Fish and aquatic habitats in Alaska support important commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries and provide forage fish that support wildlife populations. The USGS Alaska Science Center conducts interdisciplinary research to inform local, state, federal, and international policy makers regarding conservation of fish, aquatic species, and their habitats. We work collaboratively with hydrologists, geologists and other biologists to study fish and aquatic systems in an ecosystem based framework. The goal of our current research effort is to improve our understanding of the biocomplexity, resilience, and function of aquatic ecosystems to better inform future predictions of fish and aquatic ecosystems as they respond to a changing environment.
Return to Ecosystems
- Assessing Heat Stress in Migrating Yukon River Chinook Salmon
- Nearshore Fish Surveys in the Beaufort Sea
- Sockeye Salmon Migrating at the Northern Edge of Their Distribution
- Effect of Elodea spp. on Fish Performance Mediated Through Food Web Interactions
- Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Ecology or Hydrology
- Primary production sources and bottom-up limitations in nearshore ecosystems
- Lake Trout Biochronologies as Long-term Climate and Productivity Indicators in Alaska Lake Ecosystems
- Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas
- Condition of Forage Fish in Prince William Sound during the marine heatwave
- Arctic Lake Food Webs
- Winter Habitat of juvenile Dolly Varden in the Canning River
- Beavers Impacting Tundra Ecosystems (BITE)
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 16
Does fish prey influence red-throated loon productivity?
This study will evaluate the nearshore marine feeding areas of breeding adult red-throated loons and assess the response of loon reproductive success to differences in the relative abundance, composition, and nutritional content of nearshore fish communities that vary in space and time.
Tracing Mercury Through Lake Food Webs
Mercury concentrations in fish likely reflect different energy sources in lake food webs. Species, populations, or individuals may contain higher and variable concentrations of mercury, which may relate directly to prey mercury content, diets of fish, and fish foraging strategies.
Beavers Impacting Tundra Ecosystems (BITE)
The range expansion of the North American beaver (Castor canadensis) has implications for water quality, aquatic ecosystems, and fisheries in Arctic streams.
Condition of Forage Fish in Prince William Sound During the Marine Heatwave
Changes in the body condition of a key forage fish species, Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes personatus), are examined to understand how energy transfer to predators may have been disrupted during the recent marine heatwave in the North Pacific (late 2013 to mid 2016).
Winter Habitat of Juvenile Dolly Varden in the Canning River
In the Arctic, rivers often freeze all the way to the bottom each winter leaving fish with limited habitat where they can survive.
Arctic Lake Food Webs
From 2011 to 2013 we investigated freshwater food webs of Arctic Coastal Plain lakes in Alaska to improve our understanding how Arctic freshwater food webs may respond to landscape change the warmer, drier future.
Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas
In addition to the direct effects of sea ice loss on walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) and polar bears (Ursus maritimus) that use ice as a platform, the decline of Arctic sea ice is predicted to promote a fundamental ecosystem shift from benthic animals that forage on the sea floor to pelagic animals that forage near the sea surface.
Lake Trout Biochronologies as Long-term Climate and Productivity Indicators in Alaska Lake Ecosystems
High latitude ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to long-term climate change, yet continuous, multidecadal indicators by which to gauge effects on biology are scarce, especially in freshwater environments.
Primary Production Sources and Bottom-up Limitations in Nearshore Ecosystems
Kelp forests are among the world’s most productive habitats, but recent evidence suggests that production is highly variable.
Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Ecology
Permafrost thaw is leading to a myriad of changes in physical and chemical conditions throughout the Arctic.
Effect of Elodea spp. on Fish Performance Mediated Through Food Web Interactions
The potential for invasive species introductions in Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems is growing as climate change manifests and human activity increases in high latitudes.
Sockeye Salmon Migrating at the Northern Edge of Their Distribution
The physiological challenge for anadromous fish to migrate upriver to spawn and complete their life cycle is influenced by river temperature.
