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.
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
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Microsatellite DNA Data; Pacific Coast of North America, 2000-2009
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
- Overview
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
Carol Damberg (USFWS) conducting survey of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 2015. 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.
- Data
Below are data associated with this project.
Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Norma Bay, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, 1987
These data are related to surveys of eelgrass beds in Norma Bay, Izembek Lagoon, Alaska. The table provides eelgrass shoot lengths and density measurements from sampling in September 1987.Mapping Data of Eelgrass (Zostera marina) Distribution, Alaska and Baja California, Mexico
Coastal waters of southwestern Alaska the Baja California Peninsula, Mexico contain extensive beds of seagrass (eelgrass: Zostera marina and widgeongrass: Ruppia marina). Provided here are vector and raster geospatial datasets that characterize the distribution of seagrass, seaweeds, and other coastal habitats in waters adjacent to five National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska (Togiak, NWR, Izembek NWRPoint Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Widgeongrass (Ruppia marina) Abundance in Embayments of the North Pacific Coast of Baja California, Mexico
These data are in seven tables relating to surveys of eelgrass (Zostera marina) and widgeongrass ((Ruppia maritima) beds in embayments of the north Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico. The tables provide environmental conditions, eelgrass and widgeongrass abundance, and measurements used to estimate their aboveground biomass. These tables also provide information on percent cover, location, aPoint Sampling for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweeds in Duchikthluk and Shoal Bays of Nunivak Island, Alaska, 2010
These data are in seven tables relating to surveys of eelgrass beds in Duchikthluk and Shoal Bays of Nunivak Island, Alaska. The tables provide environmental conditions, eelgrass abundance, distribution, and measurements used to estimate overall biomass. These tables also provide information on percent cover and location of eelgrass and seaweeds/bluegreen algae, biomass of eelgrass, presence and aPoint Sampling Data from Eelgrass (Zostera marina), Seaweeds and Selected Invertebrates at Six Embayments and Two Islands at the End of the Alaska Peninsula
This dataset is from surveys for the abundance and distribution of eelgrass and seaweeds that were made at six embayments and two offshore islands at the southwestern end of the Alaska Peninsula in August-September 2012. The five tables provide information on percent cover and location of eelgrass and seaweeds, presence and absence of selected invertebrates, locations of eelgrass genetic samples,Point Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweed Distribution and Abundance in Bays Adjacent to the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
These data are in nine tables relating to surveys of eelgrass beds in Izembek and Kinzarof Lagoons, Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska. The tables provide environmental conditions, eelgrass abundance, distribution, and measurements used to estimate overall biomass.Point Sampling Data for Eelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweed Distribution and Abundance in Bays Adjacent to the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2008-2010
These data are in six tables relating to surveys of eelgrass beds in three bays adjacent to Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, in southwestern Alaska. The tables provide environmental conditions, eelgrass abundance, distribution, and measurements used to estimate overall biomass.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
These data are in six tables relating to surveys of eelgrass beds in Chignik Lagoon and Mud Bay, Alaska Peninsula-Becharof National Wildlife Refuges. The tables provide environmental conditions, eelgrass abundance, distribution, and measurements used to estimate overall biomass.Map of eelgrass distribution and field survey points in Chignik Lagoon and Mud Bay, Alaska in 2010
