Sitka Sound Science Center

To our wonderful Sitka community, Time and time again, you show up with smiles on your faces and warmth in your hearts. Even drizzling rain can’t keep you away when there’s something worth celebrating. Our annual Salmon Release Party was a roaring success because of all of you. Together, we served hundreds of burgers, hot dogs, and veggie burgers, and released thousands of baby coho, pink, and chum salmon into the ocean. The sound of laughter and smell of barbecue carried across the beach as our community came together to celebrate spring, salmon, and one another—filling both our hearts and our bellies. We are deeply grateful not only to our community, but also to the incredible sponsors who helped make this year’s Salmon Release such an enjoyable celebration. Thank you to Northern Sales, US Foods, Harbor Mountain Brewing, Sitka Bulk Goods, Birch Equipment, and Our Town Catering for donating food, supplies, and equipment that allowed us to serve a delicious barbecue to hundreds of Sitkans. Thank you as well to the Daily Sitka Sentinel and Raven Radio for helping spread the word about this event and so many others throughout the year. To our community in Sitka and beyond: your support brings our team joy and enables us to continue our mission of increasing scientific understanding of the natural world through education and research. With heartfelt thanks, The Sitka Sound Science Center Staff and Family

Salmon Release Party is tomorrow! We can’t wait to see everyone and share our celebration of spring. Join us from 4:30 pm to 6:00 pm to munch on burgers, hotdogs, and carry a little baby salmon down to the sea. This is a family friendly event open to all with a suggested donation of $5.00. We would like to thank our generous sponsors for helping with the success of this fundraiser: Northern Sales, Harbor Mountain Brewing, Our Town Catering, Sitka Bulk foods, US Foods, and Birch Equipment.

Welcoming Chase Coleman to the Sitka Science Center team! Our new Research and Education Coordinator joined our team in the heat of WhaleFest during the fall and hit the ground running. He has quickly come up to speed with all the intricate connections and expansive projects that happen through the science center and was an integral part of our resent State of the Sound conference. Chase has stepped into the role of supporting the research and education teams with field courses, community projects, and hands-on learning opportunities for the public. Most recently Chase developed the afterhours program, Early Birds, following spring migration through Sitka. Early Birds has been a perfect opportunity for Chase to share his passion for birding with a curious group of Sitkans, identifying and recording all the bird species that are passing through our area. There is one session left for Early Birds, scheduled to meet Sunday the 10th at 8am at Sitka National Historical Park visitor center. All birders and birding curious are welcome to join.

This year’s free afterschool programing provided expansive deep dives into a variety of subjects for over 50 students from our fall and spring sessions. The Science of Bookmaking wrapped up its six-week course with fourth and fifth graders finishing their fully handbound creations. Science Buddies, second grade, celebrated the final week with an exploration of marine debris. Students sorted marine debris and used it to make abstract art prints. Fab Friday: Bugs! Ended with a special guest, Bri Gabel, who brought her museum-grade flesh eating beetles. Students also got to search for freshwater macroinvertebrates in Kaasda Heen (Indian River). Our programs would not be possible without the support of our community partners. We are deeply grateful to our partners at AMSEA, YAS, Sitka National Historical Park, and the dedicated staff at Keet Gooshi Heen Elementary School and Blatchley Middle School for their continued support of our programming. While afterschool programing has wrapped up, we do have space in our middle school camp, Ocean Adventures. Middle schoolers will learn safety skills and have fun snorkeling, paddleboarding, and kayaking. You can view all our summer camp offerings and register your student today. /education/education-programs/summer-camps/

Curious minded? Want to dig deep into subjects like ecology, marine life, or local lore without the expectations of a final graded exam? We’re looking hard at creating unique, immersive adult field course experiences and want your input. Please lend us a few moments to help us shape our future courses with you in mind. Thank you for your time. https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=t3dj48Rwk0SjOAlZGNMn6SA9wpfH4dpBrKfJYSzH0YVUNDYzTkQwWDVIWVpTQUhGS0ZBM0UzVldLVC4u

Since 2020, the Science Center has used specialized rain gauges—called “tipping buckets”—that measure the amount and intensity of rainfall recorded in various key spots around Sitka. These measurements have important implications for landslide safety, both in Sitka and beyond. 

Follow our research technician, Ellie Seida, on a typical day in the field checking on and maintaining a tipping bucket! 
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“Tipping bucket field days start with packing the essentials. I run through my mental checklist: level, hammer, toolbox, first aid kit, bear spray, rain gear, and (most importantly for morale) snacks. We load our gear into packs, hop into our truck “Goldie,” and head out to sites on Harbor Mountain, Kramer, or Gavan, often with a four-legged field assistant tagging along.

Once we arrive, it’s packs on and up we go, bushwhacking through dense forest and undergrowth to reach some of our sites. At each gauge, we start by taking photos, then check that it’s level and open it up to access the internal tipping mechanism. We remove the data logger from its weatherproof compartment and connect it to our tablet to download rainfall data, capturing both daily totals and five-minute intervals. While the data loads, we clear out debris, check that everything is in good shape, and make sure the support cables are still tight. 
Once the download finishes, we reassemble the gauge, pack up, and move on to the next site. Back at the Science Center, we clean our gear and upload the data to our online repository, where it’s ready to be used to piece together how rainfall varies across the mountains around Sitka.

