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At least 289 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
USGS2017

Patterns of distribution, abundance, and change over time in a subarctic marine bird community

Over recent decades, marine ecosystems of Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska, have experienced concurrent effects of natural and anthropogenic perturbations, including variability in the climate system of the northeastern Pacific Ocean. We documented spatial and temporal patterns of variability in the summer marine bird community in relation to habitat and climate variability using boat-based surveys of marine birds conducted during the period 1989–2012. We hypothesized that a major factor structuring marine bird communities in PWS would be proximity to the shoreline, which is theorized to relate to aspects of food web structure. We also hypothesized that shifts in physical ecosystem drivers differentially affected nearshore-benthic and pelagic components of PWS food webs. We evaluated support for our hypotheses using an approach centered on community-level patterns of spatial and temporal variability. We found that an environmental gradient related to water depth and distance from shore was the dominant factor spatially structuring the marine bird community. Responses of marine birds to this onshore-offshore environmental gradient were related to dietary specialization, and separated marine bird taxa by prey type. The primary form of temporal variability over the study period was monotonic increases or decreases in abundance for 11 of 18 evaluated genera of marine birds; 8 genera had declined, whereas 3 had increased. The greatest declines occurred in genera associated with habitats that were deeper and farther from shore. Furthermore, most of the genera that declined primarily fed on pelagic prey resources, such as forage fish and mesozooplankton, and few were directly affected by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. Our observations of synchronous declines are indicative of a shift in pelagic components of PWS food webs. This pattern was correlated with climate variability at time-scales of several years to a decade.

Alaska↗
USGS2017

Gene transcription patterns in response to low level petroleum contaminants in Mytilus trossulus from field sites and harbors in southcentral Alaska

The 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill damaged a wide range of natural resources, including intertidal communities, and post-spill studies demonstrated acute and chronic exposure and injury to an array of species. Standard toxicological methods to evaluate petroleum contaminants have assessed tissue burdens, with fewer assays providing indicators of health or physiology, particularly when contaminant levels are low and chronic. Marine mussels are a ubiquitous and crucial component of the nearshore environment, and new genomic technologies exist to quantify molecular responses of individual mussels to stimuli, including exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). We used gene-based assays of exposure and physiological function to assess chronic oil contamination using the Pacific blue mussel, Mytilus trossulus . We developed a diagnostic gene transcription panel to investigate exposure to PAHs and other contaminants and its effects on mussel physiology and health. During 2012–2015, we analyzed mussels from five field sites in western Prince William Sound, Alaska, with varying oil histories from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, and from three boat harbors in the area. Gene transcription patterns of mussels from harbors were consistent with elevated exposure to PAHs or other contaminants, whereas transcription patterns of mussels sampled from shorelines in areas affected by the oil spill indicated no PAH exposure.

Alaska↗
USGS2018

Seafloor fluid seeps on Kimki Ridge, offshore southern California: Links to active strike-slip faulting

The Kimki Ridge fluid seeps are located in western Catalina Basin about 60 km southwest of the southern California mainland and at a water depth of approximately 1100 m. Multichannel seismic reflection profiles collected by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in 2014 show acoustic transparency within the Kimki Ridge, suggesting the possibility of fluid seeps and possible sub-seafloor fluid pathways. Subsequent multibeam bathymetric and backscatter intensity data collected during a cooperative University of Washington/USGS cruise in early 2016 show subtle seafloor buildups with high acoustic backscatter (reflectivity) in three places along Kimki Ridge, supporting the existence of fluid seepage. A Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) dive, conducted as part of the Nautilus Exploration Program, took place in August 2016 to confirm the presence of these previously unknown seeps and document their characteristics as well as those of any associated biological communities. Two of the three seeps were explored by ROV, and showed abundant evidence of fluid seepage, including characteristic algal mats, chemosynthetic clams, and authigenic carbonate formation. The seeps are comprised of carbonate buildups 1–3 m thick and 300–500 m across. Within these areas, we interpret broad crater-like depressions 30–50 m across and 1–2 m deep to be individual seep vents. The seep areas appear to be broad zones of diffuse seepage that support chemosynthetic biologic communities; however, active venting was not observed. Geochemical analyses of rock samples collected from the seeps indicate microbially driven anaerobic oxidation of methane at or near the sediment water interface. Seismic-reflection profiles show chimney-like fluid pathways along the limbs and in the axis of the fold forming Kimki Ridge, and evidence of methane in shallow sediments can be traced into the adjacent Catalina Basin. A system of closely spaced faults located at the axis of the Kimki Ridge anticline may serve as pathways to allow fluid flow to the seafloor. Our data are consistent with other studies that suggest that transpression is an important component in the formation and localization of fluid seeps in a strike-slip setting, implying that seep formation may be a common occurrence at fault stepovers or transpressional bends in strike-slip systems.

