Two researchers from NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center found their careers and 15 new species (so far) in a rigorous brand of science called taxonomy. Jay Orr and Duane Stevenson, together with their collaborators, have added those new species to the list of Alaskan fishes known to western science.
From the North Pacific and Bering Sea, they have newly described a flatfish, a skate, two eelpouts, and several snailfishes in the last decade. They have also unraveled some of the complex nomenclature and taxonomy of common species of rockfishes.
“I’ve been interested in fishes for as long as I can remember,” said Stevenson. “As a kid, I spent a lot of time fishing the lakes and streams of Pennsylvania. I feel fortunate that I have been able to translate that interest into a career.”
“I knew in sixth grade that I wanted to be an ichthyologist,” said Orr. “I only dreamed that I would have a job like this that allowed me to see and study fishes.”
Orr and Stevenson have also helped describe the ranges of already-known fish. They have recognized and documented several species not previously reported from Alaskan waters, including rockfishes, deepwater skates, slickheads, cuskeels, and snailfishes.
“My job involves spending a lot of time at sea collecting and observing fishes. Back at the laboratory, I examine the specimens that we collect and compare them with other museum specimens, then I write about what I see. It’s a lot like putting together the pieces of a puzzle,” said Stevenson.