This doi was reserved and published in error. Field survey data of eelgrass distribution and abundance at Chignik Lagoon are available in a USGS Data Release: https://doi.org/10.5066/P9URZJYW Map data of eelgrass distribution from locations in Alaska (including Chignik Lagoon) are available in a USGS Data Release: https://doi.org/10.5066/P9WEK4JIDetection of Seagrass Pathogens using Environmental DNA (eDNA), North Pacific, 2016-Present
This data set is comprised of one table with sampling information and NCBI BioProject accession numbers for sequence information of this amplicon-based study targeting Labyrinthula, Phytophthora, and Halophytophthora of known pathogenic and non-pathogenic [to eelgrass (Zostera marina)] strains from eDNA samples. eDNA samples included water, sediment, and eelgrass from Notsuke Wan (Cove) Japan, SafEelgrass (Zostera marina) Microsatellite DNA Data; Pacific Coast of North America, 2000-2009
Genetic data collected from eelgrass (Zostera marina) populations along the Pacific coast of North America from Alaska to Baha California. 447 samples were collected comprising 401 unique individuals (genets) and 46 clones (ramets) from which 10 microsatellite loci were obtained. - Multimedia
- Publications
Below are publications associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 16Ocean current patterns drive the worldwide colonization of eelgrass (Zostera marina)
Currents are unique drivers of oceanic phylogeography and thus determine the distribution of marine coastal species, along with past glaciations and sea-level changes. Here we reconstruct the worldwide colonization history of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.), the most widely distributed marine flowering plant or seagrass from its origin in the Northwest Pacific, based on nuclear and chloroplast genomeAuthorsLei Yu, Marina Khachaturyan, Michael Matschiner, Adam Healey, Diane Bauer, Brenda Cameron, Mathieu Cusson, J. Emmett Duffy, F. Joel Fodrie, Diana Gill, Jane Grimwood, Masakazu Hori, Kevin Hovel, A. Randall Hughes, Marlene Jahnke, J. Jenkins, K. Keymanesh, C. Kruschel, S. Mamidi, Damian M. Menning, P. Moksnes, M. Nakaoka, C. Pennacchio, K. Reiss, F. Rossi, J. Ruesink, S. Schultz, S. Talbott, R. Unsworth, David H. Ward, T. Dagan, J. Schmutz, J. A. Eisen, J. Stachowicz, Y. Van de Peer, J. L. Olsen, T. B. H. ReuschSpatial extent of seagrasses (Zostera marina and Ruppia maritima) along the central Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico, 1999–2000
The seagrasses eelgrass (Zostera marina) and widgeongrass (Ruppia maritima) are prominent features of coastal lagoons along the Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico, supporting a rich diversity of marine life. Yet little is known about their spatial distribution in this region. This is a concern because of declining trends in the abundance and distribution of seagrass in parts of northern BajaAuthorsDavid H. Ward, Alexandra Morton, Carl J. Markon, Kyle R. HogrefeAbundance of eelgrass (Zostera marina) at key Black Brant (Branta bernicla nigricans) wintering sites along the northern Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico, 1998–2012
Trends in the abundance and distribution of eelgrass (Zostera marina), the primary winter forage of black brant (Branta bernicla nigricans), was evaluated at three major wintering sites for black brant along the northern Pacific coast of Baja California, Mexico. This region of northwestern Mexico contains significant beds of eelgrass that were showing signs of decline, which may negatively affectAuthorsDavid H. WardEelgrass (Zostera marina) and seaweed abundance along the coast of Nunivak Island, Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2010
Eelgrass (<em>Zostera marina</em>) is a highly productive seagrass that plays an essential role in the health of the estuarine and coastal ecosystems; however, information about its abundance and distribution is insufficient in the Bering Sea along the Yukon Delta National Wildlife Refuge. We inventoried the spatial extent and abundance of eelgrass and seaweed in Duchikthluk and Shoal bays on NuniAuthorsDavid H. Ward, Kyle R. Hogrefe, Tyrone F. Donnelly, Lucretia L. FairchildInventory of eelgrass (Zostera marina) and seaweeds at the end of the Alaska Peninsula, August–September 2012:
Coastal communities in Alaska are undergoing rapid environmental change from increasing temperatures and baseline data are needed to monitor potential impacts. We conducted the first surveys of the abundance and distribution of eelgrass (Zostera marina) and seaweeds in the western part of Izembek National Wildlife Refuge at the end of the Alaska Peninsula. Six embayments and two offshore islands wAuthorsDavid H. Ward, Kyle R. Hogrefe, Tyronne F. Donnelly, Neils C. Dau, Orville Lind, Kevin J. Payne, Sandra C. LindstromEelgrass (Zostera marina) and Seaweed Abundance along the Coast of Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2008–10
