AGP Executive Report

Tsunami Preparedness: A new Alaska Earthquake Center map shows tsunami hazard zones for 66 coastal communities; only 13 have earned TsunamiReady status, highlighting gaps in evacuation planning. Fisheries Research: Pollock trawlers catch an average of about 18,000 Chinook and 288,000 other salmon each year, intensifying concerns for Alaska Native communities amid declining salmon runs. In Southeast, 20 trollers will collect catch records and underwater temperature and depth data to help researchers learn where salmon gather. Critical Minerals: UAF researchers joined a $6 million effort to recover valuable minerals from coal waste, while Juneau geothermal projects are supporting workforce training. Space Science: NASA’s administrator visited UAF, underscoring Alaska’s role in future space missions; Rocket Lab expects to begin launches from Alaska with its Ghost rocket in 2027.

Ocean Research: A nearly $600,000 study will equip 20 Southeast Alaska troll boats with sensors and electronic logbooks to track how underwater temperatures and depths shape salmon catches. Researchers hope the data can help explain why fish gather in some waters and not others. Fishing Impacts: Industrial pollock trawlers catch an average of about 18,000 Chinook and 288,000 other salmon annually in the Bering Sea, according to a decade of data. The bycatch is intensifying debate over trawling’s toll on Alaska fisheries and communities. Critical Minerals: UAF researchers have joined a $6 million effort to extract valuable minerals from coal waste. Space and Energy: NASA’s administrator visited UAF to highlight Alaska’s role in future space missions, while Juneau geothermal systems are helping train workers for the state’s energy industry.

Geothermal Training: A new $150,000 federal award will help Alaska nonprofits train workers to install and maintain ground-source heat pumps, as Juneau’s airport system highlights the technology’s upkeep challenges. Deep-Sea Research: NOAA scientists have named nine new Gulf of Alaska sponge species, bringing the known total to 232; meanwhile, trawlers have hauled up at least 8.8 million pounds of sponges as bycatch, sharpening debate over habitat protections. Critical Minerals: UAF researchers joined a $6 million effort to recover valuable minerals from coal waste, while Alaska’s mining, aerospace and health-care industries are forecast to add jobs. Space and Arctic Science: NASA leaders visited UAF and Kodiak’s spaceport, spotlighting Alaska’s role in future missions and the growing space economy. Energy and Hazards: A $150 million federal award will support Alaska grid upgrades, and scientists raised Gareloi Volcano’s alert level after a sudden explosion.

Geothermal Training: A new $150,000 federal award will help train Alaskans to install and maintain ground-source heat pumps, as Juneau’s airport system highlights the technology’s upkeep challenges. Critical Minerals: UAF researchers are part of a $6 million NSF project testing whether microbes and AI can recover valuable minerals from coal waste. Marine Science: Researchers named nine new Gulf of Alaska sponge species this summer, while records show trawlers have hauled up at least 8.8 million pounds of sponges as bycatch over two decades—fueling calls for better-informed habitat protections. Tsunami Preparedness: A new interactive Alaska hazard map gives communities a tool to understand local tsunami risks.

Critical Minerals: UAF researchers joined a $6 million NSF project using microbes and AI to recover rare earth elements from coal ash and mining waste, turning an industrial byproduct into a potential resource. Arctic & Space: NASA’s visit to UAF and return to Kodiak’s spaceport spotlight Alaska’s role in future missions. A separate $150 million federal investment will support a second power link between Interior and Southcentral Alaska. Marine Surveillance: The Coast Guard ordered four MQ-9B drones for long-range missions including search and rescue and detecting illegal fishing—capabilities relevant to Alaska waters. Fisheries & Ecosystems: Alaska’s pollock-trawling debate is intensifying over salmon bycatch and seafloor impacts, while newly identified sea sponge species raise further questions about fishery practices.

Space Research: NASA’s administrator visited UAF to spotlight Alaska’s role in future space missions, and the agency returned to Kodiak’s spaceport as part of its tour. Oil Exploration: A new federal rule removes case-by-case environmental reviews for many winter exploration activities in the National Petroleum Reserve–Alaska, including seismic surveys and drilling. Marine Science: NOAA researchers identified nine previously unknown sea sponge species off Alaska, including one from a newly identified genus—findings that could improve understanding of seafloor habitat important to fish. Fisheries: Pollock trawling’s salmon bycatch is intensifying debate as western Alaska Chinook runs remain depleted; the fishery caught an average of about 18,000 Chinook and 288,000 other salmon annually over the past decade. Wildlife Monitoring: Fairbanks’ Creamer’s Field bird station wrapped its 35th fall migration season, continuing long-running research as bird populations decline.

