March 2024 | View in browser

A Common Murre (Scientific: Uria aalge), (Kokiak Sugt'stun: Sak'itaq), peeking underwater on habitat at the Alaska SeaLife Center. Photo Credit: ASLC.

The Mission of CORaL

The CORaL Network empowers our region by collaborating, learning from one another, and sharing scientific, cultural, and traditional knowledge. We foster community co-creation and responsiveness to meet the needs of our partners and their service communities.

CORaL Network at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium

In late January, Representatives from the CORaL Network partner organizations attended the 2024 annual Alaska Marine Science Symposium (AMSS) in Anchorage. It was a worthwhile gathering to connect with potential collaborators and share opportunities coming out of the CORaL partnership, as well as to listen and learn about perspectives and potential barriers to co-creation. The latter being particularly valuable as we think about ways the Network can be a bridge to pathways for connection.

New this year, the CORaL Network hosted a booth during the poster sessions Monday and Tuesday evening of the conference. Our booth provided a platform to network and chat with scientists and other organizations, build brand recognition, and share information on past and upcoming CORaL sponsored events. All who stopped by received a spiffy CORaL logo vinyl sticker and CORaL programs flyer with a QR code link to subscribe to the newsletter.

We also hosted our first workshop at AMSS. The workshop, "Rethinking Your Science Communications", was designed to help researchers navigate the diverse world of science communication and demonstrate how working with community partners can make scientific outreach more impactful. Participants had the opportunity to ask questions, engage in discussion, and learn from one another on important considerations when engaging with Alaskan communities.

One key learning which surfaced in discussion, is that effective communication begins before a project is started. That is to say, building relationships and trust on a human level with stakeholders and impacted communities at the inception of a project is where meaningful connection occurs and subsequent effective outreach takes shape.

CORaL Network representatives gathered in Anchorage for the Alaska Marine Science Symposium.

Cristina Reo (PWSSC), Natalie Sotelo (ASLC), and Robin McKnight (CRRC) staff the CORaL booth.

Alexa Helm (CACS) chats with visitors at the CORaL booth.

Katie Gavenus (CACS) and Dehrich Chya (AMAR) present at AMSS on a collaboration for learning through culture, language, art, and science.

Robin McKnight (CRRC) and Rosemary Aviste (ASLC) prepare for small group discussion.

Lauren Bien (PWSSC) shares CORaL projects with workshop participants. Photo Credits: CORaL Network.

2024 CCE planning underway - Get involved!

The 2023 CCE group poses with members of the U.S. Forest Service dusky Canada goose monitoring team at a nest island site in the Copper River Delta near Cordova. Photo Credit: Eden McCall.

About the CCE Program

The CORaL Network is excited to announce the return of our annual five-week Community Coastal Experience (CCE), an opportunity for Alaskan adults to explore career and internship pathways in marine science, archaeology, cultural history, and other STEAM topics related to the coastal environment of Southcentral Alaska. Participants are primarily from rural coastal communities throughout the oil spill-affected region, and all have a strong connection to the local natural resources.

Participants travel with program leaders between Kachemak Bay, Seward, Cordova, and Kodiak to participate in environmental monitoring, connect with local knowledge-bearers, attain job-related skills, and build relationships with science and community organizations that offer jobs and internships.

Through the process of co-learning between participants and presenters throughout the five weeks, the CCE aims to build science understanding and skills among local adults which will help them to engage with local science and research, as well as to increase our collective capacity as science and education organizations to support and encourage participation of local adults in our science programs.

Ways to Engage

Would you like to be involved in outreach and co-learning with the Community Coastal Experience (CCE)? Involvement could look many ways:

• Share a presentation about your or your organization's research, programs, mission work (may include a short hands-on component).

• Travel with the group out to your field work site (travel funding provided by CORaL).

• Hands-on activity related to your research/programs.

• Join the group for a meal or other casual activity to build relationships.

How will engaging with the CCE help your and your organization

• Connect with a unique audience and increase access for those from rural communities.

• Develop greater understanding of community interests to be more responsive in research and monitoring.

• Participate in staff training opportunities and competencies for working with Alaskan Native participants.

