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Mayumi L Arimitsu, Ph.D.

Forage fish, seabirds, predator-prey interactions, glacier-marine ecosystems, marine heatwaves, climate change

I lead research to identify factors influencing the status and trends of rare or threatened species on DOI lands, to understand the effects of glacier dynamics on coastal fjord ecosystems, and to document impacts of novel ocean climate patterns on the functioning of marine food webs. As the Pelagic Lead for the Gulf Watch Alaska long-term monitoring program I coordinate research integration across sampling programs for forage fish, marine birds, humpback whale, and killer whales.

Professional Experience

  • 2009 - Present     Research Ecologist, USGS Alaska Science Center, Juneau

  • 2007 - 2009          SCEP, USGS Alaska Science Center, Juneau

  • 2001 - 2007           Fishery Biologist USGS Alaska Science Center

Education and Certifications

  • Ph.D.    2016      University of Alaska Fairbanks, Juneau, Alaska    Fisheries

  • M.Sc.    2009     University of Alaska Fairbanks, Juneau, Alaska    Fisheries

  • B.Sc.     1998      U.C. Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, California                  Biology

Affiliations and Memberships*

  • Pacific Seabird Group

  • Kittlitz's Murrelet Technical Committee

  • American Fisheries Society

Honors and Awards

  • 2022 American Fisheries Society invited keynote speaker

  • 2019 Sitka Whalefest invited speaker

  • 2009 and 2010, Best student presentation, North Pacific Research Board

  • 2007 USGS Star Award for Exceptional Performance

  • 2005 USFWS Award of Appreciation, Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge

Science and Products

link
NPPSD illustration

North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database

The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) contains survey transect data designed and conducted by numerous partners primarily to census seabirds at sea. The NPPSD includes more than 489,000 transect segments and includes observations of nearly 21 million birds of 252 species collected over the span of 50 years (from 1973 to 2022).
By
Ecosystems, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database

The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) contains survey transect data designed and conducted by numerous partners primarily to census seabirds at sea. The NPPSD includes more than 489,000 transect segments and includes observations of nearly 21 million birds of 252 species collected over the span of 50 years (from 1973 to 2022).
Learn More
link
Dead birds on the beach

Seabird Die-offs in Alaska

Beginning in 2015, large numbers of dead seabirds have been appearing on beaches in most marine areas of Alaska. Although seabird die-offs are known to occur sporadically (e.g. 1970, 1989, 1993, 1997/1998, and 2004) in Alaska, these recent die-offs have been distinguished from past events by their increased frequency, duration, geographic extent, and number of different species involved.
By
Alaska Science Center
link

Seabird Die-offs in Alaska

Beginning in 2015, large numbers of dead seabirds have been appearing on beaches in most marine areas of Alaska. Although seabird die-offs are known to occur sporadically (e.g. 1970, 1989, 1993, 1997/1998, and 2004) in Alaska, these recent die-offs have been distinguished from past events by their increased frequency, duration, geographic extent, and number of different species involved.
Learn More
link
Pacific sand lance in a sieve from a purse seine in Prince William Sound

Condition 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).
By
Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

Condition 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).
Learn More
link
2 Black-legged Kittiwakes, one captured Pacific sand lance

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.
By
Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

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.
Learn More
link
A Tufted Puffin swimming in the sea in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska

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...
By
Ecosystems, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

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...
Learn More
link
Many types of small fish laid out on the table for counting

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.
By
Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
link

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.
Learn More
link
A bucket of the trawl catch of forage fish

Terrestrial Influence on Glacial-Marine Food Webs

Where glaciers meet the sea in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), they create unique and productive marine habitats. Ringed by the continent’s tallest coastal mountains, 20% of the GOA coastal watershed is covered by glacial ice and the annual freshwater discharge into the GOA from glacial melt is comparable to that of the Mississippi river.
By
Alaska Science Center
link

Terrestrial Influence on Glacial-Marine Food Webs

Where glaciers meet the sea in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), they create unique and productive marine habitats. Ringed by the continent’s tallest coastal mountains, 20% of the GOA coastal watershed is covered by glacial ice and the annual freshwater discharge into the GOA from glacial melt is comparable to that of the Mississippi river.
Learn More

Gridded Seabird Density Estimates in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska

This data set provides monthly (March-October) gridded density estimates for seabirds in lower Cook Inlet, Alaska. Gridded density estimates were produced by applying spatiotemporal modeling of at-sea survey data collected between 1975 and 2021 of seabird at-sea surveys available in the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD; Drew and Piatt 2015). We modeled joint dynamic species distributi
By
Alaska Science Center

Assessing the Status and Trends of Seabirds and Forage Fish in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska

This data release is composed of six datasets regarding colonial seabirds and forage fish at two seabird nesting colonies on Gull and Chisik Islands in lower Cook Inlet, Alaska. These data were collected to detect changes in the breeding population of Black-legged Kittiwakes and Common Murres on two nesting colonies in lower Cook Inlet and to compare those counts to baseline counts from 1995-1999.
By
Alaska Science Center

Tracking Data for Kittlitz's Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris)

This metadata document describes the data contained in the "rawData" folder of this data package. This data package contains all data collected by the Argos System from 47 satellite transmitters attached to Kittlitz's Murrelets captured along the north Gulf of Alaska, during May-July 2009-2015. Five data files are included in the "rawData" folder of this data package. Two data files (with identica
By
Alaska Science Center

Pelagic Forage Fish Distribution Abundance and Body Condition

Monitoring long-term changes in forage fish distribution, abundance and body condition in the Prince William Sound 2012-2019.
By
Alaska Science Center

North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD)

The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) is maintained by the USGS Alaska Science Center and includes survey transect data designed and conducted by numerous partners primarily to census seabirds at sea. The data provided here relate to observations of marine birds and mammals observed during at-sea surveys throughout the North Pacific including the Arctic Ocean, Beufort Sea, Chukchi Sea
By
Alaska Science Center

Inshore Catch Data for Capelin (Mallotus villosus) in the Gulf of Alaska 1996-2017

These data consist of larval (less than 60 mm) and age-1+ (greater than 60 mm) Capelin CPUE (Catch per unit effort) from various catch efforts throughout the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) from 1996 - 2017. The dataset contains the following information: fishing gear type, date, time, catch location (latitude and longitude), tow distance, number of capelin caught, and CPUE for capelin greater than and less
By
Alaska Science Center

Data Associated With Algal Toxin Testing of Common Murres (Uria aalge) and Forage Fish in Alaska, 2015-2017

This data set is comprised of two tables with results of algal toxin screening for saxitoxin and domoic acid. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to screen seabirds, forage fish, and marine invertebrates from the Gulf of Alaska, 2015-2017.
By
Alaska Science Center

Data from Common Murre Die-off Surveys and Necropsies Following the North Pacific Marine Heatwave, 2015-2016

These data are in two tables relating to a die-off of Common Murres in the north Pacific, 2015-2016. The tables provide: 1) beach survey locations, date, time, distance surveyed (kilometers), and number of Common Murre carcasses observed during surveys conducted along the coastline of Alaska to document the 2015-2016 die-off of Common Murres coincident with the North Pacific marine heatwave, and 2
By
Alaska Science Center

Pacific Sand Lance Energy Density, Length, and Age, Prince William Sound, Alaska, 2012-2016

This data set documents the age, length, dry mass energy density, and dry mass of age-0 and age-1 Pacific sand lance captured in Prince William Sound Alaska each July from 2012 to 2016. The analysis of this data was published in von Biela et al. 2019 (doi:10.3354/meps12891).
By
Alaska Science Center

Influence of Glacier Runoff on Ecosystem Structure in Gulf of Alaska Fjords 2004-2011

Marine ecosystems respond to a range of habitat variability in coastal zones modified by glacial freshwater outflows, biophysical data were collected in three study regions that included four major glacial fjord systems around the Gulf of Alaska. A suite of geographic, oceanographic, nutrient and biological attributes were sampled at these three study regions during peak ice-melt season in summer.
By
Alaska Science Center

Biogeochemical Subsidies from Glacier Runoff into Alaska Coastal Marine Food Webs, Gulf of Alaska, 2012-2013

