Facilities for APU MARINE BIOLOGY PAGE

Marine Biology Facilities

Grant Hall

The Marine Biology Program is part of the Environmental Sciences Department, housed on the third floor of Grant Hall. The third floor, now designated the BP Science Center, was completely renovated in Summer 2004 including new lab facilities and teaching classrooms.

Aquarium Lab

Rack system for up to fifteen 10-gal tanks (photo 95K)

The Aquarium Lab is designed as a fully redundant life support system for both cold water and tropical marine invertebrates and fish. It is intended to support student course work in many courses, from Aquarium Biology and Invertebrate Zoology (where it is the primary means of presenting material) to Chemistry and Physiology. The lab also supports student projects, directed studies (e.g. Coral Propagation), Junior Practica (e.g Aquarium System Design), Senior Projects (e.g. grazing effects on algal competition, salmonid aquaculture techniques), and faculty research (biology of the Giant Pacific Octopus).

250-gal cold-water tank. The center pyramid is a feeding platform for observing beneath an octopus's web (photo 135K)

The aquarium lab houses cold-water and tropical marine aquariums, with a total capacity of approximately 1000 gallons in four recirculating aquarium systems: a 120-gal display tank and a 600-gal multi-tank cold water system, each housing North Pacific flora and fauna; plus a 75-gal display tank and a rack system comprising 15 10-gal experimental tanks, each holding Indo-Pacific coral reef organisms.

Systems include state-of-the art water quality systems monitoring and hobbiest to small-scale commercial grade equipment, allowing students to learn and work with a diversity of systems. These capabilities provide opportunities for hands-on student work in marine aquarium husbandry, aquarium systems design, and a variety of student-directed topics in the biology of marine organisms.

More photos of the lab prior to renovation. Please be patient while photos load.

Animal Care Guidelines.

Energetics Lab

Parr semi-micro bomb calorimeter (photo 169K)

The energetics lab provides the ability to measure the energy content of biological samples as small as 25 milligrams. Energetics is an important technique in understanding marine systems, particularly in understanding how predator- prey relationships may constrain or alter populations. The technique has been used in the North Pacific in studies of herring population dynamics, returns to salmon fisheries, seabird studies, killer whale - Steller sea lion interactions, and many more. Faculty at Alaska Pacific University are using the technique to study habitat selection of the Giant Pacific Octopus.

Equipment includes a Parr Semimicro Bomb calorimeter, pellet press, drying oven, a -40 C freezer, and scales.

Equipment for other studies of physiology is planned for purchase 2004-2007.

Field Equipment

Neuston (surface) plankton net (photo 49K)

The Marine Biology program also has a Vemco sonic receiver and hydrophones for deploying and tracking sonic tags (by long-term loan from Prince William Sound Science Center). We have small nets for vertical tow and neuston (surface) plankton sampling, and cast nets for bait-fish sampling. Other field gear includes GPS receivers, lasar range finders, and miscellaneous collecting gear. Equipment for the dive program includes a Bauer portable compressor for breathing air, as well as digital, film, and digital video cameras with underwater housings.

Other facilities & Equipment

GIS - A 9-seat GIS lab with Arc/Info and ArcView. This facility is the new home of the Long-term Killer Whale DataBase which currently holds data from 1984 to the present on killer whale distribution and behavior in Prince William Sound and Resurrection Bay, Alaska. Other Available datasets include Alaska land covers, National Parks, and marine data for Yakutat Bay, Prince William Sound, and Cook Inlet.
Hi-8 & Digital video - A hi-8 video camera (by long-term loan from the Prince William Sound Science Center), and a Sony digital video camera are available. These cameras are used for behavioral studies and student projects in Marine Biology, as well as Outdoor Studies faculty research. Underwater housings are available for some cameras for use while diving.
kayaks and a Zodiak - Available through the Outdoor Studies program and Mosely Sport Center, kayaks can provide relaxing and quiet access to marine study sites; while a zodiak is also available for those in need of greater speed or travel distance.
The Rae Baxter Memorial Marine Laboratory, located on the south side of Kachemak Bay, is an excellent facility for education in a marine setting. Rustic but comfortable, the lab has electricity, cooking facilities, an outhouse, and bunks. Situated at the end of the MacDonald Spit on rocky Nubble Point about 10 miles south of Seldovia, there is ample opportunity for studying intertidal ecology in both soft bottom and hard bottom marine environments. Marine life is plentiful and varied, including marine mammals (particularly seals, sea lions, and sea otters), piscivorous birds (such as bald eagles, murres, puffins, and auklets), and a host of fish and marine invertebrates. The facility has been used for a number of APU courses, including Introduction to Botany & Zoology, and for graduate research.
Additional rustic field lodgings have been available by special agreements in Prince William Sound and on Resurrection Bay. These have been used for Marine Biology and Scientific Diving

Acknowledgements: We thank the At-Sea Processor's Association, the Prince William Sound Science Center, Sera Baxter, Oppen Enterprises, and Alaska Garden & Pet Supply for their generous contributions to the development of our program.