Distribution and Habitat Use of Fish in the Nearshore Ecosystem in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas
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OCS Study BOEM 2016-066 Distribution and habitat use of fish in the nearshore ecosystem in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. Johanna J. Vollenweider1, Ron A. Heintz1,Kevin M. Boswell2, Brenda L. Norcross3, Chunyan Li4, Mark B. Barton2, Leandra Sousa5, Craig George5 1 Auke Bay Laboratories Alaska Fisheries Science Center National Marine Fisheries Service, NOAA Ted Stevens Marine Research Institute, 17109 Point Lena Loop Road Juneau, AK 99801-8626 2 Florida International University, 3000 NE 151st St., MSB 359, North Miami, FL 33181 3 University of Alaska, Fairbanks, Institute of Marine Science, School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, P.O. Box 757220, Fairbanks, AK 99775-7220 4 Louisiana State University, Coastal Studies Institute, 331 Howe-Russell Geocomplex, Baton Rouge, LA, 70803 5 North Slope Borough, Department of Wildlife Management, 1795 Ahkovak Street, Barrow, AK, 99723 * Corresponding author: [email protected] Prepared under BOEM Award Award # M12PG00024 Alaska OCS Region Final Report January 2017 2 DISCLAIMER This study was funded, in part, by the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Environmental Studies Program, Washington, DC, through Inter-Agency Agreement Number M12PG00024 with the National Marine Fisheries Service, Alaska Fisheries Science Center. This report has been technically reviewed by BOEM and it has been approved for publication. The views and conclusions contained in this document are those of the authors and should not be interpreted as representing the opinions or policies of the US Government, nor does mention of trade names or commercial products constitute endorsement or recommendation for use. REPORT AVAILABILITY To download a PDF file of this Environmental Studies Program report, go to the US Department of the Interior, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Environmental Studies Program Information System website and search on OCS Study BOEM 2016-066. BOEM Environmental Studies Program Office US Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Environmental Studies Program Attn: Chief, Division of Environmental Sciences 381 Elden Street, MS HM 3115 Herndon, VA 20170 http://www.boem.gov/Environmental-Stewardship/Environmental- Studies-Program-Information-System-aspx US Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management Alaska OCS Region 3801 Centerpoint Drive, Suite 500 Anchorage, AK 99503-5820 Phone: (907) 334-5200 Fax: (907) 334-5202 CITATION Vollenweider, J. J., R. A. Heintz, K. M. Boswell, B. L. Norcross, C. Li, M. B. Barton, Sousa, L, George, C. 2016. Arctic coastal ecosystems: Evaluating the functional role and connectivity of lagoon and nearshore habitats. Final Report, December 2016, BOEM OCS Study 2016-066. 3 Table of Contents Abstract .................................................................................................................................................. 13 1.0 Introduction ................................................................................................................................... 13 2.0 Setting the Scene: Habitat Descriptions ............................................................................... 17 2.1 Geomorphology and Currents ............................................................................................................................... 17 2.2 Environmental Parameters .................................................................................................................................... 18 2.2.1 Atmospheric Conditions .......................................................................................................................................................18 2.2.2 Oceanographic Conditions ..................................................................................................................................................19 2.2.3 Ice Conditions ...........................................................................................................................................................................19 2.3 References..................................................................................................................................................................... 20 3.0 Mesoscale Weather System Induced Flushing of a Multi-inlet Arctic Lagoon in Summer ................................................................................................................................................... 33 3.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 33 3.2 Study Area and Instrumentation .......................................................................................................................... 34 3.3 Weather Conditions ................................................................................................................................................... 34 3.4 Data Processing and Analysis ................................................................................................................................ 35 3.4.1 Correction of Water Level for Air Pressure Effect ....................................................................................................35 3.4.2 Low Pass Filtering of the ADCP Velocity Data ............................................................................................................36 3.4.3 Regression Analysis ...............................................................................................................................................................36 3.5 Results and Discussion ............................................................................................................................................. 37 3.6 Summary........................................................................................................................................................................ 38 3.7 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................................... 39 3.8 References..................................................................................................................................................................... 39 A3.0 Chapter 3 Appendix. Supporting Information for “Mesoscale Weather System Induced Flushing of a Multi-inlet Arctic Lagoon in Summer” .............................................. 45 A3.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................................................................. 45 A3.2 Weather Station Time Series Data .................................................................................................................... 45 A3.3 The WRF Model ........................................................................................................................................................ 57 A3.4 References for the Supplemental Materials .................................................................................................. 57 4.0 Patterns in Arctic Nearshore Communities Across Multiple Spatial and Temporal Scales ....................................................................................................................................................... 58 4.1 Introduction ................................................................................................................................................................. 58 4.2 Methods.......................................................................................................................................................................... 58 4.2.1 Study Area ..................................................................................................................................................................................58 4.2.2 Sample Collection ....................................................................................................................................................................58 4.2.3 Determination of Sampling Frequency ..........................................................................................................................59 4.2.4 Analytical Approach ...............................................................................................................................................................59 4.4 Results and Discussion ............................................................................................................................................. 60 4.4.1 Spatial Variation in Catch ....................................................................................................................................................60 4.4.2 Temporal variation in catch ...............................................................................................................................................60 4.4.3 Scales of fish community dynamics ................................................................................................................................61 4.5 Acknowledgements ................................................................................................................................................... 62 4.6 References....................................................................................................................................................................