California↗
USGS2019

Seasonal distribution of Dall's porpoise in Prince William Sound, Alaska

Dall's porpoise, Phocoenoides dalli, are a conspicuous predator in the Prince William Sound ecosystem, yet there has been little effort directed towards monitoring this species since the 1980s, prior to the Exxon Valdez oil spill. We used vessel-based surveys to examine the seasonal distribution of Dall's porpoise in the waters of Prince William Sound during eight years from 2007 to 2015. Over the course of 168 days and 15,653. km of survey effort, 921 Dall's porpoise were encountered in 210 groups. We estimate an encounter rate of 0.061 porpoise/km traveled or 1 porpoise encountered for every 16.5. km traveled. Dall's porpoise were found throughout the year in Prince William Sound, and used a wide range of habitats, including those not considered typical of the species, such as bays, shallow water, and nearshore waters. Dall's porpoise seasonally shifted their center of distribution from the western passages in fall to the bays of the eastern Sound in winter and spring. Dall's porpoises were widely dispersed throughout the Sound in summer. We identified potential Dall's porpoise habitat (depth, slope, and distance from shore) within Prince William Sound using generalized additive models (GAM). Dall's porpoise were found in deeper water during summer and in shallowest water during spring. We propose that their use of novel habitats is a function of reduced predation risk associated with the decline of their main predator, killer whales (Orcinus orca), following the Exxon Valdez oil spill, and the presence of overwintering and spawning Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii). While the size of the Dall's porpoise population within Prince William Sound remains unknown, our encounter rates were lower than those reported in the 1970s. Their high metabolic rate and ubiquitous presence makes them one of the more important, yet understudied, forage fish predators in the region.

Alaska↗
USGS2017

Habitat suitability models for groundfish in the Gulf of Alaska

Identifying and quantifying the major ecosystem processes that regulate recruitment strength of commercially and ecologically important fish species is a central goal of fisheries management research. In the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) five groundfish species are of particular interest: sablefish ( Anoplopoma fimbria ), Pacific cod ( Gadus macrocephalus ), walleye pollock ( Gadus chalcogrammus ), arrowtooth flounder ( Atheresthes stomias ), and Pacific ocean perch ( Sebastes alutus ). Habitat suitability models (HSM) were developed for the demersal early juvenile stage to inform survival to recruitment for these species, using catch data and seafloor habitat metrics with presence-only models. Regional-scale maps were produced that predict the probability of suitable habitat available in the GOA from settlement through residency in nursery areas. For example, the HSM for sablefish (150–399 mm) described suitable habitat as bathymetrically low-lying areas with low rocky structure within 25–300 m depth. In contrast, the HSM for Pacific ocean perch (50–200 mm) described suitable habitat as bathymetry rises with rocky structure present on north-south facing slopes within 85–270 m depth. These habitat covariates are useful to refine population estimates for North Pacific groundfish species and to inform life stage-specific definitions of Essential Fish Habitat. This application of MaxEnt models should be applicable for species with low occurrence of spatial data in other marine ecosystems globally.

