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Other Programs

NOAA Loss of Sea Ice (LOSI) Program

Marine ecosystems adapted to cold temperatures and seasonal sea ice presumably will shift northward as ocean temperatures warm and sea ice retreats poleward. Addressing these shifts is critical for fisheries management, because the nationally important Bering Sea commercial fisheries (>40% US catch) are located primarily within the southern Bering Sea, and for successful co-management of marine mammals, upon which at least thirty Alaska Native communities depend.

Learn more about what NOAA is doing to study sea ice

Alaska-Yukon-Kuskokwim Sustainable Salmon Initiative

This group is assembling existing information, gaining new information and improving techniques for understanding the trends and causes of variation in salmon abundance and human use of salmon that support sustainable use and restoration.

See how AYK-SSI is reaching their goals

Russian-American Long-term Census of the Arctic

A joint research program launched in 2004 between NOAA and the Russian Academy of Sciences involving ceanographic expeditions to the the Bering and Chukchi Seas. As the only Pacific gateway to the Arctic Ocean, the Bering Strait is a critical point of heat exchange between the Arctic and the rest of the world.

See projects, cruise photos and expedition reports

NOAA Fisheries-Oceanography Coordinated Investigations

This program was established in 1984 to study relationships between the marine environment and the survival of commercially valuable fish in the western Gulf of Alaska.

See the final report

Bering Sea Local and Traditional Knowledge research priorities

This summary of examples of community research interests expressed in various places in recent years demonstrates the strong interest of many communities and organizations, the sophistication of the questions they ask, and the opportunity for productive partnerships in research activities.

Related Bering Sea Cruises

EcoFOCI Bering Sea Expedition

In spring 2006 two ships, the NOAA ship Miller Freeman and the R/V Thomas G. Thompson, participated in an expedition to the Bering Sea ice edge. Their goal was to examine the ice and water of the area, as well as the plankton, birds and mammals that make their living from the sea ice.

During the expedition, the internet allowed people to follow along from the comfort of home. The expedition website includes a daily log of research activities; pictures and video showing work and play aboard ship; maps and data that were made and collected; and articles about the expedition and research

Oshoro Maru surveys

Japanese researchers conduct annual surveys of the eastern Bering Sea shelf. These surveys, which comprise the longest time series of shelf water properties and plankton, are invaluable for examining low frequency variability related to climate since the mid 1950s. See vessel data and contact information for the T/S Oshoro Maru