Chugach Regional Resources Commission, a nonprofit group partnered with other industry, education, tribal and other entities, submitted the proposal to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

While depressed stocks of Pribilof blue and red king crab and their habitat would be the primary beneficiaries of the project, hundreds of fish, invertebrates and seabirds, plus sea lions, fur seals, harbor seals and whales would benefit, according to the project proposal.

The Pribilof blue king crab stocks, once a multi-million dollar fishery, were declared overfished in September 2002 and recovery has been minimal, despite stock rebuilding measures, said Michelle Ridgway, of Juneau, a marine ecologist and project team leader.

Project goals include locating, recovering and, in many cases recycling, abandoned crab pots, longline gear and trawl netting scattered all over the juvenile blue and red king crab habitat in the Pribilof Islands. The effort would employ more than 123 crewmen, ship operators, scientists, construction crew, students, hydrographers, managers and community members, Ridgway said.

The effort would include developing fine-scale seafloor maps showing shellfish habitat, to prioritize debris removal efforts and advise future king crab management, plus infrastructure to support continued onshore and underwater abandoned gear research and cleanup operations.

Supporters and partners in the project include tribal governments of St. George and St. Paul islands, Oceanus Alaska, the Alaska Crewman's Association, the Alaska Crab Coalition, the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Central Bering Sea Fishermen's Association, among others.

Science and technical advisers include professors Gordon Kruse and Ginny Eckert the University of Alaska School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences in Juneau, Doug Pengilly and Skip Gish of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and NOAA's Robert Foy.

Ridgway said project task contracts, the timeline and detailed scopes of work have already been drafted and are ready for review, with the effort to begin in June, assuming funds are approved.