Building Partnerships to Protect Arctic Marine Wildlife from an Oil Spill

The Arctic region as defined by the U.S. Arctic Research and Policy Act of 1984 includes the “Great Circle Route.” This route is transited by thousands of large ocean-going vessels annually along the Aleutian Archipelago and supports billions of dollars in essential trade and commerce to and from the United States. This region further includes the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, covering some 3.4 million acres, with a mission to conserve, protect and restore the diverse lands, waters, wildlife and cultural resources of the traditional homelands of Alaskans. Over the years, vessel traffic to the northern Arctic region has drastically increased as the ice recesses and shipping channels remain ice-free for longer periods throughout the year.

This increased vessel traffic creates an increased risk of spills. Alaska Chadux̂ Network (ACN) has continuously pioneered and refined solutions to reduce the risk of marine oil spills. Preventing oil spills before they happen is always the best approach. At the same time, we’re doing all we can to ensure we are prepared to respond effectively if there is a spill.

READ MORE at the Ocean Conservatory: Building Partnerships to Protect Arctic Marine WIldlife from an Oil Spill