GSS Student Intern Assists with Alaska Research

During the month of July, GIS Intern Luke Shappell accompanied a small team from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) on a 28-day research cruise designed to sample and study Pacific cod and gadid (fish in the cod family) populations and their habitats along the Alaskan Peninsula. The NOAA team employed seine nets to drag sites that were rich in kelp and eelgrass (common habitat for gadids) while simultaneously utilizing baited underwater cameras to potentially capture images of young and juvenile cod. Starting in Kodiak and spanning from Sand Point to Seward, the research team sampled over 120 different beaches and cliffs that were located in various bays and islands along the coast. The collected gadids were then further processed with pre-lab work, such as collecting fin samples for genetic testing, that would enable more scientific examination following the voyage. The team's research endeavors, which will end next year (2025), stemmed from a drastic decrease in the Pacific cod populations in 2017, following a dramatic increase of water temperatures in the Gulf of Alaska that was nicknamed “the Blob.” NOAA hopes the data they’ve collected will allow experts to create a predictive model that can help monitor and estimate gadid populations based on measurable variables such as water temperature and salinity.