The Aleutian and Bering Sea Initiative, one of the three regional partnerships within the Northern Latitudes Partnerships, has been working on a tool to monitor Arctic vessel traffic by creating geofences. A recent article in Arctic Today features this technology and how it can fill knowledge gaps to protect sensitive regions across Alaska. Residents of Diomede established a geofence last summer, and have been surprised by the volume of traffic on both sides of island. Opik Ahkinga, environmental coordinator for the Native Village of Diomede, is quoted in the article saying “How is this disturbing the mammals that use our Bering Strait? Because we are a major highway for migration.” Communities and organizations have created geofencing projects from the Aleutian Islands to the Chukchi Sea, including key biological areas for marine life. Learn more about geofences in Alaska here.