Long-term Monitoring of Ecological Communities in Kachemak Bay, 2012-2022, Gulf Watch Alaska Nearshore Component

• Main Authors: Katrin Iken, Brenda Konar
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Research Workspace
• Subjects: OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN > GULF OF ALASKA; CONTINENT > NORTH AMERICA > UNITED STATES OF AMERICA > ALASKA; Urticina; Orthasterias koehleri; Pisaster ochraceus; ochre stars; Lethasterias; Protothaca staminea; Pacific littleneck; Zostera marina; seawrack, eelgrass; Solaster; Pycnopodia helianthoides; Sunflower Star; Henricia leviuscula; Evasterias troscheli; Dermasterias imbricata; Leather star; Anthopleura artemisia; Rhodophyta; red algae, algues rouges; Phaeophyta; brown algae, algues brunes; Chlorophyta; green algae, algues vertes; Mytilus trossulus; foolish mussel; Saxidomus gigantea; Washington butterclam; Macoma; Mya; Hiatella arctica; Arctic hiatella; Lottia; EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOSYSTEMS > MARINE ECOSYSTEMS > COASTAL > ROCKY INTERTIDAL; EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES > ECHINODERMS > SEA STARS; EARTH SCIENCE > BIOLOGICAL CLASSIFICATION > ANIMALS/INVERTEBRATES > CNIDARIANS > ANTHOZOANS/HEXACORALS > SEA ANEMONES; EARTH SCIENCE > BIOSPHERE > ECOLOGICAL DYNAMICS > COMMUNITY DYNAMICS > COMMUNITY STRUCTURE; EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > COASTAL PROCESSES > INTERTIDAL ZONE; Rocky Coasts; intertidal survey; Exxon Valdez; oil spill; Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council; EVOSTC; EVOS Gulf Watch; Kachemak Bay; Arctic; Brunes; Cohen Island; Gulf of Alaska; Ochre; Pacific; Kachemak; Alaska
• Online Access: https://search.dataone.org/view/10.24431_rw1k6cw_20221222T212743Z

This dataset contains information about ecological communities in Kachemak Bay, Gulf of Alaska as collected by intertidal surveys conducted during spring 2012 to 2022. Following protocols established for Prince William Sound, surveys were conducted to document a range of communities and variables in Kachemak Bay, including the following: (1) infaunal clam populations at four gravel beach sites; (2) limpet (Lottia spp) size-frequency distribution at rocky intertidal sites; (3) mussel (Mytilus trossulus) size-frequency distribution at three rocky intertidal sites (Port Graham, Outside Beach, and Cohen Island), expanded to six sites in 2015); (4) the percent cover of taxa in the kelp overstory, the percent cover of understory, and counts of individual taxa > 2 cm; (5) the percent cover of substrate categories according to the Wentworth classification scheme; (6) the density of sea stars and large anemones found along transects in the low intertidal, along a 30X1 m swath (= 30 m2); (7) shoot density of seagrass (Zostera marina) at four sites; and (8) temperatures measured in the low intertidal zone of rocky shores. The dataset exists as individual comma-separated values (csv) files exported from Microsoft Excel for each survey year and type. Additionally the sampling protocols followed to conduct the intertidal surveys are included as a .pdf file. These data are part of the Gulf Watch Alaska (GWA), Nearshore component of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council. Gulf Watch Alaska is the long-term ecosystem monitoring program of the Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council for the marine ecosystem affected by the 1989 oil spill.