FISHING FOR SNOT = HEALTHY SALMON?

We do everything at Miller’s Landing. From commercial marine assistance (need a tow? run out of fuel? can’t dock your boat?), freight transport (building a cabin somewhere?), to supporting the local marine science community: we’ll figure out how to apply our resources to your needs. Jen Questel & Ayla Doubleday, academics at large at the University of Alaska Fairbanks working with Russel Hopcroft stopped in to do some impromptu pteropod tows with the ring net seen above. We loaded up with what looks like a cod end full of snot after two short tows, and they were on the way to Fairbanks in no time. Once in Fairbanks, Dr. Hopcroft and graduate student Doubleday will experiment with these tiny critters in an attempt to keep them happy under laboratory conditions. This is done in order to measure a rate of growth. These pelagic snails (Limacina helicina) are tiny, but may be a key prey item for juvenile pink salmon. It is important to obtain a growth rate in order to calculate the productivity of pteropods in the Gulf of Alaska system. Pteropod productivity can be tied to juvenile pink salmon survival, which will help to determine if their presence contributes to an increased salmon return. By better understanding growth rates we can appreciate their importance in the Gulf of Alaska system.
Miller’s Landing is proud to be able to provide a support platform for our local operators in need, call us if you need something special, you might be surprised at what we’re able to do for you or your project!