He will be back next year. A Shifting Balance Alaska's remote Aleutian Islands have always been an oasis for marine life. But this subarctic ocean ecosystem has undergone a dramatic transformation in recent years. Waters that brimmed with marine mammals, crab, shrimp, forage fish and kelp are now dominated by urchins, sharks and groundfish like pollock that do not provide a high-calorie diet for marine animals and birds. Sea lions, seals, otters, shrimp and crab have almost disappeared, and some seabird populations are declining.
Scientists speculate that global warming is the culprit.
Gulf of Alaska temperatures have risen by 2 degrees Celsius in the past 20 years. Also, intensive commercial trawling is reducing fish populations.