The more than 7,000 islands of Washington, British Columbia and Alaska form a cohesive biogeographic unit with over 80 endemic vertebrates, 6 endemic plants, and an estimated 30 million breeding seabirds. This region comprises five of the world’s 867 Terrestrial Ecosystems, including one unique to Haida Gwaii and another to the Aleutian Islands. 

Invasive species are widespread as a result of over 350 years of exploration, shipwrecks, resource extraction, and attempts at settlements. Local seabirds are impacted by industrial fisheries and invasive species on their colonies. Invasive species such as rats, fox, raccoon, and mink have destroyed over 500 seabird colonies. Rats in particular threaten some of the world’s largest seabird colonies in the Aleutians. Invasive herbivores such as deer, reindeer, goats, sheep, cattle, squirrel, rabbits and muskrat have significantly altered island habitats throughout the region. 

See why Rat Island, AK got its name changed to Hawadax!

Read about photographer Andrew Wright's experience visiting our project to protect Ancient Murrelets in Haida Gwaii in his National Geographic article. Bonus feature: Amazing photographs by Mr. Wright of the archipelago and project in action accompany the article.