For over ten years, we have watched sea stars dissolve before our eyes. Billions of these beautiful animals have passed away from a pandemic-level catastrophe sweeping across their population from Mexico to Alaska, known as sea star wasting disease. 20…
Our Pink and Chum salmon, which we raised and cared for at the hatchery several years ago, have found their way back home. Once our hatchery salmon reach the smolt stage of their lifecycle (transition from fresh to salt water),…
The 29th Annual Sitka WhaleFest will be November 7th – 9th, 2025 This year’s theme is Entwined. Join us in unraveling the tangled connections of the natural world, revealing how intimately we are bound together on our shared planet.
Elongated bodies snake within rock crevices and algae beds in the waters of the North Pacific. A fish without scales, but covered in circular patterns of dark grey, almost bluish skin, slides out of sight and into its den-like home…
On Teacher Appreciation Day, we would like to call out our own educators working diligently at Sitka Sound Science Center. Our whole education department is passionate about science, and it shows in their work. The education team can be found…
Our salmon have grown strong and are ready to venture into the ocean. Celebrate with us and carry a pink fry or coho smolt down the beach to the shore. We suggest wearing boots to walk your salmon…
Each spring, Yaaw, or Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi) gather in Southeast Alaska’s waters after spending the majority of their lives in the Northern Pacific Ocean. Individual fish measure around nine inches and congregate in massive schools to spawn.
