Kimberly Kloecker (she/her/hers) is a marine biologist at the Alaska Science Center and is part of the Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research Program. Her work centers on sea otter behavior, ecology, and health. Kim is involved with USGS Diversity and Inclusion activities and works to involve students, interns, and volunteers in USGS Nearshore research.
Professional Experience
1998 - Present Ecologist, USGS, Alaska Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
1996 - 1998 Statistical Assistant, USGS, Alaska Biological Science Center, Anchorage, Alaska
1993 - 1995 Peace Corps Volunteer, U.S. Peace Corps, Fiji
1992 - 1992 Specialist, R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer Weddell Sea, Antarctica
Education and Certifications
M.S. 1993 University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA Marine Science
B.S. 1989 Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI Biology
Science and Products
Filter Total Items: 24
Where land and sea meet: Brown bears and sea otters
In Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA, we have seen changes in the number of brown bears and sea otters. The number of animals of a species a habitat can support is called carrying capacity. Even though bears live on land and sea otters live in the ocean, these two mammals share coastal habitats. Bears eat salmon, other fish, plants, clams, and beached whales. Sea otters feed on clams and other mar
Divergent gene expression profiles in Alaskan sea otters: An indicator of chronic domoic acid exposure?
An opportunistic investigation into ecosystem instability in Kachemak Bay (KBay), Alaska, has led us to investigate exposure to toxic algae in sea otters. We used gene expression to explore the physiological health of sea otters sampled in KBay in May 2019. We found altered levels of gene transcripts in comparison with reference sea otters from clinically normal, oil-exposed, and nutritionally cha
Genetic variation in sea otters (Enhydra lutris) from the North Pacific with relevance to the threatened Southwest Alaska Distinct Population Segment
For the sea otter (Enhydra lutris), genetic population structure is an area of research that has not received significant attention, especially in Southwest Alaska where that distinct population segment has been listed as threatened since 2005 pursuant to the U.S. Endangered Species Act. In this study, 501 samples from 14 locations from Prince William Sound, Alaska to the Commander Islands in Russ
Sea otter population collapse in southwest Alaska: Assessing ecological covariates, consequences, and causal factors
Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) populations in southwest Alaska declined substantially between about 1990 and the most recent set of surveys in 2015. Here we report changes in the distribution and abundance of sea otters, and covarying patterns in reproduction, mortality, body size and condition, diet and foraging behavior, food availability, health profiles, and exposure to environmental contaminants
Timelines and mechanisms of wildlife population recovery following the Exxon Valdez oil spill
Research and monitoring activities over the 28 years since the T/V Exxon Valdez ran aground and spilled oil into Prince William Sound, Alaska have led to an improved understanding of how wildlife populations were damaged, as well as the mechanisms and timelines of recovery. A key finding was that for some species, such as harlequin ducks and sea otters, chronic oil spill effects persisted for at l
Variability within nearshore ecosystems of the Gulf of Alaska
Nearshore marine habitats, which represent the interface among air, land and sea, form a critical component of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) ecosystem. As an interface, the nearshore facilitates transfer of water, nutrients and biota between terrestrial and oceanic systems, creating zones of high productivity. The nearshore provides a variety of ecosystem services, including (1) nursery grounds for a w
Pacific blue mussel (Mytilus trossulus) abundance in the Gulf of Alaska: Synthesis of Gulf Watch data (2006-2013) and a consideration of major recruitment events (1989-2013)
Pacific blue mussels (Mytilus trossulus) are abundant and wide-spread primary consumers in the intertidal zone throughout the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). As a component of the Gulf Watch Alaska monitoring program, they represent a key member of intertidal communities and an important prey resource to a number of nearshore vertebrate predators. Our goal is to understand variation in abundance of M. tross
Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Project final report: Monitoring for evaluation of recovery and restoration of injured nearshore resources
