Project Information

Title: Alaskan Groundfish feeding Ecology: An OBIS Information System 040710

Project Year and Number: 2004: 040710

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: None

Principal Investigator (PI): Dale Kiefer (University of Southern California)

Managing Agency: NOAA

Assisting Personnel: None

Project Website: http://146.63.25.2/afsctrophic

Research Location: GOA, Aleutian Islands, Bering Sea

Restoration Category: Research

Injured Resources Addressed: Commercial Fishing

Abstract: We propose to develop an OBIS data server node containing information characterizing the distribution and feeding ecology of Alaskan groundfish in relation to environmental parameters. Capitalizing upon our experience as participants in several OBIS projects and using established OBIS tools and protocols for Web-based access to biogeographic datasets, this information system will archive, analyze, and provide a means to distribute via the Internet information on the spatial and temporal distribution of a large number of groundfish and associated prey species sampled in the Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Island waters, and the Bering Sea by NMFS Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC). This biogeographic information system will include data on the gut contents of specimens as well as environmental information characterizing the habitats of the species. These datasets provide a biogeographic description of groundfish distribution and dynamics in relation to habitat structure and environmental variability. They also provide a detailed account of interspecific and environmental interactions that are integral to ecosystem-based fisheries assessment and management approaches. Biological databases used in this project will derive from AFSC, while environmental information will come from databases at the Pacific Marine Ecological Laboratory, AFSC and other sources such as the Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks. Datasets employed are diverse in nature, and will include satellite imagery, hydrographic and fishery surveys data. The information system will address the problem of integrating multivariate data that has been collected on differing spatial and temporal scales. It will also provide GIS tools to analyze, visualize, and disseminate information according to OBIS technical protocols. Our goal is to develop a pilot system that will not only augment OBIS, but also characterize the habitat and behavior of Alaskan groundfish, and provide a model of how the integration of environmental information can aid in the assessment of marine resources.


Proposal: View (521 KB)

Reports:
Final Report: View (253 KB)

Publications from this Project: None Available