Managers, biologists and oceanographers need information to understand the marine habitat and distribution of salmon and other fish. Meanwhile, Southeast Alaska’s approximately 1,500 salmon trollers are on the water throughout the year. These fishing vessels can offer researchers an alternative to using expensive and limited chartered research vessels to gather year-round ocean data.
New partnerships, led by the Alaska Trollers Association (ATA) and facilitated by Alaska Sea Grant, are working to make that happen with two projects.