After Covid-19 related restrictions curbed our field work the past few summers, we are happy to be out on the water again in 2024. 

We are working with Dr. Tyler Hennon, Research Assistant Professor and Dr. Thilo Klenz, Post-Doctoral Fellow, from the University of Alaksa Fairbanks College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences on a joint research project with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) and the Oil Spill Recovery Institute (OSRI) to facilitate data collections in the Cook Inlet tide rips near Kalgin Island.

We are using UAF’s research vessel R/V Nanuq, which is based out of the Seward Marine Center. The field survey is planned to conclude in early August and will include data collected by a pole-mounted Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP), surface satellite drifter buoys, and hydrographic surveys of temperature and salinity (T/S) to look at stratification in the water column.

By better understanding not only the movement of water within the tidal cycles, but also its hydrographic characteristics, we can better understand how oil will behave in the water in the event of a spill. This research will also help better inform our current models for tidal movement in Cook Inlet, which further informs Geographic Response System (GRS) data, and provides a better resources for responders in a potential incident, from oil spills to search and rescue operations.