This month's articles series will discuss.., Admiralty Island, Alaska.
Admiralty Island is an island in the Alexander Archipelago, in Southeast Alaska. The island is the 7th largest island in the United States, & the 132nd-largest island in the world. The nearest main city is Juneau, the state capital. The island itself is approximately 955,747 acres, & 90 miles long.
The island has extremely few people, with a population density of 0.39 per square mile. The total population is 650, which makes it so that the bears outnumber the humans 3:1.
The island is famous for its large population of brown bears, & its beautiful canoeing areas.
The island is approximately 2.59 nautical miles (2.980519 miles or 1.398488 kilometers) from mainland Alaska. Since the island's coast is so untouched by man, many marine animals migrate closeby to the island every year.
The majority of oceanic animals don’t live here year-round though, as they tend to migrate further south in the winter to survive. The oceanic resources have been used by the island's main population, The Tlingit Aboriginals, for a variety of reasons.
In this article, we will discuss the Salinity, Tides, Temperatures, & Marine Geography, of the island, the most prominent ecosystems of the island, The documented marine flora & Fauna, & Finally, & how ocean acidification has affected the island. With that being said, let us delve into the oceans surrounding the wondrous, Admiralty Island.
The Salinity, Tides, Temperatures, Marine Geography, & Basic Information Of The Oceans Surrounding Admiralty Island
Admiralty Island rests in the Northwestern Pacific Ocean. The salinity in Juneau is extremely low, due to freshwater glaciers melting & mixing freshwater into the sea. The Salinity in Juneau is approximately 15.2 parts per thousand, which is extremely low for the Pacific. Salinity is measured in 1,000-gram increments of water. For every 1000 grams of water, there will be a certain number of grams that are pure salt. This is the way that salinity is currently measured.
The Temperature charts of Admiralty Island can be found in a variety of places, such as but not limited to: https://www.watertemp.org, https://www.tide-forecast.com, & https://www.tideschart.com. The average yearly sea temperature for the Eliza Harbour area of Admiralty Island is approximately 45° Fahrenheit (7.22222° Celsius).
The tidal charts can be found on similar web pages, including https://www.tide-forecast.com, & https://tides4fishing.com/us/alaska. The tide usually doesn’t exceed 5.13 feet, & usually doesn’t go below -2 feet. The deepest oceanic point within 5 nautical miles (5.7539 miles, or 9.26 kilometers) of the island is approximately 1,259.8 feet (383.7432 meters) deep. The oceanic floor surrounding the island is primarily composed of Rock Sand, & Gravel.
The area is unpopulated, & largely untouched by man. The water is safe for swimming in, though the water is incredibly cold so precautions should be taken. The wetsuit thickness needed for the annual average temperature is 8 millimeters thick semi-dry suit or a drysuit. Unfortunately, we are unable to find information about the riptide, & currents of this island. You can go snorkeling or scuba diving around the island, but it is not recommended as there is very little interest, & it is extremely cold.
The Most Prominent Marine Ecosystems In The Oceans Surrounding Admiralty Island
Ecosystem Type No. 1: Open Ocean
The majority of the creatures that live around Admiralty iIslandlive in open oceanic areas. They usually are just there to hunt, & then migrate away. This ecosystem is the farthest from the coast, & the most biodiverse.
Ecosystem Type No. 2: Sandy / Rocky Flats
There are sand flats, but the only creatures really found in those areas are crustaceans. These areas are on the bottom of the oceanic floor, & are found everywhere. Occasionally, species of fish or crustaceans will build elaborate burrows below the sand, but those are the only real formations in the area.
The Documented Marine Flora Of Admiralty Island
Unfortunately, we are unable to confirm that any species of seagrass, or kelp, are found here at all.
The Documented Marine Fauna Of Admiralty Island
Admiralty Island is not very biodiverse marine-wise, largely due to how cold it is, & the fact that little to nothing grows here. The majority of animals found here are cetaceans or have a large amount of blubber to protect them. As of 2025, there are no accepted endemic marine species on Admiralty Island.
With that being said, the list of all the most prominent marine species currently found around Admiralty Island: Eumetopias Jubatus (Steller Sea Lion), Orcinus Orca (Killer Whale), Enhydra Lutris (Sea Otters), & Megaptera Novaeangliae (Humpback Whale).
Directories / Credits
Citation No. 1: “Alaskan Oceans: Temperature & Salinity” Written By Elizabeth Litwin, & Published in 2002. Published By PBS. Retrieval Date: September 29, 2023.
Citation No. 2: “Wetsuit thickness and temperature guide” Written By Mark Evans, & Published On April 24th, 2023, at 3:05 PM. Published By Scuba Divers Magazine. Retrieval Date: September 29th, 2023.
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