Alaska Martime National Wildlife Refuge

Great Sitkin volcano erupting 15,000 feet into the sky, May 2021. Great Sitkin is one of thousands of islands in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. Millions of seabirds flock to the refuge every summer to breed, and some species are dependent on volcanic eruptions to create the rubble piles where they nest. This photo was taken aboard the USFWS Research Vessel Tiglax, about a mile off shore of the island.