Space Research: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman visited UAF and Kodiak’s Pacific Spaceport Complex, highlighting Alaska’s role in future missions. UAF researchers and students are preparing two sounding-rocket launches from Poker Flat this month. Critical Minerals: Nova Minerals says key equipment has arrived at Port MacKenzie for its Alaska antimony plant, with construction expected to start in the coming weeks, pending permits. The project has a $43.4 million U.S. defense-linked award. Earthquake Science: The Alaska Earthquake Center recorded 400 quakes this past week, including a magnitude 5.5 near Kodiak. Crews also restored two remote seismic stations near Nikolai using new Starlink and radio equipment. Research Tools: UAA researchers are using AI to study topics including grocery prices, skiing speed and seniors’ routines; a new interactive Alaska tsunami-hazard map aims to help communities prepare.

AI Research: UAA researchers used AI-generated code to gather grocery prices in rural Alaska, data that could help update SNAP benefits; a former UAA ski racer is also using AI to analyze skiing technique. Wildlife Response: A rare orphaned walrus calf rescued near Point Lay is recovering at the Alaska SeaLife Center after local residents, a USGS biologist and wildlife teams coordinated its rescue. Arctic Climate: At an Iceland gathering, Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy and the U.S. Arctic Research Commission chair were asked what the U.S. is doing about climate change but discussed renewable energy and disaster readiness instead. Volcano Monitoring: Scientists raised Gareloi Volcano’s alert level to advisory after a sudden explosion. Infrastructure: The Energy Department is backing a $150 million Alaska Railbelt transmission upgrade, while NOAA’s research ship has arrived in Ketchikan for a $95 million overhaul. Wildlife Management: Alaska closed a Juneau-area mountain goat hunt after years of low numbers and concern that the population has not recovered from severe winters.

Wildlife Research: An orphaned walrus calf found near Point Lay is recovering after researchers and the Native Village of Point Lay helped move him to the Alaska SeaLife Center for round-the-clock care. Arctic Energy: A new proposal calls for pairing major industrial projects with added power capacity and making Interior Alaska a testbed for cold-weather batteries, microgrids and other energy technologies. Weather Technology: A startup says drone cloud-seeding flights in Alaska this summer produced an estimated 19 million gallons of additional rainfall; the claim comes from the company, and the approach still needs careful evaluation. Space: NASA’s administrator told UAF that Alaska could play a role in the growing space economy as the agency prepares for lunar missions and a planned moon base. Volcano Monitoring: Scientists raised Gareloi Volcano’s alert level to Advisory after a sudden explosion in the Aleutians. Power Infrastructure: Federal officials approved $150 million for a second transmission link between Interior and Southcentral Alaska, aimed at strengthening the Railbelt grid.

Space Research: NASA Administrator Jared Isaacson told University of Alaska Fairbanks that Alaska has a role in the coming space economy as the agency advances plans to return astronauts to the Moon. Marine Science: A NOAA research ship has arrived in Ketchikan for a $95 million overhaul, renewing attention to Alaska’s ocean-research fleet. Energy Technology: Federal support includes $150 million for a second power link between Interior and Southcentral Alaska, aimed at strengthening the grid. Wildlife Research: A study comparing emperor geese wintering near Kodiak and Shemya is examining differences in diet and population patterns to help explain the species’ long-term decline. STEM Education: Soldotna parents and teachers have proposed a K–6 charter school focused on science, technology, engineering and art.

NOAA & Fisheries Science: NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson has arrived in Ketchikan for a $95.4M modernization, part of about $195M total in federal work at the AIDEA-owned shipyard—supporting Alaska pollock research and pushing hiring toward 200 workers by year-end. Grid Reliability: The DOE is backing a second Beluga–Healy transmission link with up to $150M in Defense Production Act funding, aiming to boost capacity and redundancy across the Railbelt. Arctic Security Training: U.S. Air Force Academy cadets are getting hands-on Arctic security research through the Homeland Defense Institute, with Alaska partners and experts. Public Safety Tech & Privacy: Anchorage’s surveillance fight continues as Flock automated license plate readers are installed at local Lowe’s locations, after one camera was cut down. Health & Vaccines: Vaxcyte says its 31-strain pneumococcal vaccine hit key antibody goals in a Phase 3 trial, though current shots remain the recommendation. Southeast Fisheries Data: The Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust won a $293K grant to expand at-sea salmon troll data collection across 20 fisheries using Deckhand. Alaska Tech/Industry: Xeris Technologies says it completed a major security and infrastructure phase ahead of mainnet hardening for its Rust-built Layer 1 blockchain. Bering Sea Crab: After a marine heat wave, Alaska’s tanner crab quota jumps to a 32.1M-pound total allowable catch for the upcoming season.

