Planning Activities for Bering Ecosystem Studies (BEST)

资金用于促进白令生态系统研究(BEST)计划的规划和实施。BEST的动机是认识到，白令海正处于重大的、相互关联的物理和生物变化之中，这些变化可能会影响该区域的承载能力和生产力、对国家具有重大经济价值的鱼类和贝类种群的可持续性以及土著社区和渔民的生计。这些变化涉及气候强迫、海洋的物理特性和过程，以及从单个生物体的生理水平到整个生态系统的结构和功能的生物学反应。为了应对这些预期的变化，最佳方案将在白令海开展实地研究，以评估气候变化将如何影响白令海的生态系统及其支持可持续渔业的能力。对这一进程至关重要的是为整个项目及其组成部分制定执行计划。拟议的规划活动是这一进程的下一步，包括作为最佳的协同规划、协调和行政支持中心的服务，以及向科学界和广大公众宣传项目的活动。由于利益相关者范围广泛，外联活动将依赖于许多适合接触科学界和不同公众群体的场所，包括白令海土著社区、商业渔民、从幼儿园到大学的各级教育工作者，以及不仅在阿拉斯加，而且在整个美国的资源管理人员。

Funds are provided to facilitate the planning and implementation of the Bering Ecosystem Study (BEST) Program. BEST is motivated by the realization that the Bering Sea is in the midst of significant, interrelated physical and biological change that may impact the region's carrying capacity and productivity, the sustainability of fish and shellfish stocks of great economic value for the nation, and the livelihoods of Native communities and fishers. These changes involve climate forcing, physical properties and processes in the ocean, and biological responses from the level of the physiology of individual organisms to the structure and function of entire ecosystems. In response to these anticipated changes, the BEST Program will develop field research in the Bering Sea to assess how climate change will affect the ecosystems of the Bering Sea and their ability to support sustainable fisheries. Essential to this process is the development of implementation plans for the project as a whole, and for its components. The proposed planning activities are the next step in that process and include service as the synergistic planning, coordination, and administrative support center for BEST, as well as communication of the project's activities to the science community and the public at large. Due to the broad range of stake-holders, outreach will rely on many venues suited to reach the scientific community and different segments of the public, including Bering Sea Native communities, commercial fishers, educators at all levels from K through university, and resource managers not only in Alaska, but throughout the United States.