A new Arctic marine science exhibit opening at the Anchorage Museum brings together more than a decade of research, community-based science, and collaborative partnerships across Alaska and beyond.
Opening Friday, May 15, the exhibit highlights the North Pacific Research Board’s (NPRB) Arctic Program alongside a range of Arctic-focused research and community science initiatives, including several funded or led by AOOS. It is designed to showcase both scientific discovery and the growing role of communities in observing and understanding rapid environmental change in the Arctic.
AOOS partners deployed a Sofar wave buoy in Cape Lisburne as part of the Backyard Buoys program. Photo by Michael Tuzroyluk Jr.
Brendan Smith, Communications and Outreach Director at NPRB, worked with the Anchorage Museum to develop the exhibit. “It is by far the largest outreach initiative that we [NPRB] have embarked on. It’s also the most public-facing,” he said.
The exhibit spans the museum’s entire first-floor rotating gallery space and is organized around three core themes: Arctic food web dynamics, community involvement in science, and the evolution of science communication, along with a large-scale installation focused on ship-based research.
Smith said the goal was to move beyond a single program even though the Arctic Program was a huge multi-year, highly integrated research program. Rather, the emphasis was to highlight the interconnected nature of Arctic research, and give visitors a broader view of the region’s rapidly changing marine ecosystem.
Smith worked with AOOS’s Thomas Farrugia to highlight how algal bloom monitoring and broader ecosystem research intersect, underscoring the importance of integrated environmental observation.
The AOOS-supported Backyard Buoys program is featured as one example of community members participating in ocean observing in their own “backyard,” along with other community-led initiatives across the state.
The exhibit also highlights major Arctic research platforms, including a scaled down recreation of the R/V Sikuliaq, which supported sampling for the Arctic Program alongside NOAA and University of Alaska Fairbanks cruises. Homeported in Seward, Sikuliaq helps connect visitors to offshore science. “We wanted to show the kind of science being done on these cruises and give a glimpse of what it’s like to be a scientist,” Smith said.
An IFCB sampling seawater from the flow-through system of the R/V Tiglax in June 2025. Photo by Thomas Farrugia.
NPRB worked with a host of researchers from the Arctic Program including Kate Stafford from Oregon State University and University of Alaska Fairbanks researchers Seth Danielson, Hank Statscewich, and Sarah Mincks. They all worked collaboratively to demonstrate how sound, ocean, and sediment data are collected and processed in real time.
The team created animations using data from AOOS-supported autonomous underwater vehicles, or gliders, and conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) instruments. A glider is on display in the exhibit, along with a video from the AOOS-funded benthic tripod at the Chukchi Sea Ecosystem Observatory and a small mooring mock-up.
The exhibit reflects collaboration among NPRB, the Anchorage Museum, the University of Alaska Fairbanks, AOOS, and other research and community partners. Smith said the museum played a central role in shaping the final product.
“While NPRB is the funder, all the hard work, orchestration, and execution was done by the museum,” he said. “They really took the time to listen, get the science right, and accurately represent the people they’re showcasing.”
The exhibit will be on display for one year, with additional programming, events, and educational activities planned throughout its run. Museum hours are 10:00 am to 6:00 pm daily.
CONTACT: Brendan Smith, brendan.smith@nprb.org