Delta Sound Connections
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
DELTA SOUND 2010 CONNECTIONS Natural history and science news from Prince William Sound and the Copper River Delta Glaciers and rainforest form our backyard An introduction to the region discharge rate, estimated at 61,000 Nancy Bird, cubic ft/sec, that drives production in PWS Science Center the Gulf of Alaska. Depositing over 75 million tons of silt annually, the river Welcome to the Prince William has built a layer of silt over 600 feet Sound and Copper River Delta region! deep over the past 800,000 years. The intricately indented coastline of The Delta’s vast wetlands provide the Sound is separated from the Gulf rich bird habitat, making it the largest of Alaska by a ring of mountainous site in the Western Hemisphere islands and is the northern boundary Shorebird Reserve system. Two of the coastal temperate rainforest. hundred and thirty-five species of birds Its scenic character owes much to the have been identified and annually over glacial sculpting of the land during the 16 million migrating shorebirds and Ice Ages. waterfowl stop here. Today, over 20 glaciers terminate at Hundreds of streams and intertidal sea level while numerous others cling waters support a large commercial to steep mountainsides at the heads of salmon fishery. Ranked 12th in the rocky fjords. Secluded coves, beaches U.S., the fishing port of Cordova and rocky tree-covered islands offer annually catches an excess of 100 countless opportunities for exploration million pounds of fish, with an ex- and discovery in the Sound. vessel value exceeding $50 million. The adjacent Copper River Delta This area is among the most is a 300-square mile band of grassy seismically active regions on Earth. marshlands and tidal flats, the largest The world’s second largest recorded contiguous wetland on the Pacific earthquake, at 9.2 Richter scale, was Coast of North America. The Copper centered near Columbia Glacier in A humpback whale feeding on herring takes these boaters by surprise. Photo River itself is almost 290 miles long 1964. Some areas on the Delta rose by L. Butters. and is known for its enormous sediment as much as 10 feet while places in the played a role. Today, the Port of Valdez southwestern Sound shifted as much as is the terminus of the Trans Alaska oil 35 feet. pipeline and transports about 15% of The Chugachmiut and Eyak peoples the total U.S. domestic oil production. lived here long before the arrival of the On average, two supertankers per week Welcome to first Europeans in the mid-1700s. By transit the Sound’s waters fully laden 1800, Russia dominated the region in with North Slope crude oil. Visitors the trade of sea otter pelts. In the years also support a significant part of our our home! that followed, the region’s economic local economies. We’re glad you’ve picked up and social development varied. Thanks for coming to explore and this second edition of Delta Sound Trapping, gold and copper mining, fox enjoy our region! It is truly one of the Connections, an annual newspaper farming, logging and fishing have each world’s great places. to inform you about the Prince Left: River Gates holds Glaucous-winged gull chicks in a field study conducted by the William Sound and Copper River Prince William Sound Science Center. Photo by PWSSC. Delta regions. For more than 20 years, Prince William Sound Science Center (PWSSC) researchers have Herring recovery spurs research investigated questions about the Lack of herring recovery spurs biology, general ecology, and major research program oceanography of these incredibly rich ecosystems. Dr. Scott Pegau, Articles within this paper will PWS Science Center introduce you to the region and In the decades prior to 1990 there was a also the myriad of research and robust Pacific herring population in Prince education programs being conducted William Sound. Not only are these forage by PWSSC and other organizations, fish a key link in the complex food web of universities and agencies. We thank Prince William Sound, but they supported the many authors who generously a lucrative early season commercial contributed to this publication. fishery that brought the communities of We also thank our business and the Sound to life each spring. By 1993, that fishery was closed and only briefly other sponsors (Please take a moment reopened for two years. The current to look at their names on the back herring population of approximately page). It’s their support which makes 20,000 tonnes is tiny compared to the The small silver Pacific herring are the base of the food chain for many species and this publication possible. peak value of 150,000 tonnes or the long- are the focus of multiple research programs in the region. Photo by K. Alexander. Please let us know what you think term average of around 65,000 tonnes. about this paper! We welcome your The cause of this dramatic decline in to determine why herring populations of food, disease, overwinter changes in membership in PWSSC and/or this fishery