Project Information

Title: Ecological interactions between Pacific herring and Pacific salmon in Prince William Sound, Alaska 23220111-I

Project Year and Number: 2023: 23220111-I

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 2024: 24220111-I , 2022: 22220111-I

Principal Investigator (PI): Pete Rand (Prince William Sound Science Center)

Managing Agency: NOAA

Assisting Personnel: Robert Campbell (Prince William Sound Science Center), Kristen Gorman (University of Alaska Fairbanks), Ron Heintz (Sitka Sound Science Center)

Research Location: Prince William Sound

Restoration Category: Monitoring

Injured Resources Addressed: Pacific Herring

Abstract:

Since the collapse of the Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) population in Prince William Sound (PWS), Alaska during the mid-1990s, hatchery production of pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) in PWS has increased dramatically. Importantly, ecological interactions between these species may have consequences for recruitment of both populations. We propose a retrospective analysis and focused field campaigns over a six-year period aimed at developing the following seven products. (1) Analyses of historical and current data describing each species co-occurrence in near-shore and off-shore habitats, (2) evidence of direct predation by each species on the other, (3) competition for dietary resources including estimates of age-0 herring and juvenile pink salmon body condition, and (4) prevalence of a key pathogen, viral erythrocytic necrosis. We propose constructing (5) a bioenergetic model to estimate the predatory demand of pink salmon on larval herring in southwestern PWS, a major migratory pathway for salmon. The model will be developed in collaboration with a post-doctoral associate funded by a separate Trustee Council mechanism. Incorporation of our results with environmental observations will lead to (6) a model to explain variation in marine survival of PWS pink salmon. Finally, we propose using data and relationships developed here to (7) construct a model to forecast PWS pink salmon returns. Our fieldwork and analyses will capture dynamics across ontogenetic shifts in herring and pink salmon during spring when age-1+ herring co-occur with pink salmon fry in nearshore waters, summer when emigrating pink salmon encounter larval herring over deeper waters, and late summer when age-0 herring rely on prey fields previously exploited by out-migrating juvenile pink salmon. Our field campaign is based on preliminary analysis of existing data, which will be formalized through the proposed retrospective analysis. The project will support a M.S. student through the University of Alaska Fairbanks, Marine Biology program.

This project was approved for the FY22 - FY26 funding cycle.


Proposal: View (1,674 KB)

Reports:
FY23 Annual Report: View (357 KB)

Publications from this Project: None Available

Resolutions: