· Deluge of Rain Forest Surprises
· Special Features
· Did You Know?
· Wild Side
· Cause for Concern
· Looking Ahead

Global 200 Snapshot

The Gulf of Alaska Rivers and Streams ecoregion is one of the most important areas of the world for migrating fish.  

Deluge of Rain Forest Surprises

Visit this ecoregion to encounter glaciers, tundra, mountains, rushing streams, and trees that were alive before Columbus was born. Several species of salmon migrate along the Gulf of Alaska Rivers, passing through lush temperate coastal rain forests on their way to freshwater spawning grounds. But if you make the trip, don’t forget your umbrella. This ecoregion receives more than 196 inches (500 cm) of rain each year.

Special Features

The Gulf of Alaska is in constant motion. Water circulates in and out of fjords and inlets. Glaciers cast off huge icebergs, which are carried out to sea by ocean currents. Inland from the Gulf, high mountains, including the Wrangel, Coastal, and Cascade ranges, are the source of powerful rivers such as the Copper, Fraser, and Skagit (respectively). Coastal areas within the ecoregion are unusually mild for a place so far north, largely because of a warm ocean current that flows up through the Gulf.

	Some things aren't always what they seem. Many of the islands in the Gulf of Alaska are actually the tops of mountains that were submerged when glaciers melted thousands of years ago. About 11,000 mountaintops make up the islands of the Alexander Archipelago. Vancouver Island still keeps much of its old identity; several peaks there are more than 6,800 feet (2,100 m) tall.

Wild Side

Fish from the "big five" species of salmon (king, coho, pink, sockeye, and chum) migrate up the rivers and streams of this ecoregion. These species provide a vital link between the ocean to the land: The fish migrate upstream, spawn, and then die -- and through the process of decay deliver nutrients that originate in the ocean to inland freshwater systems. These nutrients are also delivered to terrestrial systems when the fish are eaten by bears or other predators. Besides salmon, there are species of fish that are found nowhere else in the world, including the Olympic mudminnow, Nooksack dace, and Salish sucker. Others also swim in the cool, clear streams of the north, such as Dolly Varden, arctic grayling, green and white sturgeon, rainbow and cutthroat trout, and broad whitefish. The white sturgeon is the largest freshwater fish in North America, reaching lengths of up to 20 feet (6 m)!

Cause for Concern

Sedimentation from clear-cut logging, development near urban areas, and expanding agriculture pollutes some of the rivers and streams in this area, although large portions of the ecoregion are in areas with little disturbance. Oil spills, dams, and overfishing are other threats to the migrating fish and other species of this region. Destructive logging practices are the largest and most extensive threat.

Looking Ahead

Many conservation organizations are promoting sustainable forestry practices and encouraging the timber industry to leave a "buffer" of trees beside each river and stream to protect the aquatic systems. In one example, the Wilderness Society and the National Wildlife Federation are advocating alternatives to logging and associated road building in the Copper River Delta.