Undergraduate Hailey Bladek talks with Michelle Stratton about her life and job as a fisheries scientist in Alaska. In this episode, they discuss climate issues in Alaska with salmon and Michelle's experience in The Nature Conservancy's Women in Climate Coalition.
Undergraduate Hailey Bladek talks with Michelle Stratton about her life and job as a fisheries scientist in Alaska. In this episode, they discuss climate issues in Alaska with salmon and Michelle's experience in The Nature Conservancy's Women in Climate Coalition.
Hailey
Hello everyone and welcome back to the Streaming Science Podcast. Streaming Science is a student-driven program that works to connect you with scientists to learn how scientists impacts all of us in our everyday lives. I'm Hailey Bladek, a fourth year agricultural education and communications major at the University of Florida, and I will be your host.
Hailey
You're currently listening to an episode where we talk with women from the Nature conservancies, women in Climate Coalition, about how they're working together to find climate change solutions. The Women in Climate Coalition unites with women from all backgrounds to solve the climate crisis through innovation labs, facilitated networks and policy workshops.
In the following interview, I spoke with Michelle Stratton. She's a fishery scientist with the Alaska Marine Conservation. Through this podcast, I hope you gain insight to Michelle's research with salmon and how she's working toward creating a more sustainable world.
How are you doing, Michelle? I'm doing good. Glad to be here. Yes. So happy to have you. So let's get started. So, um, how did you get into your job that you do now?
Michelle
That's a great question. I think it comes down to, I just grew up around the ocean, on the ocean boat fishing, playing water sports. Uh, salmon represents a very special way of life here in Alaska, and we're just fish people. It's just that, that simple. I gained a lot of skills and values from my time in remote Alaska and developed a passion for the ocean and the ecosystem and everything that that lives within it. And uh, I get to work every day on preserving that greatness.
Hailey
That's awesome. I love boating as well, but definitely not in as depth as you are there all the way. In Alaska, so that's awesome to hear. How did you get into the Alaska Marine Conservation Council? What do you do there? How'd you get into this career work, those kind of things. Well, I, uh, work for, uh, most people here call it a MCCC for short.
Michelle
Um, and I am a fishery scientist for them. So we look at fisheries issues around the state and we try. Uh, commit some time and effort to the conservation and the science behind getting the conservation to hopefully go through legislation or into fisheries management. And, um, they had the same values as me, so, uh, I thought it was a great place to start working towards my goals of protecting the ocean.
Hailey
And it's, I get, they let me work on something that I care so much. Um, I have a similarity, um, with you there. For us, it's cattle cattle down here in Florida and we get to go and pass legislation bills at our capital in Tallahassee. So that's kind of similar in what you're doing with your favorite things you like to do there.
Um, if you would like to describe yourself in one word, what would it be?
Michelle
That's a great question. I think I would pick persevering, and I think it's a word that describes me as a person and also the work that I do, a career path in fishery Science is not easy, especially for women, and there's been many road bumps and struggles over the years, and I just kept going because I truly love what I do and.
I also think it applies to the work that I'm working on because it might not look like huge strides are being made or that accomplishments are taking place, but slowly and surely we are changing the, the norm of conservation here in Alaska. You chose that word for, um, you as a person in everything, and what an accomplishment and job title that you have.
Hailey
How did you get involved in Women in Climate as if you guys don't know, she is a member.
Michelle
I was out at fish camp last summer fishing. I got an invitation to go to one of their conferences and our missions and values aligned. So I thought what a great way to transition back from fishing in the summer to coming back into my office and working as a scientist.
In the winter, uh, then to, to go become part of this amazing group of women and the climate is rapidly changing around us. It affects literally everything we, we touch and we do. And so it's such a common thread in basically all of the categories I'm working on right now. So it, it was a good fit.
Hailey
Yeah, I know women in climate and the specific word women too.
The both of us, as we have spoke, is very personal and we take it into much consideration in our industries. How have you grown to love fisheries in Alaska? Being that you're. You know, a lot farther away from me as I am here in Florida. How have you grown to love that?
Michelle
Well, I think being born and raised here, I, for one, I haven't known anything else.
I was just totally immersed in it as a kid and I never stopped. Um, it's the way of life that comes with commercial fishing is just very different than many things. It might, I don't know this, but maybe it compares to like ranchers and their neighbors. You're out there in the middle of nowhere and things happen and you have to rely on your neighbors for help or you have to be the help and it.
