My workplace - the College of the Environment at the University of Washington - sent me. Our goal was to meet up with scientists at the Alaska Salmon Program, a part of our college, to document and tell their story. The program has been going since the 1940s when the commercial fishing industry approached UW scientists to help figure out why salmon runs fluctuate, and how to manage them better. The partnership flourished, and has now been in existence for over 70 years. Bristol Bay and the lakes that make up the watershed fuel the most productive sockeye salmon fishery in the world - and our scientists help keep it that way.
Over 50 million fish returned this year, and we witnessed it firsthand. This bounty of fish is responsible for supporting wildlife galore and the fisherman that depend on them to fill their nets. Our scientists offer their data and insights to protect and manage the watershed and fishery, making it one of the most sustainable anywhere.
A team of film makers, writers, photographers, and I get to tell the story of this remarkable research and its impact on wildlife and people. I am completely inspired and humbled by what I saw - the dedication of the scientists who are trying to understand what makes this place tick, the absolute wild wild wild nature of this incredibly expansive wildness, the resourcefulness and hospitality of people that carve out a living at 60 degrees north, and the work of everyone trying to protect this as one of the last truly untouched places on our planet.
Below are a few pictures, but as always there are more on my Flickr page.
The dock at one of the Alaska Salmon Program camps on Lake Aleknagik.
Heading to the field to do some salmon research - brought me back to the old days of being a scientist!
The whole reason for being there - sockeye salmon returing to spawn.
Look at 'em!
We rounded up a bunch of fish before they headed up the creek and tagged them - monitoring their fate.
Got my mitts on a big sockeye salmon!
Also did some beach seining to see what else lives along the shoreline.
The productive shorelines of Lake Aleknagik.
Stunning sunset from camp.
The extremely talented camera crew from UW.
Um, sure - I'll take a float plane to a more remote camp!
The welcoming committee at the upper camp.
Camp on Nerka Lake.
Heading out for a stream walk.
And then, we saw these two - mom and cub.
Then she hopped in the river and grabbed a salmon!
Upper Togiak Lake off of Lake Nerka - absolutely stunning.
Enroute to our next site on a mirror-like lake.
The gravel in these lakes and streams is partly what makes this place so good for salmon - perfect for rearing eggs.
Alaskan Fireweed along the green green slopes.
Salmon in Pik Creek
The sunsets were among the best I've ever seen.
A blustery walk through the tundra.
And my good buddy Daniel came up there too!
