Unalaska, AK – The local Marine Advisory Program office is scheduled to run out of funding in August unless the state legislature provides money in the upcoming budget. The Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program first opened an office in Unalaska six years ago at the request of community members. Many people felt that as the largest port in the nation, Unalaska should have a person to go to with marine science questions and for community support.

The office was initially funded by a two-year grant from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to support communities affected by the Stellar Sea Lion Endangered Species status.

MAP program leader Paula Cullenberg says it's been sustained by small grants ever since. "The university has not had any funds to commit to the region, so we have at this point we have no long-term funding for that position."

The University of Alaska has included the funding in their budget request from the state and is now looking for approval from the legislature. They need $600,000 to make positions in Unalaska, Dillingham, Kodiak, Petersberg, Nome, and Cordova permanent; otherwise they might have to close some offices when funding runs out in August.

Reid Brewer started running the Unalaska office six years ago.

"I'm the one that you call when a whale washes up on the beach and it needs to go out and get sampled and explain to people what's going on. I do lots of formal and informal education programs. I teach at the culture camp, and I teach marine safety to commercial fishermen. I teach tide pool camps for kids in the summer time as well as coach the national ocean science bowl teams."

He also teaches university level courses, coordinates science lectures by researchers working in the region, and gives students hands-on science lessons. In March, the MAP office is hosting the Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference wherein scientists from around western Alaska will present research about the fisheries, ecology, recycling, and other major issues in the region. Brewer is also involved with an upcoming museum exhibit featuring marine life in the Aleutians.

It's up to the state legislature now to keep the program running. "But we're hoping that people writing letters to their legislators saying that the Marine Advisory Program and Alaska Sea Grant are important parts of their communities and these positions need to be funded on a permanent basis" will help secure that funding, Brewer said.

To find out more about your local MAP office, you can call Reid Brewer at 581-4589.