Increased production of salmon in Alaska has been accompanied by a decrease in average body size and decreased wild stocks, indicating a possible density-dependent response to increases in salmon populations and hatchery releases. Pink salmon have a short two-year life cycle and most post-hatch mortality is thought to occur during their first months at sea; therefore, processes in the early marine residence period may determine abundance. Geographic and seasonal patterns in distribution, growth, and condition of juvenile pink salmon during their first months at sea were examined in Chapter 1. The migration of pink salmon from Prince William Sound (PWS) occurred over several months. Fish lengths, weights, and energy contents varied geographically and seasonally. Pink salmon energy content was highest on the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) shelf in July and August and lowest in PWS in July, indicating that growth conditions were better on the GOA shelf. Spatial and temporal variation in growth and condition is indicative of disparate feeding opportunities for juvenile pink salmon. An unusual aspect of this study was the concurrent collection of zooplankton and fish in PWS and on the GOA shelf. Geographic and seasonal changes in juvenile pink salmon diets were examined during their first six months at sea in Chapter 2. Pink salmon diets varied geographically and seasonally, and prey size increased as fish grew. A unique opportunity existed to compare the energy content of thermally marked hatchery pink salmon to their wild counterparts in PWS (Chapter 3). Fish condition varied geographically, however, there were no differences among hatchery groups and/or wild pink salmon at any one location. This indicates that fish were staying together as a group. In Chapter 4, pink salmon consumption was estimated to represent a small fraction of the production but potentially a large proportion of the available standing stock of zooplankton in PWS. Geographic variations in fish condition, diet, and zooplankton densities were observed in this study. This supports the hypothesis that local processes, including food depletion and/or zooplankton availability are important to juvenile pink salmon.

Recently, spruce grouse on Prince of Wales Island (POW) in southeast Alaska have been proposed as a separate subspecies. Furthermore, life-history of spruce grouse on POW, which is temperate coastal rainforest, varies sufficiently from birds in mainland areas, mostly boreal forest, to warrant specific management. Therefore, I examined the ecology of spruce grouse on POW to determine how timber harvest influences their survival and habitat selection and ultimately to provide recommendations for their conservation. During 2007-2009, we found that the greatest variation in survival probability was attributed to breeding status. The annual survival of non-breeding birds was 0.72±0.082 (S±) while for breeding birds it was 0.08±0.099. Logging did not adequately predict survival, with no differences among habitats. Conversely, I found differences in selection among habitats. At the watershed scale, spruce grouse preferred unharvested forest. At both watershed and homerange scales, spruce grouse avoided edges and preferred roads. Road-related mortality was the largest known source of death. POW spruce grouse and mainland subspecies exhibit sufficiently different survival rates and habitat preference to warrant specific management. We recommend limited road closures during periods when POW spruce grouse are most vulnerable due to the high rates of mortality associated with this preferred habitat.

Becharof Lake is home to both Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) and the closely related Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma), two species known not only to be similar in appearance but also to exhibit similar life histories. The body morphometry, otolith microchemistry, and stomach contents of both species were studied in fish collected from May to September 1998. Morphometric and meristic analysis revealed clear separation in body structure between the two species, as well as potential sub-populations within each species. Otolith microchemistry revealed incidences of anadromy and non-anadromy in both species. Stomach content analysis revealed a broad feeding niche but smaller ranges in food types in individual Arctic char with little seasonal preference, whereas Dolly Varden showed seasonality in food choices. Data suggest that both species can move in and out of the lake system, and that little competition for food or habitat occurs between the two species in the summer months.