We conducted a point-sampling survey to determine eelgrass (Zostera marina) and seaweed abundance in coastal waters adjacent to Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, in July 2008–10. Eelgrass was known to be abundant in protected embayments of the southeastern Bering Sea and near the Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, but prior to this study, no systematic ground surveys had been conducted in theAuthorsDavid H. Ward, Kyle R. Hogrefe, Michael A. Swaim, Tyronne F. Donnelly, Lucretia L. FairchildAbundance and distribution of eelgrass (Zostera marina) and seaweeds at Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2007–10
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) meadows are expansive along the lower Alaska Peninsula, supporting a rich diversity of marine life, yet little is known about their status and trends in the region. We tested techniques to inventory and monitor trends in the spatial extent and abundance of eelgrass in lagoons of the Izembek National Wildlife Refuge. We determined if Landsat imagery could be used to assessAuthorsDavid H. Ward, Kyle R. Hogrefe, Tyronne F. Donnelly, Lucretia L. Fairchild, Kristine M. Sowl, Sandra C. LindstromDistribution of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in coastal waters adjacent to Togiak National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska
Declines in the distribution and abundance of seagrasses worldwide have prompted a need for baseline distribution maps of eelgrass (Zostera marina) in Alaska. We used high-resolution digital-color aerial photography and multi-spectral satellite imagery to map the distribution and spatial extent of eelgrass at 21 sites in coastal waters adjacent to Togiak National Wildlife Refuge (TNWR) in northwesAuthorsDavid H. Ward, Kyle R. Hogrefe, Tyronne F. Donnelly, Michael A. SwaimEelgrass (Zostera marina) and seaweed assessment Alaska Peninsula-Becharof National Wildlife Refuges, 2010
We conducted the first assessment of eelgrass and seaweed distribution and abundance along the coast of the Alaska Peninsula-Becharof National Wildlife Refuges in Chignik Lagoon and Mud Bay. Areal extent of eelgrass, as determined from remote-sensing techniques, was estimated to be 2,414 hectares in Chignik Lagoon and 188 hectares in Mud Bay, and eelgrass was the dominant marine macrophyte in eachAuthorsDavid H. Ward, Kyle R. Hogrefe, Tyronne F. Donnelly, Lucretia L. Fairchild, Ron BrittonMonitoring annual trends in abundance of eelgrass (Zostera marina) at Izembek National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, 2018
A lagoon-wide, point-sampling survey of eelgrass (Zostera marina) abundance was conducted in Izembek Lagoon, Alaska, August 7–16, 2018, the ninth year of annual surveys (2007–11, 2015–18). Mean predicted aboveground biomass of eelgrass across 116 sampled points was 238 grams per square meter (g m-2) (95 percent confidence interval: 203–278 g m-2) in 2018, an increase of 240 percent from the previoAuthorsDavid H. Ward, Courtney L. AmundsonVolcanic ash deposition, eelgrass beds, and inshore habitat loss from the 1920s to the 1990s at Chignik, Alaska
We quantified the shallowing of the seafloor in five of six bays examined in the Chignik region of the Alaska Peninsula, confirming National Ocean Service observations that 1990s hydrographic surveys were shallower than previous surveys from the 1920s. Castle Bay, Chignik Lagoon, Hook Bay, Kujulik Bay and Mud Bay lost volume as calculated from Mean Lower Low Water (Chart Datum) to the deepest deptAuthorsMark Zimmermann, Gregory T. Ruggerone, Jeffrey T. Freymueller, Nicole Kinsman, David H. Ward, Kyle R. HogrefeEstablishing a baseline for regional scale monitoring of eelgrass (Zostera marina) habitat on the lower Alaska Peninsula
Seagrass meadows, one of the world’s most widespread and productive ecosystems, provide a wide range of services with real economic value. Worldwide declines in the distribution and abundance of seagrasses and increased threats to coastal ecosystems from climate change have prompted a need to acquire baseline data for monitoring and protecting these important habitats. We assessed the distributionAuthorsKyle R. Hogrefe, David H. Ward, Tyrone F. Donnelly, Niels Dau