Developing a freshwater contaminants monitoring protocol for the Southeast Alaska Network: Summary of 2013 fish and habitat sampling in Klondike Gold Rush and Sitka National Historical Parks
Cyr A, Sergeant CJ, Lopez JA, O’Hara TM. 2014. Developing a freshwater contaminants monitoring protocol for the Southeast Alaska Network: Summary of 2013 fish and habitat sampling in Klondike Gold Rush and Sitka National Historical Parks. Natural Resource Data Series. NPS/SEAN/NRDS—2014/679. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
The National Park Service (NPS) Southeast Alaska Network (SEAN) is developing a long-term freshwater contaminants monitoring protocol for Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (GLBA), Klondike Gold Rush National Historical Park (KLGO), and Sitka National Historical Park (SITK) in cooperation with partners at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) and University of Alaska Southeast (UAS). This report summarizes the results of fish and habitat sampling completed in summer 2013. The goal of this field effort was to collect fish in KLGO and SITK to compare the relative levels of a suite of contaminants among fish species and among freshwater locations with four different characteristics: 1) glacial influence with anadromous fish present; 2) glacial influence without anadromous fish present; 3) non-glacial influence with anadromous fish present; and 4) non-glacial influence without anadromous fish present. Minnow traps, beach seines, and hook and line capture techniques were employed in suitable habitats in four different rivers (Taiya River, Nourse River, West Creek, and the Indian River) over the span of 13 fishing days for a total of 3,747 trap-hours. Throughout this capture effort, Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma), Coastrange sculpin (Cottus aleuticus), juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), and spawning pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) were captured. A subset of captured individuals were euthanized and retained for contaminant analysis. We determined the location of apparent anadromous barriers on the Taiya River, West Creek, and the Indian River by observing the presence or absence of spawning salmon and noting potential elevation/velocity barriers along each river channel. Dolly Varden was the only species caught in each location (freshwater locations with the four different river characteristics), except above the apparent anadromous barrier on the Taiya River, thereby enabling a consistent comparison of fish age, growth, and contaminant concentrations across sites and rivers. Coho and coastrange sculpin were caught in the Taiya and Indian rivers below the apparent anadromous barriers. Pink salmon were observed and caught from the Taiya and Indian rivers. Length data were recorded in the lab and otoliths were extracted from each fish for future age determination. Fish contaminant concentrations will be analyzed by fall 2014. The contaminant data, together with the ecological and length-at-age data generated from this field effort will be compiled and summarized into peer-reviewed manuscripts and support the development of a SEAN long-term contaminants monitoring protocol. In addition, this work will be used to enable a graduate student to complete their thesis for the completion of their Master of Science degree at the UAF.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Cyr, Andrew; Sergeant, Christopher; Lopez, Juan; O’Hara, Todd
- Date of Issue
- 2014-07
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- KLGO , SITK
- Keywords
- freshwater contaminants, Long-Term Monitoring, Southeast Alaska Network
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Geology and Soils | Geomorphology | Stream/River Channel Characteristics , Ecological Framework: Water | Water Quality | Toxics , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Fishes , Ecological Framework: Human Use | Non-point Source Human Effects | Non-point Source Human Effects