Promoting Resilience and Adaptation in Coastal Arctic Alaska

Led by the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association and the Western Alaska and Aleutian and Bering Sea Islands Landscape Conservation Cooperatives, Alaska Sea Grant, NOAA, and a host of other partners, this project included four workshops in Nome, Unalaska, King Salmon, and Kotzebue in 2016.

By fostering effective partnerships and communication, these workshops aimed to better equip resource managers and communities to respond to the challenges and opportunities of climate change, supporting healthy habitats and resilient communities. The workshops were intended to help participants better understand regional changes, challenges and adaptation strategies, and to foster collaboration among communities, agencies and other stakeholders in the region.

Almost 200 participants from 34 tribes, 14 state and federal agencies, and local communities, as well as several research institutions and non-governmental organizations shared their insights on the most urgent risks and vulnerabilities for coastal communities and resources. They also identified key opportunities for collaboration between communities and agencies.