To demonstrate connectivity between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, we used stable (#948;13C, #948;15N, #948;2H) and radiogenic (#8710;14C) isotopes to estimate the relative contribution of glacier runoff and terrestrial-derived organic matter (OM) to marine food webs. This dataset contains information on isotopic signatures from dissolved organic matter (DOM), dissolved inorganic matter (DIC)
By
Alaska Science Center
staff profile for Mayumi Arimitsu
link
forage species caught in trawl net, Alaska
link
young of the year walleye pollock
link
numerous Pacific herring in Prince William Sound, Alaska
link
ANSEP student Tatiana Korthuis recording data
link
Top to bottom: Pacific capelin, Pacific herring, Pacific sand lance, and juvenile walleye pollock
link
Graphic with five images. Shows land to ocean with whales, seals, nesting kittiwakes, and forage fish under the water.
link
Common Murres with visibly protruding keels flush from Gull Island, Kachemak Bay, Alaska
link
Emaciated Common Murre lays on the laboratory table
link
ASC biologists necropsy Common Murres
link
Kittlitz’s Murrelet takes flight in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
link
A lot of sand lance in a bucket from a beach seine in the Aleutian Islands
link
Filter Total Items: 43

Joint spatiotemporal models to predict seabird densities at sea

Introduction: Seabirds are abundant, conspicuous members of marine ecosystems worldwide. Synthesis of distribution data compiled over time is required to address regional management issues and understand ecosystem change. Major challenges when estimating seabird densities at sea arise from variability in dispersion of the birds, sampling effort over time and space, and differences in bird detectio
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Lingering impacts of the 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave on seabird demography in Cook Inlet, Alaska (USA)

A protracted period (2014-2016) of anomalously warm water in the northeast Pacific Ocean precipitated an extensive die-off of common murres Uria aalge (hereafter ‘murres’) during 2015-2016, accompanied by reduced colony attendance and reproductive success of murres and black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla (‘kittiwakes’) starting in 2015. Most murres died of starvation following a large-scale r
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Melanism in a Common Murre Uria aalge in Kachemak Bay, Alaska

In accord with melanism being uncommon in birds, we could find only six published records of completely melanistic Common Murres Uria aalge, one of the most widely and intensively studied of all seabirds. We added to the record by observing a Common Murre in completely dark, melanistic alternate plumage every summer from 2017 to 2021 at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, USA. In 2017, the bird f
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Diet analysis using generalized linear models derived from foraging processes using R package mvtweedie

Diet analysis integrates a wide variety of visual, chemical, and biological identification of prey. Samples are often treated as compositional data, where each prey is analyzed as a continuous percentage of the total. However, analyzing compositional data results in analytical challenges, for example, highly parameterized models or prior transformation of data. Here, we present a novel approximati
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Another bad year for seabirds on Gull Island

The USGS monitored Black-legged Kittiwake and Common Murre populations on Gull Island from 1995-1999, and from 2016-2021, following the 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave. USGS research, which is supported by the USGS and BOEM, includes population monitoring, and quantifying breeding success and predator disturbances. This information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revisi
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Kittlitz’s murrelet seasonal distribution and post-breeding migration from the Gulf of Alaska to the Arctic Ocean

Kittlitz’s Murrelets (Brachyramphus brevirostris) nest during summer in glaciated or recently deglaciated (post-Wisconsin) landscapes. They forage in adjacent marine waters, especially those influenced by glacial meltwater. Little is known of their movements and distribution outside the breeding season. To identify post-breeding migrations of murrelets, we attached satellite transmitters to birds
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Monitoring the recovery of seabirds and forage fish following a major ecosystem disruption in Lower Cook Inlet

Following the North Pacific marine heatwave of 2014-2016 and associated extreme die-off of seabirds in the winter of 2015-2016, we repeated historical marine bird and forage fish surveys around two seabird colonies (Gull Island, Chisik Island) in lower Cook Inlet during 2016-2019 in order to document immediate and lingering impacts of the heatwave on resident fish and seabird populations. At sea,
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Ecosystem response persists after a prolonged marine heatwave

Some of the longest and most comprehensive marine ecosystem monitoring programs were established in the Gulf of Alaska following the environmental disaster of the Exxon Valdez oil spill over 30 years ago. These monitoring programs have been successful in assessing recovery from oil spill impacts, and their continuation decades later has now provided an unparalleled assessment of ecosystem response
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Reduced quality and synchronous collapse of forage species disrupts trophic transfer during a prolonged marine heatwave

