Monitoring on the Wild Edge of a Continent

The Southwest Alaska Inventory & Monitoring Network consists of five parklands in Southwest Alaska: Alagnak National Wild River, Aniakchak National Monument and Preserve, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, and Lake Clark National Park and Preserve. In those parks, we collect information on plants, animals, water, and climate. Then we analyze the data and share the results.

Understanding the resources, their condition, and how they are changing, can help park managers to make sound decisions about the future. With our science, parks can develop a stronger basis for stewardship and management of their natural resources. In this way, we help to ensure that our national natural treasures are conserved for future generations.

Brown bears graze in the sedges.
Our Parks and Partners

Explore Southwest Alaska parks.

A researcher looks through a spotting scope.
Our Science

Monitoring in Southwest Alaska parks.

A researcher examines something small.
New Discoveries

Some new things we've found.

A rock cliff with seabirds nesting
How Marine Life Changed in the Heatwave

When a massive seabird die-off coincided with an extreme marine heatwave, we knew the ocean ecosystem had dramatically changed.

A cartoon of a ranger taking the pulse of the Earth.
Taking the Pulse of National Parks

How do we know if parks in Southwest Alaska are healthy? We check their vital signs! Read these science articles written for kids.

Last updated: April 1, 2023