NOAA Funds Major Alaskan Marine Studies

NOAA/NMFS Developments these regions. The researchers will also con tinue their compilation of maps identifying all major bird habitats along Alaska's coastline. By correlating important life history data NOAA Funds Major Alaskan Marine Studies of fish occupying the nearshore areas of the Beaufort Sea with knowledge of habitat Nearly a quarter of a million dollars in ing the effects of potential oil spills on needs, the biologists hope to obtain baseline supplemental contract funds have been Dungeness crab larvae has particular information that can be used to direct the awarded to Western Washington State Col economic significance for Alaska, which activities of people and industry in proposed lege (WWSC) in Bellingham by the Na has harvested from 10 to 40 percent of the petroleum lease areas there. The Alaska tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis total catch from the Pacific coast in recent Department of Fish and Game had previ tration (NOAA). The $244,473 will be used years. ously received $1, I 82,427 for work related to continue research on marine plant and The OSU and WWSC contracts are part to NOAA's outer continental shelf en animal life along Alaska's northern of a major marine environmental study con vironmental program. shoreline. The college had earlier received ducted by the Commerce Department agen EFFECTS OF OIL EXPLORATION $98,856 from NOAA, a Commerce De cy's Environmental Research Laboratories partment agency. (ERL) for the Interior Department's Bureau Further supplemental ERL contract funds of Land Management Outer Continental totaling $1,168,613 have been awarded to BEAUFORT AND CHUKCHI Shelf Environmental Assessment Program. the University of Alaska at Fairbanks by SEA HABITATS STUDIED The studies seek to determine the probable NOAA to continue research on the potential An overall objective of the research is to ecological impacts of oil exploration and effects of offshore petroleum exploration characterize the habitats and ecological rela development activities on Alaska's outer and development along Alaska's coastline. tionships of predominant plant and animal continental shelf. Among the research projects to be under species along the shorelines of the Beaufort taken by the University of Alaska's Arctic and Chukchi seas. Continuing work begun Environmental Information and Data Center BASELINE ECOLOGY STUDIES in the summer of 1975, WWSC researchers is a study and analysis of climate conditions will sample key sites from Point Barrow east Nearly $1,000,000 in supplemental 310ng the entire coastline of Alaska. Results to the Canadian border and southwest to NOAA contract funds have also been of the study will provide broad guidelines Kotzebue and Cape Prince of Wales. awarded to the Alaska Department of Fish for site selection of onshore petroleum Results of the research will include dis and Game. The $964,063 will be used to facilities and pinpoint where more detailed tribution maps of Beaufort and Chukchi Sea continue research on basel ine ecological evaluations of climate are needed for poten habitat types, and quantitative estimates of studies of migratory birds, fish and shell tial site construction. To date, the Univer predominant marine populations and their fish, seals, and sea otters in Alaskan coastal sity Center has completed a series of 32 nutritional and other ecological require regions. Like the OSU and WWSC con annotated maps that depict the natural re ments. Data from the multi-year study will tracts, this too is part of ERL's major en source and environmental conditions for the help scientists estimate the potential risks vironmental sutdy for the Interior Depart region between the Bering Strait and Icy incurred to resident and migratory marine ment's Bureau of Land Management. Cape in the Gulf of Alaska near the Yukon life from outer continental shelf oil and gas A portion of the contract funds will be Territory-Alaska border. exploration and development. used to make further studies of spawning The University'S Institute of Marine Sci grounds used by the Pacific herring and five ence will continue to expand its natural hy RESEARCH CONTINUED ON species of smelt in the Bering Sea. Because drocarbon measurements program, includ OIL AND MARINE SPECIES