Description
Alaskans expect a great deal from their oceans and watersheds. Commercial fishing, sport fishing, subsistence hunting, recreation, offshore oil and gas development, transportation, and tourism are among the many ways the oceans, coast, watersheds, and their resources are used. These activities, however, can strain or break the capacity of the ecosystem to sustain them and they are not always compatible. Conflicts and controversies between different user groups are increasingly common. The role of societal forces in shaping the human-aquatic relationship is often under-appreciated, but can be critical. Protecting the health of Alaska’s oceans and watersheds requires managing the interactions between humans and those ecosystems, based on an understanding of the dynamics of both the natural and the social systems involved. This paper provides an introductory look at the relationship between humans and the oceans and watersheds of Alaska. We begin by characterizing various aspects of the human interaction with oceans, followed by a critical look at five “myths” concerning oceans and watersheds.
Publication Date
4-17-2002
Keywords
watersheds, human-aquatic relationship, myths, ecosystems, oceans, fishing, subsistence, hunting, offshore oil, transportation, tourism
Recommended Citation
Huntington, Henry and Colt, Steve, "Oceans, Watersheds and Humans: Facts, Myths and Realities" (2002). Reports. 250.
https://scholarworks.alaska.edu/uaa_iser_reports/250
Handle
http://hdl.handle.net/11122/12036