2026 Alaska Research Surveys Photo Gallery
Curious about Alaskan Research surveys? Dive into our photo gallery showcasing snapshots captured by field scientists during their 2026 research expeditions.
The Groundfish Assessment Program regularly conducts bottom trawl surveys to assess the condition of groundfish and shellfish stocks in Alaskan marine waters.
The Midwater Assessment and Conservation Engineering Program combines midwater trawl surveys with acoustic echo integration technology to assess the population status of Alaska walleye pollock.
Photo galleries from other year's posted as well.
Step 1: Go out to the storage hanger to bundle and pack the survey nets on the NOAA campus in Seattle. Can't catch the f...
Step 2: Pack up ALL the other survey gear that is stored at the NOAA campus in Seattle, WA. We send up a lot of sampling...
Step 3: Personal gear. Every scientist on board sends up their personal gear for there 3-6 week stay on the chartered ve...
Boarding the airplane in Anchorage, AK on the way to start the Bering Sea survey. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Sophia Wasserma...
The first glimpse of Unalaska Island when approching Dutch Harbor airport via plane. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Sophia Wasse...
View of the survey vessels between the hills as they steam to the dock in Dutch Harbor. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Mar...
The F/V Alaska Knight, which is one of the two vessels surveying the eastern Bering Sea this year. Credit: NOAA Fisherie...
FV Ocean Explorer sits at dock during survey set up. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Markowitz
Loading gear today onto one of the chartered fishing vessels on which we conduct the surveys. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emi...
Nets laid out on the deck of one of the survey vessels ported in Dutch Harbor. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Markowitz
The FlowCytoBot outside of its housing is being calibrated and getting ready to snap shots of zooplankton and phytoplank...
Sunshine! A rarity in the Bering Sea! The deck is nearly gleaming with the great weather we are having on the FV Northwe...
A red king crab poses in front of the A-frame on the deck of the FV Northwest Explorer. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Mar...
A tiny juvenile red king crab on a scientists hand with waves in the background. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Markowitz
Scienists are tying a tracking tag to a red king crab. Once secure, the crab will be released and its movements will be ...
Who wore it best? Three hyas crab pose wearing very fashionable sea anenomes and sponges atop their carapaces. Credit: N...
A teeny tiny Longfinger Hermit (Pagurus rathbuni) on the specimen table. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Markowitz
A arrowtooth flounder, northern rock sole, waddled eelpout, and eulachon. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Markowitz
A flathead sole. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Markowitz
A northern rock sole. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Markowitz
A yellow Irish lord. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Markowitz
The humble Pacific herring is a critical forage fish of the Bering Sea. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Emily Markowitz
The last of the ice sheets in Bristol Bay at sunset. Credit: Bill Maher, First Mate on the F/V Northwest Explorer
Twilight in the Bering Sea at 3am on June 13, 2026. Credit: Bill Maher
Baby snails! A species of snail lays large solitary eggs that grow multiple baby snails. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Rebecca ...
This orange anemone is an Urticina species. When it comes out of the water, all of its tentacles retract and forms a vol...
Organisms on deck don't always look like their photos. This is the tentacle-shedding anemone aka "pom-pom" anemone. The ...
Does this resemble a raspberry to you? Well, the common name for Gersemia species is a sea raspberry. This type of soft ...
Whoa! That's some crown on a Pacific lyre crab. This crab has 2 different anemones attached to its carapace. The relatio...
Discovered in 2014, this gastropod is missing its shell! Just kidding, this is Onchidiopsis clarkii and its (very soft) ...
Here there be monsters! More specifically a Bering wolf fish. Watch out for those teeth! Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Rebecca ...
It's a...ghost rainbow! Also known as a fog-bow, sea-dog *yes really*, fog-dog or white rainbow (but ghost rainbow sound...
I spy with my little eyes...something shrimpy. This little one is a Pandalid shrimp. The exact species has me stumped, s...
Would you take me home? This guy is a type of poacher fish. Specifically, it's a sturgeon poacher. It's name comes from ...
Hello there green eyes! An Aleutian hermit crab is peering out of its shell. The shell is also home to a colony of barna...
This scallop is showing off it's eyes and sensory tentacles. The eyes can detect changes in light and the sensory tentac...
Here we have 3 different species of sea stars. From top to bottom: mud seastar, scarlet seastar, and... this one has no ...
Beautiful day to be working on deck in the Aleutians. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Bethany Riggle
Kamchatka coral, or bubble gum coral, as we lovingly call it, is a large and colorful addition to some of our samples. C...
Fuzzy crabs are aptly named, as you can tell. Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Bethany Riggle
Red Irish Lords, which are a species of sculpin, can have such beautiful coloration in comparison to their Yellow Irish ...
Arcturus is a genus of marine isopods found in Alaska. If you look closely at the antennae, you will see baby Arcturus c...
