Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, National Wildlife Refuge and Natural Landmark in Alaska, United States.
Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge encompasses thousands of islands, headlands, rocks, and reefs scattered across Alaska's coastal waters. This expansive network of land and sea creates a diverse habitat stretching from the far north to the southern Aleutian chain.
The refuge was established in 1980 to protect these valuable coastal areas. Military installations left behind during World War II remain visible in the landscape, particularly along the Aleutian Islands chain.
Eight Indigenous groups including the Unangax̂, Alutiiq, Yup'ik, and Iñupiat have deep roots here and continue hunting and fishing according to traditional practices passed down through generations. You can see evidence of this heritage in the small communities scattered throughout the refuge.
Visiting requires access by boat or aircraft since there are no road connections. The visitor center in Homer offers information and materials to help plan your exploration of the refuge.
About 75 percent of Alaska's native marine birds, 15 to 30 million individuals among 55 species, use the refuge, while an estimated 40 million seabirds nest here, representing 80 percent of all seabirds in North America. Each species occupies a specialised site: rock ledge, crevice, boulder rubble, pinnacle or burrow.
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