Alaska Fish & Wildlife News
July 2024

Coastal Cutthroat Trout
The Phantom of Prince William Sound

By Donnie Arthur

My First Coastal Cutthroat Trout

Having grown up in Alaska, I’ve had the privilege of experiencing some of the world’s finest freshwater angling opportunities. Over the years, I've notched several 32-plus inch rainbow trout, Arctic Grayling over 20 inches, handfuls of (as I describe) “Dinosaur Dolly Varden”, and a decade-long streak of completing the Five Salmon Family Challenge; each catch has been a testament to the rich aquatic life that thrives ...   Cutthroat Trout Article Continued

Recycling in a Genetics Lab

By Riley Woodford

Biologist Tela Barkley and her colleagues at the Gene Conservation Lab in Anchorage focus on fish genetics, providing important information for biologists and fishery managers. They extract DNA from thousands of tissue samples and investigate the genetic makeup of salmon and other commercially important fish. But one aspect of the work was concerning – it generates a lot of plastic waste. And that went into the landfill.

“The negative environmental impact of our plastic use ...   Recycling in a Lab Article Continued

Going High Tech in an Old School Plane
to Count Wood Bison

By Mark Lindberg

How many animals are there? This seemingly simple question has plagued wildlife biologists since the dawn of the profession. Heck, my 40-year career in wildlife biology was mostly focused on field and statistical methods for counting animals and in turn learning about how many survive, immigrate, emigrate, and are born. Ironically, the solution to the challenge of enumerating animals may come from technology used in my second career…photography.

Our attempt to count the number ...   counting wood bison Article Continued