Extended Deadline! North Pacific Research Board Seeks Nominations for Advisory Panel Members
EXTENDED DEADLINE. THE NORTH PACIFIC RESEARCH BOARD (NPRB) is seeking nominations to fill three seats on its Advisory Panel. One designated seat will represent the Bering Sea/Aleutian Islands, and the other two designated seats will represent the Gulf of Alaska.
The deadline for receipt of nomination materials is Friday, August 14, 2026.
The mission of the North Pacific Research Board (NPRB) is to develop a comprehensive science program that will further our understanding of the North Pacific, Bering Sea, and Arctic Ocean ecosystems, inform effective management of fisheries, and help to sustain and enhance marine resources.
The NPRB Advisory Panel represents stakeholders, user groups, Alaska Native communities, and other interested groups and communities from the Pacific Arctic, Bering Sea-Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska. The NPRB Advisory Panel advises the Board in achieving its overall mission to improve understanding of Alaska marine ecosystems and to inform sustainable fisheries management. The NPRB Advisory Panel helps shape research and outreach programs, including identifying research priorities, informing program development, evaluating communications and outreach, and reviewing proposals.
The Board is committed to incorporating meaningful community involvement throughout its science program, from planning to oversight and review. The Advisory Panel has a significant advice-giving role, with active involvement in defining research questions and highlighting proposals with stakeholder relevance. To this end, nominations are sought from individuals with practical knowledge and experience specific to these two large marine ecosystems in Alaska.
For more information, please refer to https://nprb.org/nprb-leadership/.
Appointments are for three-year terms, with a maximum of two consecutive terms. The Advisory Panel meets twice each year for 2-3 days in Anchorage (April and September). While no pay is provided, the Board covers all expenses for travel, food, and lodging for non-federal panel members to attend panel meetings. NPRB also covers travel expenses for panel members to attend the Alaska Marine Science Symposium, held in January each year in Anchorage.
The Board will consider the following attributes when making appointments to the Advisory Panel:
- Candidates should be active, involved members of their community and/or industry to ensure the best and most relevant input is delivered to the Board;
- Candidates should have a demonstrated ability to be objective in considering research activities and science planning;
- Candidates should be committed to full and active participation for each meeting in their term;
- Candidates will be considered for their experience, rather than political clout or connection; and
- Candidates should be responsible and diligent in reporting on Board activities to their community, industry, or user group and facilitate engagement with relevant constituencies.
The deadline for receipt of nomination materials is Friday, August 14, 2026. Nominations and self-nominations may be submitted by email to Matthew.Baker@nprb.org.
Nominations/Self-nominations must include:
- A brief resume of not more than two pages;
- Full contact information including phone number and email address; and
- Up to three letters of reference.
Nominees will be considered and appointed by the Board at its September 2026 meeting.
The new Advisory Panel members will begin their three-year term in September 2026. The first Advisory Panel meeting for this position will be held on April 20-21, 2027, in Anchorage.
Please note:
In-person attendance and active participation at panel meetings are critical to NPRB’s success. Nominees and self‐nominees are asked to take a close look at their calendars to see if the typical Advisory Panel meeting schedule is compatible with theirs. The Advisory Panel typically meets the third week of April and the second or third week of September every year.
Conflict of Interest Policy. The Board and its panels follow conflict of interest procedures (available here) during the proposal selection process, requiring recusals and disclosures on individual proposals. Nominees and self‐nominees are strongly encouraged to review this policy.
For more information, contact NPRB Science Director, Matthew.Baker@nprb.org or NPRB Executive Director, Lynn.Palensky@nprb.org. Please also visit the website at www.nprb.org for more information about the Board and its activities.










With recent warming in the Bering and Chukchi Seas and reduction in the extent and duration of seasonal sea ice, this important ecosystem—which bridges the divide between the sub-Arctic and Arctic—is showing signs of profound transition. There is evidence of profound shifts in timing, interactions, and ecological processes. Distribution of important groundfish populations have shifted north and populations of Bering Sea snow and king crab and stocks have collapsed. And while Bristol Bay sockeye salmon have set run and harvest records, there are persistent concerns for Yukon and Kuskokwim River Chinook and chum salmon populations. More information is needed to better understand why these changes are occurring, how they will affect the ecosystem in the future, and the implications for subsistence and commercial activities in this region.