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The Bering SeaThe Bering Sea is one of the most productive seas on earth. This semi-enclosed body of water is the northern-most part of the Pacific Ocean, bordered by Russia to the west and Alaska to the east. The sea is approximately 1.5 million square miles in area. Stormy and hazardous, the Bering Sea is infamous for snatching human
life in williwaws, shipwrecks and fishing disasters. Its shallow shelf
waters are a churning mix-master of nutrient-rich currents supporting
the migration of vast populations of marine species. The most resilient
of northern native cultures, the Aleut peoples, developed unique adaptations
to this sea. Today, America's richest, billion-dollar fishery is located
here, accounting for most of the world's supply of walleye pollock, crab
and halibut. Four decades of intensive fishing have left this sea showing
alarming signs of ecosystem collapse, with 18 species of birds, fish and
mammals in decline. The Steller sea lion, for example, is classified as
endangered in this sea, yet stable in the Pacific waters south of the
Alaska Panhandle. DocumentsRelevant documents not available on the Internet at this time. This will be part of the Archives project. Photo Galleries |