The Gulf of Alaska forage fish community includes a few key species that differ markedly in their timing of spawning, somatic growth and lipid storage, and in their migration behavior. This diversity in life history strategies facilitates resilience in marine food webs because it buffers predators against the naturally high variance in abundance of pelagic forage fish populations by decreasing the
By
Ecosystems, Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center

Heatwave-induced synchrony within forage fish portfolio disrupts energy flow to top pelagic predators

During the Pacific marine heatwave of 2014–2016, abundance and quality of several key forage fish species in the Gulf of Alaska were simultaneously reduced throughout the system. Capelin (Mallotus catervarius), sand lance (Ammodytes personatus), and herring (Clupea pallasii) populations were at historically low levels, and within this community abrupt declines in portfolio effects identify trophic
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Forecasting community reassembly using climate-linked spatio-temporal ecosystem models

Ecosystems are increasingly impacted by human activities, altering linkages among physical and biological components. Spatial community reassembly occurs when these human impacts modify the spatial overlap between system components, and there is need for practical tools to forecast spatial community reassembly at landscape scales using monitoring data. To illustrate a new approach, we extend a gen
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Seabird synthesis

Overall, the status of seabirds was fair to good in the WGOA in 2020, with limited data available from Middleton Island, Cook Inlet, and the Kodiak Archipelago (Figure 63). Colony attendance remains low in some populations compared to historic levels, and some colonies were newly abandoned. However, when birds did arrive to breed, reproductive success generally appeared fair to good for fish-eatin
By
Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

Non-USGS Publications**

Arimitsu, M. L. 2016. The influence of glaciers on coastal marine ecosystems in the Gulf of Alaska. Dissertation, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 154 p.
Arimitsu, M. L. 2009. Environmental gradients and prey availability relative to glacial features in Kittlitz's murrelet foraging habitat. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

**Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

link

Publication on Ecosystem Response to an Unprecedented Marine Heatwave in the Gulf of Alaska

The 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave in the Gulf of Alaska was the longest lasting heatwave globally over the past decade. A new study led...

Read Article
link

Video on USGS Pacific Seabird Research

This video features an overview of USGS and Ecosystems research with a focus on Pacific seabirds. Our scientists at the USGS Alaska Science Center...

Read Article
link

'The Blob' - The Story of the Pacific Heatwave

About 62,000 dead or dying common murres, the trophically dominant fish-eating seabird of the North Pacific, washed ashore between summer 2015 and...

Read Article

Science and Products

  • Science
    link
    NPPSD illustration

    North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database

    The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) contains survey transect data designed and conducted by numerous partners primarily to census seabirds at sea. The NPPSD includes more than 489,000 transect segments and includes observations of nearly 21 million birds of 252 species collected over the span of 50 years (from 1973 to 2022).
    By
    Ecosystems, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
    link

    North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database

    The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) contains survey transect data designed and conducted by numerous partners primarily to census seabirds at sea. The NPPSD includes more than 489,000 transect segments and includes observations of nearly 21 million birds of 252 species collected over the span of 50 years (from 1973 to 2022).
    Learn More
    link
    Dead birds on the beach

    Seabird Die-offs in Alaska

    Beginning in 2015, large numbers of dead seabirds have been appearing on beaches in most marine areas of Alaska. Although seabird die-offs are known to occur sporadically (e.g. 1970, 1989, 1993, 1997/1998, and 2004) in Alaska, these recent die-offs have been distinguished from past events by their increased frequency, duration, geographic extent, and number of different species involved.
    By
    Alaska Science Center
    link

    Seabird Die-offs in Alaska

    Beginning in 2015, large numbers of dead seabirds have been appearing on beaches in most marine areas of Alaska. Although seabird die-offs are known to occur sporadically (e.g. 1970, 1989, 1993, 1997/1998, and 2004) in Alaska, these recent die-offs have been distinguished from past events by their increased frequency, duration, geographic extent, and number of different species involved.
    Learn More
    link
    Pacific sand lance in a sieve from a purse seine in Prince William Sound

    Condition 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).
    By
    Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
    link

    Condition 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).
    Learn More
    link
    2 Black-legged Kittiwakes, one captured Pacific sand lance

    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.
    By
    Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
    link

    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.
    Learn More
    link
    A Tufted Puffin swimming in the sea in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska

    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...
    By
    Ecosystems, Land Management Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
    link

    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...
    Learn More
    link
    Many types of small fish laid out on the table for counting

    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.
    By
    Species Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center
    link

    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.
    Learn More
    link
    A bucket of the trawl catch of forage fish

    Terrestrial Influence on Glacial-Marine Food Webs

    Where glaciers meet the sea in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), they create unique and productive marine habitats. Ringed by the continent’s tallest coastal mountains, 20% of the GOA coastal watershed is covered by glacial ice and the annual freshwater discharge into the GOA from glacial melt is comparable to that of the Mississippi river.
    By
    Alaska Science Center
    link

    Terrestrial Influence on Glacial-Marine Food Webs

    Where glaciers meet the sea in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA), they create unique and productive marine habitats. Ringed by the continent’s tallest coastal mountains, 20% of the GOA coastal watershed is covered by glacial ice and the annual freshwater discharge into the GOA from glacial melt is comparable to that of the Mississippi river.
    Learn More
  • Data

    Gridded Seabird Density Estimates in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska

    This data set provides monthly (March-October) gridded density estimates for seabirds in lower Cook Inlet, Alaska. Gridded density estimates were produced by applying spatiotemporal modeling of at-sea survey data collected between 1975 and 2021 of seabird at-sea surveys available in the North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD; Drew and Piatt 2015). We modeled joint dynamic species distributi
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Assessing the Status and Trends of Seabirds and Forage Fish in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska

    This data release is composed of six datasets regarding colonial seabirds and forage fish at two seabird nesting colonies on Gull and Chisik Islands in lower Cook Inlet, Alaska. These data were collected to detect changes in the breeding population of Black-legged Kittiwakes and Common Murres on two nesting colonies in lower Cook Inlet and to compare those counts to baseline counts from 1995-1999.
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Tracking Data for Kittlitz's Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris)

    This metadata document describes the data contained in the "rawData" folder of this data package. This data package contains all data collected by the Argos System from 47 satellite transmitters attached to Kittlitz's Murrelets captured along the north Gulf of Alaska, during May-July 2009-2015. Five data files are included in the "rawData" folder of this data package. Two data files (with identica
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Pelagic Forage Fish Distribution Abundance and Body Condition

    Monitoring long-term changes in forage fish distribution, abundance and body condition in the Prince William Sound 2012-2019.
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD)

    The North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD) is maintained by the USGS Alaska Science Center and includes survey transect data designed and conducted by numerous partners primarily to census seabirds at sea. The data provided here relate to observations of marine birds and mammals observed during at-sea surveys throughout the North Pacific including the Arctic Ocean, Beufort Sea, Chukchi Sea
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Inshore Catch Data for Capelin (Mallotus villosus) in the Gulf of Alaska 1996-2017

    These data consist of larval (less than 60 mm) and age-1+ (greater than 60 mm) Capelin CPUE (Catch per unit effort) from various catch efforts throughout the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) from 1996 - 2017. The dataset contains the following information: fishing gear type, date, time, catch location (latitude and longitude), tow distance, number of capelin caught, and CPUE for capelin greater than and less
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Data Associated With Algal Toxin Testing of Common Murres (Uria aalge) and Forage Fish in Alaska, 2015-2017

    This data set is comprised of two tables with results of algal toxin screening for saxitoxin and domoic acid. We used enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to screen seabirds, forage fish, and marine invertebrates from the Gulf of Alaska, 2015-2017.
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Data from Common Murre Die-off Surveys and Necropsies Following the North Pacific Marine Heatwave, 2015-2016

    These data are in two tables relating to a die-off of Common Murres in the north Pacific, 2015-2016. The tables provide: 1) beach survey locations, date, time, distance surveyed (kilometers), and number of Common Murre carcasses observed during surveys conducted along the coastline of Alaska to document the 2015-2016 die-off of Common Murres coincident with the North Pacific marine heatwave, and 2
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Pacific Sand Lance Energy Density, Length, and Age, Prince William Sound, Alaska, 2012-2016

    This data set documents the age, length, dry mass energy density, and dry mass of age-0 and age-1 Pacific sand lance captured in Prince William Sound Alaska each July from 2012 to 2016. The analysis of this data was published in von Biela et al. 2019 (doi:10.3354/meps12891).
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Influence of Glacier Runoff on Ecosystem Structure in Gulf of Alaska Fjords 2004-2011