Alaska coastal residents have depended ing the collection of floating tar samples, Another supplemental NOAA contract upon the Pacific herring as a vital part of begun in the Gulf of Alaska during the past totaling $247,172 has been awarded to Ore their subsistence catch for thousands of year. They also will study the mechanisms gon State University (OSU) at Corvallis to years, the Alaska researchers will make ad which influence seasonal variations of cur contin ue research on the effects of oil spills ditional aerial and "ground truth" beach rents and large water masses in the Gulf. on fish, shellfish, marine birds, and seafloor surveys for their baseline studies of the Marine life is also a target of the Universi organisms in Alaskan Waters. Oregon State fisheries before major petroleum develop ty's research. The Institute will determine University had previously received ment activities occur. Alaska Department of the environmental impact from oil-related $300,734 from NOAA. Fish and Game biologists will also continue industrial activity on select marine" indi The OSU scientists will continue research their research to define the Pacific razor cator" organisms by establishing baseline on the acute and chronic effects of crude oil clam populations in the Gulf of Alaska. levels of trace heavy metals now present in and other petroleum-associated chemicals The Gulf of Alaska and the Bering, the organisms. on Dungeness crabs, fish-eating birds, Beaufort, and Chukchi seas are all included The Institute of Arctic Biology will make shellfish, and various microorganisms in the in the state agency's studies of the various special studies of birds in Norton Sound and Gulf of Alaska and the Beaufort Sea. Study- species of seals and sea otters which inhabit Kotzebue Sound. Baseline information is

March 1977 25 needed to evaluate the impact of increased SHELLFISH BIOECONOMICS North Pacific Fishery Management Coun human activity associated with petroleum A $99,995 contract has also been cil, one of eight recently formed. development on birds and their habitats. awarded by NOAA's National Marine Fish Established by the Fishery Conservation A portion of the supplemental funds will eries Service to the Alaska Commercial and Management Act of 1976, the councils be used by the University' s Geophysical Fisheries Entry Commission for bioeco have responsibility over fisheries within the Institute to produce three sets of maps, dis nomic research of Alaskan shellfish fish 200-mile fishery conservation zone adjacent playing information necessary for an en eries. to the states within their regions. Under this vironmental assessment of the coasts of the One of eight similar contracts awarded Act, the councils are charged with the de Bering and Beaufort seas. When work is for bioeconomic studies in various geo velopment of fishery management plans completed, the researchers will have pro graphical areas, this provides for research consistent with certain national standards duced a total of 72 maps for the Bering Sea on domestic harvesting capacity, diver which require consideration of social and and 30 maps for the Beaufort Sea, indicating sification capabilities and desires of .fisher economic aspects of fisheries management. the stability of the shoreline, the various men, and the extent to which overcapitaliza The bioeconomic studies are expected to coastal landforms, and the distribution of tion has occurred in Alaskan shell fisheries. prove useful to the councils by providing beach materials such as sand and gravel. Study activities call for the establishment of information on these. The contracts include $692,482 to the shellfish research groups in five key geo The Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Geophysical Institute and $476, 13 I to other graphical areas: Petersburg, Cordova, Commission, working in close cooperation departments at the University of Alaska. Homer, Kodiak, Alaska; and Seattle, Wash. with the Alaska Department of Fish and Under two separate contracts, NOAA had The information obtained from the study is Game, has been responsible for monitoring previously awarded the University of expected to prove helpful in the develop the harvest of Alaskan commercial fishery Alaska $4,796,028. ment of fishery management plans by the resources.

