PSEA 10-01 Cruise Plan
1
USCGC Polar Sea Final (03/6/10) Cruise Plan
POLAR SEA 10-01
March 7-April 7, 2010
Participating Projects:
BEST Benthic Ecosystem Response to Changing Ice Cover in the Bering Sea (National
Science Foundation ARC-0802290), Jackie Grebmeier and Lee Cooper, PIs
BEST: Sea Ice Algae, a Major Food Source for Herbivorous Plankton and Benthos in
the Eastern Bering Sea (NSF ARC-0732767)
PIs: Rolf Gradinger, Bodil Bluhm, Katrin Iken
BEST: A Novel Molecular Approach to Measuring In situ Feeding Rates of Copepods in
the South Eastern Bering Sea (NSF ARC-0909415).
PI: Ted Durbin
Measuring and Modeling Habitat Use by Spectacled Eiders Wintering in the Bering Sea
PI: Jim Lovvorn, (NPRB Project 820)
Seabird Broad-scale Distribution (NPRB BSIERP PROJECT B64)
PI: Kathy Kuletz
Chief Scientist: Lee W. Cooper (cooper@cbl.umces.edu), ph. 410-326-7359, fax
865-326-7210, Chesapeake Biological Laboratory, University of Maryland Center for
Environmental Science
Other Participants
1. Dr. Jackie Grebmeier, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
(jgrebmei@cbl.umces.edu)
2. Ms. Marisa Guarinello, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
(miguar@hotmail.com)
3. Ms. Linton Beaven, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
(beaven@cbl.umces.edu)
4. Ms. Regan Simpson, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
(regansimpson@msn.com)
5. Mr. Steven Fenske, University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
(steven_fenske@yahoo.com)
6. Mr. Matt Sexson, US Geological Survey (msexson@usgs.gov)
7. Dr. Jim Lovvorn, Southern Illinois University (lovvorn@siu.edu)
8. Ms. Dawn Sechler, Southern Illinois University (dsechler@siu.edu)
9. Dr. Rolf Gradinger, University of Alaska Fairbanks (rgradinger@ims.uaf.edu)
10. Mr. Martin Schuster, University of Alaska Fairbanks (mdschuster@alaska.edu)
PSEA 10-01 Cruise Plan
2
11. Mr. Jared Weems, University of Alaska Fairbanks (ftjdw@uaf.edu)
12. Dr. Kathy Kuletz, US Fish and Wildlife Service (Kathy_Kuletz@fws.gov)
13. Mr. Aaron Lang, US Fish and Wildlife Service (birdingak@gmail.com)
14. Mr. Scott Hiller, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (shiller@ucsd.edu)
15. Mr. Ben Gire, Scripps Institution of Oceanography (bgire@ucsd edu)
16. Dr. Ed Durbin, University of Rhode Island (edurbin@gso.uri.edu)
17. Ms. Maria Casas, Univrsity of Rhode Island (mcasas@gso.uri.edu)
18. Ms. Sigrid Salo, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (Sigrid.a.salo@noaa.gov)
19. Mr. Peter Proctor, National National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
(Peter.proctor@noaa.gov)
20. Dr. Didier Burdloff, Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University
(budloff@ldeo.columbia.edu
21. Mr. Mark Bradford*, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (mark@ucar.edu)
22. Mr. John Allison*, University Corporation for Atmospheric Research (jja@ucar.edu)
*Bradford and Allison will swap out with each other, transferring at Gambell or Savoonga
Space is also being held for two potential media representatives, who will board from and
disembark to St. Lawrence Island.
A. CRUISE SCIENCE OVERVIEW
Patch dynamics is a conceptual approach to ecosystem and habitat analysis that
emphasizes the dynamics of heterogeneity within a system. Benthic-oriented
measurements have been taken in the northern Bering Sea for many years because the
region is known to support highly productive benthic communities and food resources
for benthic-feeding apex predators, including gray whales, bearded seals, walruses, and
diving sea-ducks—all of which are important for subsistence hunting by local Bering
Sea communities. Continued benthic sampling is planned in the St. Lawrence Island
area to complement the planned documentation of walrus distributions from the bridge
and helicopter surveys that will also identify foraging areas for wintering spectacled
eiders. Recent studies (e.g. Grebmeier et al. 2006; Science 10 March 2006: Vol. 311.
no. 5766, pp. 1461 - 1464) suggested that climate warming may change the present
benthic-dominated northern Bering Sea ecosystem to one more pelagic in nature,
similar to the southern Bering Sea—a direct result of changing trophic interactions.