Alaska↗
USGS2018

Characterizing the sponge grounds of Grays Canyon, Washington, USA

Deep-sea sponge grounds are relatively understudied ecosystems that may provide key habitats for a large number of fish and invertebrates including commercial species. Glass sponge grounds have been discovered from the tropics to polar regions but there are only a few places with high densities of dictyonine sponges. Dictyonine glass sponges have a fused skeleton, which stays intact when they die and in some areas the accumulation of successive generations of sponges leads to the formation of reefs. In 2010 and 2016, we surveyed an area near Grays Canyon in Washington, USA, where dense aggregations of glass sponges and potential sponge reefs were discovered in 2007. Our primary aims were to make a preliminary assessment of whether the glass sponges form reefs at this location, characterize the sponge assemblage present at this site and examine associations between the sponges and commercially important species. Multibeam mapping and sub-bottom profiling indicate that the glass sponges at this site do not form reefs and are mostly attached to hard substrates. Analysis of photographs collected by an autonomous underwater vehicle and samples collected by a remotely operated vehicle guided by telepresence revealed the presence of two abundant dictyonine sponge species at this site, Heterochone calyx and Aphrocallistes vastus (mean densities = 1.43 ± 0.057 per 10 m2, max = 24 per 10 m2). We also observed a large number of non-reef-building glass sponges and various demosponges including a potentially new species in the genus Acarnus. A diverse fish assemblage was recorded at this site including eight species of rockfish. Rockfish abundance was positively related to sponge abundance. Spot prawns (Pandalus platyceros) were also abundant and were strongly associated with sponges. Despite not finding sponge reefs, this is an ecologically significant area. Further research is necessary to determine the environmental factors that give rise to the abundance of large dictyonine sponges at this location and also to determine if other similar sponge grounds exist along the west coast of the United States.

Washington↗
USGS2018

Faunal and stable isotopic analyses of benthic foraminifera from the Southeast Seep on Kimki Ridge offshore southern California, USA

We investigated the benthic foraminiferal faunal and stable carbon and oxygen isotopic composition of a 15-cm push core (NA075-092b) obtained on a Telepresence-Enabled cruise to the Southeast Seep on Kimki Ridge offshore southern California. The seep core was taken at a depth of 973 m in the vicinity of a Beggiatoa bacterial mat and vesicomyid clams (Calyptogena) and compared to previously published data of living assemblages from ~ 714 m, four reference cores obtained at ~ 1030 m, and another one at 739 m. All of the reference sites are also from the Inner Continental Borderland but with no evidence of methane seepage. No endemic species were found at the seep site and most of the taxa recovered there have been reported previously from other seep or low oxygen environments. Q- and R-mode cluster analyses clearly illustrated differences in the faunal assemblages o f the seep and non-seep sites. The living assemblage at Southeast Seep was characterized by abundant Takayanagia delicata, Cassidulina translucens, and Spiroplectammina biformis , whereas the non-seep San Pedro Basin reference assemblage was comprised primarily of Chilostomella oolina and Globobulimina pacifica . Density and species richness we re lower at the seep site compared to the non-seep site, reflecting the harsher living conditions there. The dead assemblage at the seep site was dominated by Gyroidina turgida compared to Cassidulina translucens at the ~ 1030 m non-seep site and Cassidulina translucens, Pseudoparrella pacifica, and Takayanagia delicata at the 739 m non-seep site. Density was three times lower at Southeast Seep than at the non-seep sites of comparable water depth but species richness was ~ 30% higher. Stable carbon isotopic values were considerably depleted in the seep samples compared to the non-seep samples, with a progression from lightest to heaviest average δ 13 C values evident at the seep site reflecting microhabitat preference and vital effect: the deep infaunal species of Globobulimina , the shallow infaunal species Uvigerina peregrina , the epifaunal species Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi , and the shallow infaunal but aragonite-shelled species Hoeglundina elegans . The δ 13 C values downcore among each benthic species indicates ongoing fluid seepage through at least the last 3800 cal yr B.P. at Southeast Seep. Besides the continual local seepage, evidence from δ 13 C values of planktic foraminifera in the seep core suggest two pulses of methane (at 3000 and 3700 cal yr B.P.) were released that were large enough to influence much of the water column. Paired benthic and planktic foraminiferal stable oxygen isotope records provide evidence that there were no paleoenvironmental changes such as increased bottom-water temperature or changes in oxygen isotopic composition of bottom and pore waters during this 3800-year record to induce the methane releases. Instead, Southeast Seep appears to be the result of local faulting providing pathways for fluid to flow to the seafloor at a fault stepover or transpressional bend in the regional strike-slip system.

