Alaska

The Pribilof Islands are among the most unique and important places in the world. Three of the five islands making up the Pribilof Islands are uninhabited, but two of the largest islands, St. George and St. Paul Islands, host vibrant communities that are predominantly Unangax̂/Unangan. However, these communities have long shouldered the burdensome and overwhelming responsibility of removing tens of thousands of tons of debris, much of which originates far from the communities themselves. Because of the multitude of threats resulting from marine debris pollution that constantly accumulates on the coastlines of St. George and St. Paul, these communities have developed and expanded locally-driven marine debris prevention and removal efforts.

Indigenous communities have a deep understanding of and relationship with the natural environment, which has fostered expert and nuanced traditional ecological knowledge, and shaped cultural practices and identity. NOAA recognizes the importance of indigenous peoples' traditional knowledge for understanding the environment, adapting to environmental change, and improving the health of environments that we all depend on. The Marine Debris Program (MDP) is proud to work with indigenous communities in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest to understand and reduce the impacts of marine debris through projects that prevent and remove marine debris. 

Wild salmon still thrive in Southeast Alaska. Every year, they return to clean free flowing rivers to spawn, and in doing so, they support the bears, eagles, and the commercial and subsistence fishers of the region. As they grow into juveniles these baby salmon fry drop from their natal streams into brackish estuaries that act as nurseries for them to grow in. But what’s a salmon to do if their estuary is clogged with abandoned trucks, sinking boats, and logging refuse? 

As students and teachers prepare for a new year of learning, we are sharing educational marine debris resources that highlight the problem in different locations and different languages. Marine debris is a constant and challenging threat to communities all over the world. It can travel on currents across the ocean, reach remote shorelines where very few people live, and cause major problems for both people and wildlife. No matter where you live, it's important for us all to understand the problem.

Marine debris can be dangerous for wildlife, damage sensitive habitats, and create safety and navigation hazards. But did you know that marine debris can also hurt the economies of coastal communities and decrease commercial fishing revenue? Marine debris can keep tourists away from beaches, compete with active fishing gear and reduce commercial catches, and cost small businesses money.

Historically, the tribal community of St. Paul Island, Alaska, would walk the shorelines of our island to remove debris, such as driftwood and animal bones from the beaches, ensuring that the summer homes of laaqudan, or Northern Fur Seals, were clean and accessible.

Alaska is often thought of as the “last frontier.” For verification, one needs only look as far as the license plate.

Bottles, bags, plastic foam trays: single-use plastic has become an everyday part of peoples’ lives, and a common sight on beaches around Alaska. Cleaning debris off of beaches can only get to part of the mess, and only serve as part of the solution, especially in Alaska, where there are over 44,000 miles of often dangerous and difficult to access coastline. To address the issue further we have to slow the stream of plastic into a state where plastic is easy to come by, but difficult to deal with.

The word “Alaska” may bring to mind images of snowy mountains, icy glaciers, dogsleds, snow-machines, isolated cabins, fishing boats, and amazing wildlife. While those are all things you can find in “The Great Land,” Alaska is also a place where marine debris is an especially impactful and challenging problem.

Today is the shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere. For Unalakleet, on Alaska’s Bering Sea coast, this means barely more than four hours of sunlight. The small, remote communities that dot Alaska’s coastline and Bering Sea islands can be as harsh as they are beautiful. The Marine Debris Program has partners in these regions that are hardy and hard-working, but marine debris can still be a huge challenge. The remoteness of these places and the severe weather means that disposing of the debris is one of the biggest issues. We talked to partners in three Bering Sea communities about what happens to the debris once it’s removed from the ocean and shoreline.