Fish and Aquatic Ecology
Science Center Objects
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 Wildlife, Fish, and Habitats
- 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)
- 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)
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.)
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Date published: October 16, 2019Status: ActiveBeavers 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.
Contacts: Michael P Carey, Ph.D., Joshua C Koch, Ph.D., Brett A Poulin, PhD, Jonathan O’Donnell, PhD, Ken Tape, PhD -
Date published: May 6, 2019Status: ActiveWinter 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.
Contacts: Vanessa von Biela, Ph.D., Michael P Carey, Ph.D., Randy J. Brown -
Date published: April 25, 2018Status: ActiveArctic 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.
Contacts: Sarah Laske, Ph.D., Christian E Zimmerman, Ph.D., Joshua C Koch, Ph.D., Joel A Schmutz, Ph.D., Amanda Rosenberger, Ph.D., Mark Wipfli, Matthew Whitman -
Date published: April 25, 2018Status: ActiveCondition 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).
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Date published: April 24, 2018Status: ActiveEcosystem 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.
Contacts: Vanessa von Biela, Ph.D., David Douglas, Daniel Esler, Ph.D., Chadwick V Jay, Ph.D., Christian E Zimmerman, Ph.D., Bryan Black, Kenneth Dutton -
Date published: April 24, 2018Status: ActiveLake 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.
Contacts: Vanessa von Biela, Ph.D., Christian E Zimmerman, Ph.D., Bryan Black, Randy J. Brown, Dan Young -
Date published: April 19, 2018Status: ActivePrimary 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.
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Date published: April 18, 2018Status: ActiveHydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Ecology
Permafrost thaw is leading to a myriad of changes in physical and chemical conditions throughout the Arctic.
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Date published: April 18, 2018Status: ActiveEffect 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.
Contacts: Michael P Carey, Ph.D., Suresh Andrew Sethi, Ph.D., Christian E Zimmerman, Ph.D., Dan Young, Gordon Reeves, Theresa Tanner -
Date published: April 17, 2018Status: ActiveSockeye 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.
Contacts: Michael P Carey, Ph.D., Stephen D McCormick, Amy Regish, Christian E Zimmerman, Ph.D., Kevin D. Keith, Merlyn Schelske, Charlie Lean
Energy allocation and feeding ecology of juvenile chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) during transition from freshwater to saltwater
Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) populations near their northern range extent in the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim region of Alaska have undergone major changes in population trajectory and illuminated the lack of basic information on juvenile ecology. This study fills information gaps on the early life history of chum salmon at northern latitudes....
Burril, Sean E.; von Biela, Vanessa R.; Hillbruber, Nicola; Zimmerman, Christian E. Extreme reduction in nutritional value of a key forage fish during the Pacific marine heatwave of 2014–2016
Pacific sand lance Ammodytes personatus are a key forage fish in the North Pacific for many species of salmon, groundfish, seabirds, and marine mammals and have historically been important to predators in relatively warm years. However, extreme declines in the nutritional value of sand lance in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA, during...
von Biela, Vanessa R.; Arimitsu, Mayumi L.; Piatt, John F.; Heflin, Brielle; Schoen, Sarah K.; Trowbridge, Jannelle; Clawson, Chelsea Potential effects of permafrost thaw on arctic river ecosystems
No abstract available.
O'Donnell, Jonathan A.; Zimmerman, Christian E.; Carey, Michael P.; Koch, Joshua C. Top-down control of invertebrates by Ninespine Stickleback in Arctic ponds
Despite their widespread presence in northern-latitude ecosystems, the ecological role of Ninespine Stickleback Pungitius pungitius is not well understood. Ninespine Stickleback can occupy both top and intermediate trophic levels in freshwater ecosystems, so their role in food webs as a predator on invertebrates and as a forage fish for...
Laske, Sarah M.; Rosenberger, Amanda E.; Kane, William J.; Wipfli, Mark S.; Zimmerman, Christian E. Widespread kelp-derived carbon in pelagic and benthic nearshore fishes
Kelp forests provide habitat for diverse and abundant fish assemblages, but the extent to which kelp provides a source of energy to fish and other predators is unclear. To examine the use of kelp-derived energy by fishes we estimated the contribution of kelp- and phytoplankton-derived carbon using carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) isotopes...
von Biela, Vanessa R.; Newsome, Seth D.; Bodkin, James L.; Kruse, Gordon H.; Zimmerman, Christian E. Using thermal limits to assess establishment of fish dispersing to high-latitude and high-elevation watersheds
Distributional shifts of biota to higher latitudes and elevations are presumably influenced by species-specific physiological tolerances related to warming temperatures. However, it is establishment rather than dispersal that may be limiting colonizations in these cold frontier areas. In freshwater ecosystems, perennial groundwater springs provide...
Dunmall, Karen M.; Mochnacz, Neil J.; Zimmerman, Christian E.; Lean, Charles; Reist, James D. Surface water connectivity drives richness and composition of Arctic lake fish assemblages
Surface water connectivity can influence the richness and composition of fish assemblages, particularly in harsh environments where colonisation factors and access to seasonal refugia are required for species persistence. Studies regarding influence of connectivity on Arctic fish distributions are limited and are rarely applied to whole...
Laske, Sarah M.; Haynes, Trevor B.; Rosenberger, Amanda E.; Koch, Joshua C.; Wipfli, Mark S.; Whitman, Matthew; Zimmerman, Christian E. A primer on potential impacts, management priorities, and future directions for Elodea spp. in high latitude systems: learning from the Alaskan experience
Invasive species introductions in Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems are growing as climate change manifests and human activity increases in high latitudes. The aquatic plants of the genus Elodea are potential invaders to Arctic and Subarctic ecosystems circumpolar and at least one species is already established in Alaska, USA. To illustrate the...