California↗
USGS2018

A multi-species synthesis of satellite telemetry data in the Pacific Arctic (1987–2015): Overlap of marine mammal distributions and core use areas

We collated available satellite telemetry data for six species of ice-associated marine mammals in the Pacific Arctic: ringed seals ( Pusa hispida ; n = 118), bearded seals( Erignathus barbatus, n = 51), spotted seals ( Phoca largha , n = 72), Pacific walruses ( Odobenus rosmarus divergens, n = 389); bowhead whales ( Balaena mysticetus , n = 46), and five Arctic and sub-arctic stocks of beluga whales ( Delphinapterus leucas , n = 103). We also included one seasonal resident, eastern North Pacific gray whales ( Eschrichtius robustus , n = 12). This review summarized the distribution of daily locations from satellite-linked transmitters during two analysis periods, summer (May–November) and winter (December–April), and then examined the overlap among species. Six multi-species core use areas were identified during the summer period: 1) Chukotka/Bering Strait; 2) Norton Sound; 3) Kotzebue Sound; 4) the northeastern Chukchi Sea; 5) Mackenzie River Delta/Amundsen Gulf; and 6) Viscount Melville Sound. During the winter period, we identified four multi-species core use areas: 1) Anadyr Gulf/Strait; 2) central Bering Sea; 3) Nunivak Island; and 4) Bristol Bay. During the summer period, four of the six areas were centered on the greater Bering Strait region and the northwestern coast of Alaska and included most of the species we examined. The two remaining summer areas were in the western Canadian Arctic and were largely defined by the seasonal presence of Bering-Chukchi-Beaufort stock bowhead whales and Eastern Beaufort Sea stock beluga whales, whose distribution overlapped during both summer and winter periods. During the winter period, the main multi-species core use area was located near the Gulf of Anadyr and extended northwards through Anadyr and Bering Straits. This area is contained within the Bering Sea “green belt”, an area of enhanced primary and secondary productivity in the Bering Sea. We also described available telemetry data and where they can be found as of 2017. These data are important for understanding ice-associated marine mammal movements and habitat use in the Pacific Arctic and should be archived, with appropriate metadata, to ensure they are available for future retrospective analyses.

Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Ocea↗
USGS2020

Investigation of the 2018 thick-billed murre (Uria lomvia) die-off on St. Lawrence Island rules out food shortage as the cause

Die-offs of seabirds in Alaska have occurred with increased frequency since 2015. In 2018, on St. Lawrence Island, seabirds were reported washing up dead on beaches starting in late May, peaking in June, and continuing until early August. The cause of death was documented to be starvation, leading to the conclusion that a severe food shortage was to blame. We use physiology and colony-based observations to examine whether food shortage is a sufficient explanation for the die-off, or if evidence indicates an alternative cause of starvation such as disease. Specifically, we address what species were most affected, the timing of possible food shortages, and food shortage severity in a historical context. We found that thick-billed murres ( Uria lomvia ) were most affected by the die-off, making up 61% of all bird carcasses encountered during beach surveys. Thick-billed murre carcasses were proportionately more numerous (26:1) than would be expected based on ratios of thick-billed murres to co-occurring common murres ( U. aalge ) observed on breeding study plots (7:1). Concentrations of the stress hormone corticosterone, a reliable physiological indicator of nutritional stress, in thick-billed murre feathers grown in the fall indicate that foraging conditions in the northern Bering Sea were poor in the fall of 2017 and comparable in severity to those experienced by murres during the 1976–1977 Bering Sea regime shift. Concentrations of corticosterone in feathers grown during the pre-breeding molt indicate that foraging conditions in late winter 2018 were similar to previous years. The 2018 murre egg harvest in the village of Savoonga (on St. Lawrence Is.) was one-fifth the 1993–2012 average, and residents observed that fewer birds laid eggs in 2018. Exposure of thick-billed murres to nutritional stress in August, however, was no different in 2018 compared to 2016, 2017, and 2019, and was comparable to levels observed on St. George Island in 2003–2017. Prey abundance, measured by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in bottom-trawl surveys, was also similar in 2018 to 2017 and 2019, supporting the evidence that food was not scarce in the summer of 2018 in the vicinity of St. Lawrence Island. Of two moribund thick-billed murres collected at the end of the mortality event, one tested positive for a novel re-assortment H10 strain of avian influenza with Eurasian components, likely contracted during the non-breeding season. It is not currently known how widely spread infection of murres with the novel virus was, thus insufficient evidence exists to attribute the die-off to an outbreak of avian influenza. We conclude that food shortage alone is not an adequate explanation for the mortality of thick-billed murres in 2018, and highlight the importance of rapid response to mortality events in order to document alternative or confounding causes of mortality.