    Marine ecosystems respond to a range of habitat variability in coastal zones modified by glacial freshwater outflows, biophysical data were collected in three study regions that included four major glacial fjord systems around the Gulf of Alaska. A suite of geographic, oceanographic, nutrient and biological attributes were sampled at these three study regions during peak ice-melt season in summer.
    By
    Alaska Science Center

    Biogeochemical Subsidies from Glacier Runoff into Alaska Coastal Marine Food Webs, Gulf of Alaska, 2012-2013

    To demonstrate connectivity between terrestrial and marine ecosystems, we used stable (#948;13C, #948;15N, #948;2H) and radiogenic (#8710;14C) isotopes to estimate the relative contribution of glacier runoff and terrestrial-derived organic matter (OM) to marine food webs. This dataset contains information on isotopic signatures from dissolved organic matter (DOM), dissolved inorganic matter (DIC)
    By
    Alaska Science Center
  • Multimedia
    staff profile for Mayumi Arimitsu
    link
    forage species caught in trawl net, Alaska
    link
    young of the year walleye pollock
    link
    numerous Pacific herring in Prince William Sound, Alaska
    link
    ANSEP student Tatiana Korthuis recording data
    link
    Top to bottom: Pacific capelin, Pacific herring, Pacific sand lance, and juvenile walleye pollock
    link
    Graphic with five images. Shows land to ocean with whales, seals, nesting kittiwakes, and forage fish under the water.
    link
    Common Murres with visibly protruding keels flush from Gull Island, Kachemak Bay, Alaska
    link
    Emaciated Common Murre lays on the laboratory table
    link
    ASC biologists necropsy Common Murres
    link
    Kittlitz’s Murrelet takes flight in Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska
    link
    A lot of sand lance in a bucket from a beach seine in the Aleutian Islands
    link
  • Publications
    Filter Total Items: 43

    Joint spatiotemporal models to predict seabird densities at sea

    Introduction: Seabirds are abundant, conspicuous members of marine ecosystems worldwide. Synthesis of distribution data compiled over time is required to address regional management issues and understand ecosystem change. Major challenges when estimating seabird densities at sea arise from variability in dispersion of the birds, sampling effort over time and space, and differences in bird detectio
    By
    Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

    Lingering impacts of the 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave on seabird demography in Cook Inlet, Alaska (USA)

    A protracted period (2014-2016) of anomalously warm water in the northeast Pacific Ocean precipitated an extensive die-off of common murres Uria aalge (hereafter ‘murres’) during 2015-2016, accompanied by reduced colony attendance and reproductive success of murres and black-legged kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla (‘kittiwakes’) starting in 2015. Most murres died of starvation following a large-scale r
    By
    Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

    Melanism in a Common Murre Uria aalge in Kachemak Bay, Alaska

    In accord with melanism being uncommon in birds, we could find only six published records of completely melanistic Common Murres Uria aalge, one of the most widely and intensively studied of all seabirds. We added to the record by observing a Common Murre in completely dark, melanistic alternate plumage every summer from 2017 to 2021 at Gull Island in Kachemak Bay, Alaska, USA. In 2017, the bird f
    By
    Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

    Diet analysis using generalized linear models derived from foraging processes using R package mvtweedie

    Diet analysis integrates a wide variety of visual, chemical, and biological identification of prey. Samples are often treated as compositional data, where each prey is analyzed as a continuous percentage of the total. However, analyzing compositional data results in analytical challenges, for example, highly parameterized models or prior transformation of data. Here, we present a novel approximati
    By
    Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

    Another bad year for seabirds on Gull Island

    The USGS monitored Black-legged Kittiwake and Common Murre populations on Gull Island from 1995-1999, and from 2016-2021, following the 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave. USGS research, which is supported by the USGS and BOEM, includes population monitoring, and quantifying breeding success and predator disturbances. This information is preliminary or provisional and is subject to revisi
    By
    Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

    Kittlitz’s murrelet seasonal distribution and post-breeding migration from the Gulf of Alaska to the Arctic Ocean