Alaska Marine Highway: The Tustumena replacement vessel cleared a major Federal Transit Administration Buy America audit, moving the Kodiak–Aleutians ferry project into detailed design and construction for a long-term service upgrade. Fisheries Data: The Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust won a $293,000 National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant to expand at-sea salmon data collection across 20 Southeast Alaska troll fisheries using a daily catch-and-observation workflow. Arctic Power Tech: South 8 Technologies signed a multi-year supply agreement to power Galvion’s SoloPack Arctic soldier power system, scaling lithium-ion cells designed for extreme cold. Coast Guard Infrastructure: Perini Management Services and Skanska landed major U.S. Coast Guard pier contracts, including a Base Kodiak fuel pier project with waterfront and utility upgrades. Health & Food Safety: PepsiCo recalled 122,000+ cases of Gatorade in 37 states over undeclared synthetic yellow dyes, including shipments to Alaska. Mapping & Science Literacy: A UN-backed push for “Equal Earth” map projections challenges Mercator’s polar distortions, with the U.S. the lone holdout. STEM Policy & Funding: TRIO programs added $39M in federal college-access support, boosting workforce training capacity at participating institutions. Election Forecasts: Larry Sabato’s Crystal Ball shifted Alaska’s Senate race toward Democrats, moving it from “Toss Up” to “Lean D.”

Alaska LNG Talks: VP J.D. Vance says the Alaska LNG project is expected to move forward, but key details still need negotiation with South Korea—after Trump framed a $54B South Korea investment as settled. Energy Grid Buildout: The U.S. DOE approved up to $150M for a second high-voltage Beluga–Healy transmission link, aiming to boost reliability and lower costs across much of the Railbelt and Interior (construction after 2030). AI Spending in Alaska’s Orbit: A new outlook suggests AI investment will keep running strong for another 1–2 years, expanding beyond training into inference, storage, and power efficiency. STEM & Education Funding: The Education Department announced an additional $39M in TRIO college-access grants, adding dozens of new Talent Search and Educational Opportunity Center grantees. Wildlife & Marine Safety: Officials raised alarms after a humpback whale was spotted tangled in commercial fishing gear off Southern California. Local Science Culture: A new Jeff Corwin series spotlights nature and conservation themes, tracing inspiration back to Alaska.

Maritime Safety: A Coast Guard-linked communications blind spot shows how crews can miss critical VHF Channel 16 messages when attention is split across other channels, raising broader concerns about incident risk in busy shipping lanes. Cyber-Privacy & Defense: A Strava data investigation finds fitness app location trails can map “pattern of life” for military personnel, highlighting intelligence risks from everyday tech. Food Safety: PepsiCo recalled 122,000 cases of Gatorade in 37 states after FDA flagged undeclared artificial yellow dyes on labels. Alaska Education: University of Alaska Fairbanks topped Alaska for first-year college retention, using provisional federal data. Alaska Highway Update: The Alaska Highway south of Whitehorse closed between the Carcross cut-off and Judas Creek after a multi-vehicle collision; detours are available. Arctic Climate: New research suggests the Arctic could reach its first ice-free summer as soon as 2027, with impacts rippling far beyond the region. Wildlife Management (Kenai): Alaska moved deer to the southern Kenai Peninsula again, using GPS collars and health checks to track survival and reproduction. AI & Policy: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman argues society should accept some AI risks to gain benefits, while Alaska LNG and broader energy policy debates keep intensifying.

Arctic Readiness: Internal Canadian defense documents say troops training in Alaska were underprepared for extreme cold, urging a shift toward basic skills over tech during joint exercises. Alaska STEM & Learning: The UA system is set to consider systemwide guidance for AI use as UAA students increasingly misuse generative tools to cheat. Health & Monitoring: A new national study flags Alaska clinicians as among the least likely to regularly check cholesterol for statin patients, with Alaska at 30%. Wildlife & Public Lands: Denali National Park sled dog kennel funding was cut, threatening winter patrols. Science in the Arctic: HX Expeditions wrapped a record Arctic season with thousands of citizen-science submissions and an AI whale-detection trial. Community Tech for Sustainability: Fairbanks unveiled a commercial in-vessel composting facility to process up to 1,000 pounds of food waste daily. Cultural Heritage: Meiji University returned Indigenous remains taken from Alaska in the 1960s, marking a first for Japan’s universities.

AI & Education: The University of Alaska Anchorage is moving toward systemwide guidance for generative AI use as student cheating reports keep rising, with the UA Board of Regents set to consider a policy later this year. Waste & Sustainability: Fairbanks unveiled a commercial in-vessel composting facility that can process up to 1,000 pounds of food waste a day, aiming to cut landfill disposal and produce nutrient-rich compost. Arctic Security: U.S. and Canadian forces are running Operation Tundra Merlin across western Alaska, testing rapid defense coordination in extreme Arctic conditions as Russia and China shape the threat picture. Public Health & Food: A major Gatorade recall is expanding across 37 states due to undeclared yellow food colorings, including distribution in Alaska. Wildlife Care: Navy security officers helped rescue a bald eagle with severely impaired vision and treated it for avian pox before returning it to flight. Aviation Tech: The FAA says a Boeing 737 Max software glitch poses no safety concern, clearing the way for certification progress on the Max 10. Climate & Oceans: Scientists are tracking an El Niño-driven “Kelvin wave” that could raise sea levels along the West Coast, with impacts that may reach up toward Alaska.