Enhancing understanding and appreciation of the Kachemak Bay estuary and adjacent waters to ensure that these ecosystems remain healthy and productive
The Kachemak Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve (KBNERR) is part of a national network of 29 reserves that are supported through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and a state partner. In the national network of National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS), Kachemak Bay represents a high latitude, fjord estuary type. KBNERRs state partner is the Alaska Center for Conservation Science (ACCS) at the University of Alaska, Anchorage (UAA). We also work closely with the KBNERR Community Council, a committed group of local residents and agency partners who meet quarterly to connect with KBNERR programs.
Kachemak Bay represents a special piece of Alaska’s coastline with beautiful scenery, abundant wildlife, and a vibrant local community that draws deeply from the ecosystem for its well-being. Our work is dedicated to conducting research, monitoring, education, trainings and community engagement that bring understanding of regional ecosystems, and to assist people in making informed decisions that promote conservation and stewardship. We serve as a magnet and platform for researchers and students from the state of Alaska and around the country. Our areas of focus include coastal ecology, watershed ecology, and oceanography. We study the processes that contribute to the tremendous productivity of fish, shellfish, birds and mammals in the region, and the consequences of climate change and human activities to the resources we value. We provide a bridge between science and management, working with stakeholders, from children to adults, in remote villages, as well as cities. For more information on some of the various marine species found in the Kachemak bay area, visit the field guides page.
In response to the COVID-19 global pandemic, all KBNERR events and public activities have been canceled until further notice. KBNERR staff are currently working remotely in accordance with State of Alaska mandates and UAA policy to protect the health and safety of our community. If you would like to contact KBNERR staff please send us an email. Staff email addresses can be found by clicking here.
Focal Areas
People
Coowe Walker, M.S.
Manager | Lead Watershed Ecologist | 907-235-1591 | cmwalker9 (at) alaska.edu
Coowe has worked at the Kachemak Bay NERR since the Reserve was designated in 1999. Her research interests center around landscape support of stream productivity, watershed connectivity, juvenile salmonid rearing habitats, and innovative science communication to support conservation and stewardship. She holds an A.S. in Wildlife Technology from Pennsylvania State University, a B.S. in Natural Resource Management from the University of Maryland, and a M.S. in Environmental Science from the University of Virginia.
Jacob Argueta
Research Assistant | 907-235-1593 | jmarguetajacobs (at) alaska.edu
Jacob Argueta earned a B.S. in Environmental Science and Management with a minor in Geographic Information Systems from Portland State University. As a research assistant at the Research Reserve, Jacob works on a variety of watershed projects. His research interests include watershed ecology, remote sensing and change mapping, UAS applications in the natural sciences, and fish ecology.
Steve Baird
Research Coordinator | Biologist | 907-235-1594 | sjbaird (at) alaska.edu
Steve Baird earned a B.A. in Human Ecology from College of the Atlantic in Maine. At Dartmouth College his graduate research focused on habitat selection by migrant birds in Belize. His research interests include salt-marsh plant communities and the ecology of juvenile salmon, but his work at KBNERR has allowed him to participate in a wide-range of research topics, including oceanography, coastal erosion, glacial recession, and long-term water quality monitoring.
Syverine Bentz, M.S.
Coastal Training Program Coordinator | 907-235-1592 | syverine (at) alaska.edu
Syverine Bentz has a B.S. in Geology and an M.S. in Earth Sciences from Montana State University with a focus on sedimentary geology and spatial science. Her primary interests include landscape change, coastal processes, and ecosystem services. She grew up on Kachemak Bay and started as a science collaborative and discovery lab volunteer at KBNERR. She currently works in the Coastal Training Program providing workshops, trainings and technical assistance. She enjoys translating science for stakeholders and values collaborations between scientists, decision-makers and local community members.
Chris Guo
Aquatic Biologist | 907-235-1432 | cguo2 (at) alaska.edu
Chris has a B.S. in marine biology from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. Currently a graduate student in the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences at UAF, his research focuses on topics in coastal ecology. He is interested in understanding how estuarine and nearshore habitats support their biological communities and food web linkages, particularly for juvenile fish species.
Rosie Masui
Harmful Species Program Coordinator | 907-235-1598 | rmmasui (at) alaska.edu
Rosie Masui has a B.S. in Fisheries Biology from the University of Vermont with a minor in history. She has worked on various projects around the state of Alaska, such as studying arctic fish migrations, interpreting marine mammal imagery data, and assisting in salmon run monitoring.
Dana Nelson
Environmental Education Specialist | 907-235-1504 | ddnelson4 (at) alaska.edu
Dana Nelson has a B.S. in Parks & Recreation from Central Michigan University. She was a Student Conservation Association environmental education intern with Alaska Maritime NWR in 2015. She is currently an environmental education technician with KBNERR.
James Schloemer
Research Assistant | 907-235-1505 | jwschloemer (at) alaska.edu
James earned a B.S. in Natural Resource Management from SUNY ESF. His research focuses on long-term monitoring of ecosystem drivers: how the physical ocean affects ecosystems through lower-trophic levels and connections between landscapes and estuaries.