Fisheries

The Oceans Alaska Marine Science Center has barely opened its doors and tiny oysters are already growing at the new floating facility at George Inlet in Ketchikan. The 28-acre site was granted to the nonprofit by the state and the Ketchikan borough in 2006.

Marine debris trackers will take to the air any day now to get a better idea of what is washing ashore, and where, as a result of last year's devastating tsunami in Japan. Best "guesstimates" are that at least 1.5 million tons of debris are afloat on and under the current-driven waters that touch Alaska's coastlines.

Sea otters are expanding throughout Southeast Alaska and dining on crab, sea cucumbers, geoduck clams and more as they go. An ongoing study aims to track the otters, what they're eating and where they are going -- and researchers hope to get "grounds truth" from Southeast residents.