? A lot of fish eat zooplankton in the Bering Sea. Join us to find out how the response of zooplankton to climate change can affect what fish are available for us to eat!

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - Zooplankton in the Eastern Bering Sea

Educational Resources

• NOAA Ecosystems & Fisheries-Oceanography Coordinated Investigations (EcoFOCI) Website.  Find out more about the research and data that is collected.

• Plankton Portal.  This website gives you an opportunity to do some citizen science and ID plankton!

• Climate Drives Change in an Arctic Food Web

• Lawrence Hall of Science - Ocean Currents Animation - see how ocean circulation changes when air temperature and salinity change

• Aquatic Food Webs - NOAA Education Resource Collection - lesson plans, activities and more!

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

February 2, 2021 - Salmon in the Winter: Anadromous Fish Under Ice

Tuesday, February 2, 2021 - 11:00 am Alaska time 

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Coowe Walker and Jacob Argueta, NOAA's Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve in Kachemak Bay, Alaska

What do you know about baby salmon? Learn about where salmon spend their early life stages, and how they survive in Alaskan watersheds blanketed with snow and ice. We will talk about the importance of groundwater on baby salmon survival, and how watersheds and estuaries are nurseries that prepare salmon to hit the high seas.

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - Salmon in the Winter: Anadromous Fish Under Ice

Educational Resources

• Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve

• Kachemak Bay NERR - NOAA Office of Coastal Management

• Kachemak Bay NERR - Education and Outreach

• Anchor River on Ice - video

• Overwintering juvenile coho salmon study - Alaska Sustainable Salmon Fund

• Salmon: A Student Journal - activity book

• An Incredible Journey - curriculum about issues affecting salmon and how to become a salmon steward

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

January 26, 2021 - Alaska Marine Science Symposium in Anchorage: Cutting-Edge Science Connecting with Education

Tuesday, Jan 26, 2021 - 12:00 noon Alaska time NOTE TIME CHANGE!

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Elizabeth Siddon, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Juneau, Alaska, and Mark Van Arsdale, Eagle River High School in Eagle River, Alaska

Every January in Anchorage, scientists, educators, resource managers, students, and the public come together at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium (AMSS) conference to discuss the latest marine research being conducted in Alaska waters. Join us to talk with Elizabeth Siddon from NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center about her ecosystem research and education work, and Mark Van Arsdale, a high school teacher in Eagle River, Alaska, about his takeaways from the AMSS and how he brings the science back to his classroom.

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - AMSS: Cutting-Edge Science Connecting with Education

Educational Resources

• Alaska Marine Science Symposium

• North Pacific Research Board

• SouthEast Exchange

• Meet Elizabeth Siddon, one of 2019's PECASE WInners

• Mark Van Arsdale's Teacher at Sea Blog from 2018

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

January 19, 2021 - Some Like It Hot, Some Like It Cold: Monitoring Fish and Ecosystems With Bottom Trawl Surveys in Alaska

Tuesday, Jan 19, 2021 - 11:00 am Alaska time

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Sean Rohan, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center 

How do bottom trawl surveys help monitor fish populations and ecosystems in Alaska? Learn about the diverse marine life we see, the data we collect, and what it's like to be a scientist at sea.

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - Monitoring Fish and Ecosystems With Bottom Trawl Surveys in Alaska

Educational Resources

• Alaska Fisheries Science Center Fisheries Research Surveys

• Eastern Bering Sea Shelf Survey - 2017 science blog

• Fish Fetch - fish population estimation activity

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

January 12, 2021 - Talking Trash: Marine Debris Research in Alaska

Tuesday, Jan 12, 2021 - 11:00 am Alaska time

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Peter Murphy, NOAA's Marine Debris Program

With Alaska's extensive, rugged and remote coastline, longer than the rest of the United States coastline combined, innovative and creative approaches are required to address marine debris. Join us to learn about marine debris of all shapes and sizes, as well as projects that NOAA and community partners are doing in Alaska to conduct marine debris research, removal and prevention.

