Intertidal ecosystem indicators in the northern Gulf of Alaska
Coletti H, Bodkin J, Dean T, Iken K, Konar B, Monson D, Esler D, Lindeberg M, Suryan R. 2018. Intertidal ecosystem indicators in the northern Gulf of Alaska. Pages 61-64. In Gulf of Alaska: Ecosystem Status Report 2018. North Pacific Fishery Management Council. Anchorage, AK
nItertidal monitoring in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) provides ongoing evaluation of the status and trend of more than 200 species. The spatial extent of sampling includes a total of 21 sites from western Prince William Sound (WPWS) to Kenai Fjords National Park (KEFJ), Kachemak Bay (KBAY) and Katmai National Park (KATM) on the Alaska Peninsula, adjacent to Shelikof Strait. We have selected three biological indicators that represent key intertidal ecosystem components of primary production (algal cover), prey abundance (mussel density), and predator abundance (sea star abundance). Our algal cover indicator in this report is percent cover of rockweed (Fucus distichus) sampled in quadrats at the mid intertidal level (1.5 m). Intertidal prey is represented by density estimates of large ( 20 mm) Pacic blue mussels (Mytilus trossulus) sampled in quadrats along mussel bed sites. Intertidal predator abundance is the total number of sea stars, estimated along a 50 m x 4 m transect at each rocky intertidal site in the GOA. We also include water temperature at the 0.5 m tide level to show that these biological indicators changed in concert with widespread physical forcing in the Gulf of Alaska. This project is funded in part by the Gulf Watch Alaska long-term monitoring program funded by the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council.
- Type
- Published Report Section
- Authors
- Coletti, Heather; Bodkin, James; Dean, Thomas; Iken, Katrin; Konar, Brenda; Monson, Daniel; Esler, Daniel; Lindeberg, Mandy; Suryan, Robert
- Units
- SWAN
- Keywords
- algal cover, ecosystem, Ecosystem Assessment, Ecosystem Indicators, Ecosystem Status Report, Executive Summary, Fucus distichus, Gulf of Alaska, marine ecosystem, mussel density, Mytilus trossulus, predator abundance, prey abundance, primary production, Report Card, sea star abundance
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Marine Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Marine Invertebrates , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Fishes , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Birds , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Mammals