KACHEMAK BAY SCIENCE CONFERENCE 2012 “Healthy Bay = Vibrant Communities” Homer, Alaska

1. KACHEMAK BAY SCIENCE CONFERENCE 2012“Healthy Bay = Vibrant Communities” • Homer, Alaska March 8-10, 2012 ‘Request to Present’ Form Please fill out this form and the following research overview and submit to megan.murphy@alaska.gov by Friday, January 13, 2012. Presenter’s name: Email address: Title of Project: I would like to present an/a: _______ oral presentation _______ poster presentation To which session theme does your project most apply: _______ Session 1- Observing the Kachemak Bay Ecosystem _______ Session 2 - Managing the Kachemak Bay Ecosystem _______ Session 3 - Sustaining the Kachemak Bay Ecosystem

2. TYPE OF PROJECT • Project Topic: • YOUR Concise & Straightforward TOPIC / TITLE HERE • Project Leads: • Name (s), Organization • Project Timeframe & Status: XXXX-XXXX, ongoing, completed? • Primary Goal(s): • - Two to Three bullets that highlight the purpose and primary goals of your project. • Consider this your ‘elevator speech’ to share with a 5th grader, your Aunt Flo, and/or your next door neighbor. • Your colleagues would also want to hear these project goals. • Interesting Results: • So what cool things have you observed? • What information does your project provide that both your Aunt Flo and your colleagues would find useful? PHOTO THAT HIGHLIGHTS YOUR PROJECT Photo Caption PHOTO THAT HIGHLIGHTS YOUR PROJECT Photo Caption Contact: Name * Address * phone * email * website for more info CITIZEN SCIENCE • Project Topic: • Harmful Algal Bloom (HAB) Phytoplankton Monitoring • Project Leads: • Catie Bursch, Kachemak Bay Research Reserve • Project Timeframe & Status: 2009- ongoing. • Primary Goal(s): • - Alert the public if a harmful phytoplankton bloom is detected in KachemakBay. These phytoplankton can carry toxins that become concentrated in shellfish. This is PSP (Paralytic Shellfish Poisoning). • Volunteers gather water samples from different bays throughout the summer. Looking under microscopes, they identify and record abundance and species of phytoplankton. • Interesting Results: • As we look for the harmful phytoplankton, we are also learning • more about all the other plankton, like what conditions cause them to bloom. Because they are the base of many ocean food chains, this could tell us more about the larger seafood that we love to eat! • We are always looking for more volunteers. Contact info below. EXAMPLE 2010 sampling sites Phytoplankton under the microscope. Catie Bursch * 95 Sterling Hwy, Homer, AK 99603 * 907-226-4661 *catherine.bursch@alaska.gov