Fish for Alaska King Crab, climb to the top of Mt. McKinley, traverse a glacier, survive a winter Bering Sea storm - all of these are possibilities in the coming world of Virtual Alaska. To start, there is a recreation of Dutch Harbor. Here visitors can can learn more about this area of the world and the role the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or NOAA plays. In this immersive environment, avatars experience part of the ecosystem that drives the crab fishing industry.

The movie below is broken into two parts. First, it highlights the effects of climate change and the dangers of overfishing on this Alaskan industry. As visitors trawl for crab, their actions impact the local ecosystem. Fish too much and the crab’s predator levels decrease. To little, and the crab’s food sources begin to multiply. To better understand this, we join a virtual fishing expedition.

Second, another exciting aspect of Virtual Alaska is its community. For this project, NOAA partnered with a number of other schools and museums creating an environment where Alaskans can help recreate Alaska. In fact, now Virtual Alaska is not just in Second Life. SLED-AK is a web site where people interested in participating can join and learn from each others experiences. However, don’t take my word for it, lets hear from another group member Chip McMillian.

Please visit us in Second Life by following the SLURL located at http://www.scilands.org/alaska/