The Aleutian and Bering Sea Islands Landscape Conservation Cooperative (ABSI LCC) is a self-directed partnership whose mission is to promote coordination, dissemination, and development of applied science to inform conservation of natural and cultural resources in the face of climate change and other landscape scale stressors. The ABSI region is one of the most remote and inaccessible areas within the national LCC network. As a result, access is both limited and expensive. The use of “Platforms of Opportunity” is one collaborative approach that allows researchers to collect valuable data that otherwise would not be possible. Unfortunately, the is no single resource available that contains information about planned research cruises, including proposed cruise tracks, schedules, and vessel capabilities. Researchers and resource managers are in agreement that a data portal that presents this type of information in an interactive, map-based display, would help identify opportunities for greater collaboration. As many research vessels conduct activities in other parts of Alaska besides the ABSI region, the portal should be capable of serving that information as well.
