Overview

The Alaska Fisheries Science Center is the research branch of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Marine Fisheries Service responsible for research on living marine resources in the coastal oceans off Alaska and off  parts of the west coast of the United States. This region of nearly 3 million square miles includes the North Pacific Ocean and the eastern Bering Sea which support some of the most important commercial fisheries in the world. These waters are also home to the largest marine mammal populations in the Nation.

The primary responsibilities of the Center are to provide scientific data and analysis and technical advice to the NMFS Alaska Regional Office, North Pacific Fishery Management Council, state of Alaska, Alaskan coastal subsistence communities, and U.S. representatives participating in international fishery and marine mammal negotiations, as well as the fishing industry and its constituents. The Center also coordinates fisheries and marine mammal research with other Federal and state agencies, academic institutions, and foreign nations.