Commander Islands Biosphere Reserve

UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, inscribed 2002, in Russian Federation. The Commander Islands Nature and Biosphere Reserve is situated on the boundary between the north-western Pacific Ocean and the Bering Sea, to the east of the Kamchatka Peninsula on the Commander Islands. The islands are covered by mountain tundra and motley-grass meadows, with extensive wetlands, a long coastline and Russia’s largest protected marine zone. The flora and fauna of the Commander Islands, the westernmost point of the Commander–Aleutian island arc that stretches for more than 2,000 km, are notable for an unusual combination of species of Asian and American origin. The coastal ecosystems are unique for their diversity of marine mammals and birds.