Marine Mammal Guide and markings; how to record and report ob were provided by a NOAA grant to Stephen servations at sea; strandings and handling; Leatherwood of the Naval Undersea Center, Published by NOAA forms and instructions for measurements; San Diego. Co-authors of the guide are A field guide to help identify whales, and institutions for information, and for re David K. Caldwell of the University of dolphins, and porpoises in the western porting strandings. Florida, and Howard E. Winn, of the Uni North Atlantic has been published by the Also included is a bibliography of useful versity of Rhode Island, with special assis National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad references on cetaceans in general and ceta tance from William E. Schevill of the ministration's National Marine Fisheries ceans of this region in particular, as well as a Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute, and Service. directory of species explanations. Melba C. Caldwell, also associated with the "Whales, Dolphins, and Porpoises of Funds for the preparation of the guide University of Florida. the Western North Atlantic - A Guide to Their Identification" also includes those This pholO of a fast-swimming blue whale is one of many illustrations from the new NOAA publication "Whales, animals found in the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Dolphins, and Porpoises of the Western Nonh Attantic-A Guide to Their Identification." Mexico, and the eastern coastal waters of the United States and Canada. While the 176-page volume is intended as an aid to identifying living animals at sea, it also is expected to assist in the reporting of stranded specimens, a major source of mate rial for museums. Appendices describe how and to whom data on live or dead whales, dolphins, and porpoises should be reported. Regardless of their scientific relation ships, all the specimens covered in the main text of the Commerce Department agency's guide are divided into small, medium, and large categories. Photographs of the animals in their natural environment, supplemented by drawings and descriptions or tables distin guishing the most similar species, form the core of the guide. Following the summary accounts of the species are five appendices covering tags

26 Marine Fisheries Review The NOAA Technical Report NMFS Cir and forecasts and a variety of specialized Lexington, Louisville, Mayfie ld , Somerset; cular 396, Catalog #C-55. 13, is for sale at weather information depending upon the Louisiana-Baton Rouge, Lake Charles, $2.45 each by the Superintendent of Docu locality. Messages average 4 to 6 minutes, Morgan City, New Orleans; Maine ments, U.S . Government Printing Office, are repeated without pause, and are revised Ellsworth , Portland; Maryland Washington , DC 20402. as required , ordinarily every 2 or 3 hours to Baltimore, Salisbury; Massachusetls provide the listener with the very latest in Boston, Hyannis; Michigan-Alpena, Clio, formation . Detroit, Grand Rapids, Marquette, Sault NOAA Weather Radio Aids The broadcasts are heard in most loca Sainte Marie, Traverse City; Minnesota Boaters and Fishermen tions in a radius of about 40 miles, but Duluth, Minneapolis; Mississ ippi America's fastest-growing radio net effective range varies with the terrain and Gulfport, Jackson; Missouri-Kansas City, work, NOAA Weather Radio, gives the the receiver. St. Joseph, St. Louis. Commerce Department's National Weather Broadcasts contain a wide variety of New Jersey-Atlantic City; New Service a potent, fast-moving technique for specialized information. Along the coasts MexiCO-Albuquerque; New York spreading storm and flood warnings. Its po and the Great Lakes, the concentration is on Buffalo, New York City, Rochester; North tential for saving Ii ves is considered high. information for boaters, fishermen , and Carolina-Cape Hatteras, New Bern, Wil NOAA Weather Radio began in a small others whose work or play take them to the mington; OhiO-Akron, Cleveland, Co way in the mid-1960's. Then, it was a new water. Where the potential for flooding is lumbus, Sandusky; Oklahoma-Tulsa; National Oceanic and Atmospheric Ad strong and waterway navigation is impor Oregon-Astoria, Coos Bay, Eugene, ministration service to boaters and fisher tant , river forecasts