ECOSYSTEMS

LONG TERM MONITORING
The core of the Alaska Salmon Program is our long term monitoring program. Our core datasets span an era of rapid environmental change and provide invaluable insight into the structure and function of natural ecosystems.

CLIMATE CHANGE
Climate change is affecting northern latitudes, and in particular Alaskan ecosystems, more rapidly than anywhere else on Earth. Studying the responses of natural ecosystems to environmental change is a focus of our program.

EVOLUTIONARY ECOLOGY
Salmon ecosystems of western Alaska are an unparalleled natural laboratory for studying evolutionary ecology. Since our begininng, we have sought to understand the evolutionary effects of competition and predation within these ecosystems.

GENETICS & GENOMICS
As molecular tools have become more accessible, they have become broadly applicable to fisheries and ecological research. We use genetic and genomic approaches to tackle questions in applied fishery management and ecosystem ecology.

FOOD WEBS
When present in an ecosystem, salmon are a key driver of food web dynamics, feeding everything from microbes and phytoplankton, to rainbow trout, brown bears, and humans. We strive to understand the role of salmon nutrients in food web and ecosystem processes.

HABITAT PRODUCTIVITY
The watersheds of Bristol Bay host a diverse portfolio of intact natural habitats. Our program focuses on understanding how habitat diversity drives ecosystem stability and fishery sustainability.