Each tipping bucket records rainfall amount and intensity, capturing not just how much rain falls, but when and how quickly it happens. That timing matters. Short bursts of heavy rain are more likely to trigger landslides than a steady drizzle over a full day. By placing these gauges up on the hillsides, we’re starting to capture how rain actually behaves where landslides happen. In a place like Sitka, where mountains can create their own microclimates, we are hoping to see if rainfall amount and intensity varies with elevation and slope direction.”

We’re Open! The Sitka Sound Science Center offers an exciting experience for all who come. Join us and explore our aquarium and touch tanks featuring over 200 different local species. Next door stop by our gift shop to find that special something to memorialize the experience forever, and don’t forget to grab a cup of chowder before you go. All aquarium and gift shop proceeds directly support the Science Center’s mission of scientific education and research. Summer hours are Sunday through Thursday, 9:00 am to 4:00 pm

The 24-Hour Tempest is mere hours away! Actors, artists, and dreamers are invited to bring Shakespeare’s timeless tale of shipwreck, island misadventures, and magic to life on the Science Center grounds over the course of a single day! Use our gear and tools to create props and costumes, perform on the beach or in the hatchery, and see how this story finds a home in our singular landscape. You may join as an actor, a designer, or a stagehand. No experience is required. 📅 This is an overnight event! We will begin our rehearsal and design process at 7:00pm on Friday, May 1. Public performance on the Science Center grounds at 7:00pm on Saturday, May 2. The Science Center will provide food, some camping gear (for sleeping) and all other materials. Participants must be at least 18 years of age. Please contact Lina Kapp at [email protected] with any questions. 🔗 Register to participate at this link: /.../after.../event/the24hourtempest/

Our work focuses on the lands and waters of Sitka Sound-but it brings together researchers, educators, and scientists from across the country. Their unique perspectives and expertise all combine with that of our staff and local partners to help deepen our understanding of Southeast Alaska’s complex environments. Claire Puleio studies Mount Edgecumbe at UAF where her research combines gas geochemistry, remote sensing, computer modelling, petrology, and laboratory experiments to investigate the volcano’s past eruptions and recent unrest. She is currently pursuing her PhD in Geoscience at UAF, and recently spent time in Sitka as a Science in Residency Fellow! “I’m working to better understand the recent volcanic activity at the Mount Edgecumbe Volcanic Field and what it may mean for the future at the volcanic field,” she says. “Working in Sitka and with SSSC has allowed me to connect with those who would be most impacted by any volcanic activity at the Mount Edgecumbe Volcanic Field.” During her time in Sitka, Claire spent a lot of time engaging with the local community, including hosting a natural history seminar, radio show appearance, Scientists in the Schools program with 10th graders, individual dinners and visits with community members, and much more. “Through the connections facilitated by SSSC, I have been able to share with the local community my approach to the questions I am trying to answer, exactly what I did to answer them, and how I interpret my results,” she says. “I think it’s not just important to share your results, but the entire process.” But, she also stresses that her research has reverberations far beyond Sitka. “Volcanoes are all around the world!” she says. “The information we gain from studying one volcano helps to gain a better understanding of all volcanoes, which allows us to continue living near and interacting with volcanoes in a safe way.” Head to sitkascience.org to read our full Q&A with Claire! 🌋

Alice Bailey (Alaska Ocean Observing System) and Ali Chene (PacIOOS) brought the Backyard Buoys Project to life for students in Sitka, Alaska. In partnership with the Sitka Sound Science Center, the team engaged 7th grade classrooms at Blatchley Middle School in a hands-on exploration of ocean science. Students learned how coastal communities in both the Pacific Islands and Alaska regions deploy Sofar Spotter buoys to collect real-time data on waves and ocean conditions. Students learned how the project began, how communities are using the data today, and how wave information connects to everyday decisions—from understanding ocean patterns to improving boating safety. Students also discovered how to access and explore buoy data themselves and practiced collecting data with miniature wave buoys in the classroom! To access Backyard Buoy data and educational resources like our Activity Book and PocketLab lesson, visit the links in our bio! @aoos_alaska @pacioos @sitkascience @sofarocean @pocketlab_scienceiscool #BackyardBuoys #WaveBuoy #WaveData #OceanData #TraditionalKnowledge #BuoyData #OceanCommunity #CommunityScience #Education #Outreach #IOOS #AOOS #NANOOS #PacIOOS

Join our dynamic team at the Sitka Sound Science Center Are you passionate about science and community engagement? The Sitka Sound Science Center is an exciting workplace filled with people making a real difference in our community and region. We currently have multiple positions open, from Executive Director to Marine Debris Crew. Visit to learn more about all our different positions today. P.S. Tomorrow is the last day to apply for the Executive Director’s position.

🐟❤️🎉 Today first graders got to release baby salmon into the ocean. These same students helped our hatchery collect salmon eggs last fall and have been learning about the salmon lifecycle all year. It was a special experience for them to help the baby salmon move on to their next stage of life in the great big Ocean. As they cheered the little salmon on they learned that in about two years they might get a chance to see them again when they return to the hatchery as adults. It was all smiles as the children waved goodbye and good luck to the many little salmon including: Fred, Bob, and of course Creampuff. You can join us in releasing your own baby salmon at our annual Salmon Release Party. Friday, May 8th, 4:30 to 6:30 pm. Join us for burgers, chips, and fun as we send the next generation of salmon off into the world. This is a family friendly event open to all with a suggested donation of $5.00. Don’t forget to bring your boots!