NOAA in your backyard: Alaska

Educational opportunities and staff for the state of Alaska

NOAA in Your State & Territory

State by state listings of NOAA facilities and programs
A summary of NOAA facilities, programs, or activities based in, or focused on, your state or territory.

National Weather Service

School visits • Forecast office tours • Student and educator resources
The National Weather Service provides weather, hydrologic, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas.

Anchorage Weather Forecast Office – Aviva Braun, Warning Coordination Meteorologist: aviva.braun@noaa.gov
Fairbanks Weather Forecast Office – Ryan Metzger, Warning Coordination Meteorologist: ryan.metzger@noaa.gov
Juneau Weather Forecast Office – Nicole Ferrin, Warning Coordination Meteorologist: nicole.ferrin@noaa.gov
Additional weather service offices in Annette, Barrow, Bethel, Cold Bay, King Salmon, Kodiak, Kotzebue, McGrath, Nome, St. Paul, Valdez, and Yakutat

National Estuarine Research Reserve System

Field trips • Professional development • Educator resources
The National Estuarine Research Reserves System protects more than 1.3 million coastal and estuarine acres in 30 reserves located in 24 states and Puerto Rico for purposes of long-term research, environmental monitoring, education and stewardship.

Kachemak Bay Reserve offsite link – Ingrid Harrald, Education Coordinator: ieharrald@alaska.edu

National Sea Grant Program

Professional development • Curriculum • Student and educator resources
Sea Grant is a nationwide network of 34 university-based programs that conduct scientific research, education, training, and extension projects designed to foster science-based decisions about the use and conservation of our aquatic resources.

Alaska Sea Grant offsite link – Leigh Lubin, Marine Education Specialist: leigh.lubin@alaska.edu

NOAA Marine Debris Program

Lesson plans and curricula • Stewardship projects • Media library
The NOAA Marine Debris Program envisions the global ocean and its coasts free from the impacts of marine debris.

Alaska Office – Peter Murphy, Regional Coordinator: peter.murphy@noaa.gov

NOAA Fisheries

Student opportunities • Laboratory facilities • NOAA scientists • Educator resources
The NOAA Fisheries Service is dedicated to the stewardship of living marine resources through science-based conservation and management, and the promotion of healthy ecosystems. They have regional offices and several smaller field offices.

Alaska Fisheries Science Center – Lisa Hiruki-Raring, Outreach Coordinator (Seattle): lisa.hiruki-raring@noaa.gov
Laboratory facilities in Auke Bay, Lena Point, Kodiak, Dutch Harbor, Anchorage, Little Port Walter, and Pribilof Islands
Alaska Fisheries Regional Office – Julie Fair, Public Affairs Officer: julie.fair@noaa.gov

Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS)

Curriculum • Data • Multimedia
The Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS®) is a national-regional partnership working to provide new tools and forecasts to improve safety, enhance the economy, and protect our environment.

Alaska Ocean Observing System offsite link (AOOS) – Holly Kent, Director of Administration & Outreach: kent@aoos.org

U.S. Tsunami Warning Center

Student and educator resources • Tours • Data
Located in Palmer, the NTWC’s responsibility is to issue tsunami warnings for the U.S. Pacific coast, British Columbia, U.S. Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico coasts, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, and the Atlantic coast of Canada.

National Tsunami Warning Center (Palmer)
- James Gridley, Tsunami Warning Center Director: james.gridley@noaa.gov
- Dave Snider, Tsunami Warning Coordinator: david.snider@noaa.gov

National Ocean Science Bowl (NOSB) offsite link

Regional competitions in ocean sciences
NOTE: The NOSB national office offsite link will not host a national finals competition in 2023-24 or 2024-25. Some regional offices will be hosting competitions. Please reach out to contacts below for more details.
NOSB is a national high school academic competition with regional competitions for student teams to test their knowledge of the marine sciences including biology, chemistry, physics, and geology.

Alaska Tsunami Bowl offsite link – Jenn Elhard & Ashleigh Lipsey: uaf-tsunamibowl@alaska.edu

Local NOAA vessels

Follow current science off the coast of Alaska

NOAA Teacher at Sea (follow teacher blogs onboard the ships)
NOAA Ship Oscar Dyson (Kodiak)
NOAA Ship Fairweather (Ketchikan)

Historical and real-time data

Local historical weather events and data

1984 Thanksgiving storm in southeast Alaska

NOAA Science On a Sphere® (SOS) locations

Earth systems data projected on a six-foot globe
SOS is a room-sized, global display system that uses computers and video projectors to display data onto a six foot diameter sphere, analogous to a giant animated globe. It was developed by researchers at NOAA to help illustrate complex environmental processes in a captivating way.

Alaska State Museum (Juneau, AK)
Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute (Juneau, AK)