Indigenous Sentinels Network

The BeringWatch Indigenous Sentinel Network (ISN), an internet-based system that facilitates monitoring efforts in Alaska Native villages, was designed and refined over 16 years by Tribal employees, contractors, and local volunteers; this effort was principally led by the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island (ACSPI) Ecosystem Conservation Office (ECO). ISN is an online database tool for non-scientists in remote communities to record and communicate environmental and ecological information. ISN fills a distinct niche; the focus is on effective real-time ecological monitoring by community members with local and traditional knowledge (rather than retrospective interviews) and the program is taxonomically broad in scope. ISN has been increasingly recognized for its flexibility and adaptability and is currently expanding its geographical focus from the Bering Sea region to tribal communities in mainland Alaska, Canada, and beyond.