West Valley student earns fisheries mentorship, scholarship

Submitted by Carin Bailey Stephens
Phone: 907-322-8730
06/11/08

While many high school students enjoy their long summer vacation, West Valley sophomore Shamariah Hale will be hard at work. Selected as a Hutton Junior Fisheries Scholar, Hale will spend the next two months gaining hands-on experience as a young fisheries scientist at the University of �Ӱ�ԭ�� Fairbanks.

Hale is one of 36 students across the nation who will participate in the 2008 . Sponsored by the , the program works to increase the number of women and minorities in fisheries careers. Students are paired with a mentor in fisheries and receive a $3,000 scholarship.

Hale will be working with , an associate professor of fisheries at the .

Under Sutton’s guidance, Hale will study the health and abundance of humpback whitefish and least cisco in the Chatanika River. Once a productive whitefish fishery, the Chatanika historically accounted for nearly half of �Ӱ�ԭ��’s whitefish harvest. After fish numbers decreased dramatically, the fishery was closed in 1994 and reopened last year.

�Ӱ�ԭ�� SFOS
The UAF School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences conducts world-class marine and fisheries research, education and outreach across �Ӱ�ԭ��, the Arctic and Antarctic. 55 faculty scientists and 135 students are engaged in building knowledge about �Ӱ�ԭ�� and the world’s coastal and marine ecosystems. SFOS is headquartered at the University of �Ӱ�ԭ�� Fairbanks, and serves the state from facilities located in Seward, Juneau, Anchorage and Kodiak.