are emphasized. Newport, Portland; Pennsylvania-Erie, men. Today, it has more than 100 stations In farm country, special information is Philadelphia, Pittsburgh; South Caro and by 1980 it is expected to have more than issued for orchardists, ranchers, and others lina-Charleston, Myrtle Beach; 300 outlets ready to serve 90 percent of the involved in agricultural operations. Tennessee-Nashville; Texas-Browns country's population. To hear this unique service, one must ville, Corpus Christi, Dallas, Fort Worth, When a natural disaster threatens, obtain a special high-band receiver capable Galveston, Houston, Pharr; Utah-Salt forecasters move quickly to broadcast warn of picking up 162.40, 162.55 , or 162.475 Lake City; Vermont-Burlington; Virgin ings , taped or live, accompanied by vital megahertz. They cost from $10 to well over ia-Manassas, Norfolk; Was hington safety information with immediate utility. $100, and performance varies widely. Some Neah Bay, Seattle, Yakima; Wisconsin Lest the spoken word go unnoticed, fore have automatic warning capability; others Green Bay, Milwaukee. casters can trigger" warning alarm" receiv do not. Also on the market are numerous ers to emit a high-pitched tone of unmistak multi-purpose radios with the "weather able urgency. In some receivers, the tones band. " activate a siren which alerts the listener to Quality of reception varies with the ter Office of University turn up the volume; in others, they automat rain and other factors. NOAA recommends Affairs Opened by NOAA ically increase the decibels so the weather that prospective buyers make final accep The National Oceanic and Atmospheric message is certain to be heard. This feature tance of a receiver conditional upon a te st in Administration (NOAA) has established an is especially useful in schools, hospitals, the selling where it will be used, and that Office of University Affairs, Robert M. and other institutions. institutional users purchase high-quality White, Administrator, announced in mid NOAA Weather Radio broadcasts are re commercial receivers. December. The new office will be headed transmitted over cable television in some As of last summer, NOAA Weather by Robert B. Abel, Director of the National locations; some cable operators alert sub Radio operating locations were: Sea Grant Program. Abel will be succeeded scribers to urgent messages with beepers Al abama-Huntsville and Mobile; Alas in the Sea Grant post by Ned A. Ostenso, loud enough to waken sleepers. Others offer ka-Anc horage and Seward; Arizona Deputy Director and Senior Oceanographer a voice override enabling local public safety Phoenix; California-Coachella, Cresent of the Ocean Science and Technology Divi officials to blank out the cable TV audio and City, Eureka, Los Angeles, Monterey, sion, Office of Naval Research. issue weather warnings-a valuable time Point Arena, Sacramento, San Diego, San The reorganization will bring new saver when seconds count. Francisco, San Luis Obispo, Santa Barbara; strength to NOAA, a major agency of the In January 1975 , NOAA Weather Radio Colorado-Denver; Connecticut-New Department of Commerce, according to was designated by the White House as the London; Florida-Daytona Beach, Jack White. "The need for a University Affairs sole Government-operated radio system to sonville, Key West, Miami, Panama City, Office has been evolving steadily," he said. provide warnings directly into homes, not Pensacola, Tallahassee, Tampa, West Palm .. Dr. Abel, whose distinguished career in only for natural disasters but for nuclear Beac h; Georgia-Atlanta, Savannah; marine science has been built upon collab attack . Hawaii-Hilo, Honolulu , Kokee, Ml. oration with our major educational institu In less dramatic times, however, the Haleakala. tions, is an ideal choice as its Director. We "other network" just goes on about the Illinois-Chicago; Indiana-Evansville, are fortunate that with the Sea Grant pro weather, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Indianapolis; Iowa-Des Moines; gram on a firm foundation, to a great degree Taped in Weather Service offices, the Kansas-Wichita; Kentucky-As hland , through his efforts, he has accepted the chal transmissions feature the latest observations Bowling Green, Covington, Hazard, lenge of this new post.

