Scientists anticipate that the fish community in the lagoons near Kaktovik, Alaska, Beaufort Sea, now includes more saffron cod (Eleginus gracilis) and larger saffron cod, like the one pictured here, given that the species has a higher thermal tolerance than many other co-occurring marine fishes.
Nearshore systems provide habitat to a unique community of marine and diadromous (lives in both fresh and saltwater) fish and support high fish abundance.
Return to Ecosystems >> Fish and Aquatic Ecology
In the Arctic, rapid changes in temperature and salinity have led to changes in where fish commonly occur. Recent offshore survey efforts also provide an opportunity to compare fish abundance between offshore and nearshore habitats to understand which species use nearshore and offshore habitats and if nearshore habitats are used for specific part of their lives (like juvenile rearing, feeding, or reproduction).
Updated information on fish community and use of nearshore habitats will provide management agencies with information for assessments and improve understanding of current susceptibility and risks of development and production in federal waters.
Project Tasks:
- Examine the composition of nearshore fish communities along spatial (central to eastern Beaufort) and temporal (inter-annual) scales.
- Describe the distribution and abundance of marine and diadromous fish species in nearshore habitats in relation to known hydrographic (e.g., salinity, temperature) and biological (e.g., presence of kelp) drivers.
- Assess the possible connectivity between continental shelf and estuarine nearshore fish communities through comparative analyses of community assemblage, abundance, and individual attributes (e.g., length) to identify the role of nearshore habitats.

The Summer Oceanography Program is a 5-day adventure based in Kaktovik, Alaska. See video of engaged local students from Kaveolook School through K-12 Oceanography Program.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Fish and Aquatic Ecology
Assessing heat stress in migrating Yukon River Chinook Salmon
Condition of Forage Fish in Prince William Sound During the Marine Heatwave
Winter Habitat of Juvenile Dolly Varden in the Canning River
Arctic Lake Food Webs
Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas
Lake Trout Biochronologies as Long-term Climate and Productivity Indicators in Alaska Lake Ecosystems
Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Ecology
Effect of Elodea spp. on Fish Performance Mediated Through Food Web Interactions
Sockeye Salmon Migrating at the Northern Edge of Their Distribution
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Fish Nutritional Quality, Biomarkers, Communities, and Environmental Data from the Nearshore Beaufort Sea, Alaska, 2021-2023
Water Temperature, Electrical Conductivity, and Salinity of Lagoons in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska, 2017-2019
Nearshore Fish Isotope Values, Beaufort Sea, Alaska, 2017-2019
Fish Communities of the Nearshore Beaufort Sea, Alaska, Across Three Decades, 1988-2019
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Scientists anticipate that the fish community in the lagoons near Kaktovik, Alaska, Beaufort Sea, now includes more saffron cod (Eleginus gracilis) and larger saffron cod, like the one pictured here, given that the species has a higher thermal tolerance than many other co-occurring marine fishes.
Scientists Sarah Laske (USGS ASC), Daniel Fraser (University of Texas and Beaufort Lagoons LTER), and Ashley Stanek (USGS ASC), empty the daily catch of nearshore fishes from a fyke net to a floating net pen in Jago Lagoon in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Note the slumping tundra right along that coastline.
Scientists Sarah Laske (USGS ASC), Daniel Fraser (University of Texas and Beaufort Lagoons LTER), and Ashley Stanek (USGS ASC), empty the daily catch of nearshore fishes from a fyke net to a floating net pen in Jago Lagoon in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Note the slumping tundra right along that coastline.
USGS Alaska Science Center scientists Vanessa von Biela (left) and Sarah Laske (right) prepare to empty the daily catch from a fyke net in Kaktovik Lagoon, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, Beaufort Sea.
USGS Alaska Science Center scientists Vanessa von Biela (left) and Sarah Laske (right) prepare to empty the daily catch from a fyke net in Kaktovik Lagoon, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, Beaufort Sea.
Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) char captured in brackish water along the Beaufort Sea coastline. Dolly Varden are an important subsistence fish across their range.
Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) char captured in brackish water along the Beaufort Sea coastline. Dolly Varden are an important subsistence fish across their range.
Arctic smelt (Osmerus dentex) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. This species is a close relative of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax)
Arctic smelt (Osmerus dentex) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. This species is a close relative of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax)
Arctic smelt (Osmerus dentex) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. This species is a close relative of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax).
