Welcome to the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, where our world-class faculty educate future leaders in fisheries and marine science. Our research addresses pressing issues in aquatic ecosystems from the Arctic to Antarctica. We invite you to explore our website and welcome any questions you may have.

Explore our programs
At the UAF College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, we challenge our students to explore academically, geographically and culturally. Our community of scholars provides opportunities for students to learn and conduct research in some of the most beautiful and pristine locations in the world.

Researchers found microplastic pollutants in the stomach contents of almost every specimen they tested.

NSF and CFOS have a new four-year, $53.8 million cooperative agreement to operate the research vessel.
Kachemak Bay otters' behavior seems unaffected by oyster farms
July 25, 2025
The growing Kachemak Bay mariculture industry and a booming population of local sea otters appear to have a surprisingly uneventful relationship, according to a new ´ºË®ÌÃÊÓÆµ study. The study, published recently in The Journal of Wildlife Management, focused on otters around a handful of oyster farms in the area, comparing their actions to otters that were foraging in nearby control areas without farming. During hundreds of hours of observations, otters weren't seen eating any oysters and the presence of mariculture operations didn't appear to have a notable effect on their behavior.
Sikuliaq underway on unique Alaska coastal research voyage
July 25, 2025
A 2,500-mile, 16-day research cruise that began Thursday in Seward and concludes in Nome aims to advance environmental research in coastal Alaska through a novel addition: public tours of the research vessel when it makes port calls.
New federal grant will support UAF doctoral students
July 21, 2025
The ´ºË®ÌÃÊÓÆµ has been awarded a $1.9 million federal grant to support 12 new Ph.D. students at the College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences. The program, Enhancing Marine Ecosystem Research and Graduate Education in Alaska, will be funded by the National Science Foundation. EMERGE Alaska will support three years' worth of academic and summer stipends, as well as a cost-of-education allowance for graduate fellows starting in 2026.