Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge

Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge protects about 4.9 million acres across roughly 2,400 islands, islets, reefs and headlands, from Cape Lisburne on the Chukchi Sea to the tip of the Aleutian Islands and east to Forrester Island in the southern Alaska Panhandle. Established in 1980, it provides nesting habitat for an estimated 40 million seabirds.[1]

Extent and landforms

The refuge runs from Cape Lisburne on the Chukchi Sea in the west to the tip of the Aleutians and east to Forrester Island, and includes tundra, rainforest, cliffs, volcanoes, beaches, lakes and streams. It is managed in five units: the Aleutian Islands, Alaska Peninsula, Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea and Gulf of Alaska units, with administrative headquarters and a visitor center in Homer.[1]

Seabirds

About 75 percent of Alaska’s native marine birds, 15 to 30 million birds of 55 species, use the refuge, and it holds nesting habitat for an estimated 40 million seabirds, about 80 percent of North America’s. Birds nest in colonies called bird cities, each species using a specific site such as rock ledges, crevices, boulder rubble, pinnacles or burrows. Gull Island in Kachemak Bay hosts an estimated 10,000 seabirds in summer, including thick-billed murres.[1]

Wildlife

Mammals include caribou, sea lions, bears, seals, foxes, wolves, moose, walrus, river otters, whales, Dall sheep and sea otters.[1]

Wilderness areas

The Aleutian Islands Wilderness covers 1,300,000 acres and was designated in 1980, the Bering Sea Wilderness 81,340 acres and the Bogoslof Wilderness 175 acres, both designated in 1970. Other wildernesses include Saint Lazaria, Hazy Islands, Forrester Island, Tuxedni, Semidi, Simeonof and Unimak.[1]

History

Simeonof National Wildlife Refuge, now part of the refuge, was designated a National Natural Landmark in 1968, before the 1980 establishment, and Saint Lazaria was formerly a refuge of its own.[1]

FAQs

How many islands are in the refuge? About 2,400.

How many seabirds nest there? An estimated 40 million.

Where is its headquarters? Homer, Alaska.

How many units does it have? Five.

Sources

1. Wikipedia: Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge

Editorially reviewed by Specialty Digest Editorial TeamLast reviewed November 12, 2026Researched and drafted with AI assistanceReport an issue