| Summary: | We conducted a field study ofjellyfish in the southeastern Bering Sea in summer 2000. The goal of the study was to elucidate the role ofjellyfish in food web production and ecosystem dynamics. Certain aspects ofthe original study were unexpected, particularly the time required to complete diet analyses of the primary species, the large scyphomedusan Chrysaora melanaster. In addition, we have undertaken additional GIS analyses not part of the original project. We request here support to complete the diet studies and expand the GIS analyses of relationships among jellyfish,.-. distributions and population dynamics, fish stock recruitment, and environmental features, such as wind and water temperatures. The results will make an important contribution to our understanding ofecosystem structure in the southeastern Bering Sea and variability related to climate change on interannual and decadal time scales in general. In particular, this study will provide valuable insights into the impact ofjellyfish, through predation and competition, on recruitment of fishes of high economic and ecosystem importance.
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