March 1977 27 " We are equally fortunate that Dr. Os with many committees in the Academy phosphorus from the lake system-would tenso has agreed to assume direction of the structure. Our interactions have become so fill the need. National Sea Grant Program, one of the numerous that it is necessary to systemize Chapra's model takes into account three most important marine efforts in the na the way in which we conduct our affairs basic sources of phosphorus: domestic, land tion." with the Academies. runoff, and atmospheric. Domestic sources, The Sea Grant program is designed to "This diversity of relationsh ips with the he explains, include the sewered wastewater encourage and accelerate marine develop university community calls for a means from residences, businesses, and institu ment through a system of grants. It operates whereby NOAA can effectively deal with tions. Human waste and detergents are by at a level of $27 million annually. them. We need an organizational focus to far the biggest contributors of phosphorus in Commenting on the need for a University coordinate our activities where this is neces this category. Relations Office, which will report directly sary, and to foster and stimulate further in The amount of phosphorus that washes to the Administrator, White said: "The suc terest within our own organization in work into the lakes from the land depends upon cessful discharge of NOAA's responsibility ing close ly with the university community. how the land is used-whether it is agricul is dependent upon a broad range of interac In addition," he concluded, "it has become tural, urban, or forested land-and a lso on tions between NOAA and the university important that we improve the means such factors as topography, precipitation, community. Traditionally, NOAA has de whereby universities can interact with soil characteristics, vegetation, animal pended upon universities to carry out certain NOAA in a more systematic fashion." population, and manipulative practices such re search in support of its activities under as fertilizing . Finally, dust, rainfall , and grant or contract. The largest of these uni snow also drop phosphorus into the lakes. versity efforts has been our Sea Grant pro NOAA Scientist Models On the other side of the scale, a sizeable gram. However, NOAA 's interactions with Great Lakes Phosphorus fraction of incoming phosphorus is removed universities extend far beyond those in Efforts to halt the rampant algae growth by incorporation into lake sediments. volved in the Sea Grant program, and they caused by phosphorus pollution in the Great To test the model, the Commerce De are becoming increasingly diverse. Our Lakes may be effective by 1985, but west partment scientist used it to simulate phos support of research and development at uni ern Lake Erie w ill never be as " clean" as phorus inputs and concentrations from the versities has grown substantially over the the other lakes. year 1800 to 1970 and compared the results past five years, to the point where today we These are among the predictions of a with actual measurements. Chapra fed in the expend over 33 million dollars annually for mathematical model developed at the Na probable conditions of the lakes in 1.800, research and development in oceanic, at tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis when the main sources of phosphorus were mospheric, fisheries, and earth sc iences, as tration's Great Lakes Environmental Re the atmosphere and runoff from forested well as in diverse fields of public policy. search Laboratory. The model, still being land, and the model simulated the changes "Our interactions with the universities do refined by Steven Chapra of the Ann Arbor, that took place as the population around the not stop with direct financial support," Mich., laboratory (one of NOAA ' s En lakes grew and the forests gave way to White continued. "Our long standing pol vironmental Research Laboratories), is a set wharves, farms, and cities. In the end, the icy of collocating our research laboratories of equations describing the behavior of 1970 phosphorus levels predicted by the on university campuses has enabled us to phosphorus in the Great Lakes which the model agreed well with measured values. initiate many new forms of collaborative sc ientist believes can be used to aid in plan The simulation also provided some new effort with universities. Many NOAA scien ning pollution abatement programs. insights. It suggested, for example, that tists hold professorships in the universities Increases in the nutrient phosphorus there is a physical limitation to water at which the laboratories are located. In turn largely from human sources-have accele quality improvement in the Great Lakes. our laboratories have become foci for rated the natural process of eutrophication Western Lake Erie, a small basin that col facilitating training of students. (biological productivity) in the lakes. If un lects water-and phosphorus-from a large "We have many educational and training checked, this process could cause a lake to area of land, has a calculated natural phos programs which bring us into close contact literally grow itself to death, becoming phorus concentration 50 percent higher than with universities. We are totally dependent clogged with algae until decomposition of the next highest lake. "This suggests that upon universities for the education and organic matter removed oxygen from the total removal of cultural wastes would never training of the professionals we recruit. Be water depths and fish and other fauna could bring western Erie to the levels possible in cause we are so dependent upon universities not surv i ve. the other lakes, " said Chapra. for the output of trained personnel for our Efforts at preserving the lakes have con Over the past 170 years, the calculations organization, we have an obligation to see to centrated on limiting the amount of phos showed, the lakes have suffered two major it that these institutions are capable of con phorus entering them. Knowledge of the periods of increased phosphorus loading. In tinuing such training to provide the person sources and sinks of the nutrient in the lakes the latter part of the 19th Century, the nel that we will need in future years. would make the task easier, but the size of forested land was cleared for agriculture, "A vital channel for our relationships the lake system makes direct measurement causing phosphorus increases in all the lake with the academic world is the National costly and difficult. A mathematical model basins. Then, after about 1945, population Academies of Sciences and Engineering," that simulates phosphorus budgets-a bal growth, a resulting increase in sewage, and White said. " We participate in or interact ance of the processes that add or remove the introduction of phosphate detergents

28 Marine Fisheries Review handling of diffuse sources and the addition ONTARIO QUEBEC of sediment-water interactions-that should enhance its usefulness. "When such modi fications are made, the approach will offer a comprehensive and relatively inexpensive package for investigating man's impact on the future water quality of the Great Lakes," Chapra said.

