Each summer since 2008, I have been dutifully marching up streams and navigating remote lakes in Bristol, Bay, Alaska. Here I've been collecting data as an environmental research scientist for the University of Washington's Alaska Salmon Program to monitor and study these incredibly productive salmon runs.
Each year my appreciation for these and other salmon ecosystems, and my regard for the intersections where salmon and people meet continues to expand.
Alongside my work as a researcher I've packed cameras wherever I've roamed in these landscapes. It's become a passion documenting these incredible salmon runs, the wildlife and environments they support, the scientists who study them, the people who depend on them, and the contrasting salmon runs in decline and recovery down in the Pacific Northwest.
Through my collaborations with conservation organizations, independent filmmakers, research programs, and nature documentary productions, it's been a pleasure to inspire and educate viewers so that they may develop a better understanding and appreciation for these awe inspiring salmon.
Photo, right: David Herasimtschuk
