Keynote Speakers
The Symposium features compelling keynote speakers on all aspects of Alaska marine science.
Monday, January 16
2:30 - 3:00 pm
Keynote: Arctic, Eddy Carmack
Title: Interconnected Roles of the Arctic and Subarctic Oceans in
Global Change: Challenges to Observation and Governance
Abstract: The Arctic Ocean is changing extraordinarily fast, and to fully understand why requires that we examine its two-way interconnection with its neighboring subarctic Pacific and Atlantic domains and joint roles in global-scale hydrological and thermohaline cycles. A changing Arctic also acts back on the global system, with potential impacts on ocean currents and global precipitation patterns. By looking at and understanding the rapid and non-linear changes that taking place in the Arctic, we may develop potentially powerful tools to manage and cope with emerging global-scale issues. To demonstrate this point, results from the International Polar Year (IPY) – Canada’s Three Oceans project (C3O) and the Canada/U.S Joint Ocean Ice Study (JOIS) are presented as a case study to demonstrate the essential connectivities among the Arctic and subarctic oceans and to explore how changes within this coupled physical system are now impacting marine life and ecosystems, invasive species, ocean acidification and challenges to governance. These changes pose challenges that require cross-scale actions that will both aid in the advance detection of regime shifts and build resilience and transformative capacity within Northern communities coping with rapid change.
3:00 - 3:30 pm
Keynote: Bering Sea/Aleutians, Carin Ashjian & Jeff Napp
Title: Understanding Ecosystem Processes for the Bering Sea
Abstract: In 2007, the North Pacific Research Board (NPRB) and National Science Foundation (NSF) entered into a historic partnership to support a comprehensive $52 million investigation of the eastern Bering Sea ecosystem to understand how climate change and associated changes in sea-ice are impacting this ecosystem and the consequences of these changes on lower trophic levels for fish, seabirds, marine mammals, and ultimately people. The partnership is now in its 6th year. The Program’s vertically integrated biophysical model is running and providing interesting results. For example, .multi-decadal (1970-2040) hindcasts and forecasts with a 10-layer biophysical (physics/NPZ) model of the Bering Sea indicate a significant negative correlation between the springtime water temperature and the fall biomass of large zooplankton. Another model product is the first BEST/BSIERP predictions for the seasonal and interannual distribution and growth of fish species based on daily oceanographic and production conditions. Both our model output and our observational program are providing new insights into the role of sea ice at many different trophic levels. BEST/BSIERP is also modeling how changing climate may affect how humans assess and use living marine resources. Climate scenarios for a management strategy evaluation (MSE) have been chosen and will be discussed. Our series of vignettes will showcase and build upon recent results from the Program, including those from the soon to be released special issue in Deep-Sea Research II. They will also demonstrate how the program has migrated from observation to synthesis.
3:30 - 4:00 pm
Keynote: Gulf of Alaska, Jamal Moss & Olav Ormseth
Title: The Gulf of Alaska Project: an Integrated Ecosystem Research
Program
Abstract: The Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Project is focusing on identifying and quantifying the key processes that regulate the recruitment of five commercially and ecologically important groundfish species. This study will investigate regional differences in ecological processes from southeast Alaska to Kodiak Island during spring, summer, and fall with comprehensive field sampling in 2011 and 2013. Field observations and laboratory analyses are being integrated through modeling and retrospective analyses. Speakers will comment on preliminary findings of species distribution, biophysical conditions in the GOA, and preliminary results from modeling and retrospective analyses.
4:00 - 4:30 pm
Keynote: Education & Outreach, Randy Olson
Title: Storytelling - Clear Proof that Scientists Descended from Humans
Abstract: Last year I spoke at a major scientific institution where one of the communicators said, "Our scientists constantly say they want us to "Tell the story of our institution," but when we ask them "What IS the story of our institution?" they say, "You know, it's all the studies we do, the people who work here, the results we publish ..." That is not a story. That is exposition. Scientists have a hard time with the idea of storytelling. Many even suffer from "storyphobia," which is the irrational fear of "bending the science to tell a better story." And yet storytelling is at the core of how they, like everyone else, communicate most effectively. In fact, recent studies show that scientists descended from humans and still have the vestiges of the literary world in their modes of communication. In this talk I will explore what the structure of a story is, why it is such a crucial aspect of communication, and how you can do it better at all scales from five seconds to five hours.
Lunches - please note lunch will be served Tuesday Jan. 17 and Thursday Jan. 19 only. Wednesday Jan. 18 is lunch on your own.
