November 2022 | Prince William Sound Regional Citizens' Advisory Council

Plankton change with the seasons in Prince William Sound

August 17, 2023November 25, 2022 by Amanda Johnson

In this photo, a Council staff member holds a sample, which is green due to the tiny plants, or phytoplankton, in the sample. — Staff member Joe Lally holds a sample collected during the spring phytoplankton bloom.

A new Council study will help improve monitoring for invasive species, such as tunicates, that live on the sea floor or hard surfaces.

Researchers collected samples of zooplankton and used an identification technique called DNA metabarcoding. This technique allows researchers to identify multiple species from the same sample.

Cleaning up a big oil spill

August 17, 2023November 22, 2022 by Amanda Johnson

A large spill would require equipment brought in from other regions. The Council recently sponsored a study on the availability of equipment on short notice.

The oil industry in Prince William Sound has one of the best-equipped spill prevention and response systems in the world. However, if a big spill were to occur, more equipment would still be needed.

Year in Review: 2021-2022

December 1, 2023November 18, 2022 by Amanda Johnson

The Council’s latest annual report, Year in Review: 2021-2022, is now available!

The annual report covers the many programs and projects we’ve been working on over the past year, such as oil spill prevention and response, environmental monitoring, oil spill contingency plans, operations at the Valdez Marine Terminal, invasive species monitoring, our outreach efforts, and much more.

This report covers the Council’s activities from July 2021 to June 2022.

Download the report:

Year In Review 2021-2022