Why is bering strait important

A dramatic change in the modern era was the abrupt decline of the king crab population , and the rise of the pollock fishery. The decline may have been due to over-fishing in part, or perhaps to climatic and environmental change.

Since that time, we have been faced with declines of some species of mammalsfur seals, Steller sea lions and, recently sea otters. We have learned that there are dramatic changes in physical conditions, driven by atmospheric processes, which result in major biological changes. A clear example was a "regime shift" in This shift resulted in a major decrease in the annual extent of sea ice, a significant warming of the Bering Sea, highly variable conditions in spring and variability in the spring phytoplankton bloom.

A strong El Nino followed in the late s, with even more dramatic warming; there was a massive die-off of seabirds and the appearance of an exotic bloom of a Coccolithophorid phytoplankton species rarely found in the Bering Sea.

For an examination of some of the current thinking on these events, see Hunt and Stabeno We have to support long-term carefully designed research if we are to maintain the integrity of the Bering Sea while continuing to benefit from its harvests. Fortunately we have amassed a large amount of information through studies starting in the s and continuing today. Multiple agencies have supported this research, and scientists from academia and federal agencies, often working with international partners Japanese and Russian scientists have cooperated in many of the programs.

Nevertheless, a systematic well-planned suite of long term observations as a backdrop to focused ecological and oceanographic studies is needed. This will provide the knowledge needed to manage our activities taking the entire ecosystem into account.

Addressing the effects of man-induced of changes through harvesting and contamination against the background on natural cycles and interannual and long-term environmental change demands a sophisticated understanding. Herein lies the "grand challenge" in our attempt to maintain the integrity of the Bering Sea ecosystem. Alexander, V. Oceanography at the eastern Bering Sea ice edge zone in spring. Limnology and Oceanography Hunt, G. Climate change and the control of energy flow in the southeastern Bering Sea.

His first trip to Alaska planted a seed of fascination for the wild and beautiful landscape of the area. During his lifetime, Hopkins spent many of his summers on the Seward Peninsula often researching geology in the area that later became the preserve. He made several key contributions to the study of Beringia ; he helped publish two books that contained papers written by researchers from a wide range of backgrounds and collaborated with many scientists and researchers to make groundbreaking discoveries about the Bering Land Bridge.

For years, scientists speculated about the different types of vegetation that might have been found on the land bridge. Some scientists believed the land bridge contained uniformed vegetation similar to the current arctic plain vegetation.

Hopkins and several other scientists were convinced the land bridge had supported a more diverse vegetation, with plants growing in response to elevation variations and the amount of surface water. Hopkins worked with Mary Edwards, Claudia Hofle, and Victoria Goetcheus Wolf, to confirm the age of plants frozen in a layer of ash from an eruption at Devil Mountain 18, years ago. The age of the plant matter found in the ash coincided with the last proposed opening of the land bridge.

The ash covered a wide area of what would have been the middle of the land bridge north to south 18, years ago. The findings from their collaboration helped to confirm that the type of vegetation on the land bridge had been more diverse than originally thought. Hopkins had a special ability to forge connections between scientists and researchers from many backgrounds.

He linked research conducted by people across many different disciplines to strengthen the concept of the Bering Land Bridge Theory. Hopkins reached out to scientists and researchers studying the Chukotka Peninsula and brought their work to the attention of researchers and scientists studying the Seward Peninsula.

He recognized the need for interdisciplinary study to understand the whole picture of Beringia. Box Nome , AK Explore This Park. Info Alerts Maps Calendar Reserve. Alerts In Effect Dismiss. Dismiss View all alerts. History of the Bering Land Bridge Theory. While these recent developments do not spell the end of Arctic oil and gas exploration and exploitation in the long term, in the near-term, market winds have stopped the Arctic hydrocarbon rush cold. Before the Bering Strait can serve as a vital maritime choke point, the United States and Russia need to develop port facilities for refueling, repairs, and emergency response.

Nome on the American side, home to 9, persons, is the largest populace in the strait. The US harbor at Port Clarence has a natural depth of meters, but with few people and even fewer services.

On the Russian side, Provideniya and Chukotsky have 4, and 5, inhabitants respectively. In order for the strait to attract more shipping commerce, a deep-draft Arctic port will need to exist. That day, however, might be several decades away. In the meantime, maritime safety remains the chief concern in the region — both environmental response and search-and-rescue SAR assets are few and very far in between. The USCG maintains the most robust capability in the region with their District 17 vessels, aircraft, and helicopters, yet the tyranny of distances and the generally poor operating conditions due to weather, affect their ability to respond to crises.

Maritime safety thus becomes a critical issue because of limited response capabilities; tracking vessels becomes more important in the area and this requires increased maritime domain awareness MDA in the region. Extensive use of Automated Identification System AIS is necessary for search-and-rescue missions, environmental concerns, tracking tourists, fishing fleets, and overall maritime traffic, especially in the tight confines of the Bering Strait.

These standards, while welcome, also might serve to discourage commercial shipping companies from using the Bering Strait and NSR due to the costs associated with meeting the MSC guidelines with their current fleet of vessels. Lack of icebreakers for the United States also hampers development.

The United States has only two operational icebreakers, one medium icebreaker and one heavy, with one other heavy icebreaker undergoing serious repairs.

Meanwhile, Russia boasts over 40 icebreakers, including nuclear-powered icebreakers, to assist with keeping the Northern Sea Route open for most of the year, and to shepherd Russian naval vessels from east to west and west to east.

From a military perspective, the Bering Strait and Bering Sea will likely be an area of contention. The strait remains a vulnerable choke point for the Russian Navy, especially if it is surging naval forces to the Pacific or from the Pacific to the Atlantic.

Additionally, other observer nations have expressed interest in operating in the region. The US military runs into authorities issues in and around the Bering Strait as it serves as an overlapping area of interest for three geographic combatant commands: Pacific Command, Northern Command, and European Command, and a functional Combatant Command: Strategic Command, which monitors for ballistic missiles entering US airspace over the Arctic.

While armed conflict in the Bering Strait is a very remote possibility, as militaries start to operate there more frequently and development, commerce, and resources are unlocked, the risk of miscalculation grows.

Development and establishment of the Bering Strait as a critical maritime choke point and sea line of communication will take decades, and the extreme challenges of operating in that Arctic environment for energy exploration, tourism, fishing, and commercial shipping will persist.

Yet, the strait has a long history of being a connector, connecting Asia to the Americas and connecting the Arctic Ocean to the vastness of the Pacific and Indian Oceans. As the world looks to a Pacific Ocean-oriented 21st century, the. This article is republished with permission of our partner Risk Intelligence. The latest issue of Strategic Insights No.

For some earlier pieces on the Arctic published on Second Line of Defense see the following:. Credit: U. Skip to content Newsletter Signup. Your Name. Bergeron In the coming decades, the Bering Strait will emerge as a key global maritime choke point due to its strategic location.

On the Margins During the 20th century, most Western students grew up looking at maps centered on the Atlantic Ocean and Europe. The Bering Strait has a long history of being a connector. A Chinese map regarding the Arctic. Management and Strategies Generally, since the end of the Cold War, the Arctic has been a region of mutual interest and co-operation.