Climate Change and Extreme Weather in Alaska: Insights from Kodiak’s Fifth Marine Science Symposium

Alaska Sea Grant recently hosted its fifth Kodiak Area Marine Science Symposium, which brought together scientists from across the archipelago and the state to share their research. The event took place from April 23 to April 25 and featured films about coastal life. Julie Matweyou, the marine advisory program agent in Kodiak, led the symposium, which included two full days of plenary talks, evening activities, and various presentations on topics such as climate change, invasive species monitoring, ocean acidification, and mariculture evaluations.

The keynote speaker for this year was Rick Thoman, a climate specialist with the Alaska Center for Climate Assessment and Policy. Thoman discussed how temperatures in Alaska have been affected by climate change over the past 50 years. He noted that average temperatures in northernmost regions of the state have risen more significantly than those in Kodiak. Thoman also highlighted the increase in extreme weather events such as the “blob” in the North Pacific Ocean in 2018, which are expected to become more common in the future.

Thoman provided insights into Kodiak’s climate history dating back to the 1870s and shared projections for