NMFS to hold beluga conference in Anchorage

ANCHORAGE, Alaska — The National Marine Fisheries Service will host a science conference about the Cook Inlet beluga whale in Anchorage. The conference is open to the public, and will be held Monday and Tuesday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. at the Marriott Hotel Downtown.

At the conference, the NMFS will present its research on the inlet’s beluga population to the public.

The whales were listed as an endangered species in 2008, and the federal government is considering designating parts of Cook Inlet as critical habitat for belugas.