CLEANING UP FROM WORLD WAR II

AN ENVIRONMENTAL MYSTERY ON ALASKA'S GREAT SITKIN ISLAND

- Lindsey Schneider

Lush grasses bend over cliffs, which windswept give way to the churning ocean. High above, a snow-capped volcano towers over it all. What is this place? It's Great Sitkin Island, in Alaska's Aleutian chain.

A string of rugged islands in Southwest Alaska, the Aleutian chain was formed by volcanoes in the Pacific Ring of Fire. The weather here can be ferocious. There are high winds, thick fog, and bitter cold-but also gorgeous sunny days. The islands and their waters comprise one of America's largest marine wildlife sanctuaries, the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge. More than 40 million seabirds nest here. Sea lions and fur seals gather in huge numbers, while sea otters and whales frolic in the swells.

WORLD WAR II BATTLEGROUND