RESTORING ALASKA

This one-hour PBS television Special informs viewers about the ten-year restoration process and investigates the current status of several injured natural resources. It explores the legacy of this tragedy and its lingering effects on wildlife and people in the region, as well as efforts to see that it never happens again. Restoring Alaska is Alaska’s story of recovery from the worst oil spill in U.S. history. It is a story of heartbreak and hope told by the Native villagers, commercial fishermen and others, many of whom are still being affected by the 11 million gallons of North Slope crude oil that washed up on over 1,000 miles of pristine Alaska shoreline. Join wildlife researchers who seek to learn why many injured species are still in decline while others are on the road to recovery. Travel to the remote Barren Islands seabird rookeries, then join biologists as they perform routine “check-ups” on harbor seals and sea otters in the wild. Discover what is happening to one special pod of killer whales whose social structure has dramatically changed since the oil spill. Learn how this huge environmental disaster launched the most extensive ecosystem study in U.S. history to document changes in the entire food web, and about the difficulties scientists face determining which changes are spill-related, and which are caused by other factors like warming ocean temperatures. 1 Disc. Length 56 Minutes.