Alaska↗
USGS2022

Temperature variations in the northern Gulf of Alaska across synoptic to century-long time scales

Surface and subsurface moored buoy, ship-based, remotely sensed, and reanalysis datasets are used to investigate thermal variability of northern Gulf of Alaska (NGA) nearshore, coastal, and offshore waters over synoptic to century-long time scales. NGA sea surface temperature (SST) showed a larger positive trend of 0.22 ± 0.10 °C per decade over 1970–2021 compared to 0.10 ± 0.03 °C per decade over 1900–2021. Over synoptic time scales, SST covariance between two stations is small (<10%) when separation exceeds 100 km, while stations separated by 500 km retain 50% of their co-variability for seasonal and longer fluctuations. Relative to in situ sensor data, remotely sensed SST data has limited accuracy in some NGA settings, capturing 60–70% of the daily SST anomaly in coastal and offshore waters, but often <25% nearshore. North Pacific and NGA leading modes of SST variability leave 25–50% of monthly variance unresolved. Analysis of the 2014–2016 Pacific marine heatwave shows that NGA coastal surface temperatures warmed contemporaneously with offshore waters through 2013, but deep inner shelf waters (200–250 m) exhibited delayed warming. Offshore surface waters cooled from 2014 to 2016, while shelf waters continued to warm from the combined effects of local air-sea and advective heat fluxes. We find that annually averaged Sitka air temperature is a leading predictor (r 2 = 0.37, p < 0.05) for following-year NGA coastal water column temperature. Our results can inform future environmental monitoring designs, assist forward-looking projections of marine conditions, and show the importance of in situ measurements for nearshore studies that require knowledge of thermal conditions over time scales of days and weeks.

Alaska↗
USGS2025

A comparison of deep-sea coral and sponge species distribution models and the impact of ocean currents in the Southern California Bight

Deep-sea corals and sponges (DSCS) are signature taxa of deep-water habitats, but ecological mechanisms that drive their geographic distributions can be difficult to uncover due to the challenges of surveying deep-water ecosystems and limited oceanographic data. A comparison of species distribution models was made for three DSCS ( Antipathes dendochristos, Plumarella longispina, and an unidentified sponge morphotype known as Porifera #2), two of which are associated with young-of-the-year and adult rockfish taxa ( Sebastes spp.). Models were built using generalized additive models (GAMs) that accounted for spatial autocorrelation. These models were compared to Maxent models, a commonly used method. All models utilized bathymetrically derived variables (including depth, slope, and Bathymetric Position Index) and output from a coupled physical-biogeochemical ocean model (including current direction and magnitude, food abundance, and dissolved oxygen). Direction of benthic ocean currents played an important role in predictions, pointing to large-scale ecological processes that may determine presence of DSCS. GAMs outperformed Maxent models and predicted more ecologically interpretable patterns. Additionally we quantified the predicted amount of suitable habitat that is currently located within some protected areas of the Southern California Bight and show that many hot spots occur outside protected areas. Given the importance of DSCS for multiple demersal fish species of commercial or conservation concerns, this research provides valuable information that natural resource managers can use as a tool in the Southern California Bight.