In 2012, we completed three consecutive years of full field sampling in WPWS for EVOS Restoration Project 10100750. Nearshore monitoring was conducted in collaboration with the NPS SWAN I&M program and, beginning in 2012, as part of the EVOSTC GWA program. Data collection was done in accordance with standard operating procedures set forth to monitor marine water chemistry and quality, marine inter
Timelines and mechanisms of wildlife population recovery following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
In March 1989, the T/V Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska and spilled an estimated 42 million liters of crude oil (Wolfe et al. 1994). This oil subsequently spread over more than 26,000 km2 of water surface in PWS and the Gulf of Alaska and landed on more than 1000 km of shoreline (Spies et al. 1996, Short et al. 2004; see Fig. 1 in Esler et al., this report). Initial c
2013 update on sea otter studies to assess recovery from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, Prince William Sound, Alaska
On March 24, 1989, the tanker vessel Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling an estimated 42 million liters of Prudhoe Bay crude oil. Oil spread in a southwesterly direction and was deposited on shores and waters in western Prince William Sound (WPWS). The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) was one of more than 20 nearshore species considered to have been injured by the spill. S
Synthesis of nearshore recovery following the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill: sea otter liver pathology and survival in Western Prince William Sound, 2001 – 2008
We examined livers and liver biopsies collected from captured sea otters in WPWS, 2001–2008, to determine whether indicators of liver health correlated with history of oil contamination from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. Sea otters captured in oiled areas had a significantly higher proportion of livers with gross pathological change, based on visual inspection at the time of capture, than those
Long-term effects of the 'Exxon Valdez' oil spill: Sea otter foraging in the intertidal as a pathway of exposure to lingering oil
The protracted recovery of some bird and mammal populations in western Prince William Sound (WPWS), Alaska, and the persistence of spilled 'Exxon Valdez' oil in intertidal sediments, suggests a pathway of exposure to consumers that occupy nearshore habitats. To evaluate the hypothesis that sea otter (Enhydra lutris) foraging allows access to lingering oil, we contrast spatial relations between for
Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research
Nearshore ecosystems include many resources that are of high ecological, recreational, subsistence, and economic value. They also are subject to influences from a wide variety of natural and human-caused perturbations, which can originate in terrestrial or oceanic environments. Our research is designed to evaluate sources of variation in the nearshore and how they influence resources of high...
Filter Total Items: 15
Intertidal Temperature Data from Kachemak Bay, Prince William Sound, Katmai National Park and Preserve, and Kenai Fjords National Park
These data are part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) long-term monitoring program. This dataset consists of date, time, and temperature measurements from intertidal rocky sampling sites, including predicted tide height at the time of the reading, which is used to distinguish air from water temperature readings. The data are provided as comma separated values (.csv) files derived from data downloaded
Intertidal Mussel (Mytilus) Data from Prince William Sound, Katmai National Park and Preserve, and Kenai Fjords National Park
These data are part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) long-term monitoring program and describe mussel sampling and observations conducted in the northern Gulf of Alaska. This dataset consists of six comma separated files (.csv): 1) mussel sampling site layout information, 2) mussel counts for mussels greater than 20 millimeters in a quadrat, 3) mussel size measurements for mussels greater than 20 mi
Intertidal and Subtidal Sea Otter Prey Sampling in Mixed Sediment Habitat in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, 1998 to 2011
This dataset provides clam species abundance and size data from intertidal and subtidal mixed sediment habitats in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (GBNPP). Data are provided for all observed clams, horse mussels, or urchins 14 mm or larger. Sampling involved excavating 25 cm of substrate from quadrats (approximately 0.25 sq meter) along transects at random and selected sites, 10 quadrats at
Bioenergetics and Morphology of Mussels (Mytilus trossulus) in Kenai Fjords National Park
This dataset provides one table of bioenergetic and morphological measurements of Pacific blue mussels (Mytilus trossulus; N = 444) collected at three intertidal sites in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska. Mussels were collected at the same tidal height across all three sites on a nearly monthly basis from 2014-2015.
