Gulf Watch Alaska: Nearshore ecosystems in the Gulf of Alaska. Long-Term Monitoring Program (Gulf Watch Alaska) Final Report (Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council Project 16120114-R)
Coletti H, Esler D, Iken K, Konar B, Ballachey B, Bodkin J, Dean T, Esslinger G, Kloecker K, Lindeberg M, Monson D, Robinson B, Traiger S, Weitzman B. 2021. Gulf Watch Alaska: Nearshore ecosystems in the Gulf of Alaska. Long-Term Monitoring Program (Gulf Watch Alaska) Final Report (Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council Project 16120114-R). Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council. Anchorage, Alaska
Nearshore monitoring in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) provides ongoing evaluation of status and trends of more than 200 species, including many of those injured by the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. The monitoring design includes spatial, temporal, and ecological features that support inference regarding drivers of change. Continued monitoring will lead to a better understanding of variation in the nearshore ecosystem across the GOA and a more thorough evaluation of the status of spill-injured resources. This information has been used in a number of management contexts and will be critical for anticipating and responding to ongoing and future perturbations in the region, as well as providing for global contrasts. Monitoring metrics include marine invertebrates, macroalgae, birds, mammals, and physical parameters such as temperature. In addition to taxon-specific metrics, monitoring includes recognized important ecological relations such as predator-prey dynamics, measures of nearshore ecosystem productivity, and contamination. In FY20, due to the COVID-19 global pandemic, normal field operations were significantly reduced or cancelled. Minimal sampling was conducted in Kenai Fjords National Park (KEFJ) and western Prince William Sound (WPWS), while none was completed in Katmai National Park and Preserve (KATM). Most intertidal work was completed in Kachemak Bay (KBAY), but upper trophic level surveys were significantly reduced there (see Table 1). We are planning for normal proposed field operations for FY21. Due to the reduction in field costs in FY20, we have allocated some of those funds to support a graduate student at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) to examine variation in carbon sourcing to nearshore consumers across all four nearshore component regions, using samples collected in recent years, which will contribute to interpretation of monitoring data.
- Type
- Published Report
- Authors
- Coletti, Heather; Esler, Daniel; Iken, Katrin; Konar, Brenda; Ballachey, Brenda; Bodkin, Jim; Dean, Tom; Esslinger, George; Kloecker, Kim; Lindeberg, Mandy; Monson, Dan; Robinson, Brian; Traiger, Sarah; Weitzman, Benjamin
- Date of Issue
- 2021-03
- Publisher
- Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council
- Units
- KATM , KEFJ , SWAN
- Keywords
- Benthic invertebrates, black oystercatchers, Gulf of Alaska, intertidal, Katmai National Park and Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, macroalgae, marine birds, monitoring, nearshore marine ecosystem, Prince William Sound, sea otters
- Subjects
- Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Marine Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Intertidal Communities , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Marine Invertebrates , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Birds , Ecological Framework: Biological Integrity | Focal Species or Communities | Mammals