Gastineau Guiding Company created this exciting tour program to look for ways to foster connections between citizens and science. With the help of two local non-profits, the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program and the Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation a tour with purpose was born. Our objectives include sampling phytoplankton to identify possible "red tide" outbreaks, contributing photographs to aid in the identification of area humpback whales and mammals, providing baseline data for several researchers throughout the state of Alaska, and contributing to online citizen science databases utilized by researchers around the country. During each summer season cruise line travelers' direct participation and observation can give a little something back, deepening our understanding of local wilderness and wildlife.

Name of Institution

National Great Rivers Research and Education Center

Link to project

Keywords:

Topic (e.g., water quality, astronomy) - whale, phytoplankton, phenology, marine mammal

Audience (e.g., K-12, church groups, agencies) - traveler, tourist, cruise, passenger, visitor

Location (e.g., Cayuga Lake Basin, North America) - Juneau, Alaska, Southeast, Inside Passage Goals (e.g., restoration, education, research) - research, data, collection, observation, sample

Collaborators:

Contact:

Bob Janes,President/owner chbowser@gw.dec.state.ny.us

  907-586-2666

Jeremy Gieser,Director of Tours and Marketing jeremy@gguiding.com 907 586-2666