Alaska Forum Virtual Technical Session: Salmon Science & Stewardship in Tikahtnu/Cook Inlet Watersheds

Healthy salmon populations support communities in Southcentral Alaska, and salmon rely on healthy watersheds to support juvenile growth and successful adult returns. This session will present research on salmon watersheds in the Tikahtnu/Cook Inlet region as well as current tools and resources to support salmon in Cook Inlet and beyond. We will discuss the long history of watershed research and education at the Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, the ongoing aquatic ecology program at the Alaska Center for Conservation Science, and new tools, such as the AKTEMP freshwater temperature database, that can facilitate increased collaboration around monitoring and stewardship of the watersheds that support salmon. We are currently preparing for a Tikahtnu/Cook Inlet-wide Salmon Symposium in April 2025, in Anchorage, and welcome input and conversation around topics that the community would like to see discussed at that forum.

Speakers
Erin Larson, UAA Alaska Center for Conservation Science, Lead Aquatic Ecologist and Assistant Director,
Katherine Schake, UAA Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve,
Rosie Masui, UAA Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Coastal Training Program Specialist,
Syverine Bentz, UAA Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, Coastal Training Program Coordinator,
Coowe Walker (deceased), UAA Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, former Manager

Moderator
Megan Marie, Habitat Biologist, Alaska Dept. of Fish & Game,