Alaska has over 6,500 miles of coastline and the marine areas off these coasts are some of the most productive in the world in terms of fish and the seabirds that often feed on those fish. Almost 100 million seabirds breed and nest along the rocky and grassy coastlines of Alaska. The status and population trends of fish and seabirds is of interest to many people in Alaska because their abundance and health reflect the health of marine ecosystems upon which many people depend.
Return to USGS Alaska Q&A Series
Recent changes in ocean water temperature and prey availability and quality have been identified as important factors in the health and numbers of seabird and fish populations in Alaska. Understanding the factors responsible for changes in seabird and fish populations in coastal areas of Alaska is a role of USGS to provide data requested by management agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This information also helps the public better understand the cause of seabird mortalities seen on Alaska’s coasts. You can learn more about the USGS Ecosystems and seabird research programs in this short video.
In this Q&A, Caitlin Marsteller, a biologist at the USGS Alaska Science Center, talks about her research. Caitlin studies seabirds and their forage fish prey in southcentral Alaska , where her work often takes place on the USGS R/V Alaskan Gyre, a 50-foot research vessel.
There are a lot of different nets and instruments involved with your work. What is all that gear for?
For our work collecting forage fish in Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet, our primary fishing method is a midwater modified herring trawl that we use to catch fish we detect on a scientific hydro-acoustic echosounder. We also use lots of other fishing methods too, such as a mid-water trawl net, dip nets, cast nets, gill nets and hook and line, especially in nearshore or shallow water habitats. Sometimes, when the fish are too small or tricky to catch, we can even use a camera on a fishing pole to identify what species the fish are. Other instruments we use on the R/V Alaskan Gyre include a small net to collect zooplankton and a conductivity, temperature, and depth profiler, or “CTD”, that collects water samples and takes oceanographic measurements. We also use binoculars to count and identify birds.
We’ve seen news of big changes in fish abundance in oceans near Alaska. Are you seeing this in your research too?
We have seen changes in forage fish abundance and quality in our surveys, most notably following the 2014-2016 North Pacific Marine heatwave. Some of the most important forage fish species in this region include Pacific capelin, sand lance, herring and, even though they aren’t fish, euphausiids (also known as krill). Capelin, which are a cold-water species, collapsed at the onset of the heatwave, which was indicated by a shift to younger adults spawning. During this same time, Pacific sand lance were smaller and had lower energy content than those collected before the heatwave and the overall euphausiid biomass decreased, as cold-water species became less available. Collectively these changes, as well as others, decreased the overall availability and quality of prey in marine ecosystems, which had lasting effects for marine predators. Recent summaries of findings from the USGS Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology research team can be found at these links on heat-wave impacts to forage fish and seabirds and overall effects of the Pacific Marine Heatwave to coastal ecosystems.
The photos on the USGS website of working on the R/V Alaskan Gyre, are amazing. Is the weather always that nice when you are working out there?
I wish! We do have some beautiful days on the R/V Alaskan Gyre, especially in Prince William Sound, where the weather is often calm and sunny in the summer. But working on a boat means always keeping track of weather systems and understanding tides and currents, because conditions change quickly. Along with sunny, calm days we also have days with seas so big we have to stop surveys and strap everything down so it doesn’t fall overboard, days with fog so dense you can’t see more than a few meters in front of the boat, and trips when it pours down rain for days. But regardless of the conditions, it really is amazing out there. You get to see so many beautiful remote areas, incredible wildlife, and have a ton of fun with an unbeatable captain and crew!
Are there opportunities for the public to learn more about your work when you are in coastal communities?
Yes! We try to share our work in Homer whenever possible, including things like giving talks to students at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies and having interns from the Islands and Oceans Visitor Center onboard the R/V Alaskan Gyre. Unfortunately, our summer field season is short, working twelve-hour days surveying during weather windows, so free time can be limited. But if you ever see us tied up in the Homer harbor, or counting birds at Gull Island, feel free to say hello! You can also find our research at local conferences, including the Alaska Marine Science Symposium and the Kachemak Bay Science Conference, as well as in the annual State of Kachemak Bay report.
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology
Cook Inlet Seabird and Forage Fish Study
Detecting Long-term Changes in Forage Fish Populations in Prince William Sound, Alaska
- Overview
Alaska has over 6,500 miles of coastline and the marine areas off these coasts are some of the most productive in the world in terms of fish and the seabirds that often feed on those fish. Almost 100 million seabirds breed and nest along the rocky and grassy coastlines of Alaska. The status and population trends of fish and seabirds is of interest to many people in Alaska because their abundance and health reflect the health of marine ecosystems upon which many people depend.
