Ways of Knowing Abalone in Sitka Sound
About "Ways of Knowing Abalone"
This project isn't just about sharing our knowledge of abalone population dynamics in Sitka Sound...
This project aimed to
> Pair local and Indigenous knowledge with quantitative information on abalone & sea otter populations & harvest to understand key trends of current, historical, and future abalone populations
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> Support tribal and stakeholder sovereignty in the management and future research of these important species
Project Character Illustrations: Sienna Reid (Xoodzi)
Background & Project Animator: Jessica Kendall-Bar
Community surveys
(Fall 2023 - January 2024)
Interviews consisted of:
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Structured & Semi-Structured questions
To measure species and ecosystem degree of change following the re-establishment of sea otters or over time
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Mapping Exercises
To determine areas of abalone harvest and areas of sea otter hunting, presence/absence, occupation time, and abundance
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Shared management suggestions/concerns
To compile into a collaborative document outlining future research and management recommendations to send to managers, begin to implement, and for continued open communication between all stakeholders
THANK YOU TO PARTICIPANTS
Would you like to know more or share your abalone experiences?
Study Participants
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Participants identified as either:
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Individuals with generational knowledge of the adaptive management and refined harvest practices in and around Sitka (e.g., Alaska Native abalone and sea otter harvesters)
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Individuals with a history of commercial abalone harvest in Sitka
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Local (SITKA) subsistence abalone harvesters
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Local (SITKA) experts (e.g., Tour guides, dive or intertidal enthusiasts)