Fishing Experiments Told For NW Hawaiian Islands WISCONSIN The Honolulu-based research ship Townsend Cromwell returned to port in late November 1976 after 2 months of fishery and oceanographic surveys at selected sites along the Northwestern Hawaiian Islands. Experimental bottom trawling, fish and lobster trapping, and handlining were con ducted by personnel from the Honolulu Laboratory of the National Marine Fisheries PENNSYLVANIA Service (NMFS), according to Laboratory ILLINOIS OHIO Director Richard S. Shomura. The Crom well is one of a fleet of 25 research vessels A refined rnathernatical rnodel of phosphorus behavior in the Great Lakes rnay aid pollution abaternent belonging to the National Oceanic and At prograrns. mospheric Administration. Included in the cruise was a survey of Hancock Seamount, a pinnacle rising 1,600 made a strong impact, particularly on lakes Lake Erie-particularly the western fathoms from the floor of the ocean just 200 Erie, Ontario, and Michigan. Huron and basin-would require additional treatment miles northwest of Midway Island. There, Superior were relatively less affected by the to reach acceptable levels of productivity. foreign fishing vessels have been reported to population change, hence treatment of Chapra cautions that this prediction is harvest thousands of tons of pelagic armor domestic point sources of pollution would based on the assumption that phosphorus head. Chief scientist Thomas S. Hida also have little effect on water quality in those loss to sediments is a one-way process. For reported the trapping, tagging, and release lakes, Chapra notes. most of the lakes, it is, but once again Erie is of 596 spiny lobsters for population studies The experiment also demonstrated that the exception. In Erie, phosphorus levels in in waters surrounding Necker Island. Lake Ontario's health is significantly af sediments are already so high that reduction Several hundred pounds of "red tail" fected by the health of the lake upstream, of the amount of phosphorus in the water opelu were caught at depths of about 200 Erie, and the scientist concludes that a coor might cause some of that trapped in sedi fathoms off Necker and Laysan islands. dinated program of waste abatement would ments to leak back into the water. In addi Until last year this species of scad was not be necessary for those two lakes. tion, the western and central basins of Lake recorded from the Hawaiian Archipelago. Chapra also used the model to try to pre Erie are so shallow that storms can stir up Participating in the cruise were bottom dict the success of phosphorus abatement sediment and mix pho~phorus back into the trawling gear experts from the NMFS programs that concentrate initially on reduc water. Northwest and Alaska Fisheries Center in ing domestic sources. In general, the goal of Chapra points out that his model is de Seattle. Marine mammal observers from the these programs is I mg of phosphorus in signed to aid management decisions, and University of Hawaii were also included in each liter of effluent by 1980. that the computer program is structured so the scientific complement. It is estimated that every day about ISO that political or geographic distinctions can This cruise of the Townsend Cromwell gallons of effluent are poured into the lakes be made. "Thus it is relatively easy to de was one of the first in a 5-year intensive for each inhabitant of the basin. If abate velop scenarios of future conditions which survey and assessment of the inshore and ment programs go according to plan, by ask questions ~uch as ' What would happen inner slope resources of the little known area 1980 the inflow of phosphorus into the lakes if the State of Michigan outlawed deter to the north and west of the main Hawaiian would be 0.46 pounds (209 grams) per gents, while all other parts of the region did Islands. Cooperating in the undertaking are capita per year. Under such conditions, not?'" he said . NMFS, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Chapra found, all the lakes would show The NOAA researcher is planning some and the Department of Land and Natural marked improvement by 1985. However, refinements of the model-such as better Resources of the State of Hawaii.

March 1977 29