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - Talking Trash: Marine Debris Research in Alaska

Educational Resources

• NOAA Marine Debris Program games and activities for kids of all ages + posters and fact sheets

• NOAA Trash Talk - short videos on marine debris and what you can do.

• Marine Debris in Alaska

• St. Paul Island, Alaska Marine Debris Cleanup 2019

• Partnering with Native Communities to Take On Marine Debris

• NOAA Marine Debris Program in Your Region - Find your regional coordinator as well as state or region-specific information on current marine debris projects and activities.

• NOAA Ocean Today Trash Talk Videos:  There are 11 short videos- What is marine debris, where does marine debris come from, impacts of marine debris, and more.

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

December 15, 2020 - Youth Programs on St. Paul Island, Alaska

Tuesday, Dec. 15, 2020 - 11:00 am Alaska time

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Lauren Divine and Veronica Padula, Aleut Community of St. Paul Island Tribal Government

In the middle of the Bering Sea, between Russia and North America, is the Alaskan island of St. Paul - an incredible place with an amazing community and some of the coolest wildlife in the world. There is so much to learn from and about this special place. Join us to learn how the Aleut Community of St. Paul Tribal Government involves youth on many local research programs on St. Paul Island, Alaska, including projects on northern fur seals, reindeer, seabirds and marine debris! Kids are always excited to be involved in research and are some of the best scientists we have! NOAA partners with the St. Paul and St. George tribal governments on both research and education projects.

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - Youth Programs on St. Paul Island, Alaska

Educational Resources

• Laaqudax: The Northern Fur Seal - curriculum and activities on northern fur seals

• Youths experience hands-on science at Bering Sea days

• Seabird Youth Network 

• Communities work to remove marine debris on the Pribilof Islands of Alaska - NOAA Marine Debris Program

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

December 8, 2020 - Drones, Scat, and the Joys of Marine Mammal Fieldwork in Alaska

Tuesday, Dec. 8, 2020 - 11:00 am Alaska time

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Katie Sweeney, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Seattle, WA

How do we study marine mammals and what do we find out? Take a journey through the types of surveys and tools that are used to study Steller sea lions and northern fur seals in Alaska, and the challenges faced by scientists who study them!    

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - Drones, Scat, and the Joys of Marine Mammal Fieldwork in Alaska

Educational Resources

• Fur seals on Bogoslof Island - 2019 science blog

• Investigating Steller Sea Lion Declines on Remote Aleutian Islands - 2016 science blog

• Investigating Steller Sea Lion Populations - video

• Steller Sea Lion Aerial Survey - 2017 science blog

• From 2017 and 2018: Thousands of People Help Scientists with Research on Endangered Steller Sea Lion, Stellar Progress on Steller Watch 

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

December 1, 2020 - Alaska Sea Ice, Ice, Baby!

Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020 - 11:00 am Alaska time

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Michael Lawson, National Weather Service Sea Ice Program in Anchorage, Alaska

Learn all about Alaska sea ice from a National Weather Service sea ice analyst! Come join us to find out about different types of sea ice, how it forms and is different than freshwater ice, and how NOAA sea ice analysts analyze sea ice from satellite imagery. 

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - Alaska Sea Ice, Ice, Baby!