Arctic smelt (Osmerus dentex) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. This species is a close relative of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax).
Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska.
Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska.
Least cisco (Coregonus sardinella) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Least cisco are part of subsistence fisheries in Alaska.
Least cisco (Coregonus sardinella) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Least cisco are part of subsistence fisheries in Alaska.
Humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Humpback whitefish are part of subsistence fisheries in Alaska.
Humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Humpback whitefish are part of subsistence fisheries in Alaska.
Broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Broad whitefish are part of subsistence fisheries in Alaska.
Broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Broad whitefish are part of subsistence fisheries in Alaska.
Two Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Arctic cod are the primary forage fish and a key prey item for predators in the Pacific Arctic.
Two Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Arctic cod are the primary forage fish and a key prey item for predators in the Pacific Arctic.
The sampling team (Sean Burril of BOEM; Ashley Stanek of USGS ASC and Sarah Laske of USGS ASC) removes individual fish from floating net pens, identify, measure length, and release the fish back to the lagoon.
The sampling team (Sean Burril of BOEM; Ashley Stanek of USGS ASC and Sarah Laske of USGS ASC) removes individual fish from floating net pens, identify, measure length, and release the fish back to the lagoon.
Image of the juvenile Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) that first confirmed successful reproduction of Pacific salmon in the North American Arctic. This fish was captured on August 10, 2017, in Jago Lagoon, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Beaufort Sea, Alaska, U.S.A.
Image of the juvenile Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) that first confirmed successful reproduction of Pacific salmon in the North American Arctic. This fish was captured on August 10, 2017, in Jago Lagoon, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Beaufort Sea, Alaska, U.S.A.

Biologists identify species, count, measure length, and release thousands of fish each year to understand how fish use nearshore habitats.
Biologists identify species, count, measure length, and release thousands of fish each year to understand how fish use nearshore habitats.
An underwater image of fish captured by a fyke net near Kaktovik, Alaska, Beaufort Sea, USA. The small silver fish with dark backs are young-of-year (age-0) Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) and the flatfish are Arctic flounder (Liopsetta glacialis).
An underwater image of fish captured by a fyke net near Kaktovik, Alaska, Beaufort Sea, USA. The small silver fish with dark backs are young-of-year (age-0) Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) and the flatfish are Arctic flounder (Liopsetta glacialis).

A fyke net or fish trap used for continuous sampling of nearshore fish in shallow waters. Fish swimming along the beach are stopped by a small-mesh net that guides them in to one of these two underwater fish traps that are set side by side. Researchers visit nets at least once a day to identify, count, and release fish.
A fyke net or fish trap used for continuous sampling of nearshore fish in shallow waters. Fish swimming along the beach are stopped by a small-mesh net that guides them in to one of these two underwater fish traps that are set side by side. Researchers visit nets at least once a day to identify, count, and release fish.
Flock of birds over Arey Island near Kaktovik on the coastline of the Beaufort Sea.
Flock of birds over Arey Island near Kaktovik on the coastline of the Beaufort Sea.
Eroding coastline of the Beaufort Sea on Arey Island near Kaktovik.
Eroding coastline of the Beaufort Sea on Arey Island near Kaktovik.
Fourhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus quadricornis) captured near Kaktovik, Alaska
Fourhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus quadricornis) captured near Kaktovik, Alaska
Fourhorn sculpin on a measuring board captured near Kaktovik, Alaska.
Fourhorn sculpin on a measuring board captured near Kaktovik, Alaska.
Fyke net set in Kaktovik Lagoon with the town of Kaktovik, Alaska in the background
Fyke net set in Kaktovik Lagoon with the town of Kaktovik, Alaska in the background
Below are publications associated with this project.
Arctic fishes reveal patterns in radiocarbon age across habitats and with recent climate change
Local environmental conditions structured discrete fish assemblages in Arctic lagoons
Borealization of nearshore fishes on an interior Arctic shelf over multiple decades
Barrier islands influence the assimilation of terrestrial energy in nearshore fishes
First juvenile Chum Salmon confirms successful reproduction for Pacific salmon in the North American Arctic
Below are partners associated with this project.
Nearshore systems provide habitat to a unique community of marine and diadromous (lives in both fresh and saltwater) fish and support high fish abundance.
