AmeriCorps: Marine Mammal Training

WHO: 

Matnuska Glacier Ice Hiking

I'm Juliana and I am the Marine Mammal Training AmeriCorps Member. I graduate from Eckerd College in St. Petersburg, FL in 2008. During my college career, I completed an avian internship at the Aquarium of Baltimore 

Working on Chiswell Island

and a husbandry internship at Tampa's Lowry Park Zoo. In Baltimore, I worked in both the Australia and rain forest exhibits were I did get to observe some training and conduct some of my own on the rainbow 

Biopsy Darting Practice

lorikeet. I got to work with the Spectacle Flying Fox, the laughing kookaburra and the tawny frogmouth. At Lowry Park, I worked in the Asia Department where I fell in love with working

Sea Lion Scat Collection

with large mammals. The Asia collection included the Indian rhino, sloth bear, white tiger, kangaroo, and tapir. In 2009, I did 

Brown Pelican Banding

Field Identification

Male Steller Sea Lion Necropsy

work on Steller sea lion blood and on an upcoming program to identify bowhead whale whales in Alaska at the National Marine Mammal Laboratory in Seattle, WA. I came to the Alaska SeaLife Center in 2009 as the Chiswell Steller Sea Lion intern. After my internship, I was hired on fortwo more summers as a seasonal biological technician on the Chiswell project. I also participated in other research projects such as Steller sea lion scat collection, halibut diet study,  remote video management for other research projects in remote locations, Steller sea lion branding, and Steller sea lion biopsy darting for diet analysis. I 

King Salmon Fishing

miss the Floridian beaches and heat, but have found so much love 

Hiking

here in the mountains where I love to go snowboarding, hiking, fishing, snowshoeing, ice skating, kayaking, and back country camping. I stay as active as possible, playing in community recreation such as softball, basketball, and volleyball. If I am not at home, I am out playing in the mountains.

WHAT: 

Snapper, 27 Yrs. Old Harbor Seal

Being apart of the Marine Mammal Department is not only fun everyday, but I am constantly learning. I spend the day working along the mammal staff doing husbandry duties and getting mentor ship on being a marine 

Sitka, Female Sea Lion

mammal trainer. Our collection animals include Steller sea lions, harbor 

Napa, Baby Ring Seal

seals, and a ring sea. The Alaska SeaLife Center primarily focuses it's training on research and husbandry behaviors. As a research facility, our primary focus is for the care of the animal and research for the species conservation as a whole. The job as a marine mammal trainer encompasses a lot more than what meets the eye and takes a

lot of hard work. My daily tasks include 

Tongass, Harbor Seal

food preparations, feeds, training session, daily chores, research data collection, database work, enrichment, vet practices, and more. Everyday I look forward to going to work and it is vastly rewarding to work

Woody, Male Steller Sea Lion

with these animals and see their progressions. Another component of our service is to to a community service project every 

Sugar, Female Steller on Halloween

month and also serve at a community organization of your choice once a week. The community organization of my choice is the Seward Teen & Youth Center. I hope to bring science education and conservation to these youth along with mentor ship.

Some Holiday Fun

Tongass & Attuun Halloween Fun

Napa, Baby Ring Seal (Ice Seal)

WHERE: 

Overlooking Seward, AK

Born and raised in State College, PA (GO PSU), I didn't have an ocean to play in everyday. But I wanted to be a marine biologist since I was in first grade. I attended Eckerd College in FL for their well-known marine science program and also played on their college softball team. This is my third winter here in Seward and it was an adjustment coming from a large city to a small town that doesn't have a stoplight. But, I feel in love with Seward during my first summer. There is so much more going on at the Alaska SeaLife Center than meets the eye. I love this organization and everything it tries to do for science, conservation, and this community.

Feeding Squirt, Giant Pacific Octopus

Squirt Halloween Enrichment

Seavy Sled Team in Seward

Alyeska Snowboarding

Exit Glacier in Seward

Denali National Park

Resurrection Bay in Seward

Halibut Fishing

4-Wheeling in Seward With Riley (dog)

Denali National Park Camping

Mt. Alice Snow Shoeing in Seward

Tiehacker Hiking in Seward

Lost Lake Camping in Seward

Mt. Marathon Bowl in Seward

Northern Lights, Only Level 1

Glacier Hiking in Girdwood

Salmon Snagging in Resurrection Bay in Seward

Kenai Lake Ice Skating Near Seward

Mt. Alice Hiking in Fall

Some Awesome Animals I have Encountered:

Beluga

Sea Otter

Local Orca Pos

Moose

Dall Porpoise

Brown Bear

Moose

Red Fox

Humpback Whale

Carribou

WHEN:

A Stop On My Drive Up From Seattle, WA

I arrived in Alaska on May, 2009. I started AmeriCorps in Oct. 2011 and will serve until September 2012.

WHY:

Science, husbandry, fieldwork; I love them all. I have gained experience in the fields of research and fieldwork, and wanted to gain more knowledge and experience in husbandry and in animal training. The dream job for me would encompass all three of these components. After the time I have spent doing marine mammal training, I hope to pursue this path as a career. Being in Seward thousands of miles away from home, I have had a community here that has become family. I have done volunteering in high school and college with organizations such as Habitat for Humanity, Toys for Tots, and donating time to teaching softball to the disabled and for youth programs. I want to give back to Seward and do my part as a community member to serve and make this a better place to live.

TYC Kids Enjoying Lulu @ ASLC

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to email me at: julianak@alaskasealife.org

Stay tuned for the next blog entry: "The Day in the Life of a Marine Mammal Trainer, AmeriCorps Style"