Specific evaluation of dominant infaunal prey of walrus (e.g., bivalves, gastropods, and
polychaetes), will be undertaken during the benthic field component of this BSIERPBEST walrus-prey patch dynamics study. We will plan to place these studies in the
context of retrospective benthic data sets collected over the last 20 years in the region.
We will be evaluating the spatial heterogeneity of benthic infaunal population and
sediment tracers in oceanographic context at coarse scales (20 nm) to evaluate overall
effects on ecological processes. We will also strive to develop scaling strategies and
limitations for extrapolating information from the small scale (3-5 nm) used for our
walrus-prey patch dynamics study to larger (10-20 nm) and even regional (50-100 nm)
scales in order to evaluate information from the local ecosystem to overall northern
Bering Sea regional scale in which the walrus reside.
B. FIELD SAMPLING
PSEA 10-01 Cruise Plan
3
OVERVIEW OF POLAR SEA 2010 FIELD SAMPLING
This prey patch dynamics study jointly funded by the National Science Foundation
(BEST) and the North Pacific Research Board (BSIERP) will primarily evaluate the iceoceanographic ecosystem supporting a highly productive benthic prey field for walrus
and spectacled eider predation. The core sampling at each station will include a CTD
deployment (technical support provided through NSF agreement with Scripps Institution
of Oceanography), water column collections to document the chlorophyll, nutrients and
stable oxygen-18/oxygen-16 distributions, carbon supply to the sediments (using
sediment respiration incubations) and benthic measurement of in-faunal populations
(van Veen grabs). Towards the end of the cruise, water column sampling along the 70
m isobath of the Bering Shelf southward towards the Aleutians will be undertaken at
relatively high density as part of physical oceanographic program embedded in the
Bering Sea research program supported through BEST and BSIERP. Prior to that
sampling, a total of 30-40 benthic stations will be occupied, and at least once per day
the ship will be positioned so that nearby sea ice can be sampled by the Gradinger et al,
Sambrotto, and National Ice Center research group from the starboard side. Ideally
these on-ice deployments will occur while aft and port sampling are simultaneously
underway. Access to the ice will be ideally from the ship crane or brow although use of
small boats and the helicopter might be necessary under some conditions. The Lovvorn
efforts relating to wintering spectacled eiders will be coordinated with helicopter needs
identified by the Gradinger et al. group to recover sediment traps left within the ice. The
spectacled eider research efforts include both surveying and specimen collection
efforts. The Kuletz et al. led bird and marine mammal observer program will be based
on the bridge and will be underway when the ship is transiting.
The following schedule is tentative for this cruise, with the ship sampling time in
draft form until at sea. Sampling locations are shown on Figure 1 and coordinates
are tabulated in Table 1. Changes in this station sequence are likely as a result of
ice conditions and walrus distributions. We will also pick some additional tighterscale benthic sampling stations that will be dictated by walrus distributions
March 7, 09:00, Ship departs Kodiak
March 8-14: Transit to North Bering Sea sampling area (Figure 1).
March 15-16 Location of spectacled eider flocks and alteration of ship track as
necessary; initial benthic sampling (VNG1 and NWC5)
March 17-18: Sampling moves northeast toward St. Lawrence Island on the SWC and
NWC lines: NWC4, SWC4, SWC4A, VNG3.5 (4 stations)
March 19-20: VNG3, NWC4A, CD1, VNG4, NWC3, (5 stations)
March 21-22: DLN3, DLN2, NWC2.5, NWC2, VNG5, (5 stations)
March 23-24: SWC2, SIL1, SEC1, SEC2, SEC2.5, (5 stations)
March 25-26: POP3A, SIL3, POP4, SEC3, (4 stations)
March 27-28: NEC2.5, NEC1, NEC2, NEC3 (4 stations)
March 29-April 2: Occupation of 70 m isobath along Bering Shelf; baseline nutrient
sampling near Nunivak Island
April 3-7 Transit to Kodiak
PSEA 10-01 Cruise Plan
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April 7, 09:00,Healy docks at City dock,
Kodiak
PSEA 10-01 Cruise Plan
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Figure 2. Station names for St. Lawrence Island polynya region including initial 70 m
isobath stations.
PSEA 10-01 Cruise Plan
6
Figure 3. Overview of overall sampling plan, including 70 m isobath stations to be
occupied at end of cruise.
Table 1. Draft plan for intended movement of Polar Sea during PSEA10-01, March 7April 7, 2010.
