The warm north-flowing Alaska Current moderates surface temperatures 

 and keeps the coast free of ice in the winter except in protected waters. 

 This counterclockwise current dominates circulation patterns in the Gulf. 



Nearshore areas are important spawning and feeding grounds for many 

 immature fishes and crustaceans. All five species of Pacific salmon are 

 harvested by U.S. fishermen in the Gulf of Alaska, along with Pacific 

 halibut, sablefish, and Pacific herring; king, tanner, and dungeness crabs; 

 and several species of shrimp. Foreign trawl fisheries are also active in 

 the region, primarily seeking Pacific ocean perch, sablefish, Pacific cod, 

 walleye pollock and several species of flatfish. 



The coastal zone is an important habitat for numerous birds and 

 marine mammals. More than 100 nesting colonies of alcids, kittiwakes 

 and other gulls, several numbering in the hundreds of thousands, occur 

 on the rocky cliffs along the Gulf. Intertidal mud flats are stopover 

 points for migrant shorebirds that number in the millions. Similarly, 

 numerous marine mammals live in the region, including harbor seals, sea 

 lions, several species of baleen and toothed whales and several porpoise 

 species, all of which congregate in the nearshore waters along the rocky 

 coasts. 



Most of the human population is located in the predominantly non- 

 native coastal communities of Cordova, Seward, Whittier and Valdez 

 (Fig. 2). These communities depend on marine and air transportation. 

 Only Valdez and Seward are directly linked to the state's highway system, 

 although whittier is connected by rail. Commercial fishing and government 

 employment are the main sources of income. A number of smaller communities 



11 



