The region inshore of the 40 m isobath is both a critical habitat and a migratory corridor for juvenile salmon migrating from western Alaskan rivers to the ocean. Although this region bears critically on the early marine stages of salmon and is an important element of the Bering Sea ecosystem, the inner shelf has received little attention from oceanographers. Juvenile chinook, pink, coho, and chum salmon distributions and oceanographic data suggest that nearshore waters flow northward and thence northwestward past Nunivak Island before spreading across the central Bering shelf. This pathway (and its variability) could influence salmon recruitment success because it places these fish in a cool, prey-poor, environment wherein predation by pollock is minimized. To examine possible salmon dispersal pathways we will deploy satellite-tracked drifters in lower Kuskokwim Bay between mid-May and mid-August in 2008 and 2009. We will deploy 32 drifters/year with deployments consisting of clusters of 3 – 4 drifters deployed at 10 – 12 day intervals. The field deployments will be conducted by the residents of Quinhagak on lower Kuskokwim Bay. The project goals are to: 1. Determine the seasonal (summer-fall) characteristics of the nearshore circulation field and its connection to the adjacent shelf; 2. Establish statistical characterizations of the flow field in response to tides, winds, and coastal freshwater discharge; 3. From the above results attempt to hindcast likely salmon transport pathways based on archived Bering Sea wind data; 4. Contribute collaboratively to other ongoing and planned programs (NPRB, AYKSSI, BASIS, and BEST) that address salmon and/or the Bering Sea ecosystem. 5. Maintain a project website with daily drifter trajectories, satellite imagery, and information on the regional oceanography, with contributions from western Alaskan residents. 6. Provide an outreach education/training program for residents of western Alaska.
Thomas Weingartner
proposals@sfos.uaf.edu
University of Alaska Fairbanks
907.474.2464
PO Box 757220
Fairbanks
AK
99775-7220
A Project Authorization Statement is available for this project: Click to view First Year Funding: $0.00
Funding
Second Year Funding: $190,600.00
Third Year Funding: $196,499.00
Fourth Year Funding: $42,528.00
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