What We Do
Downstream from Auke Creek Weir
Located 12 miles from downtown Juneau, Auke Creek Research Station is operated by the Auke Bay Laboratories (ABL) Salmon Ocean Ecology study program on a cooperative basis with University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), and the University of Alaska Southeast (UAS). The long time series of observations on the seven anadromous fish species made at the Station’s counting weir is not available elsewhere in Alaska. First hand evidence of changes in fish populations in response to climate change is provided by the biological and environmental information generated at this Station. Its information is also used by ADF&G to guide harvest management decisions on commercial and recreational fisheries in the region. An experimental hatchery located near the mouth of the stream provides insights into the genetic basis for many aspects of the behavior of anadromous fish species, and it has been used to train three generations of graduate students in genetics and salmonid biology. The accessibility of the Station by road from the urban area of Juneau makes it a popular scientific educational resource for Juneau Public Schools and the general public.