Estimation of clam death using the physical condition of clam valves collected from clamshell litter in Southeast Alaska

• Main Author: Tiffany Stephens
• Format: Dataset
• Language: unknown
• Published: Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity 2018
• Subjects: Zostera; Clamshell; Sea otter; Crab; Seastar; Snail; Seagrass; Alaska; Prince of Wales Island; Archipelago
• Online Access: https://search.dataone.org/view/knb.92397.1

This dataset is composed of clamshell litter data, for which the cause of death of each clam was estimated using the physical condition of the valves. Causes of death include predation by sea otter, crab, snail, and seastar/natural death. Specifically, data on the proportion of estimated cause of death of clams for each site were collected to compliment a sediment pit dataset (pits dug by identified predators above) to correct for the most likely number of pits dug by sea otters versus other animals. Clamshell litter was collected at intertidal sites that included eelgrass beds, in which three 100-m transects were placed for shell collections: within the eelgrass bed, along the edge of the eelgrass bed, and outside the eelgrass bed. Collections were conducted at 21 sites in Southeast Alaska on Prince of Wales Island. These data were collected to compliment a larger, interdisciplinary project called APECS (Apex predators, Ecosystems, and Community Sustainability), the focus of which investigated the role that sea otters have on seagrass habitats, their ecological function, and influences on traditional and subsistence harvest of specified marine organisms.