PSEA 10-01 Cruise Plan
7
Station Name
Latitutde (°N)
Longitude (°W)
VNG1
NWC5
NWC4
SWC4
SWC4A
VNG3.5
VNG3
NWC4A
CD1
VNG4
NWC3
DLN3
DLN2
NWC2.5
NWC2
VNG5
SWC2
SIL1
SEC1
SEC2
SEC2.5
POP3A
SIL3
POP4
SEC3
NEC2.5
NEC1
NEC2
NEC3
62.0183
62.0562
62.3876
62.2414
62.4124
62.5687
62.5528
62.5606
62.6741
62.7498
62.7799
62.8990
63.2708
63.0298
63.1148
62.9665
62.9141
63.0953
62.9915
62.6060
62.4967
62.5678
62.4383
62.4003
62.2808
62.4728
62.7551
62.4272
62.0569
-175.0622
-175.1991
-174.5503
-173.7408
-173.4359
-173.5721
-173.8429
-174.1848
-173.362
-173.4072
-173.8768
-174.5856
-173.7448
-173.4423
-173.1350
-172.9851
-172.2867
-171.2921
-170.2677
-170.9483
-171.8469
-172.2941
-172.3106
-172.6906
-171.5641
-170.9581
-169.5866
-170.0591
-170.6288
Depth
(m)
67
80
70
56
55
60
62
64
60
61
68
77
74
65
72
60
50
50
40
37
42
43
48
60
47
42
49
30
35
PSEA 10-01 Cruise Plan
8
Sta Name
Activity
M8
ctd
62
M8
Checking on
whether they
actually plan
to do this
m8-S
70M56
70M55
70M54
70M53
70M52
70M51
70M50
70M49
70M48
70M47
70M46
70M45
70M44
70M43
70M42
70M41
70M40
70M39
M5W
70m38/ M5
moorings3 pickups
&2
deployed
70m38M5
ctd
70M37
70M36
70M35
70M34
70M33
70M32
70M31
70M30
70M29
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
Lat.
H
Long
12
N
174
45
W
62
11.64
N
174
44
W
0.60
1.1
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
61
62
61
61
61
61
61
61
61
60
60
60
60
60
60
60
59
59
59
58.5
1.590
56.600
51.730
43.640
33.610
24.640
14.990
3.940
54.440
44.330
34.310
25.500
15.100
6.030
2.230
58.690
54.690
53.88
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
174
174
174
174
173
173
173
173
173
173
173
173
173
173
173
173
172
172
172
37.02
39.520
21.850
5.656
51.280
42.730
44.170
44.450
49.760
49.480
38.880
38.370
35.500
31.300
19.000
0.390
44.770
26.110
10.00
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
14.02
3.32
9.69
9.06
10.57
10.83
9.01
9.66
11.35
9.51
11.36
10.03
8.93
10.62
10.95
10.04
8.58
10.18
8.13
25.6
6.1
17.7
16.5
19.3
19.8
16.4
17.6
20.7
17.4
20.7
18.3
16.3
19.4
20.0
18.3
15.7
18.6
14.8
FYI
59
53.5
N
171
42.660
W
13.73
25.1
1.09
2.0
11.14
10.08
9.78
9.58
9.74
9.17
9.84
9.84
10.50
20.3
18.4
17.9
17.5
17.8
16.7
18.0
18.0
19.2
59
59
59
59
59
59
59
59
58
58
lat-min
54.578
46.620
42.930
35.700
26.140
20.120
14.820
6.410
56.900
46.460
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
171
171
171
170
170
170
170
170
170
170
lonmin
H
42.472
26.980
8.390
55.370
54.360
39.350
24.730
14.810
19.640
17.620
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
Dist.
(nm)
Dist.
