April 5, 2023, by Alex McCarrel

The Sitka Sound Science Center welcomes Dr. Brian Ulaski as this month’s Scientist in Residency Fellow (SIRF)! Dr. Ulaski’s research focuses on oyster and seaweed mariculture in Alaska. His fellowship is funded by the University of Alaska Fairbanks’ National Science Foundation Established Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (NSF EPSCoR) program. The Sitka Sound Science Center’s SIRF program provides four weeks for scientists to have time to work on their research and to engage with the community in a variety of ways.

Brian Ulaski is a postdoctoral researcher in the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences marine biology department at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. He received a bachelor’s degree in aquatic biology from the University of California Santa Barbara where he also learned to scuba dive in the giant kelp forests. Before graduate school, Brian worked as a scientific diving assistant with the Mo’orea Coral Reef Long Term Ecological Research program in French Polynesia to help develop his skills in using scuba to study marine environments. He received a PhD from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and conducted his doctoral work on the response of wild seaweeds to harvesting and how naturally detached seaweeds form habitat for intertidal animals when cast ashore in Southcentral Alaska.

 

Currently, Brian’s research focuses on how suspended oyster and seaweed culture techniques used in mariculture in Alaska influence biological communities at established farm sites. In particular, he is interested in how farm structures create habitat for fouling organisms and how farm productivity influences benthic communities. Brian grew up in California, is currently living in British Columbia, and will be moving back to Alaska to continue conducting his postdoctoral research based out of Fairbanks.

While in Sitka, Brian is excited to explore local mariculture efforts and meet with community participants. Besides the community events listed below, Brian will connect with UAS Aquaculture and MEHS students to discuss mariculture in Sitka, as well as participate in our Earth Day Parade of Species celebration.

Mark Your Calendars!

• Beach Day and Coffee Meet-Up– Join Brian for an early morning cold dip, tide pool exploration, and warm up with coffee and pastries at Sage Beach (adjacent to SSSC) on Friday, April 7^th @ 8:00 AM
• The Morning Interview – Tune into KCAW 104.7 FM on Monday, April 10^th @ 8:15 AM
• Community Snorkel with a Scientist – Join Brian on a community snorkel adventure around Magic Island to learn about our local seaweed species on Friday, April 21^st @ 8:30 AM. Meet at SSSC. Registration required: https://113512a.blackbaudhosting.com/113512a/Magic-Island-Snorkel
• Natural History Seminar with Kitty LaBounty – In partnership with the University of Alaska Southeast, a seminar about Brian’s research studying mariculture in Alaska (registration info TBA) on Thursday, April 27^th @ 7:00 PM

Follow @sitkascience or email Alex McCarrel at amccarrel@sitkascience.org for more information.
Brian can be reached directly at 907.987.3201 or bpulaski2@alaska.edu.