Capelin, a small forage fish, are spawning on beaches around Alaska and your observations can contribute to our understanding of beach spawning behavior and the health of marine ecosystems.
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
Tidewater Glacier Influence on Marine Ecosystems
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology
Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins in Alaska Seabirds
Cook Inlet Seabird and Forage Fish Study
Detecting Long-term Changes in Forage Fish Populations in Prince William Sound, Alaska
Seabird Die-offs in Alaska
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database
Condition of Forage Fish in Prince William Sound During the Marine Heatwave
Alaska Forage Fish Database (AFFD)
Age-0 Sablefish Size and Growth Indices from Seabird Diets at Middleton Island, Alaska
Seabird Diet Data Collected on Middleton Island, Gulf of Alaska
Gridded Seabird Density Estimates in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
Assessing the Status and Trends of Seabirds and Forage Fish in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
Tracking Data for Kittlitz's Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris)
Pelagic Forage Fish Distribution Abundance and Body Condition
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD)
Inshore Catch Data for Capelin (Mallotus villosus) in the Gulf of Alaska 1996-2017
Data Associated With Algal Toxin Testing of Common Murres (Uria aalge) and Forage Fish in Alaska, 2015-2017
Data from Common Murre Die-off Surveys and Necropsies Following the North Pacific Marine Heatwave, 2015-2016
Pacific Sand Lance Energy Density, Length, and Age, Prince William Sound, Alaska, 2012-2016
Capelin, a small forage fish, are spawning on beaches around Alaska and your observations can contribute to our understanding of beach spawning behavior and the health of marine ecosystems.
Infograph describing the effects of North Pacific marine heatwave on ocean food webs.
Infograph describing the effects of North Pacific marine heatwave on ocean food webs.
Photo of Pacific capelin trawl catch in Cook Inlet Alaska. Capelin are cold water forage fish that play a key role in transferring energy between plankton and top marine predators. Seabirds, and their forage fish prey, serve as practical indicators of change in the marine environment— natural or human induced— and can be readily monitored at sea.
Photo of Pacific capelin trawl catch in Cook Inlet Alaska. Capelin are cold water forage fish that play a key role in transferring energy between plankton and top marine predators. Seabirds, and their forage fish prey, serve as practical indicators of change in the marine environment— natural or human induced— and can be readily monitored at sea.
Photo of young of the year walleye pollock, Prince William Sound, Alaska. Although adults are targeted in one of the largest commercial fisheries in the world, young of the year walleye pollock are important in diets of many marine predators.
Photo of young of the year walleye pollock, Prince William Sound, Alaska. Although adults are targeted in one of the largest commercial fisheries in the world, young of the year walleye pollock are important in diets of many marine predators.
Squid, adult walleye pollock, herring, eulachon, northern smoothtongue, capelin, juvenile walleye pollock, krill, and shrimp are forage species that are caught by a modified-herring trawl in Prince William Sound, Alaska during the Fall Integrated Predator-Prey Survey.
Squid, adult walleye pollock, herring, eulachon, northern smoothtongue, capelin, juvenile walleye pollock, krill, and shrimp are forage species that are caught by a modified-herring trawl in Prince William Sound, Alaska during the Fall Integrated Predator-Prey Survey.
Pacific herring in Prince William Sound, Alaska
Pacific herring in Prince William Sound, Alaska
Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) student Tatiana Korthuis recording fish catch data on board the USGS research vessel Alaskan Gyre in Herring Bay, Alaska. This was part of a USGS study to monitor forage fish and seabirds in Prince William Sound, Alaska.
Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) student Tatiana Korthuis recording fish catch data on board the USGS research vessel Alaskan Gyre in Herring Bay, Alaska. This was part of a USGS study to monitor forage fish and seabirds in Prince William Sound, Alaska.
Key forage fish in Alaska (from top to bottom): Pacific capelin, Pacific herring, Pacific sand lance, and juvenile walleye pollock. Cook Inlet, Alaska
Key forage fish in Alaska (from top to bottom): Pacific capelin, Pacific herring, Pacific sand lance, and juvenile walleye pollock. Cook Inlet, Alaska
Common Murres with visibly protruding keels flush from Gull Island, Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
Common Murres with visibly protruding keels flush from Gull Island, Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
ASC biologists John Piatt, Sarah Schoen, Gary Drew, and Brielle Heflin necropsy Common Murres recovered in Prince William Sound following the massive die-off of murres in 2015/2016.
ASC biologists John Piatt, Sarah Schoen, Gary Drew, and Brielle Heflin necropsy Common Murres recovered in Prince William Sound following the massive die-off of murres in 2015/2016.
An emaciated Common Murre lays on the laboratory table during a necropsy to determine the cause of death for a massive die-off of murres in 2015/2016.
An emaciated Common Murre lays on the laboratory table during a necropsy to determine the cause of death for a massive die-off of murres in 2015/2016.
Catch of forage fish from a trawl in Cook Inlet, Alaska. Trawling was part of an assessment of abundance, distribution and species composition of forage fish in marine waters in lower Cook Inlet.