Educational Resources

• NOAA National Snow & Ice Data Center

• Ten Signs of a Warming World - Arctic Sea Ice

• 2020 Arctic melt season puts focus on sea ice forecast

• Sea Ice - NASA Earth Observatory

• Arctic Ice Growing Younger, Thinner - video

• Michael Lawson's Sea Ice Experiment - video

• Michael Lawson's Sea Ice Experiment - lesson plan

• Melting Ice Science Experiment

• Whither Arctic Sea Ice? - grades 7-12

• Sea Ice Index - Sea Ice Animation Tool

• Citizen Science: Local Environmental Observer (LEO) Network

• Citizen Science: CoCoRaHS - Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

November 17, 2020 - What's in the Kelp Forest? Exploring the Shore and Diving Underwater in Kachemak Bay, Alaska

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Tuesday, Nov. 17, 2020 - 11:00 am Alaska time

Kris Holderied, NOAA Kasitsna Bay Laboratory, NOAA Ocean Service and Katie Gavenus, Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Come find out about the unique marine ecology and research in Kachemak Bay, Alaska! Kachemak Bay is home to amazing underwater habitats and a wide variety of animals -- sea stars, nudibranchs, anemones, clams and snails, octopus, crabs, all sorts of fish, and even marine mammals like whales and sea otters!  Join us to learn more about this special estuary and explore how researchers and community members study the underwater ecosystem.  

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - What's in the Kelp Forest? Exploring the Shore and Diving Underwater in Kachemak Bay, Alaska

Educational Resources

• Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies - Intertidal Animals & Ecology

• Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies - Science Learning At-Home & Outside

• Video: Science and Stewardship: Keys to Restoring Kachemak Bay

• Kasitsna Bay Lab Dive Class "Movie Trailer"

• NOAA Kasitsna Bay Laboratory

• Activities: Life in the Intertidal Zone

• Nature journaling resources: Solo Spot, Scientific Sketching

• Biodiversity Checklist Example: Intertidal Discovery Hike

• Get Involved In Community Science and Citizen Science Programs:

• Local Environmental Observer (LEO) Network

• iNatualist

• Bering Watch - Indigenous Sentinels Network

• Globe Program

• CoCoRaHS - Community Collaborative Rain, Hail & Snow Network

Contact Kris Holderied at kris.holderied@noaa.gov and Katie Gavenus at katieg@akcoastalstudies.org

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

November 10, 2020 - Not Your Friendly Neighborhood Wave: Staying Safe from Tsunamis in Alaska

Tuesday, Nov. 10, 2020 - 11:00 am Alaska time

Dr. Summer Ohlendorf, NOAA's National Tsunami Warning Center in Palmer, Alaska

Earthquakes, volcanoes, landslides, oh my!  What’s one thing these hazards have in common? They’re all capable of moving a large amount of water very quickly, creating a special set of waves called a tsunami. While the most well known tsunami up here is the 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake and Tsunami, tsunamis can come in many sizes and remain an ongoing threat to coastal Alaskans. On the heels of World Tsunami Awareness Day (Nov. 5), we’ll share some of the things that make tsunamis different from regular waves, how scientists monitor and warn for tsunamis, and how you can keep yourselves and your families safe.    

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - Staying Safe from Tsunamis in Alaska

Educational Resources

• NOAA Educational Tsunami Resources 

• Alaska tsunami evacuation maps and more!

• Interactive tsunami inundation/flooding maps

• Travel the Seas Video

• NOAA Mitigates the Impact of Killer Waves – Storymap

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

October 27, 2020 - Ping! - Using sound to map Alaska's seafloor

Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020 - 11:00 am Alaska time

Jessica Murphy and LTjg Michelle Levano, NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey in Seattle, WA

Like marine mammals using sound to "see" their underwater environment, scientists also use sound to determine what the seafloor looks like! Mapping the seafloor provides information for many purposes, including safe navigation of fishing vessels and helping pinpoint where marine animals call home. Join us as we discuss the tools of the trade for mapping the seafloor and the many ways that data is used by scientists for everything from charting the ocean to understanding habitat.    

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - Ping! - Using sound to map Alaska's seafloor

Educational Resources

• NOAA’s Office of Coast Survey Educational Activities: Learn more about the seafloor and nautical charting through posters, interactive activities (checkout the digital terrain activity!) and hands-on activities you can do at home. 

