American Fisheries Society Alaska Chapter Annual Meeting 2020
We cordially encourage you to join us March 23 – 26, 2020 for the 46th annual meeting of the Alaska Chapter, American Fisheries Society. The theme of this years meeting is Northern Fisheries on the Frontlines of Change and will be held at the Westmark Fairbanks in Fairbanks, Alaska
In 2010, the Alaska Chapter meeting theme was “Alaska’s Fisheries in a Changing World”. We revisit that theme a decade later with northern ecosystems experiencing rates of change never documented before. The seasons of 2019 included significantly reduced marine ice cover, rivers not freezing over, salmon dying by the thousands before spawning, seabirds and mammals washing up on shorelines, increased permafrost melting and fire activity, and increased worries about ocean acidification. How can we better understand and respond to these rapid changes through innovation, research, policy, and outreach? While ecosystem changes are challenging our fisheries, social change in the field of fisheries is a bright spot. The Alaska Chapter has recently made efforts to increase diversity and inclusion at our annual meetings and among our chapter membership. How can we continue to lead by example and elevate the work of and opportunities for women, underrepresented communities, Tribes, and others?