The Alaska wild salmon industry has gone through a period of low prices and changing markets in the past two decades. Average exvessel prices have dropped from $1.46 per pound in 1988 to $0.35 per pound in 2005, due in large part to increased volume of farmed salmon and marine-reared rainbow trout. This thesis examines the potential price and revenue effects from the interaction between wild Alaskan salmon and anticipated production increases of farmed salmon from Chile. To investigate these linkages I developed an international simultaneous equilibrium market model for wild and farmed salmon and marine-reared rainbow trout. While world-wide farmed salmon (and trout) and the various wild Alaskan salmon species are not identical products, they are close substitutes. Changes in the volume of aquaculture production substantially affect the market-clearing prices of wild salmon. This model will then be used to simulate potential changes in Chilean farmed salmon production and Alaska wild salmon production on salmon exvessel prices in Alaska.

The Alaska wild salmon industry has been in economic turmoil for many years. Plagued by increased production of farmed salmon, wholesale and ex-vessel prices for nearly all Alaska wild salmon species and products are at all time lows. The incentive to harvest the flesh of the lower-valued wild salmon species, such as the Alaskan pink and chum salmon, have led to discard problems. There are no seafood products currently made from the late season roe-stripped carcasses and the meat cannot be readily sold due to its perceived poor quality. The fishers and the processors are now faced with a problem of selling wild salmon products of little economic value. This study reports on an effort to investigate a potential Chinese market for Alaskan salmon protein concentrate (a powder product derived from Alaskan wild pink and Chum salmon). Personal surveys of Chinese consumers were conducted in five Chinese cities (Beijing, Tianjin, Baoding, Shijianzhuang, and Wangdu) to determine if this newly developed product would be valued by Chinese consumers. The relative important characteristics of wild salmon protein concentrate made from pink and chum salmon are compared to the existing protein concentrate consumed in China, made from Chinese grass carp, utilizing conjoint analyses.

The objective of this project was to evaluate the economic feasibility of producing the upper C sand of the Prudhoe Bay Unit L Pad gas-hydrate-bearing reservoir. The analysis is based on numerical modelling of production through depressurization completed in CM G STARS by a fellow UAF graduate student, Jennifer Blake, (2015). A staged field development plan was proposed, and the associated capital and operating costs were estimated using Siemens's Oil and Gas Manager planning software and costing database. An economic assessment was completed, incorporating the most common royalties, the current taxes laws applicable to conventional gas development, and most recent tariff estimates. The degree of vertical heterogeneity, initial average hydrate saturation, well spacing and well type had a significant impact on the regional gas production profiles in terms of cumulative volume produced, and more importantly, the expediency of gas production. The volume that is economically recoverable is highly dependent on how the field is developed. A field that has higher vertical heterogeneity and corresponding lower average initial hydrate saturation is most economically produced using horizontal wells at 160 acre spacing; the acceleration of gas production outweighs the increased drilling costs associated with the longer wells and tighter well spacing. The choice of development scenario does not impact the project economics significantly given a field that has lower vertical heterogeneity; however, development using horizontal wells at 320 acre spacing is marginally more economic than the alternatives. Assuming a Minimum Attractive Rate of Return of 20%, the minimum gas price that would allow economic production of ANS gas hydrates was found to be $29.83 per million British thermal units; this value is contingent on the reservoir having high average initial hydrate saturation and being developed with horizontal wells at 320 acre spacing. A slightly higher gas price of $36.18 per million British thermal units would allow economic production of a reservoir having low average initial hydrate saturation that is developed with horizontal wells at 160 acre spacing.

The Alaska North Slope is a potential candidate for the Gas to Liquid (GTL) technology. With over 38 TCF of natural gas reserves stranded on the Alaska North Slope, the GTL technology is considered as a possible method of harnessing the abundant resources. GTL fuels are environmentally friendly (sulfur free) with better ignition and burning properties than conventional petroleum products from crude oil. Economic evaluation using Rate of Return analysis and the Net Present Value (NPV) to identify the most favorable commingled mode for the transportation of the GTL products was performed. The Crystal Ball software was also used to run sensitivity analysis by using the probabilistic approach to give a clear view of the various scenarios on the project economics. Evaluating the options of transporting GTL products as a blend (Commingled) with the Alaska North Slope Crude Oil through the existing Trans-Alaska Pipeline System (TAPS) is the main focus of this study.