• Build relationships and connections for future consultations for research and programs. Open pathways to receive feedback about how to do things better.

Prepare for Engagement with Cultural Orientation & Training Opportunities

The Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository (AMAR) offers a free cultural orientation. The next online presentation via Zoom will be in May! Follow AMAR's social media for the date announcement.

Chugach Regional Resources Commission (CRRC) offers cultural training opportunities throughout the year, spring and fall. The next Collective Alaska Native Perspectives workshop takes place on Kodiak Island in April. Details in the flyer below.

Chugach School District Visits

In December, Katie Gavenus and Misha Klassen of Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies (CACS) and Hannah Kepner of University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) attempted to travel to two Chugach School District schools, Tatitlek and Chenega, to deliver hands-on science lessons in the classroom and outdoors. Unfortunately, the extreme weather made it impossible to fly into the villages, but they were able to visit Whittier School, collect plankton samples in a blizzard, and lead tons of cool science activities with Whittier students! Hannah's research with the Northern Gulf of Alaska LTER focuses on deep ocean plankton photography. She was able to show students some of her photos and research equipment. She shared her expertise and plankton samples from her lab in a microscope activity.

Alex Helm and Henry Reiske of CACS were able to visit the Chugach School District schools, Tatitlek and Chenega, in January having better luck with the weather over the mountains!

UAF researcher Hannah Kepner and Coastal Studies educator Katie Gavenus prepare a classroom demonstration of a modified DPI (Deep-Focus Particle Imager) camera to simulate how plankton images are captured in the deep sea.

Whittier School middle and high schoolers identify and categorize plankton based on their observations under microscopes.

Katie Gavenus (CACS educator) engages Whittier Elementary students in a discussion of how plate tectonics affect the land and environment of Alaska and Prince William Sound. Photo Credits: CACS.

Pathways to share: Virtual Visits, Radio Segments, & Kiosks

Virtual Visits bring you an inside look at the Alaska SeaLife Center's animals and staff, who work daily to make the Center's mission a reality. The third season has been full of fascinating new stories, and there are many more to come! Keep an eye on ASLC's Facebook feed to catch new episodes as they're released, and subscribe to the YouTube channel below to easily watch new and previous episodes.

Visit ASLC YouTube Channel

The Prince William Sound Science Center produces Field Notes, a three-to-five-minute science program aired on local public radio. Since 2010, Field Notes has allowed them to reach a broader audience in Prince William Sound and outlying areas in the upper Copper River Basin, increasing their scope of connecting with the public.

You can stay up to date with the latest Field Notes by checking the website:

Visit PWSSC Field Notes

The Prince William Sound Science Center in freshly fallen snow. Photo Credit: PWSSC.

Kiosk work in progress!

The CORaL Network Partners will each install at least one publicly accessible kiosk at their site to share EVOSTC-funded research and educational activities from across the spill-affected region. Kiosks will be populated with videos uploaded by partners to share knowledge, project highlights, and cultural content with community members, tourists, and visitors across the region. The Alaska SeaLife Center has recently purchased kiosk stations to overhaul the digital content displays on the exhibit floor of the aquarium and has partnered with the Seward Library to set up a kiosk at the local library too!

Upcoming Events

Alaska Sea Grant

Kodiak Area Marine Science Symposium, April 23-26, 2024.

Chugach Regional Resources Commission

2024 Annual Subsistence Memorial Gathering, March 21. Pictures and update coming soon!

SOARCE Webinar Series: Community Sampling for Ocean Acidification in South Central Alaska.

Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies

Community Coastal Experience (CCE) 2024

Alaska SeaLife Center

2024 Seward Seabird Festival: celebrating the migration of Alaska's seabirds through education, science, and art!

May 31-June 2.

Small Fry School is back in person! Mondays at 11am.

Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository

Alutiiq Word of the Week: Explore Alutiiq vocabulary and a wealth of cultural information with weekly lessons featuring Elders and hosted by the Alutiiq Museum and Archaeological Repository.

Prince William Sound Science Center

Tuesday Night Talk, 7-8pm. Live-stream available. Featured above!

Check out previous CORaL Network Newsletters.

December 2023 November 2023 October 2023 September 2023