Alaska: University breaks ground on new fisheries facility – Fishupdate.com

Alaska: University breaks ground on new fisheries facility Published:  24 April, 2006

THE University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries

and Ocean Sciences have begun work on a new

facility dedicated to fisheries education and research.

The new Lena Point fisheries facility in Juneau will create the

infrastructure for a world-class centre of excellence for studying

Alaska’s marine resources. At approximately 28,000 square feet, the

three-story building will, it is claimed, have research space for 16 laboratories, two classrooms, a teaching lab and large saltwater tanks for studying live sea creatures.

UAF offers the only graduate-level degrees in fisheries in Alaska and has awarded more than 150 such degrees. Many of the graduating students go on to work for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game or the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

The fisheries division of the UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences has operated in Juneau for more than 20 years next to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Auke Bay Laboratory. The new building will be located on the same site as the NOAA Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute, which is currently under construction.

Many of the Alaska legislators who were instrumental in securing the

funding for the $21-million facility attended the Thursday

groundbreaking ceremony. Speakers included Lieutenant Governor Loren Leman and University of Alaska President Mark Hamilton.

The UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences conducts world-class marine and fisheries research, education and outreach across Alaska, the Arctic and Antarctic. More than 60 faculty scientists and 150 graduate students are engaged in building knowledge about Alaska and the world’s coastal and marine ecosystems. SFOS is headquartered at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, and serves the state from facilities located in Seward, Juneau, Anchorage and Kodiak.

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