Project Information

Title: Monitoring Dynamics of the Alaska Coastal Current and Development of Applications for Management of Cook Inlet Salmon 040670

Project Year and Number: 2004: 040670

Other Fiscal Years and Numbers for this Project: 2003: 030670

Principal Investigator (PI): Mark Willette (Alaska Department of Fish & Game)

Managing Agency: ADFG

Assisting Personnel: Scott Pegau

Research Location: Cook Inlet

Restoration Category: Monitoring

Injured Resources Addressed: Not Specified

Abstract: This project will use a vessel of opportunity to collect physical oceanographic and fisheries data along a transect, across lower Cook Inlet from Anchor Point to the Red River delta. Logistical support for the field sampling will be provided in part by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game which has chartered a vessel annually to fish along this transect each day during July providing in season projections of the size of salmon runs returning to the inlet. The work proposed here is for long-term monitoring of oceanographic conditions in Cook Inlet as part of these ongoing fisheries surveys. Investigators will also use physical oceanographic data collected by the project to improve management of Cook Inlet salmon through improved in season salmon run projections. Several hypotheses regarding effects of changing oceanographic conditions on salmon migratory behavior will be tested. The oceanographic data collected by the project will also provide for valuable validation of remote sensing products, improved understanding of ocean dynamics in lower Cook Inlet, and a highly powerful statistical evaluation of the oil spill risk analysis models.


Proposal: View (150 KB)

Reports:
Annual Report FY05: View (20 KB)
Annual Report FY06: View (21 KB)
Final Report: View (48,437 KB)

Publications from this Project: None Available