Once in a blue moon, we get lucky enough to see a longnose lancetfish on our surveys! Look at those teeth! Credit: NOAA ...
Myctophids are a species of lanternfish found in Alaska. If you look closely on their bellies, you can see spots that ar...
The lumpsucker trifecta! From left to right: Smooth Lumpsucker, Spiny Lumpsucker, and Alaska Lumpsucker. Credit: NOAA Fi...
A fully intact Emarginate snailfish, found at a depth of 350 meters! Credit: NOAA Fisheries/Bethany Riggle
Ocean frills and flawless details on Dall's dendronotid nudibranch. The elaborate, branching tree-like cerata (aid in re...
It's not just a pretty face; great sculpin are amazing fish and can change colors over long and short periods of time th...
Staring contest with the ultimate house hunter. The yellow eyes? Iconic. The maroon outlining near the claws? Killing it...
Marbled eelpout has that deep unspoken rizz. Those pectoral fins are lowkey giving wing vibes. Honestly? Respect. Credit...
Face-to-face with an Onchidiopsis sea snail. The contrast between its highly textured, dark speckled mantle and the wavy...
Not a bad view from the office! Back deck of the FV Alaska Knight with Hall Island in the background. Fun fact: Hall Isl...
A basketstar showing off its complex and intricate moves. Fun fact: Those intricate arms are actually a giant, living fi...
Beringius snails are large cold-water predators! They use an incredible sense of smell and a long, extendable tube calle...
A scenic view of a Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) with Hall Island, near St. Matthew's island, in the backgro...
A Lethasterias nanimensis sea star, just hanging out. The tiny dark spots covering its body make it look like it was spr...
This bright orange nudibranch is definitely not blending in. Their vibrant, neon colors aren't for showing off; they ser...
A vibrant purple nudibranch strutting its stuff! That flower-like tuft on its back is actually its breathing apparatus (...
A dazzling cluster of rose sea stars (Cossaster papposus)! It gets its name from its dazzling top-side coloration. They ...
A screenshot showing the topography around St. Matthew's Island (it's bumpy down there!). St. Matthew Island is consider...
In the center of this photo is a true Arctic specialist -- the Glaucous Gull (Larus hyperboreus)! It is one of the large...
Traveled all the way from Hawaii to Alaska just to get away from the tourists and catch up with some other subarctic bir...
It’s not a phase, mom—it’s a dark morph! That is a dark morph Northern Fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis). These birds hold the...
Couldn't decide between the light morph or dark morph today, so I went with charcoal grey. This is Northern Fulmar (Fulm...
This Pacific light/intermediate morph northern fulmar (Fulmarus glacialis).While it looks like a gull at first glance, i...
Terminal molt, maximum glamour. When you reach your terminal molt, you stop shedding—and start accessorizing. Meet the m...
A magnificent giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini), ready for its close-up. Not only are they the largest octop...
A close-up look at ultimate grip strength! Giant Pacific octopus (Enteroctopus dofleini) suckers rely on two key structu...
Twisted tail feathers, classic black cap, and a 100% success rate in aerial robbery. This Pomarine Jaeger (Stercorarius ...
Looks like someone dipped their wingtips in wet ink! This Black-legged Kittiwake (Rissa tridactyla) is showing off its c...
This juvenile short-tailed albatross (Phoebastria albatrus), 6-foot wings outstreched, is rocking the ultimate awkward t...
All smiles and sharp teeth! A volunteer scientist enthusiastically poses alongside a formidable wolffish (family Anarhic...
An incredible benthic specimen! A volunteer scientist proudly displays a massive king crab (family Lithodidae) on the de...
A colossal catch from the seafloor! Two survey scientists enthusiastically show off an impressive king crab (family Lith...
A diverse array of ocean life on display! A dedicated researcher examines a rich haul on the sorting table, carefully ca...
A team of scientists from different facilities working together during a haul sort. Scientists sort multiple, multi-ton ...
A mighty catch from the Bering Sea! A volunteer scientist happily holds a massive Pacific halibut (Hippoglossus stenolep...
Gently cradled in hand, this remarkable pink snailfish (family Liparidae) showcases a stunning, iridescent green eye! So...
Small enough to fit in the palm of a hand, this tiny juvenile skate still carries its nutrient-rich yolk sac! These fasc...
Resting gently in the palm of a hand, this miniature translucent bobtail squid highlights its detailed reddish-brown chr...
Caught in a moment of pure underwater expression, this adorable Pacific spiny lumpsucker (Eumicrotremus orbis) perched o...
A grand specimen on deck! Decked out in full protective foul-weather gear, a beaming researcher carefully cradles an eno...
Smiles on deck! Two survey scientists pause for a quick selfie amidst the busy operations of our Bering Sea bottom trawl...
A fascinating find from the net! A smiling volunteer scientist proudly holds a decorator crab. These unique crustaceans ...
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