Browse research projects
funded by NPRB since 2002. See descriptions of data collected
under NPRB-funded projects. Browse scientific papers
published as a result of NPRB funding. Learn about integrated ecosystem
research in the Bering Sea. Learn about integrated ecosystem
research in the Gulf of Alaska. Learn about integrated ecosystem
research in the Arctic.

Integrated Ecosystem
Research Programs

guidance from the national research council

In providing guidance for development of the 2005 Science Plan, the National Research Council (NRC) stated:

Without an IERP concept, “… NPRB will at best be a collection of loosely related projects, not a well-integrated program.”

In developing an IERP, the NRC urged the Board to:

identify the most pressing management needs and questions
select a priority for a focused IERP
organize a workshop specific to that question

Focus on modeling

The NRC noted that with its limited resources, the Board should support development and use of complex biophysical/ecosystem models to focus research efforts and synthesize observations from long term monitoring projects and other historical data as available.

With its stable, long-term funding, the Board’s most enduring legacy may be its steady encouragement of multidisciplinary, ecosystem-wide research.

Major Programs

Bering Sea IERP

NPRB and the National Science Foundation launched a joint five-year (2007-2012), $50 million project to further develop this understanding in the Bering Sea.

Gulf of Alaska IERP

A second ecosystem-research program focusing on the Gulf of Alaska was launched in spring 2009.

What’s “Integrated” about this work?

Scientists join forces in a coordinated approach to understanding how a marine ecosystem works — from the benthos to the atmosphere, and everything in between. They also study the socio-economic impacts of a changing marine ecosystem on humans and communities.

The goal of an IERP is to gain understanding of an integrated ecosystem so that fisheries managers can better forecast and respond to changing environmental conditions. Accurate ecological forecasts will help support critical decisions and planning for the management of coastal and ocean ecosystems and fish and wildlife populations.