Earlier this year, when President Barack Obama said a 1.3 million-acre marine area in Alaska would be off limits for future oil and gas drilling, it sparked the interest of a researcher who has worked in that region for nearly four decades.
Ken Dunton, a professor at The University of Texas at Austin Marine Science Institute (UTMSI) and the Lead Scientist of the Hanna Shoal Ecosystem Team, has now published an article on what's unique about the newly preserved area. "Hanna Shoal: An Integrative Study of a High Arctic Marine Ecosystem" appears in this month's edition of ECO magazine.
Dunton and his research team have recorded a vibrant community of wildlife around Hanna Shoal that supports a diverse number of animals including walruses and whales. The magazine article provides background information on the scientist's research and explains why this particular area has so much life thriving on the seabed and in the water column beneath melting ice.
"For decades, arctic oceanographers have been aware of the Hanna Shoal's unique biological significance, and its importance as a feeding ground for marine mammals," Dunton stated.
To see more of Dunton's photos from the Hanna Shoal, check out the album from the University of Texas Marine Science Institute.
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