Catch of forage fish from a trawl in Cook Inlet, Alaska. Trawling was part of an assessment of abundance, distribution and species composition of forage fish in marine waters in lower Cook Inlet.
Catch of forage fish from a trawl in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Trawling was part of detecting long-term changes in forage fish populations.
Catch of forage fish from a trawl in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Trawling was part of detecting long-term changes in forage fish populations.
The research vessel Alaskan Gyre is near a glacier in Prince William Sound, Alaska.
The research vessel Alaskan Gyre is near a glacier in Prince William Sound, Alaska.
The R/V Alaskan Gyre in Prince William Sound, Alaska with a mountain background
The R/V Alaskan Gyre in Prince William Sound, Alaska with a mountain background
Kittlitz’s Murrelet takes flight at Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska. The Kittlitz’s murrelet is a rare seabird that appears to be specialized for life in glacially influenced environments.
Kittlitz’s Murrelet takes flight at Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska. The Kittlitz’s murrelet is a rare seabird that appears to be specialized for life in glacially influenced environments.
Pacific sand lance catch from a beach seine in the Aleutian Islands.
Pacific sand lance catch from a beach seine in the Aleutian Islands.
Predator disturbance contributed to Common Murre Uria aalge breeding failures in Cook Inlet, Alaska following the 2014–2016 Pacific marine heatwave
Quantifying spatiotemporal variation of nearshore forage fish schools with aerial surveys in Prince William Sound, Alaska
Monitoring long-term changes in forage fish distribution, abundance and body condition in Prince William Sound
Age-0 sablefish size and growth indices from seabird diets at Middleton Island, Gulf of Alaska
Climate change and pulse migration: Intermittent Chugach Inuit occupation of glacial fiords on the Kenai Coast, Alaska
Gulf watch Alaska: Long-term research and monitoring in the Gulf of Alaska
Reduction in overwinter body condition and size of Pacific sand lance has implications for piscivorous predators during marine heatwaves
Joint spatiotemporal models to predict seabird densities at sea
Appendix 7: Application of joint dynamic species distribution models to at-sea survey data for seabirds in the Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea
Lingering impacts of the 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave on seabird demography in Cook Inlet, Alaska (USA)
Melanism in a Common Murre Uria aalge in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Diet analysis using generalized linear models derived from foraging processes using R package mvtweedie
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.
Science and Products
Tidewater Glacier Influence on Marine Ecosystems
Seabirds and Forage Fish Ecology
Harmful Algal Bloom Toxins in Alaska Seabirds
Cook Inlet Seabird and Forage Fish Study
Detecting Long-term Changes in Forage Fish Populations in Prince William Sound, Alaska
Seabird Die-offs in Alaska
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database
Condition of Forage Fish in Prince William Sound During the Marine Heatwave
Alaska Forage Fish Database (AFFD)
Age-0 Sablefish Size and Growth Indices from Seabird Diets at Middleton Island, Alaska
Seabird Diet Data Collected on Middleton Island, Gulf of Alaska
Gridded Seabird Density Estimates in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
Assessing the Status and Trends of Seabirds and Forage Fish in Lower Cook Inlet, Alaska
Tracking Data for Kittlitz's Murrelet (Brachyramphus brevirostris)
Pelagic Forage Fish Distribution Abundance and Body Condition
North Pacific Pelagic Seabird Database (NPPSD)
Inshore Catch Data for Capelin (Mallotus villosus) in the Gulf of Alaska 1996-2017
Data Associated With Algal Toxin Testing of Common Murres (Uria aalge) and Forage Fish in Alaska, 2015-2017
Data from Common Murre Die-off Surveys and Necropsies Following the North Pacific Marine Heatwave, 2015-2016
Pacific Sand Lance Energy Density, Length, and Age, Prince William Sound, Alaska, 2012-2016
Capelin, a small forage fish, are spawning on beaches around Alaska and your observations can contribute to our understanding of beach spawning behavior and the health of marine ecosystems.
Capelin, a small forage fish, are spawning on beaches around Alaska and your observations can contribute to our understanding of beach spawning behavior and the health of marine ecosystems.
Infograph describing the effects of North Pacific marine heatwave on ocean food webs.
Infograph describing the effects of North Pacific marine heatwave on ocean food webs.
Photo of Pacific capelin trawl catch in Cook Inlet Alaska. Capelin are cold water forage fish that play a key role in transferring energy between plankton and top marine predators. Seabirds, and their forage fish prey, serve as practical indicators of change in the marine environment— natural or human induced— and can be readily monitored at sea.
Photo of Pacific capelin trawl catch in Cook Inlet Alaska. Capelin are cold water forage fish that play a key role in transferring energy between plankton and top marine predators. Seabirds, and their forage fish prey, serve as practical indicators of change in the marine environment— natural or human induced— and can be readily monitored at sea.
Photo of young of the year walleye pollock, Prince William Sound, Alaska. Although adults are targeted in one of the largest commercial fisheries in the world, young of the year walleye pollock are important in diets of many marine predators.
