April 18, 2016, by admin

Join the Sitka Sound Science Center staff and Board in welcoming Dr. Jennifer Purcell to Sitka as our spring Scientist in Residency Fellow, in Sitka from April 17 – May 16. Dr. Purcell is a Professor of Biology at the Shannon Point Marine Center of Western Washington University in Bellingham, WA. Her research centers largely on the ecology of jellyfish, in particular their feeding behaviors, bloom dynamics, and interactions with fish.

Jennifer received her Ph.D in Biological Sciences from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Her career of research and teaching experiences has taken her around the world; she has studied the trophic interactions and population dynamics of jellyfish in the Atlantic, Pacific, and Arctic oceans, and she has held appointments at international academic institutions from Ireland to Taiwan. In recent years, one of Jennifer’s key research directions has been to explore the interactions of jellyfish and fish, especially in light of massive jellyfish blooms that have been occurring more recently in the Northern Pacific.

During her Fellowship, Jennifer is excited to work with local fishermen and managers to share her expertise and discuss sampling techniques for monitoring jellyfish blooms in Sitka Sound. Soon after she arrives, Dr. Purcell can be heard on the KCAW radio morning interview at 8:10am on Wednesday, April 20^th. The following evening, Thursday, April 21^st, she will share her work during a Natural History Seminar talk entitled “Jellyfish in Changing Oceans” at 7:30pm in UAS room 229. Jennifer plans to discuss the global importance of jellyfish with K-12 grade and college-level students in Sitka, and hopes to get out on the water to capture some of the local jellies that inhabit our waters. Fourth graders participating in the spring BioBlitz on April 27^th will interact with Jennifer as she works alongside them to identify plankton species. Dates and times for all events will be posted on the Sitka Sound Science Center website and the online KCAW community calendar.

The Sitka Sound Science Center, through funding from the National Science Foundation is once again hosting Scientist in Residency Fellowships (SIRF) here at our Center. Each year fellowships are awarded to preeminent scientists from across the country. This year the SIRF program is once again focused on arctic and subarctic science. The SIRF program brings scientists to Sitka for month long sabbaticals allowing for undisturbed research, free from the interruptions of their daily routine. The program provides scientists the opportunity to engage our town in science, sharing their research and career pathways, while also benefiting from the important local knowledge of residents. For more information or to schedule a SIRF event please contact Lauren Bell, SIRF Director, 907.747.8878 ext. 9.