(km)
PSEA 10-01 Cruise Plan
9
70M28
70M27
70M26
70M25
70M24
70M23
70m22 M4W
70M21 M4go1 mi away
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
58
58
58
58
58
57
57
37.020
26.770
16.920
8.830
2.530
54.420
46.00
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
170
170
170
169
169
169
169
16.530
11.140
5.680
55.090
40.350
30.000
12.00
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
9.47
10.64
10.27
9.84
10.03
9.80
12.77
17.3
19.4
18.7
18.0
18.3
17.9
23.3
FYI
57
51.120
N
168
53.201
W
11.26
20.5
70M21/M4
ctd
57
50.000
N
168
53.201
W
1.13
2.1
70m19-M4S
ctd
57
36.00
N
168
42.00
W
15.23
27.8
70M18
70M17
70M16
70M15
70M14
70M13
70M12
70M11
70M10
70M9
70M8
70M7
70M6
70M5
70M4
70M3
70M2/M2
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
57
57
57
57
57
57
57
57
57
57
57
57
56
56
56
56
56
31.440
31.210
30.040
30.070
29.960
31.340
25.720
26.280
19.340
19.260
15.730
6.400
59.610
51.540
54.560
48.5
54
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
168
168
167
167
167
167
166
166
166
166
165
165
165
165
164
164
164
36.810
18.240
59.170
39.910
20.650
2.290
48.720
30.750
19.580
0.670
44.830
36.800
22.650
7.370
49.650
35
3.000
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
5.35
9.98
10.32
10.36
10.36
9.97
9.22
9.70
9.20
10.22
9.27
10.30
10.27
11.61
10.15
10.05
18.35
9.8
18.2
18.8
18.9
18.9
18.2
16.8
17.7
16.8
18.7
16.9
18.8
18.7
21.2
18.5
18.3
33.5
70M2/M2
mooring
site-FYI
56
52.600
N
164
3.400
W
1.43
2.6
CTD -M2S
ctd
56
40.00
N
163
52.00
W
14.07
25.7
CN3
CN4
CN5/ M2
CN6
CN7
CN8
CN9
CN10
CN11
CN12
CN13
CN14
CN16
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
ctd
57
57
56
56
56
56
56
56
55
55
55
55
55
22.992
7.830
53.922
42.300
33.840
25.320
16.680
8.220
59.220
51.060
42.000
33.250
24.300
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
N
163
163
164
164
164
165
165
166
166
166
167
167
168
31.680
47.820
2.292
30.540
54.300
18.180
42.060
6.240
30.600
54.420
18.240
42.400
0.000
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
W
44.40
17.51
15.99
19.36
15.58
15.71
15.81
15.90
16.32
15.65
16.18
16.22
13.41
81.0
31.9
29.2
35.3
28.4
28.7
28.9
29.0
29.8
28.6
29.5
29.6
24.5
PSEA 10-01 Cruise Plan
10
NOTE: There are two moorings in our study area that should be surrounded by a
“DO NOT GET CLOSER THAN 5 MILES CIRCLE”: Location in 2009 (seeking
updated information for 2010):
1. 06BS-8 Mooring (Top Instrument at 22 meters), 62° 11.6334'N/ 174° 40.0587'W
2. 06BSP-8 (ADCP at 60 meters), 62° 11.727'N/ 174° 39.591'W
C. FIELD OPERATIONS AND ORDER OF SAMPLING FOR A GENERIC STATION








Position ship if possible to facilitate deployment of teams on ice from the
starboard side of the ship (~once daily, daylight conditions; possibly more
than once daily if requested)
Port and aft shipboard operations underway if possible while ice teams are
deployed
Helicopter operations interspersed, daylight hours
CTD deployment from port winch (T/S, chlorophyll, nutrients, O-18, bottom
water for respiration cores),
Net collections using dual bongo zooplankton net from stern or port side
Benthic collections (5-7 van Veen grabs, 2 HAPs multi-corer deployments).
Recover ice teams from sea ice to ship
Transit to next station
APPENDICES FOR COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS ONBOARD PSEA 10-01
APPENDIX A Gradinger et al. The primary goals of our study are to determine the
biomass, diversity, production and fate of ice algae in the BEST study area. This task
will be accomplished by a combination of physical, chemical and biological field
measurements during ship expeditions, combined with experimental studies. During this
expedition we specifically want to: (1) measure chemical (nutrients, salinity) and
physical parameters (ice thickness, snow depth, ice temperature, light) of sea ice and
the under-ice water layer; (2) describe and quantify the temporal and spatial variability
of ice algal parameters (algal pigments, taxonomic composition, size spectra, POC,
PON, 13C ratio) over a range of relevant ice characteristics and other physical and
chemical gradients observed in the study area; (3) quantify the primary production of ice
algae (using labeled precursors); (4) quantify the same parameters as in objectives (1)
and (2) for the phytoplankton immediately under the sea ice (scale of cm to meters) and
quantify algal pigments and 13C stable isotope ratios; (5) determine characteristics of
sedimenting particles (species/particle type, algal pigments, PON, POC, 13C and 15N)
by deploying drifting short term (<24hours) sediment traps under Bering Sea ice; (6)
determine stable isotope composition (13C, 5N) in selected zooplankton and benthic
taxa including surface sediments in addition to the isotopic measurements on ice algae,
phytoplankton and sedimenting material mentioned above; (7) conduct on-board
feeding experiments with isotopically enriched food and a benthic feeder (bivalve) to
PSEA 10-01 Cruise Plan
11
assess the importance of two isotopically different end-members (ice POM, pelagic
POM)by applying mixing models.
