June 21, 2021, by admin

The Sitka Sound Science Center plans to construct a new salmon spawning and incubation building on its historic campus. The building will replace a 1970s era spawning shed that is not only long past its useful life but also unsafe for visitors and staff. The new building will house incubation equipment for rearing salmon, be a safer and more efficient platform for spawning return fish, be an educational facility for aquaculture students and showcase aquaculture to visitors from around the world. 

The incubation facility has been planned since 2012 when Sitka Sound Science Center completed its first facility master plan. But became a high priority for the board and staff when the building aging construction raised safety concerns. 

The Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association based in Sitka and the Douglas Island Pink and Chum organization based in Juneau provided funds for designing the new structure which was conducted in collaboration with the SSSC Building Committee by Tetratech, an engineering and design firm with 40 years of experience designing hatchery buildings in Southeast Alaska. The design includes a new spawning deck above the raceways and an incubation building that will replace the current spawn shed. 

The goal of this project is to create a functional and efficient set of hatchery spaces to improve aquaculture operation and provide a better educational environment for fisheries instruction and visitor experiences.  Importantly, the new building will open additional space in the Sage building for wet labs.