Return to Ecosystems >> Fish and Aquatic Ecology
In the Arctic, rapid changes in temperature and salinity have led to changes in where fish commonly occur. Recent offshore survey efforts also provide an opportunity to compare fish abundance between offshore and nearshore habitats to understand which species use nearshore and offshore habitats and if nearshore habitats are used for specific part of their lives (like juvenile rearing, feeding, or reproduction).
Updated information on fish community and use of nearshore habitats will provide management agencies with information for assessments and improve understanding of current susceptibility and risks of development and production in federal waters.
Project Tasks:
- Examine the composition of nearshore fish communities along spatial (central to eastern Beaufort) and temporal (inter-annual) scales.
- Describe the distribution and abundance of marine and diadromous fish species in nearshore habitats in relation to known hydrographic (e.g., salinity, temperature) and biological (e.g., presence of kelp) drivers.
- Assess the possible connectivity between continental shelf and estuarine nearshore fish communities through comparative analyses of community assemblage, abundance, and individual attributes (e.g., length) to identify the role of nearshore habitats.

The Summer Oceanography Program is a 5-day adventure based in Kaktovik, Alaska. See video of engaged local students from Kaveolook School through K-12 Oceanography Program.
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Fish and Aquatic Ecology
Assessing heat stress in migrating Yukon River Chinook Salmon
Condition of Forage Fish in Prince William Sound During the Marine Heatwave
Winter Habitat of Juvenile Dolly Varden in the Canning River
Arctic Lake Food Webs
Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas
Lake Trout Biochronologies as Long-term Climate and Productivity Indicators in Alaska Lake Ecosystems
Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Ecology
Effect of Elodea spp. on Fish Performance Mediated Through Food Web Interactions
Sockeye Salmon Migrating at the Northern Edge of Their Distribution
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Fish Nutritional Quality, Biomarkers, Communities, and Environmental Data from the Nearshore Beaufort Sea, Alaska, 2021-2023
Water Temperature, Electrical Conductivity, and Salinity of Lagoons in the Beaufort Sea, Alaska, 2017-2019
Nearshore Fish Isotope Values, Beaufort Sea, Alaska, 2017-2019
Fish Communities of the Nearshore Beaufort Sea, Alaska, Across Three Decades, 1988-2019
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Scientists anticipate that the fish community in the lagoons near Kaktovik, Alaska, Beaufort Sea, now includes more saffron cod (Eleginus gracilis) and larger saffron cod, like the one pictured here, given that the species has a higher thermal tolerance than many other co-occurring marine fishes.
Scientists anticipate that the fish community in the lagoons near Kaktovik, Alaska, Beaufort Sea, now includes more saffron cod (Eleginus gracilis) and larger saffron cod, like the one pictured here, given that the species has a higher thermal tolerance than many other co-occurring marine fishes.
Scientists Sarah Laske (USGS ASC), Daniel Fraser (University of Texas and Beaufort Lagoons LTER), and Ashley Stanek (USGS ASC), empty the daily catch of nearshore fishes from a fyke net to a floating net pen in Jago Lagoon in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Note the slumping tundra right along that coastline.
Scientists Sarah Laske (USGS ASC), Daniel Fraser (University of Texas and Beaufort Lagoons LTER), and Ashley Stanek (USGS ASC), empty the daily catch of nearshore fishes from a fyke net to a floating net pen in Jago Lagoon in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. Note the slumping tundra right along that coastline.
USGS Alaska Science Center scientists Vanessa von Biela (left) and Sarah Laske (right) prepare to empty the daily catch from a fyke net in Kaktovik Lagoon, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, Beaufort Sea.
USGS Alaska Science Center scientists Vanessa von Biela (left) and Sarah Laske (right) prepare to empty the daily catch from a fyke net in Kaktovik Lagoon, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Alaska, Beaufort Sea.
Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) char captured in brackish water along the Beaufort Sea coastline. Dolly Varden are an important subsistence fish across their range.
Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma) char captured in brackish water along the Beaufort Sea coastline. Dolly Varden are an important subsistence fish across their range.
Arctic smelt (Osmerus dentex) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. This species is a close relative of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax)
Arctic smelt (Osmerus dentex) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. This species is a close relative of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax)
Arctic smelt (Osmerus dentex) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. This species is a close relative of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax).