Sea Otter Survey Data, Carcass Recovery Data, and Blood Chemistry Data from Southwest Alaska
Three data sets are included here to aid in assessment of the sea otter population collapse in southwest Alaska. One data set consists of results of sea otter surveys conducted between 1959 and 2015 at Bering Island, Russia and a selection of western Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Sea otter counts are reduced to a comparable value of otters per linear kilometer. Another data set consists per-capita a
Morphometric and Reproductive Status Data for Sea Otters Collected or Captured in Alaska
This dataset includes morphometric measurements and pregnancy / dependency status from sea otters captured or collected (experimental harvests or recovered after the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill) in Alaska, 1947-2019 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Data collected include total body length, tail length, body mass, axillary girth, paw width, canine diam
Gulf Watch Alaska, Nearshore Component: Sea Otter Mortality Age Data from Katmai National Park and Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, and Prince William Sound, Alaska, 2006-2017
These data are part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) long term monitoring program, nearshore monitoring component. The dataset is a comma separated file exported from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The data consist of information related to collection of sea otter carcasses. Collectors walked selected shorelines searching for signs of carcasses. Date, location, carcass condition, parts collected, an
Intertidal Soft-Sediment Bivalves from Prince William Sound, Kachemak Bay, Katmai National Park and Preserve, and Kenai Fjords National Park
These data are part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) long-term monitoring program and describe bivalve count and size sampling and observations conducted at intertidal soft-sediment sampling sites in the northern Gulf of Alaska. This dataset consists of five comma separated files (.csv): 1) bivalve taxonomy table, 2) bivalve sampling site table, 3) bivalve count table, 4) bivalve size table, and 5)
Gulf Watch Alaska Nearshore Component: Marine Bird and Mammal Survey Data from Katmai National Park and Preserve and Kenai Fjords National Park, 2012-2016
These data are part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) long term monitoring program, nearshore monitoring component. The dataset is a series of comma separated files exported from a survey software program (DLog, Ford Consulting, Portland, OR). The data consists of date, time, latitude, longitude, species abbreviation, count, and behavior. Each year the observers attempt to sample the same set of tra
Gulf Watch Alaska Nearshore Component: Marine Water Quality, Water Temperature from Prince William Sound, Katmai National Park and Preserve, and Kenai Fjords National Park, 2014-2016
This data is part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) long term monitoring program, nearshore monitoring component. The data consists of date, time, and temperature measurements from intertidal rocky sampling sites. The dataset is 5 comma separated files exported from a download from the HOBO temperature logger. Sites are in Alaska and include locations in Katmai National Park and Preserve, Kenai Fjor
Sea Otter Gene Transcription Data from Kodiak, the Alaska Peninsula, and Prince William Sound, Alaska, 2005-2012
This data set includes capture location, date, sex, and results of molecular gene transcription analysis for sea otters (Enhydra lutris) sampled in western Prince William Sound (WPWS), Alaska and comparison samples collected from Kodiak and the Alaska Peninsula, and reference samples collected from captive animals. Samples were collected between 2005 and 2012.
(Molecular gene transcription is t
Gulf Watch Alaska, Nearshore Monitoring Component: Sea Otter Foraging Observations from Prince William Sound, Katmai National Park and Preserve, and Kenai Fjords National Park, 2012-2016
This data is part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) long term monitoring program, benthic monitoring component and a seasonal diet study in Kenai Fjords National Park. The dataset is a comma separated file exported from a Microsoft Access database. The data consists of observations made of foraging sea otters (Enhydra lutris). Observers used Questar field model spotting scopes and binoculars to ident
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Filter Total Items: 24
Where land and sea meet: Brown bears and sea otters
In Katmai National Park, Alaska, USA, we have seen changes in the number of brown bears and sea otters. The number of animals of a species a habitat can support is called carrying capacity. Even though bears live on land and sea otters live in the ocean, these two mammals share coastal habitats. Bears eat salmon, other fish, plants, clams, and beached whales. Sea otters feed on clams and other marDivergent gene expression profiles in Alaskan sea otters: An indicator of chronic domoic acid exposure?
An opportunistic investigation into ecosystem instability in Kachemak Bay (KBay), Alaska, has led us to investigate exposure to toxic algae in sea otters. We used gene expression to explore the physiological health of sea otters sampled in KBay in May 2019. We found altered levels of gene transcripts in comparison with reference sea otters from clinically normal, oil-exposed, and nutritionally chaGenetic variation in sea otters (Enhydra lutris) from the North Pacific with relevance to the threatened Southwest Alaska Distinct Population Segment
For the sea otter (Enhydra lutris), genetic population structure is an area of research that has not received significant attention, especially in Southwest Alaska where that distinct population segment has been listed as threatened since 2005 pursuant to the U.S. Endangered Species Act. In this study, 501 samples from 14 locations from Prince William Sound, Alaska to the Commander Islands in RussSea otter population collapse in southwest Alaska: Assessing ecological covariates, consequences, and causal factors
