Rates of glacier loss in the northern Pacific coastal temperate rainforest (PCTR) are among the highest on Earth. These changes in glacier volume and extent will affect the flow and chemistry of coastal rivers, as well as the nearshore marine ecosystem of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA).
Runoff from glaciers accounts for about half of the land-to-ocean movement of freshwater into the GOA, strongly influencing the freshwater and marine ecosystems along the coast. Runoff from glaciers, for example, significantly impacts the water temperature and clarity of aquatic habitats, which are important conditions for salmon reproduction. Moreover, runoff from glaciers along the GOA is an important factor in the structure of the Alaska Coastal Current, which, in turn, sustains multi-million dollar commercial fisheries, subsistence fisheries, and millions of coastal marine birds and mammals.
Through this project, scientists examined the physical, chemical and biological interconnections that characterize the northern PCTR ecosystem, with particular emphasis on the potential impacts of glacier change in the coastal mountain ranges on surface-water hydrology, biogeochemistry, coastal oceanography and aquatic ecology. Their research reveals a tightly interconnected biophysical system in the northern PCTR, with glaciers as an integral component.
Learn more about their findings from the publications and products below.
Learn more about the related project Ice2O: Assessing Icefield-to-Ocean Change in the Pacific Coastal Temperate Rainforest (PCTR)
