Coastal lagoons vital signs monitoring protocol for the Arctic Network: Volume 1, report narrative, version 1.0

Jones, Tahzay; Apsens, Sarah; Miller, Scott; Robards, Martin

Coastal lagoons are a prominent feature of Alaska’s Arctic coastline and serve as critical habitat to globally important concentrations of marine mammals, birds, and fish populations. Furthermore, these habitats are of vital importance for the food and economic security of indigenous residents. Lagoon systems are highly dynamic coastal features at the interface marine, terrestrial, and freshwater environments. They exhibit seasonal biophysical changes due to connectivity to larger water masses and changes in ice cover. Environmental changes including, erosion, melting permafrost, ocean acidification, invasive species and increased human activity in the western Arctic region have the potential to significantly impact lagoon systems. Understanding current physical and biological variability in these systems will allow managers to better understand, anticipate, and manage future impacts of environmental change and human activity in the region. The Coastal Lagoon Monitoring Protocol will be implemented in two ARCN parks: Cape Krusenstern National Monument (CAKR) and Bering Land Bridge National Preserve (BELA). Both parks are located along the southeastern Chukchi Sea coast. This protocol provides the methodology for addressing two monitoring questions: 1. What are the ranges and variances of water quality parameters within lagoons and how are they changing? 2. What are the body conditions, compositions, and trends of fish communities within lagoons and how are they changing? The first question has the objective to determine the status and trend of water quality parameter (e.g., temperature, pH, conductivity, and dissolved oxygen) ranges and spatial variances within, and among, coastal lagoons on an annual basis. The second question has the objective of determining the status and trends of species composition and condition of fish communities within and among lagoons, with a secondary objective of assessing temporal trends of whitefish, a key subsistence species. Five lagoons will be monitored for this protocol, two in BELA and three in CAKR. This protocol employs split panel design with fixed and random sites. Within each lagoon, four fixed sites and three random sites will be sampled for water quality and fish. This design provides for the ability to provide both status and trend information. In addition, the use of extended deployment temperature and depth sensors will allow for additional environmental trend analyses beyond the field season. Data will be maintained in the Arctic Inventory and Monitoring program (ARCN) database, with annual reporting. This sampling regime represents the maximum sustainable effort given current fiscal realities for the ARCN monitoring program. Increased assessment capabilities are possible with more assistance from parks and the region, in addition to partnering with other federal, state, or local programs, including interested and reliable non-governmental and private organizations. Personnel requirements for this vital signs monitoring effort identify a team approach from a variety of organizational levels. Individual park staff provides some in-park coordination for field efforts while a Principle Investigator (PI) and/or Fish Biologist serve as project leads and supervise field technician(s) (i.e., a Biological Technician and Water Quality Technician). The PI is the primary liaison ensuring this vital signs monitoring effort continues to address park management needs. The technician(s) assists the Fish Biologist in coordination efforts and is responsible for pre- and post- season preparations, assisting each park with field work, and conducting the bulk of initial data management, quality assurance, and analysis. The PI and other ARCN staff help facilitate vital sign monitoring operations, ensure database management, conduct detailed status and trend analyses and reporting, and provide other reporting and operational assistance at a network and national level.

Coastal lagoons vital signs monitoring protocol for the Arctic Network: Volume 1, report narrative, version 1.0

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