Caught in the Act!

When photographer Corey Arnold took pictures of the fishing industry in Alaska’s Aleutian Islands, he saw bald eagles—a bunch of them. The state has always had lots of baldies even when their population was plummeting in the lower 48 after World War II, thanks largely to DDT. (Once the government banned the pesticide, the raptor made an amazing comeback.) But In the Aleutians, where scraps from the fishing industry abound, the birds have always thrived.

When Arnold saw this 2.5-foot bird on the cleat, he flopped onto his stomach and shimmied along the icy dock. “Her dirty face tears viciously at a pollock carcass no doubt stolen from a nearby trawl," he describes. "Suddenly, an epic screech-roar followed by an evil stare-down remind me of my vulnerability in this position.”

Arnold wasn't the only vulnerable one. The fishing industry in the Aleutians is, too, as it faces the warming and acidifying waters of climate change. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council developed a plan to assess climate risks and figure out what it needs to study, but the ecosystem here is complex and unpredictable, supporting mammals (including humans), fish, and birds. You can see other photographs from Arnold’s show at Portland’s Charles A. Hartman Fine Art gallery. Go ahead and take a look, nothing will screech-roar at you...we promise. 

onEarth provides reporting and analysis about environmental science, policy, and culture. All opinions expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the policies or positions of NRDC. Learn more or follow us on Facebook and Twitter.