Coastal Impressions: A Photographic Journey along Alaska's Gulf Coast (ShoreZone)

The images in this exhibit were selected from tens of thousands of digital photographs obtained during ShoreZone aerial surveys in the Gulf of Alaska. ShoreZone is a coastal classification and mapping system based on the collection and interpretation of aerial imagery of the coastal environment. The imagery is taken at 100-300 meter altitude at an oblique angle while flying just offshore and is geo-referenced to the helicopter track-line.

Alaska’s coasts are remote and logistically inaccessible to most residents and visitors, but are a national treasure in terms of the diverse natural history and spectacular scenery. The Alaska ShoreZone program is developing an inventory of biological and geological habitats of Alaska’s coast. In the process, the program has developed an archive of high resolution digital imagery. Coastal Impressions: A Photographic Journey along Alaska’s Gulf Coast is intended to share some of the collected imagery so that all can marvel and learn about the natural wonders in our stunningly beautiful coastal backyard. This selection of images represents a range of ecology, geology, geomorphology, and natural forces that create the mosaic of habitats along Alaska’s gulf coast. The images capture the shore during some of the lowest tides of the year, providing a visual portal to an assortment of intertidal and shallow subtidal biota.