Protecting the U.S. Arctic
The Arctic has always captured the public’s imagination. This vast region of extremes is shaped by only two seasons. Months of winter darkness with sub-zero temperatures give way to the midnight sun—a fleeting but luxuriant summer where abundant food supports flourishing populations of fish and wildlife.
Arctic waters sustain more than 150 species of fish, including ecologically important populations of Arctic cod, Pacific herring, Pacific sand lance, Arctic flounder, and several types of cisco and whitefish. These fish, along with crabs, mollusks and krill, provide the foundation of the Arctic marine food chain that supports extraordinarily wildlife populations of global significance including polar bears, walruses and ice seals, along with bowhead, beluga and gray whales.
Walrus in the Bering Sea
© B. Christman, NOAA
Arctic Fishery Management Plan: In August 2009, the Obama administration approved this plan closing nearly the entire U.S. Arctic Ocean to commercial fishing until scientific research demonstrates that such activities will not harm the fragile ecosystem or local communities. The Alaska fishing industry, community leaders and conservation groups support the moratorium. This approach can be a precedent for other development such as oil and gas drilling and shipping.
Protecting the U.S. Arctic
Oil Exploration in the U.S. Arctic
The BP "Deepwater Horizon" blowout has been leaking oil into the Gulf of Mexico since April 20th. Compare proposed spill response efforts in the U.S. Arctic Ocean. More >