- Overview
Fish and aquatic habitats in Alaska support important commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries and provide forage fish that support wildlife populations. The USGS Alaska Science Center conducts interdisciplinary research to inform local, state, federal, and international policy makers regarding conservation of fish, aquatic species, and their habitats. We work collaboratively with hydrologists, geologists and other biologists to study fish and aquatic systems in an ecosystem based framework. The goal of our current research effort is to improve our understanding of the biocomplexity, resilience, and function of aquatic ecosystems to better inform future predictions of fish and aquatic ecosystems as they respond to a changing environment.
Return to Ecosystems
- Assessing Heat Stress in Migrating Yukon River Chinook Salmon
- Nearshore Fish Surveys in the Beaufort Sea
- Sockeye Salmon Migrating at the Northern Edge of Their Distribution
- Effect of Elodea spp. on Fish Performance Mediated Through Food Web Interactions
- Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Ecology or Hydrology
- Primary production sources and bottom-up limitations in nearshore ecosystems
- Lake Trout Biochronologies as Long-term Climate and Productivity Indicators in Alaska Lake Ecosystems
- Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas
- Condition of Forage Fish in Prince William Sound during the marine heatwave
- Arctic Lake Food Webs
- Winter Habitat of juvenile Dolly Varden in the Canning River
- Beavers Impacting Tundra Ecosystems (BITE)
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.Beach seining on the spawing grounds of sockeye salmon in Salmon Lake. This is the headwater of the Pilgrim River which is the northern edge of the sockeye salmon distribution.(Credit: Mike Carey, USGS. Public domain.) - Science
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Filter Total Items: 16Does fish prey influence red-throated loon productivity?
This study will evaluate the nearshore marine feeding areas of breeding adult red-throated loons and assess the response of loon reproductive success to differences in the relative abundance, composition, and nutritional content of nearshore fish communities that vary in space and time.Tracing Mercury Through Lake Food Webs
Mercury concentrations in fish likely reflect different energy sources in lake food webs. Species, populations, or individuals may contain higher and variable concentrations of mercury, which may relate directly to prey mercury content, diets of fish, and fish foraging strategies.Beavers Impacting Tundra Ecosystems (BITE)
The range expansion of the North American beaver (Castor canadensis) has implications for water quality, aquatic ecosystems, and fisheries in Arctic streams.Condition of Forage Fish in Prince William Sound During the Marine Heatwave
Changes in the body condition of a key forage fish species, Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes personatus), are examined to understand how energy transfer to predators may have been disrupted during the recent marine heatwave in the North Pacific (late 2013 to mid 2016).Winter Habitat of Juvenile Dolly Varden in the Canning River
In the Arctic, rivers often freeze all the way to the bottom each winter leaving fish with limited habitat where they can survive.Arctic Lake Food Webs
From 2011 to 2013 we investigated freshwater food webs of Arctic Coastal Plain lakes in Alaska to improve our understanding how Arctic freshwater food webs may respond to landscape change the warmer, drier future.Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas
In addition to the direct effects of sea ice loss on walrus (Odobenus rosmarus divergens) and polar bears (Ursus maritimus) that use ice as a platform, the decline of Arctic sea ice is predicted to promote a fundamental ecosystem shift from benthic animals that forage on the sea floor to pelagic animals that forage near the sea surface.Lake Trout Biochronologies as Long-term Climate and Productivity Indicators in Alaska Lake Ecosystems
High latitude ecosystems are among the most vulnerable to long-term climate change, yet continuous, multidecadal indicators by which to gauge effects on biology are scarce, especially in freshwater environments.Primary Production Sources and Bottom-up Limitations in Nearshore Ecosystems
Kelp forests are among the world’s most productive habitats, but recent evidence suggests that production is highly variable.Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Ecology
Permafrost thaw is leading to a myriad of changes in physical and chemical conditions throughout the Arctic.Effect of Elodea spp. on Fish Performance Mediated Through Food Web Interactions
The potential for invasive species introductions in Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems is growing as climate change manifests and human activity increases in high latitudes.Sockeye Salmon Migrating at the Northern Edge of Their Distribution
The physiological challenge for anadromous fish to migrate upriver to spawn and complete their life cycle is influenced by river temperature. - Data
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