As part of the AK-PI CASC Collaboration, Pacific Islands CASC researchers spent three days in Juneau, Alaska to meet with fellow researchers, staff and graduate students to share and compare their work on Pacific Islands watersheds. Despite the distance between Southeast Alaska and the Pacific Islands, the two regions share surprising similarities between their watershed and coastal ecosystems, and have robust indigenous communities who depend on the resources these environments provide.  

For both regions, maintaining the health of their coastal watersheds is a priority under the effects of a changing climate. Through seven pilot projects created through the PI-AK Collaboration, the research group hope to expand the availability of detailed climate and environmental data these regions need and identify community-based solutions that inform natural resource management and climate adaptation in Alaska and Pacific Islands watersheds.