Community Based Ecological Monitoring by Fishermen in King Cove, Alaska Aleutian Region: 2013-2015

• Main Authors: Walker, Dakota, Robson, Bruce, Insley, Stephen, Kuzakin, Etta
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: Axiom Data Science 2020
• Subjects: Bering Sea; King Cove; Aleutian Island; Alaska; Aleutian Islands
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.24431/rw1k43l; https://search.dataone.org/#view/10.24431/rw1k43l

BeringWatch is a tool for recording and communicating significant environmental and ecological events in order to empower remote Alaskan communities on ecological issues with local impact. BeringWatch includes an online database tool for non-scientists in remote locations to record and communicate environmental and ecological events. The focus of this project was to restart the program in Aleutian communities, while effectively cataloging at-sea observations by unpaid “Citizen Sentinels”, particularly local fishermen in the waters surrounding the Aleutian community of King Cove (Agdaagux Tribal Council). Specifically, this dataset includes observations of marine mammals and birds made by ‘Citizen Sentinels’ from fishing vessels near eastern Aleutian Islands communities during 2013-2015. The observations include records of the location, count, sex, age class, behavior, and record of photo documentation of species sighted by fishermen and community sentinels. The observations made in this dataset are also included in the overall BeringWatch database, which includes observations made in Bering Sea and Aleutian Island communities beginning in 2000.