Oceanography and ecology of the Aleutian Archipelago: spatial and temporal variation

Abstract This compilation of new information and summaries of earlier work emphasizes variability within marine waters of the Aleutian Archipelago. From the Alaska Peninsula to Near Strait, net flow through the passes is northward, with four passes (Amukta, Amchitka, Buldir, and Near Strait) contrib...

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Published in:Fisheries Oceanography
Main Authors: HUNT, GEORGE L., STABENO, PHYLLIS J.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2005
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2419.2005.00378.x
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2419.2005.00378.x
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2419.2005.00378.x
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spelling crwiley:10.1111/j.1365-2419.2005.00378.x 2024-06-23T07:48:06+00:00 Oceanography and ecology of the Aleutian Archipelago: spatial and temporal variation HUNT, GEORGE L. STABENO, PHYLLIS J. 2005 http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2419.2005.00378.x https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2419.2005.00378.x https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2419.2005.00378.x en eng Wiley http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor Fisheries Oceanography volume 14, issue s1, page 292-306 ISSN 1054-6006 1365-2419 journal-article 2005 crwiley https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2419.2005.00378.x 2024-05-31T08:13:55Z Abstract This compilation of new information and summaries of earlier work emphasizes variability within marine waters of the Aleutian Archipelago. From the Alaska Peninsula to Near Strait, net flow through the passes is northward, with four passes (Amukta, Amchitka, Buldir, and Near Strait) contributing most of the flow. East of Samalga Pass (169°W), waters derived from the Alaska Coastal Current predominate, whereas west of Samalga Pass, waters of the Alaskan Stream predominate. The pattern of storm tracks creates a climatological (interannual and long term) transition zone in weather features (e.g. surface air temperature) near 170°W. The marine ecosystem of the Aleutian Archipelago also has a strong discontinuity at Samalga Pass, where cold‐water corals, zooplankton, fish, marine mammals and foraging seabirds show a step change in species composition. Diets of ground fish, Steller sea lions ( Eumetopias jubatus ) and some seabirds also change there. Lower growth rates of some fish species and stable isotope data indicate that productivity declines westward along the archipelago. The available data demonstrate considerable ecosystem variability over time scales of decades to millennia. Abrupt changes in composition of fish communities at several of the major passes suggest that Samalga Pass may mark only one of several ecological divisions of Aleutian waters. This spatial and temporal heterogeneity provides an important context within which to view recent declines in populations of Steller sea lions and other species, and has important implications for the management of regional marine resources. We conclude that the marine waters of the Aleutian Archipelago are divided into at least two different ecological regions, with potential for a concomitant separation of some fishery resources. Article in Journal/Newspaper Archipelago Alaska Wiley Online Library Amchitka ENVELOPE(178.878,178.878,51.567,51.567) Fisheries Oceanography 14 s1 292 306
institution Open Polar
collection Wiley Online Library
op_collection_id crwiley
language English
description Abstract This compilation of new information and summaries of earlier work emphasizes variability within marine waters of the Aleutian Archipelago. From the Alaska Peninsula to Near Strait, net flow through the passes is northward, with four passes (Amukta, Amchitka, Buldir, and Near Strait) contributing most of the flow. East of Samalga Pass (169°W), waters derived from the Alaska Coastal Current predominate, whereas west of Samalga Pass, waters of the Alaskan Stream predominate. The pattern of storm tracks creates a climatological (interannual and long term) transition zone in weather features (e.g. surface air temperature) near 170°W. The marine ecosystem of the Aleutian Archipelago also has a strong discontinuity at Samalga Pass, where cold‐water corals, zooplankton, fish, marine mammals and foraging seabirds show a step change in species composition. Diets of ground fish, Steller sea lions ( Eumetopias jubatus ) and some seabirds also change there. Lower growth rates of some fish species and stable isotope data indicate that productivity declines westward along the archipelago. The available data demonstrate considerable ecosystem variability over time scales of decades to millennia. Abrupt changes in composition of fish communities at several of the major passes suggest that Samalga Pass may mark only one of several ecological divisions of Aleutian waters. This spatial and temporal heterogeneity provides an important context within which to view recent declines in populations of Steller sea lions and other species, and has important implications for the management of regional marine resources. We conclude that the marine waters of the Aleutian Archipelago are divided into at least two different ecological regions, with potential for a concomitant separation of some fishery resources.
format Article in Journal/Newspaper
author HUNT, GEORGE L.
STABENO, PHYLLIS J.
spellingShingle HUNT, GEORGE L.
STABENO, PHYLLIS J.
Oceanography and ecology of the Aleutian Archipelago: spatial and temporal variation
author_facet HUNT, GEORGE L.
STABENO, PHYLLIS J.
author_sort HUNT, GEORGE L.
title Oceanography and ecology of the Aleutian Archipelago: spatial and temporal variation
title_short Oceanography and ecology of the Aleutian Archipelago: spatial and temporal variation
title_full Oceanography and ecology of the Aleutian Archipelago: spatial and temporal variation
title_fullStr Oceanography and ecology of the Aleutian Archipelago: spatial and temporal variation
title_full_unstemmed Oceanography and ecology of the Aleutian Archipelago: spatial and temporal variation
title_sort oceanography and ecology of the aleutian archipelago: spatial and temporal variation
publisher Wiley
publishDate 2005
url http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2419.2005.00378.x
https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2419.2005.00378.x
https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1365-2419.2005.00378.x
long_lat ENVELOPE(178.878,178.878,51.567,51.567)
geographic Amchitka
geographic_facet Amchitka
genre Archipelago
Alaska
genre_facet Archipelago
Alaska
op_source Fisheries Oceanography
volume 14, issue s1, page 292-306
ISSN 1054-6006 1365-2419
op_rights http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/termsAndConditions#vor
op_doi https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2419.2005.00378.x
container_title Fisheries Oceanography
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