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Kodiak Laboratory Director Robert Foy spoke on the biology of squid to an audience of approximately 100 children and adults at Kodiak's Whalefest celebration.  Photo by Jan Haaga.

Whale Fest Kodiak  (http://www.whalefestkodiak.org)  is an annual community event timed to coincide with the spring northbound migration of the gray whales as they pass Kodiak Island, Alaska. The two week-long event in April highlights marine mammals with lectures, art shows, movies, school activities, and more for all ages.

Since Whalefest's beginning in 1996, Kodiak Laboratory staff have participated in all aspects of the event, including coordinating the event in its early years, giving presentations, providing speakers, and leading whale-watching tours. Staff from the AFSC's National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle have travelled to Kodiak to present information on marine mammal research in Alaska. In addition to information on marine mammals, Kodiak Laboratory staff have given presentations on the effects of ocean acidification and climate change on marine life.

For the 2009 event, Kodiak Laboratory Director Robert Foy gave a presentation on the biology and life history of large sharks and discussed ongoing research on salmon and Pacific sleeper sharks in the eastern Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska. Foy also conducted a dissection of a large 3.2 m squid for an audience of approximately 100 children and adults.