is still hotly debated. Was it remain depressed. With funds from the energy content, and predation pressure. sponsorship of future publications. the 1989 Exxon Valdez Oil Spill, disease, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council, The purpose of this multi-faceted You can contact us at deltasound@ climate change, predation, natural cycles, which oversees funds from a settlement study is to identify juvenile rearing bays; pwssc.org . measure factors that limit juvenile herring or some combination of these factors? between State/Federal government and Thank you for taking the time to Exxon, a group of 10 projects make growth and recruitment; and ultimately While the question of the reason for learn more about this very special part up a comprehensive research program provide recommendations for future the decline remains debated, it is more of the world. Enjoy your travels! important to understand what is preventing designed to better understand factors herring restoration and monitoring efforts the herring population from recovering. limiting herring recovery, in particular in the region. Today, researchers from multiple those affecting juvenile herring including; Nancy Bird, President institutions and disciplines are working oceanographic conditions, availability Continued on pg. 4 PWS Science Center 2 DELTA SOUND CONNECTIONS SUMMER 2010 PACIFIC Bird’s eye view of nearshore habitat ShoreZone provides a bird’s eye inventory of the Sound’s nearshore habitat Staff, herring spawn almost every year were NOAA Alaska Regional Office examined in terms of ShoreZone The land-sea interface is a crucial attributes (data provided by Alaska realm for terrestrial and marine Department of Fish & Game) and organisms, human activities, and showed that herring preferred spawning dynamic processes. ShoreZone is a sites with sand and gravel flats or mapping and classification system beaches. that specializes in the collection and The association of biobands with interpretation of aerial imagery of the spawning sites was also examined and coastal environment. Its objective is indicated a preference for sites with to produce an integrated, searchable eelgrass. These attributes can then inventory of geomorphic and biological be used to predict locations within features of the intertidal and nearshore PWS that are likely to have a higher Herring roe sticks to kelp and other surfaces in shallow, nearshore habitat around zones which can be used as a tool for spawning potential. This model omits Prince William Sound. Photo by K. Alexander. science, education, management, and other important criteria for spawning, environmental hazard planning and such as water quality parameters, but response. does provide a better understanding ShoreZone attributes can be combined for biophysical characteristics of the Pacific herring 101 to predict habitat potential for species nearshore environment preferred in areas that are not known or mapped. by herring and can inform future Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi ) Herring may grow up to 18 inches One example, developed by Harney et monitoring efforts. The results indicate have a blue-green upper body with in length, but generally a 9-inch al. in 2009, examined the ShoreZone that herring spawn is not habitat limited, silvery sides and are key forage specimen is considered large. attributes associated with favorable instead, other factors are controlling the fish in the Pacific marine foodweb. Herring spawn each spring in herring spawing sites. Sites where distribution of herring spawn in PWS. shallow, vegetated areas along the coastline. Eggs attach to intertidal vegetation or fall to the bottom, while milt released by males drifts among the eggs. After 2-3 weeks eggs will hatch, releasing billions of larval herring to float freely throughout the water column. In PWS, adult Pacific herring rarely spawn before their third year and their average life span is nine years. After spawning, most adults leave nearshore waters to feed on zooplankton in open water. They are seasonal feeders and accumulate fat reserves for periods of inactivity. Gathering herring roe on kelp has been Herring schools often follow a diel a traditional subsistence practice in the vertical migration pattern, where Sound for generations. This photo shows they spend daylight hours in deeper someone gathering herring roe on kelp waters near the bottom, and migrate Herring spawn and a herring ball in a small bay off of Port Etches on Hinchinbrook along the shore near Tatitlek. Photo by upward during the nighttime to Glenora Zimmer, NVE. Island, Prince William Sound. Photo by Allen Marquette. More information, protocols feed. and reports are available online at www.fakr.noaa.gov/maps/szintro.htm. Herring populations remain depressed Trends in adult and juvenile herring distribution and abundance in the Sound Dr. Richard Thorne, are most vulnerable. Hydro-acoustic young herring’s health condition over PWS Science Center instruments were used to determine the winter.