Arctic smelt (Osmerus dentex) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. This species is a close relative of rainbow smelt (Osmerus mordax).
Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska.
Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska.
Least cisco (Coregonus sardinella) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Least cisco are part of subsistence fisheries in Alaska.
Least cisco (Coregonus sardinella) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Least cisco are part of subsistence fisheries in Alaska.
Humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Humpback whitefish are part of subsistence fisheries in Alaska.
Humpback whitefish (Coregonus pidschian) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Humpback whitefish are part of subsistence fisheries in Alaska.
Broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Broad whitefish are part of subsistence fisheries in Alaska.
Broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Broad whitefish are part of subsistence fisheries in Alaska.
Two Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Arctic cod are the primary forage fish and a key prey item for predators in the Pacific Arctic.
Two Arctic cod (Boreogadus saida) captured along the Beaufort Sea coastline in Alaska. Arctic cod are the primary forage fish and a key prey item for predators in the Pacific Arctic.
The sampling team (Sean Burril of BOEM; Ashley Stanek of USGS ASC and Sarah Laske of USGS ASC) removes individual fish from floating net pens, identify, measure length, and release the fish back to the lagoon.
The sampling team (Sean Burril of BOEM; Ashley Stanek of USGS ASC and Sarah Laske of USGS ASC) removes individual fish from floating net pens, identify, measure length, and release the fish back to the lagoon.
Image of the juvenile Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) that first confirmed successful reproduction of Pacific salmon in the North American Arctic. This fish was captured on August 10, 2017, in Jago Lagoon, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Beaufort Sea, Alaska, U.S.A.
Image of the juvenile Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) that first confirmed successful reproduction of Pacific salmon in the North American Arctic. This fish was captured on August 10, 2017, in Jago Lagoon, Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Beaufort Sea, Alaska, U.S.A.

Biologists identify species, count, measure length, and release thousands of fish each year to understand how fish use nearshore habitats.
Biologists identify species, count, measure length, and release thousands of fish each year to understand how fish use nearshore habitats.
An underwater image of fish captured by a fyke net near Kaktovik, Alaska, Beaufort Sea, USA. The small silver fish with dark backs are young-of-year (age-0) Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) and the flatfish are Arctic flounder (Liopsetta glacialis).
An underwater image of fish captured by a fyke net near Kaktovik, Alaska, Beaufort Sea, USA. The small silver fish with dark backs are young-of-year (age-0) Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) and the flatfish are Arctic flounder (Liopsetta glacialis).

A fyke net or fish trap used for continuous sampling of nearshore fish in shallow waters. Fish swimming along the beach are stopped by a small-mesh net that guides them in to one of these two underwater fish traps that are set side by side. Researchers visit nets at least once a day to identify, count, and release fish.
A fyke net or fish trap used for continuous sampling of nearshore fish in shallow waters. Fish swimming along the beach are stopped by a small-mesh net that guides them in to one of these two underwater fish traps that are set side by side. Researchers visit nets at least once a day to identify, count, and release fish.
Flock of birds over Arey Island near Kaktovik on the coastline of the Beaufort Sea.
Flock of birds over Arey Island near Kaktovik on the coastline of the Beaufort Sea.
Eroding coastline of the Beaufort Sea on Arey Island near Kaktovik.
Eroding coastline of the Beaufort Sea on Arey Island near Kaktovik.
Fourhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus quadricornis) captured near Kaktovik, Alaska
Fourhorn sculpin (Myoxocephalus quadricornis) captured near Kaktovik, Alaska
Fourhorn sculpin on a measuring board captured near Kaktovik, Alaska.
Fourhorn sculpin on a measuring board captured near Kaktovik, Alaska.
Fyke net set in Kaktovik Lagoon with the town of Kaktovik, Alaska in the background
Fyke net set in Kaktovik Lagoon with the town of Kaktovik, Alaska in the background
Below are publications associated with this project.
Arctic fishes reveal patterns in radiocarbon age across habitats and with recent climate change
Local environmental conditions structured discrete fish assemblages in Arctic lagoons
Borealization of nearshore fishes on an interior Arctic shelf over multiple decades
Barrier islands influence the assimilation of terrestrial energy in nearshore fishes
First juvenile Chum Salmon confirms successful reproduction for Pacific salmon in the North American Arctic
Below are partners associated with this project.