• Alaska Surveys Storymap

• Finding Nautical Charts

• Travel the Seas Video

• Plumbing the Deep: Using Sound Waves to See

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

October 20, 2020 - Exploring the Ocean Seafloor: Underwater Volcanoes and their Habitats

Tuesday, Oct. 20, 2020 - 11:00 am Alaska time

Colleen Hoffman, Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies and University of Washington School of Oceanography

Come learn about the explosive world of underwater volcanoes! Alien looking organisms, robots and submarines, and eruptions are all part of the fun in studying these systems 10,000-13,000 feet below sea level. Narrated by a marine geochemist, we explore an underwater volcano habitat and how we collect samples from the deep.    

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - Ping! - Exploring the Ocean Seafloor: Underwater Volcanoes and their Habitats

Educational Resources

Videos in talk

• Volcanic eruptions on the seafloor

• Life at a Hydrothermal Vent

• What it is like to go down in HOV Alvin

Other resources

Videos

• Demo for Oreo plate tectonics

• Last 40 years of hydrothermal vent explorations (video showing all the different types of systems)

• C-DEBI deep-sea lesson plans

• NOAA Ocean Today Every Full Moon: Deep Sea Dive Collection

• NOAA Ocean Explorer: Hunting for Alien Life at the Bottom of the Arctic Ocean

• NOAA Ocean Explorer: Hydrothermal Vents: 2016 Deepwater Exploration of the Marianas

• NOAA Ocean Explorer: Education Theme: Vents and Volcanoes lesson plans

• HACON - Hot Vents in an Ice-Covered Ocean

Books

• Exploring the Deep, Dark Sea by Gail Gibbons

• Alien Deep: Revealing the Mysterious Living World at the Bottom of the Ocean (National Geographic Kids) by Bradley Hague

• Discovering the Deep by Jeffrey A. Karson, Deborah S. Kelley, Daniel J. Fornari, Michael R, Perfit, and Timothy M. Shank

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

October 13, 2020 - The Crab-tivating life of crustaceans: diving into Alaskan snow crab and red king crab biology

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Tuesday, Oct. 13, 2020 - 11:00 am Alaska time

Erin Fedewa and Leah Zacher, NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center in Kodiak, AK 

Join us as we learn about red king crab and snow crab, two species of crab found in Alaskan waters. Guest appearances from live crab at the Kodiak Fisheries Research Center and a virtual dissection will help us explore crab biology and life stages.

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - The Crab-tivating life of crustaceans: diving into Alaskan snow crab and red king crab biology

Educational Resources

• Red king crab life stages - a short course 

• Crab education pages

• NOAA Fisheries - Red King Crab

• NOAA FIsheries - Snow Crab

• New Studies Raise Questions About Crabs’ Adaptability

• Dutch Harbor Snow and Tanner Crab Growth Study - science blog

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.

October 6, 2020 - Baby Beluga in the Shallow Gray Sea - Looking for Newborn Whales with Drones in Cook Inlet, Alaska

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Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2020 - 11:00 am Alaska time

Kim Goetz, NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center

Learn about the endangered population of Cook Inlet beluga whales which regularly swim past local Anchorage landmarks such as the Port, Kincaid Park, the airport, and Bird Point in Turnagain Arm.  We will talk about how belugas live, see cool photos of them taken from a drone that we use to recognize newborn baby whales, and listen to them buzz and chomp on a fish!

Webinar

Webinar Recording - NOAA Live! Alaska - Baby Beluga in the Shallow Gray Sea - Looking for Newborn Whales with Drones in Cook Inlet, Alaska

Educational Resources

• Studying Endangered Cook Inlet Belugas in Alaska 

• Beluga Whale Hexacopter Survey - Science Blog

• Belugas Count! video

• Species in the Spotlight: Cook Inlet Beluga Whale

• Plumbing the Deep: Using Sound Waves to See

Please contact Lisa.Hiruki-Raring@noaa.gov for more information.