    Kittlitz’s Murrelets (Brachyramphus brevirostris) nest during summer in glaciated or recently deglaciated (post-Wisconsin) landscapes. They forage in adjacent marine waters, especially those influenced by glacial meltwater. Little is known of their movements and distribution outside the breeding season. To identify post-breeding migrations of murrelets, we attached satellite transmitters to birds
    By
    Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

    Monitoring the recovery of seabirds and forage fish following a major ecosystem disruption in Lower Cook Inlet

    Following the North Pacific marine heatwave of 2014-2016 and associated extreme die-off of seabirds in the winter of 2015-2016, we repeated historical marine bird and forage fish surveys around two seabird colonies (Gull Island, Chisik Island) in lower Cook Inlet during 2016-2019 in order to document immediate and lingering impacts of the heatwave on resident fish and seabird populations. At sea,
    By
    Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

    Ecosystem response persists after a prolonged marine heatwave

    Some of the longest and most comprehensive marine ecosystem monitoring programs were established in the Gulf of Alaska following the environmental disaster of the Exxon Valdez oil spill over 30 years ago. These monitoring programs have been successful in assessing recovery from oil spill impacts, and their continuation decades later has now provided an unparalleled assessment of ecosystem response
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    Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

    Reduced quality and synchronous collapse of forage species disrupts trophic transfer during a prolonged marine heatwave

    The Gulf of Alaska forage fish community includes a few key species that differ markedly in their timing of spawning, somatic growth and lipid storage, and in their migration behavior. This diversity in life history strategies facilitates resilience in marine food webs because it buffers predators against the naturally high variance in abundance of pelagic forage fish populations by decreasing the
    By
    Ecosystems, Land Management Research Program, Alaska Science Center

    Heatwave-induced synchrony within forage fish portfolio disrupts energy flow to top pelagic predators

    During the Pacific marine heatwave of 2014–2016, abundance and quality of several key forage fish species in the Gulf of Alaska were simultaneously reduced throughout the system. Capelin (Mallotus catervarius), sand lance (Ammodytes personatus), and herring (Clupea pallasii) populations were at historically low levels, and within this community abrupt declines in portfolio effects identify trophic
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    Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

    Forecasting community reassembly using climate-linked spatio-temporal ecosystem models

    Ecosystems are increasingly impacted by human activities, altering linkages among physical and biological components. Spatial community reassembly occurs when these human impacts modify the spatial overlap between system components, and there is need for practical tools to forecast spatial community reassembly at landscape scales using monitoring data. To illustrate a new approach, we extend a gen
    By
    Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

    Seabird synthesis

    Overall, the status of seabirds was fair to good in the WGOA in 2020, with limited data available from Middleton Island, Cook Inlet, and the Kodiak Archipelago (Figure 63). Colony attendance remains low in some populations compared to historic levels, and some colonies were newly abandoned. However, when birds did arrive to breed, reproductive success generally appeared fair to good for fish-eatin
    By
    Ecosystems, Alaska Science Center

    Non-USGS Publications**

    Arimitsu, M. L. 2016. The influence of glaciers on coastal marine ecosystems in the Gulf of Alaska. Dissertation, University of Alaska Fairbanks, 154 p.
    Arimitsu, M. L. 2009. Environmental gradients and prey availability relative to glacial features in Kittlitz's murrelet foraging habitat. M.Sc. Thesis, University of Alaska Fairbanks.

    **Disclaimer: The views expressed in Non-USGS publications are those of the author and do not represent the views of the USGS, Department of the Interior, or the U.S. Government.

  • News
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    Publication on Ecosystem Response to an Unprecedented Marine Heatwave in the Gulf of Alaska

    The 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave in the Gulf of Alaska was the longest lasting heatwave globally over the past decade. A new study led...

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    Video on USGS Pacific Seabird Research

    This video features an overview of USGS and Ecosystems research with a focus on Pacific seabirds. Our scientists at the USGS Alaska Science Center...

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    'The Blob' - The Story of the Pacific Heatwave

    About 62,000 dead or dying common murres, the trophically dominant fish-eating seabird of the North Pacific, washed ashore between summer 2015 and...

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*Disclaimer: Listing outside positions with professional scientific organizations on this Staff Profile are for informational purposes only and do not constitute an endorsement of those professional scientific organizations or their activities by the USGS, Department of the Interior, or U.S. Government