Conservation

A multi-layered look at America's Arctic Ocean

The atlas provides a holistic look at the dynamic Arctic Ocean ecosystem. The project area includes the southern Beaufort, southern Chukchi, and northern Bering seas.

Place-based Summary of the Arctic Marine Synthesis

This companion publication summarizes the Arctic Marine Synthesis for specific places. Want to know how many seabirds nest on islands in the Bering Strait? Or what time of year do bowhead whales migrate through Hope Basin? Take a tour of the Place-based Summary of the Arctic Marine Synthesis!

Arctic Marine Synthesis

In early 2010, Audubon Alaska, in cooperation with Oceana, completed the Arctic Marine Synthesis: Atlas of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. The project area includes the southern Beaufort, southern Chukchi, and northern Bering seas. The atlas provides a holistic look at the dynamic Arctic Ocean ecosystem. This collection of information will be an important tool for scientists and policymakers in setting conservation priorities and designing balanced management plans in this sensitive Arctic region.

The collection of 44 maps contains information on the physical environment, such as sea ice dynamics, the distribution of ice-dependent species including polar bears, and energy development and protected areas.

The recommended citation is Smith, M.A. 2010. Arctic Marine Synthesis: Atlas of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Audubon Alaska and Oceana: Anchorage. Please contact Melanie Smith by phone (907-276-7034) or email with any questions or comments. This report is also available on CD and in a limited number of hard copies. Many thanks to the ESRI Conservation Program for their generous donation of ArcGIS software, which has been indispensable to Audubon Alaska’s conservation science program.

Below are links to the synthesis report and maps:

Click on the SECTION HEADINGS, in capital letters, to link to the written narrative.
The introduction describes the project’s purpose, our partnership with Oceana, the geospatial database, data quality, and knowledge gaps, and next steps.
Each map description includes information on data compilation and mapping methods, data quality, and a summary of key habitats.
The numbered entries link to individual maps.

Atlas Cover
Atlas Title Page

INTRODUCTION

PHYSICAL OCEANOGRAPHY
1. Project Area
2. Bathymetry
3. Ecoregions
4. Ocean Circulation
5. Sea Ice Dynamics
6. Sea Floor Substrate
7. Sea Surface Temperature
8. Observed Climate Change