BSSN: The Bering Sea Sub Network
By Victoria Gofman
“Aleut International Association Newsletter, Volume 1, Issue 2, December 2006”

In 2005, the Aleut International Association began exploring the concept of a network of community-based monitoring within the Bering Sea region. An initial workshop was held in October 2005 to facilitate the exchange of information, establish a network for participating organizations to prepare for and learn about current and past community-based research projects and to scope out potential funding opportunities.

In 2006, the International Polar Year (IPY) Joint Committee endorsed AIA’s concept of the Bering Sea Sub Network. The cumulative result of these efforts was a proposal submitted to the National Science Foundation (NSF) under the title “Bering Sea Sub-Network, International Community-Based Observing Alliance for Arctic Observing Network (AON)” (BSSN) in May 2006. The proposal responded to the needs of AON, demonstrated an understanding of the issues in the context of both science and traditional knowledge and showed a grassroots support at the community and regional level. NSF, while not agreeing to fund a multi-year project as submitted, offered an approximate half-million dollars to fund a one-year pilot. During this one-year project, AIA feels strongly that if it can demonstrate success in organizing a Bering Sea network, the NSF (and other potential funding agencies) will likely continue to provide a level of support that will enable BSSN to not only continue its operation but also provide additional opportunities for funding and support for new and on-going local community-based programs.

A November 2006 workshop was organized to continue discussions with participating communities on the Bering Sea Sub Network, to obtain recommendations for a scaled-down project and develop an implementation plan. The BSSN workshop was one of several workshops held by the Environment Canada, US F&W and AIA to develop an implementation plan for Circumpolar Biodiversity Monitoring Program (CBMP), an initiative of the Conservation Flora and Fauna working group of the Arctic Council. During the workshop, Victoria Gofman, BSSN managing co-principle investigator, made a presentation on the history and main elements of the project; Dr. Lillian Alessa, BSSN co-principal investigator, informed about the BSSN science plan; and Mike Gill made an overview of the CBMP as a vehicle for circum-Arctic collaboration.

Workshop participants engaged in enthusiastic discussion to help shape the project. They made important decisions on a number of issues, such as the number of pilot villages and the criteria for their selection.

Next steps:
Inform the BSSN regions regarding the process of selection of pilot communities,
Form the steering committee and define its role 
Establish communication with regions and selected villages
Finalize grant negotiation with NSF