SOP for monitoring intertidal bivalves on mixed-sediment beaches — version 2.0: Southwest Alaska Inventory and Monitoring Network
Weitzman BP, Bodkin JL, Kloecker KA, Coletti HA. 2017. SOP for monitoring intertidal bivalves on mixed-sediment beaches — version 2.0: Southwest Alaska Inventory and Monitoring Network. Natural Resource Report. NPS/SWAN/NRR—2017/1443. National Park Service. Fort Collins, Colorado
Bivalve density and size are monitored because of their importance as prey for nearshore consumers, such as sea otters, sea stars, marine birds, including black oystercatchers and various sea ducks, and terrestrial consumers such as brown bears and humans. The macrofauna that inhabit mixed-sediment beaches can occur in very high-abundances and provide an important food source for nearshore consumers. However, mixed-sediment habitats are particularly sensitive to disturbance from environmental or anthropogenic sources, as witnessed in numerous studies in Prince William Sound following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill and the Great Earthquake in 1964. These studies provide a baseline of information on bivalve density and size of focal species (identified in section 2 below) that this SOP intends to build upon, by following consistent methodology. The techniques described in this SOP will provide data that are comparable both within and beyond the scope of the Southwest Alaska Network (SWAN) and Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) nearshore monitoring programs.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Weitzman, Benjamin; Bodkin, James; Kloecker, Kimberly; Coletti, Heather
- Date of Issue
- 2017-05
- Publisher
- National Park Service
- Units
- KATM , KEFJ , NRSS , SWAN
- Keywords
- bivalve, mixed sediment, nearshore, soft sediment
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Intertidal Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Marine Invertebrates