USGS Geneticist Damian Menning is performing eDNA sampling at Grant Point in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. This eDNA sampling is part of a project looking for eelgrass (Zostera marina) pathogens in the North Pacific. Izembek NWR is on the Alaska Peninsula located between the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska.
Eelgrass is the predominant aquatic plant within embayments of southwestern Alaska and provides an important habitat for birds, fish, and invertebrates. The USGS has conducted extensive research on the status, trends, and use of eelgrass by migratory birds in southwestern Alaska primarily at the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
Return to Ecosystems
Along the coast of southwestern Alaska in sheltered embayments, eelgrass (Zostera marina) forms some of the largest seagrass meadows in the world. These meadows support a rich diversity of marine organisms, including virtually the entire population of Pacific black brant (Brant bernicla) outside of their summer breeding season. Black brant feed on the eelgrass to meet energy demands in fall for transoceanic migrations south, and in spring for coastal migrations north and egg-laying during breeding. In winter, an increasing number of black brant that do not migrate south, rely on eelgrass for winter forage. The USGS has conducted assessments of eelgrass abundance and distribution throughout southwestern Alaska (see map) to better understand the status and trends of this important habitat.
Information and data from these assessments can be found in the Data and Publications tabs above.
Related Research
A list of other USGS work on the distribution, health, and importance of eelgrass in Alaska is below.
Below are data associated with this project.
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Maps from 2016 and 2020, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Percent Cover Data from Katmai National Park and Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, and Prince William Sound, Alaska
Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Norma Bay, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 1987
Mapping Data of Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Distribution, Alaska and Baja California, Mexico
Point Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Widgeongrass (Ruppia marina) Abundance in Embayments of the North Pacific Coast of Baja California, Mexico
Point Sampling for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweeds in Duchikthluk and Shoal Bays of Nunivak Island, Alaska, 2010
Point Sampling Data from Eelgrass (Zostera marina), Seaweeds and Selected Invertebrates at Six Embayments and Two Islands at the End of the Alaska Peninsula
Point Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweed Distribution and Abundance in Bays Adjacent to the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
Point Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweed Distribution and Abundance in Bays Adjacent to the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2008-2010
Point Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweed Distribution and Abundance in Bays Adjacent to the Alaska Peninsula-Becharof National Wildlife Refuges, Alaska, 2010
Map of eelgrass distribution and field survey points in Chignik Lagoon and Mud Bay, Alaska in 2010
Detection of Seagrass Pathogens using Environmental DNA (eDNA), North Pacific, 2016-Present
Below are photos associated with this project.
USGS Geneticist Damian Menning is performing eDNA sampling at Grant Point in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. This eDNA sampling is part of a project looking for eelgrass (Zostera marina) pathogens in the North Pacific. Izembek NWR is on the Alaska Peninsula located between the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska.
Carol Damberg (USFWS) conducting survey of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 2015.
Carol Damberg (USFWS) conducting survey of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 2015.
Pacific brant feeding on submerged eelgrass at Grant Point, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska.
Pacific brant feeding on submerged eelgrass at Grant Point, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska.
Eelgrass (Zolstera marina) in Kinzarof Lagoon
Eelgrass (Zolstera marina) in Kinzarof Lagoon
Below are publications associated with this project.
Ocean current patterns drive the worldwide colonization of eelgrass (Zostera marina)
Spatial extent of seagrasses (Zostera marina and Ruppia maritima) along the central Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico, 1999–2000
Abundance of eelgrass (Zostera marina) at key Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) wintering sites along the northern Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico, 1998–2012
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and seaweed abundance along the coast of Nunivak Island, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2010
Inventory of eelgrass (Zostera marina) and seaweeds at the end of the Alaska Peninsula, August–September 2012:
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweed Abundance along the Coast of Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2008–10
Abundance and distribution of eelgrass (Zostera marina) and seaweeds at Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2007–10
Distribution of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in coastal waters adjacent to Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and seaweed assessment Alaska Peninsula-Becharof National Wildlife Refuges, 2010
Monitoring annual trends in abundance of eelgrass (Zostera marina) at Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2018
Volcanic ash deposition, eelgrass beds, and inshore habitat loss from the 1920s to the 1990s at Chignik, Alaska
Establishing a baseline for regional scale monitoring of eelgrass (Zostera marina) habitat on the lower Alaska Peninsula
Eelgrass Biomass Model
Eelgrass is the predominant aquatic plant within embayments of southwestern Alaska and provides an important habitat for birds, fish, and invertebrates. The USGS has conducted extensive research on the status, trends, and use of eelgrass by migratory birds in southwestern Alaska primarily at the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge.
Return to Ecosystems
Along the coast of southwestern Alaska in sheltered embayments, eelgrass (Zostera marina) forms some of the largest seagrass meadows in the world. These meadows support a rich diversity of marine organisms, including virtually the entire population of Pacific black brant (Brant bernicla) outside of their summer breeding season. Black brant feed on the eelgrass to meet energy demands in fall for transoceanic migrations south, and in spring for coastal migrations north and egg-laying during breeding. In winter, an increasing number of black brant that do not migrate south, rely on eelgrass for winter forage. The USGS has conducted assessments of eelgrass abundance and distribution throughout southwestern Alaska (see map) to better understand the status and trends of this important habitat.
Information and data from these assessments can be found in the Data and Publications tabs above.
Related Research
A list of other USGS work on the distribution, health, and importance of eelgrass in Alaska is below.
Below are data associated with this project.
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Maps from 2016 and 2020, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Percent Cover Data from Katmai National Park and Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, and Prince William Sound, Alaska
Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Norma Bay, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 1987
Mapping Data of Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Distribution, Alaska and Baja California, Mexico
Point Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Widgeongrass (Ruppia marina) Abundance in Embayments of the North Pacific Coast of Baja California, Mexico
Point Sampling for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweeds in Duchikthluk and Shoal Bays of Nunivak Island, Alaska, 2010
Point Sampling Data from Eelgrass (Zostera marina), Seaweeds and Selected Invertebrates at Six Embayments and Two Islands at the End of the Alaska Peninsula
Point Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweed Distribution and Abundance in Bays Adjacent to the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
Point Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweed Distribution and Abundance in Bays Adjacent to the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2008-2010
Point Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweed Distribution and Abundance in Bays Adjacent to the Alaska Peninsula-Becharof National Wildlife Refuges, Alaska, 2010
Map of eelgrass distribution and field survey points in Chignik Lagoon and Mud Bay, Alaska in 2010
Detection of Seagrass Pathogens using Environmental DNA (eDNA), North Pacific, 2016-Present
Below are photos associated with this project.
USGS Geneticist Damian Menning is performing eDNA sampling at Grant Point in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. This eDNA sampling is part of a project looking for eelgrass (Zostera marina) pathogens in the North Pacific. Izembek NWR is on the Alaska Peninsula located between the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska.
USGS Geneticist Damian Menning is performing eDNA sampling at Grant Point in Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. This eDNA sampling is part of a project looking for eelgrass (Zostera marina) pathogens in the North Pacific. Izembek NWR is on the Alaska Peninsula located between the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska.
Carol Damberg (USFWS) conducting survey of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 2015.
Carol Damberg (USFWS) conducting survey of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 2015.
Pacific brant feeding on submerged eelgrass at Grant Point, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska.
Pacific brant feeding on submerged eelgrass at Grant Point, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska.
Eelgrass (Zolstera marina) in Kinzarof Lagoon
Eelgrass (Zolstera marina) in Kinzarof Lagoon
Below are publications associated with this project.