The Exxon Valdez Oil Spill released 11 million gallons of crude oil into Prince William Sound, contaminating about 1,300 miles of coastline and exposing major gaps in ecosystem data. In response, long-term monitoring programs like Gulf Watch Alaska and the Southwest Alaska Inventory & Monitoring Network were established to track marine ecosystem health, species recovery, and environmental change. These efforts provide critical baseline data and document how wildlife populations shift over time in response to changing ocean and coastal conditions. Seasonal surveys in Kenai Fjords National Park reveal patterns in species distribution, from winter concentrations of sea ducks to notable observations like large harbor seal haul-outs and rare wildlife sightings. Together, this long-term monitoring has proven essential for understanding events like the Pacific marine heatwave and continues to inform resource management, conservation, and future planning in the Gulf of Alaska.

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