Spatial and temporal variation in winter condition of juvenile Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) in Prince William Sound, Alaska: Oceanographic exchange with the Gulf of Alaska

Gorman, Kristen B.; Kline, Thomas C.; Roberts, Megan E.; Sewall, Fletcher; Heintz, Ron A.; Pegau, W. Scott

doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2017.10.010

Cited by 16 publications

(14 citation statements)

References 33 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Order By: Relevance

“…It is not yet clear how many predators in the Gulf of Alaska were affected by the MHW because the effects on recruitment may take years to be realized by wildlife monitoring, fishery catches, or salmon escapement. At present, reports suggest that the MHW was associated with declines in abundance of capelin Mallotus villosus, sand lance, and Pacific cod, lower bottom trawl biomass of aggregated fish and invertebrates, lower energy density in herring, lower growth rates of rhinoceros auklet Cerorhinca monocerata chicks and production, and reduced calving rates and poor body condition for humpback whales (Zador & Yasumiishi 2017, Gorman et al 2018). These observations resulted in an 80% drop in the Pacific cod acceptable biological catch for 2018 and a plan to maintain low quotas in 2019 and 2020 (Barbeaux et al 2018).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extreme reduction in nutritional value of a key forage fish during the Pacific marine heatwave of 2014-2016

Biela¹,

Arimitsu²,

Piatt³

et al. 2019

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

102

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Pacific sand lance Ammodytes personatus are a key forage fish in the North Pacific for many species of salmon, groundfish, seabirds, and marine mammals and have historically been important to predators in relatively warm years. However, extreme declines in the nutritional value of sand lance in Prince William Sound, Alaska, USA, during 2012−2016 indicate that energy transfer from lower trophic levels to predators via sand lance may have been disrupted during the North Pacific marine heatwave in 2015 and 2016. Nutritional value (length, energy density, and whole-body energy) was measured in age-0 and age-1 sand lance collected during July in cool (2012−2013) and increasingly warm (2014−2016) years. The value of age-0 fish was relatively stable, with only minor differences among years for length and whole-body energy. By contrast, the value of age-1 fish significantly declined in 2015, and by 2016 they were 38% shorter and 13% lower in energy density compared to cooler years. This contributed to significant declines in whole-body energy of 44% in 2015 and 89% in 2016 compared to cooler years (2012−2014). The 2015 sand lance cohort experienced little growth or lipid accumulation from July 2015 at age-0 to July 2016 at age-1. This effective disruption of energy flow through pelagic food webs probably contributed to population declines and/or breeding failures observed among several predators in the Gulf of Alaska and suggests that tipping points were reached during the heatwave.

show abstract

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Extreme reduction in nutritional value of a key forage fish during the Pacific marine heatwave of 2014-2016

Biela¹,

Arimitsu²,

Piatt³

et al. 2019

Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser.

102

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…If individuals do not accumulate sufficient energy stores leading up to this period of fasting, their energy content declines to the point of starvation (Paul & Paul, 1998). In fact, juvenile herring sampled over nine winters in PWS were near the minimum energy threshold capable of supporting life during late winter (Gorman et al, 2018). We recorded fewer schools during March in all bays except Eaglek, with Simpson and Zaikof bays demonstrating the greatest seasonal contrasts (Figure 3).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…In our study, marine birds were associated with schools that were 6 m (November) and 10.8 m (March) higher in the water column than schools without birds (Table 2). Zooplankton abundance reaches its nadir in January and February (Foy & Norcross, 1999; McKinstry & Campbell, 2018) when juvenile fish are in energetically poor condition due to prolonged winter fasting (Gorman et al, 2018; Norcross et al, 2001). Zooplankton abundance rises slightly in March (Foy & Norcross, 1999; McKinstry & Campbell, 2018) coincidental with increased feeding documented in an analysis of juvenile herring stomach contents (Norcross et al, 2001).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Marine bird response to forage fish during winter in subarctic bays

Schaefer

Bishop

Thorne

2020

Fisheries Oceanography

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Despite the importance of understanding marine bird response to prey fish, few studies have examined this relationship during winter. Over a 5‐year period, we conducted synoptic marine bird and hydroacoustic forage fish surveys during early (November) and late (March) winter to characterize the factors influencing marine bird and forage fish dynamics at two spatial scales (fish school and bay) within subarctic bays of coastal Alaska, USA. Over 40% of observed marine birds were associated with a fish school (within 150 m of a fish school), although only 20% of fish schools were associated with birds. Seasonally, we recorded significantly more schools during early winter. The marine bird community also shifted from being comprised primarily of marbled murrelets (Brachyramphus marmoratus) and large gulls (Larus spp.) in early winter to common murres (Uria aalge) in late winter. At the school level, marine birds were more likely to be associated with shallow fish schools within 500 m of shore and in smaller prey patches. At the bay level, gull abundance was positively associated with the total number of fish schools recorded, while diving birds were more abundant when fish schools were higher in the water column, in shallower bottom depths, and in areas with more eel grass habitat. Our results indicate the importance of temporal, habitat, and fish school variables as drivers of marine bird presence and abundance, underscoring the complexity of predator–prey dynamics in the marine environment during winter.

show abstract

“…We hypothesized that energetic content of fishes would be reflective of spatial or temporal patterns in prey resources. For plantivorous Pacific herring (Clupea pallassii) in Prince William Sound, autumn and winter ED differed among different regions and scientists hypothesized that differences in zooplankton quality and quantity underlie the variation (Paul and Paul 1999;Gorman et al 2018). Among three southeast Lake Michigan sites in an earlier study, the one with the lowest density of Diporeia spp.…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Spatiotemporal variability in energetic condition of alewife and round goby in Lake Michigan

Bunnell

Pothoven

Armenio

et al. 2019

Can. J. Fish. Aquat. Sci.

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Pelagic-oriented alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) and benthic-oriented round goby (Neogobius melanostomus) are two important prey fishes in the Laurentian Great Lakes. In 2015, we evaluated their seasonal total energy (TE) across nine Lake Michigan transects. Round goby contained at least 48% more kilojoules of TE than alewife of equal length during spring and summer. TE varied spatially for both species, but only large alewife exhibited a consistent pattern, with higher values along the eastern shoreline. Variation in TE was not explained by site-specific prey densities for either species. Round goby energy density (ED) was higher in Lake Michigan than in central Lake Erie, but comparable to other regions of the Great Lakes. Alewife ED in 2015 was similar to that in 2002–2004 in Lake Michigan, with the exception of November (small alewife ED was 21% higher) and April (large alewife ED was 30% lower). Despite oligotrophication, our study suggests that starvation of juvenile and adults has not been directly contributing to overall declining prey fish abundance, although future research should evaluate the potential for overwinter starvation.

show abstract

Spatial and temporal variation in winter condition of juvenile Pacific herring (Clupea pallasii) in Prince William Sound, Alaska: Oceanographic exchange with the Gulf of Alaska

Cited by 16 publications

References 33 publications

Extreme reduction in nutritional value of a key forage fish during the Pacific marine heatwave of 2014-2016

Extreme reduction in nutritional value of a key forage fish during the Pacific marine heatwave of 2014-2016

Marine bird response to forage fish during winter in subarctic bays

Spatiotemporal variability in energetic condition of alewife and round goby in Lake Michigan

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About