Resilience through partnership: where the needs of communities, resource managers, and industry meet. Our work is a collaboration of many partners including industry, federal and Tribal governments, and academia with the goal of developing the science and unique connections needed to take on the 21st century’s challenges and opportunities.
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Overview |
Mission, Goals, Scope, Governance |
The Aleutian and Bering Sea Islands region supports an extraordinarily productive marine ecosystem. Pollock, cod, flatfish, halibut, crab, and salmon are abundant, and these Alaskan fisheries provide more than half of the seafood consumed in the United States. In addition to the commercial fishing industry, the region supplies food for more than 30 Alaska Native communities through subsistence hunting and fishing.
Millions of seabirds from more than 30 different species breed and summer here. Nearly half of Alaska’s seabirds live in 10 colonies in the Bering Sea. Tens of thousands of marine mammals including Steller’s sea lions, sea otters, seals and whales depend on this important region for habitat. The islands of this vast region were mostly formed from volcanic activity that is still shaping the landscape today. There are 52 historically active volcanoes in the region and 14 have erupted since 1990. The Kasatochi eruption of 2008 completely buried the island in a new layer of ash that gives researchers an opportunity to understand the evolution of ecological systems on volcanic islands. Strong partnerships already exist to address many of the resource management concerns throughout the area. The Aleutian and Bering Sea Islands LCC will not duplicate or assume the authority of any of the existing partnerships rather it will seek to find efficiencies through collaboration and through the collection of additional science to address high priority resource management issues shared by the cooperative’s partners. Geography The ABSI includes the islands of the Aleutian archipelago, the Pribilof Islands of St. Paul and St. George, St. Matthew and Hall Islands, and St. Lawrence Island. Many of the natural resources within the region spend portions of their life cycles on land or in the surrounding marine waters. The activities of ABSI are not limited to the terrestrial environment - the marine extent of ABSI is determined by the applied science needs, up to the maximum extent of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (shaded in light blue, below). |
Mission Statement
We develop science, information, and partnerships to tackle unprecedented environmental change impacting the lives, lands and waters of the Aleutian Islands and Bering Sea region. Goals The process goals of the ABSI partnership (not in priority order) include:
Scope The geographic scope of ABSI includes the islands of the Aleutian archipelago, the associated eastern end of the Alaska Peninsula and the Bering Sea and surrounding marine waters. The science focus of the ABSI is the natural and cultural resources and their associated marine and terrestrial ecosystems important to ABSI partner organizations. The ABSI will strive to avoid duplication with other entities, and coordinate on issues of mutual interest. More on ABSI Governance here For more on ABSI Staff and Steering Committee members here |