Oralee Nudson
• paper, bookboard, waxed linen, magnets, LED lights, and Pochoir stenciling technique •
Like rings of a tree, salmon scales grow in a circular pattern (circuli) during their freshwater and marine stages of life. Summer season growth results in wider spacing of circuli, with winter growth revealing more narrow spacing. One year of growth is represented by wide summer circuli followed by narrow winter circuli.
Fisheries biologists gather and analyze scale samples to determine a salmon’s age based on the spacing of circuli. Knowing the age of salmon assists with species population management, including setting annual escapement goals and commercial and sport-fish harvest limits as Alaskan Chinook salmon populations decline amid warming ocean conditions.
Read the Alaska Department of Fish & Game Salmon Scale Wiki for more information regarding salmon scale circuli analysis (www.adfg.alaska.gov).
ORALEE NUDSON
Oralee enjoys living and creating art in the Alaskan Interior Boreal Forest. Using the artist book as a medium, she incorporates found and crafted objects into interactive pieces communicating her experiences, perspective, and interpretation of life in the Boreal Forest.
