An aerial view of some of the smaller lakes in Bering Land Bridge National Preserve, nestled in the tundra that is in full fall color. Bering Land Bridge National Preserve covers 2.8 million acres of tundra on the Seward Peninsula of northwestern Alaska and lies at the convergence of three major migratory bird flyways. It is an important place for nesting Yellow-billed Loons.The preserve has diverse landforms produced by volcanic eruptions, freezing and thawing of permafrost, and ocean wave action. The coastline within the preserve is characterized by a series of interconnected barrier island-lagoon complexes dominated by low saltmarsh habitat. The lagoons function as a nursery for many animals and they protect inner shores from harsh ocean waves and storm surges. Such areas provide critical habitat for unique plant communities, nesting birds, seal haul-outs, denning sites, freshwater and anadromous fish, and migratory stopover sites for marine mammals and birds. Inland, the preserve also has many small, shallow lakes shaped by local permafrost thaw or by erosion. Larger lakes—White Fish, Devil Mountain, and Killeak Lakes—are all maar lakes, the largest in the world.
