Alaska Coastal Expedition

In late May, GSS staff members Andy Robertson, Kevin Stark, and Eric Lindquist travelled to the Alaska Peninsula to conduct fieldwork along Shelikof Strait and the Kodiak Archipelago. This trip was part of a larger project to map hydrography and wetlands along the southern coast of Alaska for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and U.S. Geological Survey. This particular project falls within the area affected by the Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS), the impacts of which are still being studied. Due to the rugged and inaccessible nature of the Alaska coast, the majority of work had to be conducted by boat or helicopter. A “support boat” travelled along the Alaska Peninsula and served as a moving base of operations, providing the field crew with lodging, food, and helicopter fuel. The crew also spent several days surveying wetlands around the town of Kodiak by car, when low clouds made flying impossible.