Project Information

Title: LTM Program - Nearshore benthic systems in the Gulf of Alaska 13120114-R

Project Year and Number: 2013: 13120114-R

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 2023: 23120114-H , 2022: 22120114-H , 2021: 21120114-H, 2020: 20120114-H, 2019: 19120114-H, 2018: 18120114-H, 2017: 17120114-H, 2016: 16120114-R, 2015: 15120114-R, 2014: 14120114-R, 2012: 12120114-R

Principal Investigator (PI): Brenda Ballachey

Managing Agency: USGS

Assisting Personnel: Jim Bodkin

Project Website: https://gulfwatchalaska.org/monitoring/nearshore-ecosystems/nearshore-benthic-systems-in-the-gulf-of-alaska/

Research Location: Prince William Sound, Gulf of Alaska, Katmai, Kachemak Bay, Kenai Fjords

Restoration Category: Monitoring

Injured Resources Addressed: Black Oystercatchers, Clams, Harlequin Ducks, Intertidal Organisms, Mussels, Sea Otters, Sediments, Subtidal Organisms

Abstract:

This project is a component of the integrated Long-term Monitoring of Marine Conditions and Injured Resources and Services submitted by McCammon et al. in 2011. This component focuses on resources within the nearshore ecosystem. The primary objective is to continue recovery and restoration monitoring in nearshore areas in the Gulf of Alaska, including study areas within Prince William Sound, Kenai Fjords, Katmai, and Kachemak Bay, following the plan initially developed in Restoration Project 050750 and tested in Restoration Project 070750. We will evaluate the current status of EVOS injured resources and services (recreational, subsistence, and passive use) to determine when populations may be considered recovered, and to foster recovery of those resources by identifying and recommending actions in response to any factors that may be limiting recovery. The USGS, National Park Service and the University of Alaska Fairbanks are partnering to accomplish these goals. Information collected will include data sets that have been used previously to assess recovery of injured resources in Prince William Sound (e.g., population abundance and survival of sea otters, abundance estimates for mussels, clams, and other intertidal organisms). Contrasts among trends in injured resources across study areas, including both oiled and unoiled areas, will provide the primary means of resource valuation. Our purpose is to implement a nearshore monitoring program that is comparable at multiple locations across the Gulf of Alaska. The nearshore sampling in Prince William Sound, in conjunction with sampling of other areas, will provide the foundation of a comprehensive restoration nearshore monitoring program for the entire oil spill area and form an integral part of the larger Long-Term Monitoring project.


Proposal: View (716 KB)

Reports:
Annual Report FY13: View (9,357 KB)
Final Report: See Project 16120114-R

Publications from this Project: None Available