The camaraderie out there is just incredible. Um, and something that stands out for me is when I was a little kid at Fish camp, a door to our cabin was on hinges and you just had to push it out. And so just as a little kid, you could just run out, push the door open, and just be immediately in the outdoors and have access to miles and miles of beaches and the ocean.
And it was just, um, the, the incredible rugged Alaska around you at like a moment's notice. And I think that really set a tone for my, for my life and the direction I wanted to go. And I've also, in the scientists portion, been lucky enough to study fish in some really remote rivers across Alaska and that.
Hailey
I can relate to that kind of just as you mentioned with being on a ranch, it is so crucial that, you know, maybe for you, the grocery store isn't as close away as it is for people who live in the city. Um, it's the same here. Grocery stores are close, so farmers rely on their food to grow it and eat what they grow and sell it to make a living.
And you are in the middle of nowhere. And you know, cattle in your neighbors, as you mentioned, is a huge part to agriculture here in Florida. As we are the first state to ever have cattle dropped on our land. Tell me about your love of Alaska and what the state means to you. Yeah, Alaska's definitely important to me, and I think it all comes down to the unique way of life.
Michelle
We get to live here in Alaska. Everything we do is seasonal. I live my life around both the tides in the summer and then overall in the seasons. And we fish based on the tides. It dictates when we get to pick the nets or when we can travel to certain, um, around certain bends or corners. Um, we also look for signs around us, like, like the fire weed.
We, as the summer goes on, they fill out more and more and they tell us how close we're getting to fall and colder weather. And that just kind of dictates how we move through the year and we move from being on the water and fishing and filling our freezers with fish and halibut to when it gets to the fall, we move to hunting and berry picking.
And so we just, we have to look at our surroundings to tell us what to do and how to interact and it, it makes you have to slow down and really pay attention.
Hailey
Wow, that's really amazing. So with mentioning a little bit about Women in climate in the beginning, what is your path for the Women in Climate Conservancy group that you have joined?
Michelle
As of last summer? Well, like I said earlier, I think that when the values of an organization just match up with, with what you're doing, what you believe, it just makes sense to start down a path of partnership and combine efforts. And I was lucky enough to be with a cohost of really amazing women across the United States that, that I can pull on if I need specifics in, in certain aspects of what I'm working.
Hailey
Even though I am on the complete opposite side of the country, it is very different here in Florida, um, than the freezing cold stay. As I've heard of Alaska, I am definitely a sun girl. Um, I love to be by the pool. I love being by the lake. So here in Florida, day to day it is. Tremendous and surprising and lots of other characteristics to me that I think about daily when going to class.
Um, I don't think about people, you know, walking around Disney World or fishing in the middle of Alaska. Like it's totally different. I'm just going into class on a hot day, what's around me to where agriculture varies all around the state and all around the country and world. That's a huge thing that I have to grasp in my mind when going into further my studies.
You mentioned salmon. What can salmon tell you about the ecosystem?
Michelle
Yeah. Salmon are just incredibly resilient species. They take on an incredible migration, many thousands of miles throughout their life cycle and, and have, they can come up against many obstacles, whether it's prey or warm temperatures, sharps, humans, whatever that be. They have so many obstacles and, and so many of them make 'em back to the river, that it's kind of an incredible journey.
Right now we're looking to start having widespread run failures across the entire state, and that climate change plays a role in it. Humans play a role in it, and I think that that just tells us we have to start paying, paying better attention to the ecosystem and what's happening and what's causing these declines, and we just have to make changes to how we function with the, the fisheries overall.
Hailey
I have a policy class. This semester and I've been studying and looking at the difference of genetically modified salmon and regular salmon. Do you have any background or information on this? I was curious.
Michelle
Yeah. Uh, well first of all, science has done some incredible stuff and lets us expand the boundaries of what's truly possible. Um, personally, I'm not a fan of genetically modified salmon, and I would push for wild salmon any chance I got and. I would also take that a step further and say that the quality of Alaska salmon is beyond anything else.
So, uh, I would say that's a hard pass for genetically modified salmon for me.
Hailey
Well, that's crazy to think that, you know, I have salmon here. I'm a huge fan of it, and then it, you're saying it's so much better there. So I wonder what the true difference is, and I would definitely agree with you. I think genetically modified salmon is completely different.
Whether the research side, the physical side, eating it, you know, whatever you may do is definitely different. How is climate change in Alaska with fisheries, with the salmon work you do, you know, between summer and winter? What do you see in those changes?
Michelle
Well, climate change is moving really quickly here in Alaska and within my lifetime.