Sea otter (Enhydra lutris) populations in southwest Alaska declined substantially between about 1990 and the most recent set of surveys in 2015. Here we report changes in the distribution and abundance of sea otters, and covarying patterns in reproduction, mortality, body size and condition, diet and foraging behavior, food availability, health profiles, and exposure to environmental contaminants
Timelines and mechanisms of wildlife population recovery following the Exxon Valdez oil spill
Research and monitoring activities over the 28 years since the T/V Exxon Valdez ran aground and spilled oil into Prince William Sound, Alaska have led to an improved understanding of how wildlife populations were damaged, as well as the mechanisms and timelines of recovery. A key finding was that for some species, such as harlequin ducks and sea otters, chronic oil spill effects persisted for at lVariability within nearshore ecosystems of the Gulf of Alaska
Nearshore marine habitats, which represent the interface among air, land and sea, form a critical component of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) ecosystem. As an interface, the nearshore facilitates transfer of water, nutrients and biota between terrestrial and oceanic systems, creating zones of high productivity. The nearshore provides a variety of ecosystem services, including (1) nursery grounds for a wPacific blue mussel (Mytilus trossulus) abundance in the Gulf of Alaska: Synthesis of Gulf Watch data (2006-2013) and a consideration of major recruitment events (1989-2013)
Pacific blue mussels (Mytilus trossulus) are abundant and wide-spread primary consumers in the intertidal zone throughout the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). As a component of the Gulf Watch Alaska monitoring program, they represent a key member of intertidal communities and an important prey resource to a number of nearshore vertebrate predators. Our goal is to understand variation in abundance of M. trossExxon Valdez Oil Spill Restoration Project final report: Monitoring for evaluation of recovery and restoration of injured nearshore resources
In 2012, we completed three consecutive years of full field sampling in WPWS for EVOS Restoration Project 10100750. Nearshore monitoring was conducted in collaboration with the NPS SWAN I&M program and, beginning in 2012, as part of the EVOSTC GWA program. Data collection was done in accordance with standard operating procedures set forth to monitor marine water chemistry and quality, marine interTimelines and mechanisms of wildlife population recovery following the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill
In March 1989, the T/V Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska and spilled an estimated 42 million liters of crude oil (Wolfe et al. 1994). This oil subsequently spread over more than 26,000 km2 of water surface in PWS and the Gulf of Alaska and landed on more than 1000 km of shoreline (Spies et al. 1996, Short et al. 2004; see Fig. 1 in Esler et al., this report). Initial c2013 update on sea otter studies to assess recovery from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill, Prince William Sound, Alaska
On March 24, 1989, the tanker vessel Exxon Valdez ran aground in Prince William Sound, Alaska, spilling an estimated 42 million liters of Prudhoe Bay crude oil. Oil spread in a southwesterly direction and was deposited on shores and waters in western Prince William Sound (WPWS). The sea otter (Enhydra lutris) was one of more than 20 nearshore species considered to have been injured by the spill. SSynthesis of nearshore recovery following the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill: sea otter liver pathology and survival in Western Prince William Sound, 2001 – 2008
We examined livers and liver biopsies collected from captured sea otters in WPWS, 2001–2008, to determine whether indicators of liver health correlated with history of oil contamination from the 1989 Exxon Valdez oil spill. Sea otters captured in oiled areas had a significantly higher proportion of livers with gross pathological change, based on visual inspection at the time of capture, than thoseLong-term effects of the 'Exxon Valdez' oil spill: Sea otter foraging in the intertidal as a pathway of exposure to lingering oil
The protracted recovery of some bird and mammal populations in western Prince William Sound (WPWS), Alaska, and the persistence of spilled 'Exxon Valdez' oil in intertidal sediments, suggests a pathway of exposure to consumers that occupy nearshore habitats. To evaluate the hypothesis that sea otter (Enhydra lutris) foraging allows access to lingering oil, we contrast spatial relations between for - Science
Nearshore Marine Ecosystem Research
Nearshore ecosystems include many resources that are of high ecological, recreational, subsistence, and economic value. They also are subject to influences from a wide variety of natural and human-caused perturbations, which can originate in terrestrial or oceanic environments. Our research is designed to evaluate sources of variation in the nearshore and how they influence resources of high... - Data
Filter Total Items: 15
Intertidal Temperature Data from Kachemak Bay, Prince William Sound, Katmai National Park and Preserve, and Kenai Fjords National Park
These data are part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) long-term monitoring program. This dataset consists of date, time, and temperature measurements from intertidal rocky sampling sites, including predicted tide height at the time of the reading, which is used to distinguish air from water temperature readings. The data are provided as comma separated values (.csv) files derived from data downloadedIntertidal Mussel (Mytilus) Data from Prince William Sound, Katmai National Park and Preserve, and Kenai Fjords National Park