Photo of young of the year walleye pollock, Prince William Sound, Alaska. Although adults are targeted in one of the largest commercial fisheries in the world, young of the year walleye pollock are important in diets of many marine predators.
Squid, adult walleye pollock, herring, eulachon, northern smoothtongue, capelin, juvenile walleye pollock, krill, and shrimp are forage species that are caught by a modified-herring trawl in Prince William Sound, Alaska during the Fall Integrated Predator-Prey Survey.
Squid, adult walleye pollock, herring, eulachon, northern smoothtongue, capelin, juvenile walleye pollock, krill, and shrimp are forage species that are caught by a modified-herring trawl in Prince William Sound, Alaska during the Fall Integrated Predator-Prey Survey.
Pacific herring in Prince William Sound, Alaska
Pacific herring in Prince William Sound, Alaska
Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) student Tatiana Korthuis recording fish catch data on board the USGS research vessel Alaskan Gyre in Herring Bay, Alaska. This was part of a USGS study to monitor forage fish and seabirds in Prince William Sound, Alaska.
Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program (ANSEP) student Tatiana Korthuis recording fish catch data on board the USGS research vessel Alaskan Gyre in Herring Bay, Alaska. This was part of a USGS study to monitor forage fish and seabirds in Prince William Sound, Alaska.
Key forage fish in Alaska (from top to bottom): Pacific capelin, Pacific herring, Pacific sand lance, and juvenile walleye pollock. Cook Inlet, Alaska
Key forage fish in Alaska (from top to bottom): Pacific capelin, Pacific herring, Pacific sand lance, and juvenile walleye pollock. Cook Inlet, Alaska
Common Murres with visibly protruding keels flush from Gull Island, Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
Common Murres with visibly protruding keels flush from Gull Island, Kachemak Bay, Alaska.
ASC biologists John Piatt, Sarah Schoen, Gary Drew, and Brielle Heflin necropsy Common Murres recovered in Prince William Sound following the massive die-off of murres in 2015/2016.
ASC biologists John Piatt, Sarah Schoen, Gary Drew, and Brielle Heflin necropsy Common Murres recovered in Prince William Sound following the massive die-off of murres in 2015/2016.
An emaciated Common Murre lays on the laboratory table during a necropsy to determine the cause of death for a massive die-off of murres in 2015/2016.
An emaciated Common Murre lays on the laboratory table during a necropsy to determine the cause of death for a massive die-off of murres in 2015/2016.
Catch of forage fish from a trawl in Cook Inlet, Alaska. Trawling was part of an assessment of abundance, distribution and species composition of forage fish in marine waters in lower Cook Inlet.
Catch of forage fish from a trawl in Cook Inlet, Alaska. Trawling was part of an assessment of abundance, distribution and species composition of forage fish in marine waters in lower Cook Inlet.
Catch of forage fish from a trawl in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Trawling was part of detecting long-term changes in forage fish populations.
Catch of forage fish from a trawl in Prince William Sound, Alaska. Trawling was part of detecting long-term changes in forage fish populations.
The research vessel Alaskan Gyre is near a glacier in Prince William Sound, Alaska.
The research vessel Alaskan Gyre is near a glacier in Prince William Sound, Alaska.
The R/V Alaskan Gyre in Prince William Sound, Alaska with a mountain background
The R/V Alaskan Gyre in Prince William Sound, Alaska with a mountain background
Kittlitz’s Murrelet takes flight at Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska. The Kittlitz’s murrelet is a rare seabird that appears to be specialized for life in glacially influenced environments.
Kittlitz’s Murrelet takes flight at Kenai Fjords National Park, Alaska. The Kittlitz’s murrelet is a rare seabird that appears to be specialized for life in glacially influenced environments.
Pacific sand lance catch from a beach seine in the Aleutian Islands.
Pacific sand lance catch from a beach seine in the Aleutian Islands.
Predator disturbance contributed to Common Murre Uria aalge breeding failures in Cook Inlet, Alaska following the 2014–2016 Pacific marine heatwave
Quantifying spatiotemporal variation of nearshore forage fish schools with aerial surveys in Prince William Sound, Alaska
Monitoring long-term changes in forage fish distribution, abundance and body condition in Prince William Sound
Age-0 sablefish size and growth indices from seabird diets at Middleton Island, Gulf of Alaska
Climate change and pulse migration: Intermittent Chugach Inuit occupation of glacial fiords on the Kenai Coast, Alaska
Gulf watch Alaska: Long-term research and monitoring in the Gulf of Alaska
Reduction in overwinter body condition and size of Pacific sand lance has implications for piscivorous predators during marine heatwaves
Joint spatiotemporal models to predict seabird densities at sea
Appendix 7: Application of joint dynamic species distribution models to at-sea survey data for seabirds in the Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea
Lingering impacts of the 2014-2016 northeast Pacific marine heatwave on seabird demography in Cook Inlet, Alaska (USA)
Melanism in a Common Murre Uria aalge in Kachemak Bay, Alaska
Diet analysis using generalized linear models derived from foraging processes using R package mvtweedie
Non-USGS Publications**
**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.
*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