Return to USGS Alaska Q&A Series
Recent changes in ocean water temperature and prey availability and quality have been identified as important factors in the health and numbers of seabird and fish populations in Alaska. Understanding the factors responsible for changes in seabird and fish populations in coastal areas of Alaska is a role of USGS to provide data requested by management agencies such as the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This information also helps the public better understand the cause of seabird mortalities seen on Alaska’s coasts. You can learn more about the USGS Ecosystems and seabird research programs in this short video.
In this Q&A, Caitlin Marsteller, a biologist at the USGS Alaska Science Center, talks about her research. Caitlin studies seabirds and their forage fish prey in southcentral Alaska , where her work often takes place on the USGS R/V Alaskan Gyre, a 50-foot research vessel.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain. Visit Media to see details.Caitlin Marsteller stands on top of Duck Island, on the west side of lower Cook Inlet, after collecting time lapse cameras. Duck island is home to a breeding colony of Common Murres where time lapse cameras collect data, such as the number of eggs laid and the number of chicks hatched, to help estimate breeding productivity. Common Murres at this colony, as well as others in the Gulf of Alaska, have experienced multi-year reproductive failures following the 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave. There are a lot of different nets and instruments involved with your work. What is all that gear for?
For our work collecting forage fish in Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet, our primary fishing method is a midwater modified herring trawl that we use to catch fish we detect on a scientific hydro-acoustic echosounder. We also use lots of other fishing methods too, such as a mid-water trawl net, dip nets, cast nets, gill nets and hook and line, especially in nearshore or shallow water habitats. Sometimes, when the fish are too small or tricky to catch, we can even use a camera on a fishing pole to identify what species the fish are. Other instruments we use on the R/V Alaskan Gyre include a small net to collect zooplankton and a conductivity, temperature, and depth profiler, or “CTD”, that collects water samples and takes oceanographic measurements. We also use binoculars to count and identify birds.
We’ve seen news of big changes in fish abundance in oceans near Alaska. Are you seeing this in your research too?
We have seen changes in forage fish abundance and quality in our surveys, most notably following the 2014-2016 North Pacific Marine heatwave. Some of the most important forage fish species in this region include Pacific capelin, sand lance, herring and, even though they aren’t fish, euphausiids (also known as krill). Capelin, which are a cold-water species, collapsed at the onset of the heatwave, which was indicated by a shift to younger adults spawning. During this same time, Pacific sand lance were smaller and had lower energy content than those collected before the heatwave and the overall euphausiid biomass decreased, as cold-water species became less available. Collectively these changes, as well as others, decreased the overall availability and quality of prey in marine ecosystems, which had lasting effects for marine predators. Recent summaries of findings from the USGS Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology research team can be found at these links on heat-wave impacts to forage fish and seabirds and overall effects of the Pacific Marine Heatwave to coastal ecosystems.
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.The research vessel Alaskan Gyre is near a glacier in Prince William Sound, Alaska. The photos on the USGS website of working on the R/V Alaskan Gyre, are amazing. Is the weather always that nice when you are working out there?
I wish! We do have some beautiful days on the R/V Alaskan Gyre, especially in Prince William Sound, where the weather is often calm and sunny in the summer. But working on a boat means always keeping track of weather systems and understanding tides and currents, because conditions change quickly. Along with sunny, calm days we also have days with seas so big we have to stop surveys and strap everything down so it doesn’t fall overboard, days with fog so dense you can’t see more than a few meters in front of the boat, and trips when it pours down rain for days. But regardless of the conditions, it really is amazing out there. You get to see so many beautiful remote areas, incredible wildlife, and have a ton of fun with an unbeatable captain and crew!
Are there opportunities for the public to learn more about your work when you are in coastal communities?
Yes! We try to share our work in Homer whenever possible, including things like giving talks to students at the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies and having interns from the Islands and Oceans Visitor Center onboard the R/V Alaskan Gyre. Unfortunately, our summer field season is short, working twelve-hour days surveying during weather windows, so free time can be limited. But if you ever see us tied up in the Homer harbor, or counting birds at Gull Island, feel free to say hello! You can also find our research at local conferences, including the Alaska Marine Science Symposium and the Kachemak Bay Science Conference, as well as in the annual State of Kachemak Bay report.
- Science
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology
Alaska's coastal and offshore waters provide foraging habitat for an estimated 100 million birds comprising more than 90 different species; from loons and seaducks that nest inland, to petrels and puffins that breed on islands off shore. All these birds depend on the sea to provide a wide variety of food types— from clams, crabs and urchins nearshore— to krill, forage fish, and squid offshore. The...Cook Inlet Seabird and Forage Fish Study
A massive die-off of Common Murres was documented in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) during the fall and winter of 2015-2016 in association with a record-breaking marine heat wave in the GOA.Detecting Long-term Changes in Forage Fish Populations in Prince William Sound, Alaska
Forage fish are small pelagic schooling fish that play a key role in transferring energy between plankton and top marine predators. Many seabirds, marine mammals, and commercial fish species depend on forage fish to grow and survive.