California↗
USGS2025

Megafaunal community structure on ferromanganese and phosphorite hardgrounds in the Southern California Borderland

The Southern California Borderland (SCB) is a topographically complex region on the active continental margin that hosts varied hardground habitats, including ferromanganese (FeMn) crusts and phosphorites, marine minerals being considered for resource extraction. The SCB is influenced by seasonal upwelling and terrestrial inputs, and has a well-defined oxygen-minimum zone (OMZ). We analyzed megafaunal community composition, density, and diversity across 41 ROV video transects at 10 SCB hard substrate sites spanning depth (378–2765 m), temperature (1.79–7.96 °C), and oxygen (3.91–105.67 μM) gradients, with varying rock types (FeMn crusts, phosphorites, other rocks). We counted 32,426 individuals representing 146 unique taxa over a total area of 21,935 m 2 . Echinodermata contributed 48 % of the total abundance; Cnidaria 24 %; Porifera 13 %; Annelida 6 %; Arthropoda 6 %; Chordata 2 %; Mollusca, Foraminifera, and Hemichordata <1 %. Megafauna communities showed clear heterogeneity, with density, diversity, and community composition varying among transects within sites and across sites. Rock type recorded no influence on megafaunal density, but habitats that included FeMn crusts had higher diversity and distinct taxonomic composition. Location, depth, and oxygen were the most important variables explaining variance among megafaunal communities, with distinct communities formed at deeper depths and within the OMZ. This study provides baseline information about the megafauna inhabiting SCB hardgrounds, particularly those associated with minerals considered for their resource potential. It extends existing documentation of such communities to greater depths, reveals increased representation of sponges and corals below 1000 m, and highlights the variability within and among deep-sea megafaunal communities, offering context for informed policy decisions.

Southern California borderland↗
USGS2006

Sediment distribution and transport across the continental shelf and slope under idealized wind forcing

Resuspension, transport, and deposition of sediments over the continental shelf and slope are complex processes and there is still a need to understand the underlying spatial and temporal dynamical scales. As a step towards this goal, a two-dimensional slice model (zero gradients in the alongshore direction) based on the primitive flow equations and a range of sediment classes has been developed. The circulation is forced from rest by upwelling or downwelling winds, which are spatially uniform. Results are presented for a range of wind speeds and sediment settling speeds. Upwelling flows carry fine sediments (low settling speeds) far offshore within the surface Ekman layer, and significant deposition eventually occurs beyond the shelf break. However, coarser sediments quickly settle out of the deeper onshore component of the circulation, which can lead to accumulation of bottom sediments within the coastal zone. Downwelling flows are more effective at transporting coarse sediments off the shelf. However, strong vertical mixing at the shelf break ensures that some material is also carried into the surface Ekman layer and returned onshore. The concentrations and settling fluxes of coarse sediments decrease offshore and increase with depth under both upwelling and downwelling conditions, consistent with trends observed in sediment trap data. However, finer sediments decrease with depth (upwelling) or reach a maximum around the depth of the shelf break (downwelling). It is shown that under uniform wind conditions, suspended sediment concentrations and settling fluxes decay offshore over a length scale of order τ s /ρf|w s |, where τs is the wind stress, ρ the water density, f the Coriolis parameter, and ws is the sediment settling velocity. This scaling applies to both upwelling and downwelling conditions, provided offshore transport is dominated by wind-driven advection, rather than horizontal diffusion.

Progress in Oceanography↗
USGS2009

Environmental forcing on life history strategies: Evidence for multi-trophic level responses at ocean basin scales

