The Alaska Harmful Algal Bloom Network will be partnering with the Semester by the Bay Program to host an evening focused on marine science in Kachemak Bay. The evening will kick off with a poster session highlighting Semester by the Bay students work in our area focused on sea otters. It will then be followed by a presentation and Q&A session with experts discussing the harmful algal bloom events of last season and what to expect this upcoming summer. For more information please read below. If you have any questions reach out to Rosie Masui at rmmasui@alaska.edu.
Join Semester by the Bay students for an engaging hour-long showcase of sea otter research! Discover what students and research affiliates have been investigating about Kachemak Bay's sea otter population. This casual poster session will feature data spanning decades, along with highlights of new and exciting projects, including diet analysis, detection of abnormal spraint, microbiome analysis of the otter gut, and studies of sea otter and human interaction in the Homer harbor. Come connect, learn, and share in the latest sea otter science! April 28th, 4:30-5:30pm.
Starting at 5:30pm, hear from the Alaska Harmful Algal Bloom Network's team about recent seabird and marine mammal mortality events and toxic shellfish. The team will start the session with a brief presentation introducing harmful algal blooms (HABs) and a recap of the observations and events of the 2025 season. After the presentation, a panel of HAB experts will discuss and field community questions about seabirds, marine mammals, phytoplankton, toxin testing, and human health in Alaska. Participants will have the opportunity to talk to experts about specific impacts that HABs may have in their communities.
Expert Panelists:
Brie Drummond, Wildlife Biologist, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
Deborah Tobin, Professor of Biology, UAA-KPC-Kachemak Bay Campus
Emily Sears, Public Health Nurse, State of Alaska Department of Health
Kim Schuster, Phytoplankton Monitoring Program Lead, Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve
Thomas Farrugia, Alaska Harmful Algal Bloom Network Coordinator, Alaska Ocean Observing System

Reach out to Rosie Masui at rmmasui@alaska.edu with any questions.