Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association

09/24/2026

We were so happy to have St. John's middle schoolers from Eagle River and their teachers participate in salmon dissections today! This was a hands-on activity, led by our Executive Director, Trent Dodson. Everyone had fun learning all about the external and internal organs of salmon.

Want to participate in salmon dissection virtually? Then head on over to: https://youtu.be/qPucEPdXGXA?si=XjydWx2qy4PAA6jG.

📸 Lisa Ka'aihue

09/22/2026

For the past year, Trail Lake Hatchery has managed an orange hawkweed infestation to protect salmon habitat.

For the past year, Trail Lake Hatchery has managed an orange hawkweed infestation to protect salmon habitat.

09/21/2026

We're hiring a seasonal Fisheries Technician I to help us through the winter and into next year at Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery! For more information and to apply visit: https://ciaanet.org/employment/openings/entry/13248/

Applications are due October 5, 2026.

09/16/2026

09/16/2026

Board meeting this Saturday, September 19, 2026. The agenda and Zoom information can be found here: https://ciaanet.org/event/ciaa-board-of-directors-meeting-32/

08/27/2026

Pink egg take is underway at Tutka Bay Lagoon Hatchery! 🐟

Things are a little different this year. To preserve the small amount of pink salmon broodstock that returned to Tutka Bay Lagoon, we opted to hold fish in net pens within the lagoon. Each day, we hand sort fish to check for ripeness, helping ensure the maximum number of fish are successfully spawned.

The biggest challenge with conducting egg takes from the net pens? Getting the eggs back to the hatchery!

Our crew, working around the the tides, carefully loads the eggs into coolers and tranports them back to the hatchery. Here's Fisheries Technician, Charlie Fischer, driving the boat back to the hatchery.

It takes a little extra work this year, but the goal remains the same: making the most of every fish that returns.



📷 Lauren Deal

08/26/2026

We asked fisheries technician Charlotte Bramich to tell us what she thinks of her summer job in Alaska.

We asked fisheries technician Charlotte Bramich to tell us what she thinks of her summer job in Alaska.

08/22/2026

Come visit us at Industry Appreciation Day! It's a great opportunity to meet our new Executive Director, Trenten Dodson, seen here with former Executive Director Gary Fandrei.

Happening now!

📷 Lisa Ka'aihue

08/17/2026

This great opportunity for a part-time position is still open! Get your appication in!

We're hiring! 📢

Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association is looking for a part-time Office Assistant to join our team!

If you're organized and detail-oriented we'd love to hear from you. This position is a great opportunity to be part of an organization dedicated to sustaining Alaska's salmon resources while working in a collaborative and welcoming environment.

📍 Location: Kenai, Alaska
🕒 Schedule: Part-Time-24 hours a week

To learn more about the position and apply, please visit:

Position closes August 19, 2026!

Please help us spread the word by sharing this post with your friends and network!

08/14/2026

Yesterday, we began the process of moving our Tutka Bay Lagoon sockeye broodstock into the freshwater lensing bag—a remarkable “freshwater lake” suspended within the saltwater of the lagoon. 🌊🐟

Sockeye need freshwater to mature, so at our net pen complex we create the conditions they need to complete this critical stage of their life cycle. The fish were sorted by s*x earlier this summer, and our staff are carefully double-checking the numbers of males and females as they move into the lens.

These broodstock will provide the eggs that help produce the next generation of sockeye for fisheries in Lower Cook Inlet. From this freshwater oasis in Tutka Bay, the cycle continues: broodstock become eggs, eggs become young salmon, and those fish eventually return to support our region’s fisheries and communities.

Want to see how a freshwater lake can exist in the middle of the ocean? Learn more about our lensing bag and the role it plays in sockeye production: https://ciaanet.org/lensing-bags-a-freshwater-oasis-in-the-sea-for-sockeye/

📹 Lauren Deal