Um, I've seen the state of normal change drastically. We're seeing overall colder winters, warmer summers, which really, um, affects the salmon and ocean temperatures. The groundfish, the halibut, really warmer waters produces more. Some things thrive and some things don't thrive. So we're seeing shifting species, um, that are thriving.
And um, I'm also watching really incredible, huge salmon runs, dwindle down to nothing. And, and I think that the rate of change we're seeing means that we truly need to change the way we approach fisher's management in general and our relationship with fish and the ecosystems and see where we can do.
Hailey
It is definitely here too, getting very cold and very hot in the summers, and we are seeing a difference with, you know, whether cattle drink more or eat more, or the more hay that has to be produced and things like that.
So that is very much in common with what you are doing. What does a typical day in the life look like for you?
Michelle
Well, I would, I have two answers for that. One in the summer when I'm fishing and, and then one as a scientist. So in the, in the summer we look at the tides and see what time we can check the net.
So it's either waking up early, you know, set an alarm for four and going out and picking the net or, or a little later and getting some chores done on shore. Uh, we have mending to do of the net when there get holes in it. And just general upkeep of the camp. We go out and pick salmon in the, in the net and come back and take care of camp and eat and do it all over again.
And it's just, uh, a life based on what the tide tells you it's time to do. And then in the, in the winter, as a scientist, I read a lot of papers, go through a lot of data and pull that together kind of in a package. And I take all that research for a question and then I pass it off to someone that, that goes and puts that together and presents that, or gives testimony or we use that to base what we, what we think on and what we act on.
Hailey
So you're definitely busy every single day of the year.
Michelle
Absolutely.
Hailey
Does your like winter and summers vary? Like how many months are your summers and how many months are your winters?
Michelle
Well, I would say here we usually have warmish weather starting in May, and then kind of tapering off to colder Rainier weather in August.
And then probably depending different parts in the state have different winters. Kodiak has more rain in it, where the fish site is during the winter. And then here I live in Palmer. Uh, and we have snow probably from anywhere from October through March-ish, depending on the year. And. And snow is actually really important for, um, fish because the more snow there is on the mountains and as the summer goes along and it melts, it, uh, drains into the rivers and keeps them colder and more, um, river height and depth throughout the summer.
So if we have a summer or winter without much snow, then we, uh, don't have as long for the fish to have cold water in the.
Hailey
Wow, that is so interesting. So our summer has started. It hasn't physic, it has physically, but not on the books. We had our first 90 degree day this past weekend, and that goes about until September, October.
And then from October to January is cooler. It doesn't get very cold. So I don't see snow much unless I travel 300, 400 plus miles. Completely different lifestyle. This last week we've ranged from 10 below to 24 above, so a little different. Oh, something I wanted to get into is that when we first met, um, something that really stood out that you were very proud of and that you stood up for that I definitely couldn't agree more with, is that agriscience is very male dominated, whether here in Florida obviously, or there in Alaska.
And your background in fisheries is all guys, as you mentioned, it is hard to include women. Women like to prove guys wrong in the industry. It is very true, um, that women can do the job. Tell me a little bit more about what you have done as a person to include yourself as a female and a male dominated industry.
Michelle
Absolutely. Yeah. This is a very important topic and, and pretty close to my heart. Um, we are seeing here in Alaska, more and more women get involved in the fishing industry, whether its. Actual commercial fishing or the fishery science. And these are jobs that involve a lot of time outdoors, moving heavy things around and kind of just being plain wet and cold basically all of the time, which isn't for everyone.
But I am proud to look around me at the strong, independent, confident women here in the industry and say that I'm part of this sisterhood of Women in fisheries in Alaska. And I think that for me personally, I showed up and kept pushing and I didn't take those road bumps or, um, stop signs and turn around.
I just, I kept going, put my head down and just didn't let anything stop me. And sometimes I think that's all, all you can do is you just have to control what's in your control and keep going and do your best. It's really important for young women to, to reach out and seek strong women as mentors and partners in this journey because, It might be hard, but we're definitely not alone.
Hailey
Yes, 100% agree. No woman job or man job is for one or the other. A guy is more than welcome to work in an office and be behind a computer and a girl can be out. Doing fisheries, throwing hay, feeding animals. And I think that there should be no in between. I think that women should be included in everything just as well as males because there are some industries that are women dominated that males would like to be involved in too.
And I feel like that's a huge thing that needs to be role played in society. So cool to learn about the state of Alaska.
Hailey
Thank you for listening to the Women in Climate Series on the Streaming Science Podcast. Make sure to check out our website and social media for more. I'm your host, Hailey Bladek. Thanks for listening.