These data are part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) long-term monitoring program and describe mussel sampling and observations conducted in the northern Gulf of Alaska. This dataset consists of six comma separated files (.csv): 1) mussel sampling site layout information, 2) mussel counts for mussels greater than 20 millimeters in a quadrat, 3) mussel size measurements for mussels greater than 20 miIntertidal and Subtidal Sea Otter Prey Sampling in Mixed Sediment Habitat in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve, Alaska, 1998 to 2011
This dataset provides clam species abundance and size data from intertidal and subtidal mixed sediment habitats in Glacier Bay National Park and Preserve (GBNPP). Data are provided for all observed clams, horse mussels, or urchins 14 mm or larger. Sampling involved excavating 25 cm of substrate from quadrats (approximately 0.25 sq meter) along transects at random and selected sites, 10 quadrats atBioenergetics and Morphology of Mussels (Mytilus trossulus) in Kenai Fjords National Park
This dataset provides one table of bioenergetic and morphological measurements of Pacific blue mussels (Mytilus trossulus; N = 444) collected at three intertidal sites in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska. Mussels were collected at the same tidal height across all three sites on a nearly monthly basis from 2014-2015.Sea Otter Survey Data, Carcass Recovery Data, and Blood Chemistry Data from Southwest Alaska
Three data sets are included here to aid in assessment of the sea otter population collapse in southwest Alaska. One data set consists of results of sea otter surveys conducted between 1959 and 2015 at Bering Island, Russia and a selection of western Aleutian Islands in Alaska. Sea otter counts are reduced to a comparable value of otters per linear kilometer. Another data set consists per-capita aMorphometric and Reproductive Status Data for Sea Otters Collected or Captured in Alaska
This dataset includes morphometric measurements and pregnancy / dependency status from sea otters captured or collected (experimental harvests or recovered after the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill) in Alaska, 1947-2019 by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Data collected include total body length, tail length, body mass, axillary girth, paw width, canine diamGulf Watch Alaska, Nearshore Component: Sea Otter Mortality Age Data from Katmai National Park and Preserve, Kenai Fjords National Park, and Prince William Sound, Alaska, 2006-2017
These data are part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) long term monitoring program, nearshore monitoring component. The dataset is a comma separated file exported from a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. The data consist of information related to collection of sea otter carcasses. Collectors walked selected shorelines searching for signs of carcasses. Date, location, carcass condition, parts collected, anIntertidal Soft-Sediment Bivalves from Prince William Sound, Kachemak Bay, Katmai National Park and Preserve, and Kenai Fjords National Park
These data are part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) long-term monitoring program and describe bivalve count and size sampling and observations conducted at intertidal soft-sediment sampling sites in the northern Gulf of Alaska. This dataset consists of five comma separated files (.csv): 1) bivalve taxonomy table, 2) bivalve sampling site table, 3) bivalve count table, 4) bivalve size table, and 5)Gulf Watch Alaska Nearshore Component: Marine Bird and Mammal Survey Data from Katmai National Park and Preserve and Kenai Fjords National Park, 2012-2016
These data are part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) long term monitoring program, nearshore monitoring component. The dataset is a series of comma separated files exported from a survey software program (DLog, Ford Consulting, Portland, OR). The data consists of date, time, latitude, longitude, species abbreviation, count, and behavior. Each year the observers attempt to sample the same set of traGulf Watch Alaska Nearshore Component: Marine Water Quality, Water Temperature from Prince William Sound, Katmai National Park and Preserve, and Kenai Fjords National Park, 2014-2016
This data is part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) long term monitoring program, nearshore monitoring component. The data consists of date, time, and temperature measurements from intertidal rocky sampling sites. The dataset is 5 comma separated files exported from a download from the HOBO temperature logger. Sites are in Alaska and include locations in Katmai National Park and Preserve, Kenai FjorSea Otter Gene Transcription Data from Kodiak, the Alaska Peninsula, and Prince William Sound, Alaska, 2005-2012
This data set includes capture location, date, sex, and results of molecular gene transcription analysis for sea otters (Enhydra lutris) sampled in western Prince William Sound (WPWS), Alaska and comparison samples collected from Kodiak and the Alaska Peninsula, and reference samples collected from captive animals. Samples were collected between 2005 and 2012. (Molecular gene transcription is tGulf Watch Alaska, Nearshore Monitoring Component: Sea Otter Foraging Observations from Prince William Sound, Katmai National Park and Preserve, and Kenai Fjords National Park, 2012-2016
This data is part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA) long term monitoring program, benthic monitoring component and a seasonal diet study in Kenai Fjords National Park. The dataset is a comma separated file exported from a Microsoft Access database. The data consists of observations made of foraging sea otters (Enhydra lutris). Observers used Questar field model spotting scopes and binoculars to ident