Carey, Michael P.; Sethi, Suresh A; Larsen, Sabrina J; Rich, Cecil F Influence of basin- and local-scale environmental conditions on nearshore production in the northeast Pacific Ocean
Nearshore marine habitats are productive and vulnerable owing to their connections to pelagic and terrestrial landscapes. To understand how ocean basin- and local-scale conditions may influence nearshore species, we developed an annual index of nearshore production (spanning the period 1972–2010) from growth increments recorded in otoliths of...
von Biela, Vanessa R.; Zimmerman, Christian E.; Kruse, Gordon H.; Mueter, Franz J.; Black, Bryan A.; Douglas, David C.; Bodkin, James L. Reconstructing turbidity in a glacially influenced lake using the Landsat TM and ETM+ surface reflectance climate data record archive, Lake Clark, Alaska
Lake Clark is an important nursery lake for sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the headwaters of Bristol Bay, Alaska, the most productive wild salmon fishery in the world. Reductions in water clarity within Alaska lake systems as a result of increased glacial runoff have been shown to reduce salmon production via reduced abundance of...
Baughman, Carson; Jones, Benjamin M.; Bartz, Krista K.; Young, Daniel B.; Zimmerman, Christian E. Evidence of bottom-up limitations in nearshore marine systems based on otolith proxies of fish growth
Fish otolith growth increments were used as indices of annual production at nine nearshore sites within the Alaska Coastal Current (downwelling region) and California Current (upwelling region) systems (~36–60°N). Black rockfish (Sebastes melanops) and kelp greenling (Hexagrammos decagrammus) were identified as useful indicators in pelagic and...
von Biela, Vanessa R.; Kruse, Gordon H.; Mueter, Franz J.; Black, Bryan A.; Douglas, David C.; Helser, Thomas E.; Zimmerman, Christian E. Strontium isotopes delineate fine-scale natal origins and migration histories of Pacific salmon
Highly migratory organisms present major challenges to conservation efforts. This is especially true for exploited anadromous fish species, which exhibit long-range dispersals from natal sites, complex population structures, and extensive mixing of distinct populations during exploitation. By tracing the migratory histories of individual Chinook...
Brennan, Sean R.; Zimmerman, Christian E.; Fernandez, Diego P.; Cerling, Thure E.; McPhee, Megan V.; Wooller, Matthew J.-
Date published: January 1, 2018Fish Species Composition and Diet Information in Lakes of the Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska, 2011-2013
This dataset provides information on fish species composition and their diet information for 16 lakes and 16 ponds at two locations on the central Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska. In one table, we provide the presence of fish species and the total species count for each lake or pond sampled. This table also includes metrics of surface water connectivity to the stream network. In a second table%2...
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: May 5, 2017
Count of Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), River Temperature, and River Height in the Pilgrim River, Nome, Alaska, 2003-2014
The dataset is the daily count of Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) passing through a fish counting weir on the Pilgrim River from 2003 to 2014. Also, included in the data set is the daily temperature and river height measured at the weir (65.103071°, -164.824046°).The fish weir was operated during the summer (late June to mid-September) by the Norton Sound Economic De
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: May 1, 2016
Arctic cisco stable isotope data, Prudhoe Bay, August 2009
This data set documents the carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios of age-0 Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) captured in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska in August 2009. The analysis of this data was published in von Biela et al. 2013 (Polar Biology 36:137-146, doi:10.1007/s00300-012-1244-x). All stable isotope results were provided by the University of Alaska Anchorage Environmental
Attribution: Alaska Science Center -
Date published: May 1, 2016
Arctic cisco stomach content data, Prudhoe Bay, August 2009
This data set documents the stomach contents of age-0 Arctic cisco (Coregonus autumnalis) captured in Prudhoe Bay, Alaska in August 2009. The analysis of this data was published in von Biela et al. 2013 (Polar Biology 36:137-146, doi:10.1007/s00300-012-1244-x). The data consists of counts of specific zooplankton taxa from individual fish stomachs.
Attribution: Alaska Science Center
Sampling the Imelyak River in the Brooks Range
Sampling the Imelyak River in the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range in Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.
Small arctic grayling in the Imelyak River, Brooks Range
Small arctic grayling hugging the bottom in the Imelyak River in the Brooks Range. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.
Akilik River stream sampling
Hiking up a stream from the Akilik River drainage to set minnow traps for fish sampling. This is a stream type at the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range, Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park.
Sampling a stream from the Akilik River drainage
Sampling a stream from the Akilik River drainage in the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range in Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.
The catch from a fyke net set near Kaktovik, Alaska
Biologists identify species, count, measure length, and release thousands of fish each year to understand how fish use nearshore habitats.
Underwater image of fish captured by a fyke net
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 set to catch nearshore fish near Kaktovik, Alaska
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.
Cross-section of a lake trout otolith
A transverse cross-section of a sagittal otolith from a lake trout collected in April, 1989, from Chandler Lake, Alaska, USA. Decadal growth increments (1980, 1970, and 1960) are dotted.
An aerial view of McKinley Lake, outside of Cordova, Alaska
McKinley Lake, outside of Cordova, Alaska. This is the site of deployment of limnocorrals for an Elodea spp. experiment.
Elim village children explore beach outcrops with USGS geologists
USGS geologists (Andy Allard, Beth Drewes-Todd and Alan Pongratz) investigating the rocks exposed on the beaches near the village of Elim with the trusty local guides and eager budding geologists.
Growth increments in a clam shell
Annual growth increments in an acetate peel of Serripes groenlandicus clam collected in the northeastern Chukchi Sea.
Dolly Varden and Arctic grayling in the Agashashok River
Underwater photo of a large school of Dolly Varden char and Arctic grayling in the Agashashok River. These fish were part of the Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.