In coastal Alaska, changes in snow, ice, and extreme weather events threaten human communities, critical infrastructure, valuable natural resources, and hunting and fishing livelihoods. Identifying how changing climate conditions impact Alaska’s coastal ecosystems, and how these changes may be tied to the ability of coastal communities to adapt to changing conditions, has been identified as a priority question in the state.
In order to identify knowledge gaps and resource needs related to adaptation and resilience in coastal Alaska, the Alaska Climate Science Center partnered with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, and others in 2016 to hold a series of workshops in communities across coastal Alaska. These workshops brought together resource managers, tribal leaders, community planners, and scientists from tribes, state agencies, and federal agencies, with the goal of advancing coastal resilience and adaptation across the region.
Building on these workshops and previous coastal science studies, the focus is now on communicating key findings to coastal communities, and on developing actionable science strategies to address the identified needs of local communities. Researchers will also explore available tools that could support adaptation planning, such as tools for predicting coastal erosion, identifying storm surge impacts, and understanding wildlife response to a changing climate. Translating this technical information into public-friendly formats will ensure that the science on how coastal Alaska is changing can be easily used by local stakeholders to guide decision-making and adaptation planning efforts in coastal communities.
