Project Information

Title: LTM Program: Monitoring long-term changes in forage fish distribution, relative abundance, and body condition in Prince William Sound 20120114-C

Project Year and Number: 2020: 20120114-C

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 2023: 23120114-C, 2022: 22120114-C, 2021: 21120114-C, 2019: 19120114-C, 2018: 18120114-C, 2017: 17120114-C, 2016: 16120114-O, 2015: 15120114-O, 2014: 14120114-O, 2013: 13120114-O, 2012: 12120114-O

Principal Investigator (PI): Mayumi Arimitsu (USGS)

Managing Agency: USGS

Assisting Personnel: John Piatt (USGS)

Project Website: https://gulfwatchalaska.org/monitoring/pelagic-ecosystem/forage-fish-2/

Research Location: Gulf of Alaska

Restoration Category: Monitoring

Injured Resources Addressed: Pacific Herring

Abstract:

Identifying drivers of change in forage fish populations is key to understanding recovery potential for piscivorous species injured by the Exxon Valdez oil spill. The goals of the Gulf Watch Alaska forage fish monitoring project are to provide information on the population trends of forage species in the Gulf of Alaska (GOA) and to better understand how underlying predator-prey interactions influence recovering species and pelagic ecology within Prince William Sound (PWS) and the GOA. Sampling in FY18 indicated predator and prey abundances in PWS were low and forage species such as capelin and sand lance continued a multi-year trend of low occurrence in seabird diets in the GOA. During summer 2019 sampling we encountered spawning capelin and large energy-rich sand lance in PWS, providing the first signals that these forage fish populations may be recovering. Our continued sampling will provide insight into how forage fish populations respond to the persistence of or recovery from the recent Pacific marine heat wave.

In FY20, we will continue summer aerial survey validation in conjunction with the Herring Research and Monitoring program, summer acoustic-trawl sampling, and the fall integrated predator-prey survey in PWS. We will also conduct seabird diet sampling at Middleton Island during spring/summer (Apr-Aug). We are not proposing changes to this project for FY20.


Proposal: View (384 KB)

Reports:
Annual Report: View (956 KB)
Appendix to Annual Report: View (1,800 KB)
Final Report: See Project 21120114-C

Publications from this Project: None Available