Variation in life history traits of organisms is thought to reflect adaptations to environmental forcing occurring from bottom-up and top-down processes. Such variation occurs not only among, but also within species, indicating demographic plasticity in response to environmental conditions. From a broad literature review, we present evidence for ocean basin- and large marine ecosystem-scale variation in intra-specific life history traits, with similar responses occurring among trophic levels from relatively short-lived secondary producers to very long-lived apex predators. Between North Atlantic and North Pacific Ocean basins, for example, species in the Eastern Pacific exhibited either later maturation, lower fecundity, and/or greater annual survival than conspecifics in the Western Atlantic. Parallel variations in life histories among trophic levels also occur in adjacent seas and between eastern vs. western ocean boundaries. For example, zooplankton and seabird species in cooler Barents Sea waters exhibit lower fecundity or greater annual survival than conspecifics in the Northeast Atlantic. Sea turtles exhibit a larger size and a greater reproductive output in the Western Pacific vs. Eastern Pacific. These examples provide evidence for food-web-wide modifications in life history strategies in response to environmental forcing. We hypothesize that such dichotomies result from frequency and amplitude shifts in resource availability over varying temporal and spatial scales. We review data that supports three primary mechanisms by which environmental forcing affects life history strategies: (1) food-web structure; (2) climate variability affecting the quantity and seasonality of primary productivity; (3) bottom-up vs. top-down forcing. These proposed mechanisms provide a framework for comparisons of ecosystem function among oceanic regions (or regimes) and are essential in modeling ecosystem response to climate change, as well as for creating dynamic ecosystem-based marine conservation strategies.

Progress in Oceanography↗
USGS2014

Productivity and linkages of the food web of the southern region of the western Antarctic Peninsula continental shelf

The productivity and linkages in the food web of the southern region of the west Antarctic Peninsula continental shelf were investigated using a multi-trophic level mass balance model. Data collected during the Southern Ocean Global Ocean Ecosystem Dynamics field program were combined with data from the literature on the abundance and diet composition of zooplankton, fish, seabirds and marine mammals to calculate energy flows in the food web and to infer the overall food web structure at the annual level. Sensitivity analyses investigated the effects of variability in growth and biomass of Antarctic krill ( Euphausia superba ) and in the biomass of Antarctic krill predators on the structure and energy fluxes in the food web. Scenario simulations provided insights into the potential responses of the food web to a reduced contribution of large phytoplankton (diatom) production to total primary production, and to reduced consumption of primary production by Antarctic krill and mesozooplankton coincident with increased consumption by microzooplankton and salps. Model-derived estimates of primary production were 187–207 g C m −2 y −1 , which are consistent with observed values (47–351 g C m −2 y −1 ). Simulations showed that Antarctic krill provide the majority of energy needed to sustain seabird and marine mammal production, thereby exerting a bottom-up control on higher trophic level predators. Energy transfer to top predators via mesozooplanton was a less efficient pathway, and salps were a production loss pathway because little of the primary production they consumed was passed to higher trophic levels. Increased predominance of small phytoplankton (nanoflagellates and cryptophytes) reduced the production of Antarctic krill and of its predators, including seabirds and seals.

Progress in Oceanography↗
USGS2014

Holocene sea surface temperature and sea ice extent in the Okhotsk and Bering Seas

Accurate prediction of future climate requires an understanding of the mechanisms of the Holocene climate; however, the driving forces, mechanisms, and processes of climate change in the Holocene associated with different time scales remain unclear. We investigated the drivers of Holocene sea surface temperature (SST) and sea ice extent in the North Pacific Ocean, and the Okhotsk and Bering Seas, as inferred from sediment core records, by using the alkenone unsaturation index as a biomarker of SST and abundances of sea ice-related diatoms ( F. cylindrus and F. oceanica ) as an indicator of sea ice extent to explore controlling mechanisms in the high-latitude Pacific. Temporal changes in alkenone content suggest that alkenone production was relatively high during the middle Holocene in the Okhotsk Sea and the western North Pacific, but highest in the late Holocene in the eastern Bering Sea and the eastern North Pacific. The Holocene variations of alkenone-SSTs at sites near Kamchatka in the Northwest Pacific, as well as in the western and eastern regions of the Bering Sea, and in the eastern North Pacific track the changes of Holocene summer insolation at 50°N, but at other sites in the western North Pacific, in the southern Okhotsk Sea, and the eastern Bering Sea they do not. In addition to insolation, other atmosphere and ocean climate drivers, such as sea ice distribution and changes in the position and activity of the Aleutian Low, may have systematically influenced the timing and magnitude of warming and cooling during the Holocene within the subarctic North Pacific. Periods of high sea ice extent in both the Okhotsk and Bering Seas may correspond to some periods of frequent or strong winter–spring dust storms in the Mongolian Gobi Desert, particularly one centered at ∼4–3 thousand years before present (kyr BP). Variation in storm activity in the Mongolian Gobi Desert region may reflect changes in the strength and positions of the Aleutian Low and Siberian High. We suggest that periods of eastward displacement or increased intensity of the Aleutian Low correspond with times of increased extent of sea ice in the western Okhotsk Sea and eastern Bering Sea.

Progress in Oceanography↗
USGS2015

Limits to benthic feeding by eiders in a vital Arctic migration corridor due to localized prey and changing sea ice

Four species of threatened or declining eider ducks that nest in the Arctic migrate through the northeast Chukchi Sea, where anticipated industrial development may require prioritizing areas for conservation. In this nearshore corridor (10–40 m depth), the eiders’ access to benthic prey during the spring is restricted to variable areas of open water within sea ice. For the most abundant species, the king eider ( Somateria spectabilis ), stable isotopes in blood cells, muscle, and potential prey indicate that these eiders ate mainly bivalves when traversing this corridor. Bivalves there were much smaller than the same taxa in deeper areas of the northern Bering Sea, possibly due to higher mortality rates caused by ice scour in shallow water; future decrease in seasonal duration of fast ice may increase this effect. Computer simulations suggested that if these eiders forage for >15 h/day, they can feed profitably at bivalve densities >200 m −2 regardless of water depth or availability of ice for resting. Sampling in 2010–2012 showed that large areas of profitable prey densities occurred only in certain locations throughout the migration corridor. Satellite data in April–May over 13 years (2001–2013) indicated that access to major feeding areas through sea ice in different segments of the corridor can vary from 0% to 100% between months and years. In a warming and increasingly variable climate, unpredictability of access may be enhanced by greater effects of shifting winds on unconsolidated ice. Our results indicate the importance of having a range of potential feeding areas throughout the migration corridor to ensure prey availability in all years. Spatial planning of nearshore industrial development in the Arctic, including commercial shipping, pipeline construction, and the risk of released oil, should consider these effects of high environmental variability on the adequacy of habitats targeted for conservation.

Alaska↗
USGS2017

Coastal river plumes: Collisions and coalescence

Plumes of buoyant river water spread in the ocean from river mouths, and these plumes influence water quality, sediment dispersal, primary productivity, and circulation along the world’s coasts. Most investigations of river plumes have focused on large rivers in a coastal region, for which the physical spreading of the plume is assumed to be independent from the influence of other buoyant plumes. Here we provide new understanding of the spreading patterns of multiple plumes interacting along simplified coastal settings by investigating: (i) the relative likelihood of plume-to-plume interactions at different settings using geophysical scaling, (ii) the diversity of plume frontal collision types and the effects of these collisions on spreading patterns of plume waters using a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model, and (iii) the fundamental differences in plume spreading patterns between coasts with single and multiple rivers using a three-dimensional hydrodynamic model. Geophysical scaling suggests that coastal margins with numerous small rivers (watershed areas < 10,000 km 2 ), such as found along most active geologic coastal margins, were much more likely to have river plumes that collide and interact than coastal settings with large rivers (watershed areas > 100,000 km 2 ). When two plume fronts meet, several types of collision attributes were found, including refection, subduction and occlusion. We found that the relative differences in pre-collision plume densities and thicknesses strongly influenced the resulting collision types. The three-dimensional spreading of buoyant plumes was found to be influenced by the presence of additional rivers for all modeled scenarios, including those with and without Coriolis and wind. Combined, these results suggest that plume-to-plume interactions are common phenomena for coastal regions offshore of the world’s smaller rivers and for coastal settings with multiple river mouths in close proximity, and that the spreading and fate of river waters in these settings will be strongly influenced by these interactions. We conclude that new investigations are needed to characterize how plumes interact offshore of river mouths to better understand the transport and fate of terrestrial sources of pollution, nutrients and other materials in the ocean.

Progress in Oceanography↗