Bering Sea
Expanse
The
Bering Sea unit of the Alaska Maritime Refuge extends more than 600 miles from
islands and lands on Norton Sound along the Seward Peninsula . . .
. . .
to islands far into the Bering Sea -- the wilderness island of St. Matthew, the
most remote location in all of Alaska . . .
. . . and the Pribilof
Islands, the best place to watch marine birds
and mammals from land on the refuge.
Stormy Climate
Storms
churn across the Bering Sea - in winter born of arctic and continental air masses;
in summer a product of marine air masses.
Annual precipitation, including
snowfall, ranges from 10 to 17 inches in Norton Sound and 20 to 27 inches on the
Pribilof Islands. Wind speeds are usually high and fog can be present year-round
in this region. Temperatures in Norton Sound range from -1o to 23oF
in winter to 32o to 50oF in summer. The ice pack often extends
as far south as the Pribilof Islands by late winter.
On the Pribilof Islands
of St. George and St. Paul, temperatures range from 20o to 30oF
in winter and 33o to 51oF in summer. Day and night temperatures
seldom differ more than seven degrees. The surrounding ocean acts as a heat sink,
absorbing heat during the day and releasing it at night.
Wilderness Islands
Islands
established as the Bering Sea Refuge (1909) prior to incorporation into Alaska
Maritime Refuge are part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. They
include St. Matthew, Hall, and Pinnacle islands.
LINKS to learn more
Look
Closer ... St. George Island, Pribilofs (Bering Sea sets
a banquet table – seabirds and fur seals create "Galapagos of
the North")
