Rocky Intertidal Species Diversity along the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska: 2003 - 2004

• Main Authors: Anne Salomon, Jennifer Ruesink
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Gulf of Alaska Data Portal
• Subjects: EVOSTC; subsistence; marine ecological change; shoreline harvest; Alaska; Katharina tunicata; Kenai Peninsula; oil spill; Exxon Valdez; Bidarki; chiton; Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Trustee Council; benthic; Acmaea mitra; Acrosiphonia; Alaria marginata; Alcyonacean; Analipus; Aplidium spp; Artic Borer; Balanus; Boreotrophon spp Deep ridged long groove; Bossiella; Bossiella cretacea; Bryozoan; Bryozoan Upright; Bryozoan Upright Heteropora alaskensis; Calliostoma; Cancer oregonensis; Chelyosoma productum; Chthamalus; Cladophora; Cnemidocarpa finmarkiensis; Codium; Colpomenia peregrina; Corallina; Coralline crust; Costaria costata; Cryptochiton; Cryptosiphonia; Cymathere; Dark cuc; Encrusting Bryozoan on haptera; Endocladia; Enteromorpha Intes; Epiactus; Eudistoma ritteri; Eupentacta spp white cuc; Evasterias; Fauchea laciniata; Flustrelldira coniculata; Fucus; Fusitriton oregonensis; Fustraledra; Green yellow Halichondria; Halichondria; Haliclona; Halosaccion; Hedophyllum; Henricia; Hildenbrandia; Hildenbrandia Ralfsia fleshy crust; Idotea; Kalina orange sponge yellowy orange very porous with orange squigglies; Key hole Limpet; Lacuna; Laminaria bongardiana; Laminaria groenlandica; Laminaria longipies; Laminaria setchellii; Lemon dorrid sea slug; Lepidozonna mertensii; Leptasterias; Litorina sp; Long skinny black worm Amphiporous; Lottiidae; Margarites; Mastocarpus; Mazzaella heterocarpa; Melanosiphon intestinalalis; Mesophyllum; Metridium; Microcladia; Modiolus modiolus; Mopalia spp; Mytilus californianus; Mytilus trossulus; Nemertean; Neoptilota; Neorhodomela; Nucella Lamellosa; Nucella canaliculata; Ocenebrina; Ocinebrina; Odonthalia; Oedignathus; Onchidella; Ophiopholis aculeata Brittle Star; Ophlitospongia; OrANGE pista; Orange Aplidium; Orange Encrusting Sponge; Orange dorrid sea slug; Pagurus; Palmaria blade complex; Palmaria blade complexe; Palmaria callophylloides; Petrocelis; Phidiana crassicornis; Phycodrys riggii; Pink purple grey Haliclona; Pisaster; Pista elongata Sandy Squishy tube worms; Pododesmus; Polyneura latissima; Polysiphonia; Porphyra; Potamilla occelata; Pterosiphonia; Ptilota; Pugettia; Pycnopodia; Ralfsia; Red banded star Crosaster possibly; Riterrela like compund ascidian clubs no orange; Ritterella like tunicate; Rostanga; S droebachiensis; Scypha; Scytosiphon; Sea Peach; Semibalanus cariosus; Serpularella; Serraticardia; Small smooth cuc; Soranthera ulvoidea; Sparlingia pertusa; Spirorbids; Squat mystery snail; Stringy fan tuffs Pterosiphonia; Styela; Stylantheca Hydrocoral; Tokidadendron kurilensis; Tonicella lineata; Tonicella rubra; Tonicella undocaerulea; Trichotropis cancellata; Triopha; Ulvoid; Urticina; bumpy clumps of mystery Red; chondracanthus exasperata; neorhodomela oregona; pink mussel epipytic; sea mouse recruit; thin red blade Voucher; Mitra
• Online Access: https://search.dataone.org/view/df35d.336.6

We investigated the relative roles of natural factors and shoreline harvest leading to localized declines of the black leather chiton, Katharina tunicata, on the Kenai Peninsula, Alaska. Field surveys of the significant predictors of K. tunicata across 11 sites suggest that its current spatial variation is significantly related to human exploitation and sea otter predation. Traditional ecological knowledge further revealed that several benthic marine invertebrates (sea urchin, crab and clams) have declined sequentially, with reduced densities of K. tunicata being the most recent. We propose that a restriction in alternative prey species availability has led to recent intensified per capita predator impacts on K. tunicata. Experimental K. tunicata removals in the low intertidal revealed that at high densities, K. tunicata reduced the density of Alaria marginata, by 94% and species richness by 38%, and altered algal and invertebrate community structure. Across site comparisons showed that A. marginata biomass was 7 times greater at exploited versus unexploited sites. Furthermore, community structure differed significantly as a function of predation pressure. These results provide evidence of a trophic cascade and reveal the extent to which fishing and natural predation, via the reduction of a shared keystone resource, indirectly alter a temperate coastal ecosystem. Publications: Salomon, A.K. 2006. Investigating the relative roles of natural factors and shoreline harvest in altering the community structure, dynamics and diversity of the Kenai Peninsula’s rocky intertidal, Exxon Valdez Oil Spill Gulf Ecosystem Monitoring and Research Project Final Report (GEM Project 030647), University of Washington, Seattle, Washington.