Atlas based on censuses conducted from ships and aircraft over waters of the Gulf of Alaska and eastern Bering Sea.

Regional, petroleum and shallow geology of the Gulf of Alaska geological province, including geohazards (earthquakes, vulcanism, extreme climatic factors) and environmental conditions. Includes historical data on hydrocarbon exploration and development.

"As directed by the Fishery Conservation and Management Act of 1976 (P.L. 95-265) the North Pacific Fishery Management Council is preparing fishery management plans for those fisheries within its area of jurisdiction. This document was the first of the plans to be completed by the Council since its formation in October, 1976. The Fishery Management Plan for the Gulf of Alaska Groundfish Fishery was developed by a multi-agency team composed of members from the National Marine Fisheries Service, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the International Pacific Halibut Commission and the University of Washington. It was approved by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council on September 24, 1977, for submission to the Secretary of Commerce. Regulations to implement this plan were published on the same date. It was approved by the Secretary of Commerce and published in the Federal Register on April 21, 1978. The Plan has been amended seven times, beginning December 1, 1978 (Amendment 1 implemented) and most recently, November 1, 1979 (Amendment 7 implemented). An explanation of these amendments is attached."-- from page 1.

This comprehensive text is a major synthesis on ecological change in the Gulf of Alaska. It encompasses the structural and annual changes, forces of change, long-ecological changes in the atmosphere and ocean, plankton, fish, birds and mammals, and the effects of the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill. With 5 major sections, Long-term Ecological Change in the Northern Gulf of Alaska first describes the physical features, the atmosphere and physical oceanography, the annual production cycle, the forage base for higher animals and trophic transfer, and the adaptations for survival in this changing environment for 9 portal species. Then, the major forces of change are introduced: climate, geophysics, fisheries and harvesting, species interactions, disease and contaminants. Next, the long-term records of change in physical factors and biological populations are presented, as well as the potential reasons for the biological changes. Following is the history of the Exxon Valdez oil spill and its long-term effects. And, finally, the emergent properties of the ecosystem are discussed and an attempt is made to weigh the importance of the major forcing factors in terms of their temporal and spatial scales of influence.* Examines important data on long-term change in the ecosystem and the forcing factors that are responsible for it * Provides an account of the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill with emphasis on the long-term effects * Describes the effects of climate change, geophysical change, species interactions, harvesting, disease, the 1989 oil spill, and marine contaminants on key populations of marine organisms