We propose to use the following sampling approach to be modified based on
time/station availability:
Ice and water samples will be taken during on-ice deployments per station, and
water and benthic samples by net and grab hauls, respectively, will be sampled from the
vessel. All modes of operation described below have successfully been used by the PIs
during Arctic expeditions in 2002, 2004, 2005 and 2008 onboard the icebreaker Healy.
While on station, sampling will be done from a suitable ice floe along the side of the
ship. We expect that ice deployments of personnel (3-4 people) and gear will occur at
the lee-side of the ship over the brow; a GC polar bear watch will be needed. Small boat
operations and helicopters may be needed to reach additional ice floes or when no
suitable ice floes are nearby the selected station location. The ice floe will be selected to
represent the typical ice condition range observed for that station in terms of floe size,
snow depth and ice thickness based on the standard ice observations. Each floe will be
sampled for a main sampling station (CTD, H2O, sediment traps, UW video, ice cores)
and two satellite locations per ice floe approximately 50 m away from the main sampling
location (ice cores only). An ice auger will be used to drill holes for CTD, water sampling
and for sediment trap and in-situ primary production experiment deployment. Primary
production measurements will be done with 4 h in-situ incubations. Temperature,
salinity, light (PAR range) and chlorophyll fluorescence of the upper water column
(upper 30m) will be determined with a SEACAT 19plus CTD lowered by hand through
an auger hole in the ice at the main sampling station. A simultaneous 2π sensor reading
(LICOR instruments) at the ice surface will provide a reference for the light readings.
These readings will occur away from the ship’s influence and will provide information
unbiased by ship movement on the near-surface hydrography in the BEST region and
help detect near-surface under-ice phytoplankton blooms. We propose to deploy small
sediment traps (diameter 10 cm, aspect ratio 1:10, filled with 0.2μm filtered sea water)
through holes at the main sampling location for a minimum of 5 h, ideally 12 h.
Approximately seven ice cores will be taken per sampling location, cores sliced and
sections individually bagged to assess Chl a, POC, PON, stable isotope ratios, and
NO2, NO3, SiO4, PO4 concentrations. Once ice activities are completed, all personnel
and gear will be brought back on board. Sediment traps may remain deployed to
achieve minimum deployment time, and two scientists may return onto the ice to
retrieve the traps later. Alternatively, traps can be recovered via helicopter.
We request 2L from the Chl max depth water depths from the CTD for water POM
characterization. If Chl max depth is poorly defined, we anticipate taking water from
approximately 15 m depth. A suite of ca. 5 zooplankton species occurring throughout
the study area will be sampled at each station using the bongo net. We will have a
back-up 50 cm ring diameter 200 μm mesh plankton net. Benthic sediment and
common benthic primary consumers will be collected using 2-3 replicate Van Veen
grabs (0.1m2, one replicate can be shared with Dr. Jackie Grebmeier by using her nonquantitative grab sample). Small sub-samples of surface sediment will be taken for
benthic chlorophyll and stable isotope measurements with syringe corers before the
grab is opened, and samples will be stored frozen until further processing. Remaining
PSEA 10-01 Cruise Plan
12
grab samples will be sieved immediately over 1mm mesh and 4-5 benthic target species
selected as representatives of the benthic food web.
Request for support from USCGC POLAR SEA:
- Polar bear guard
- 2 sleds for on-ice work
- transport to/from sea ice (crane/helicopter/small boat, brow)
- freezer space: -80 deg C freezer (for pigments/lipids), -30 deg C freezer (for
water samples),
Participants: 3 (Gradinger, Schuster, Weems)
APPENDIX B. Seabird Observations: Kathy Kuletz, US Fish and Wildlife Service,
Anchorage, AK;
The U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) is undertaking an at-sea program utilizing
ships of opportunity, with the goal to update our seabird database and improve efforts to
use them as indicators of change in the North Pacific/Arctic oceans. Two seabird
observers are scheduled to be onboard PolarSEA to take advantage of oceanographic
and biological data in relation to seabird distribution and abundance. The USFWS
seabird observers will be equipped with all necessary field gear, including a laptop
computer with integrated GPS for data recording. Following established protocols, the
observers will conduct surveys during daylight hours, recording all marine birds and
mammals within a set transect width.
Participants: 2
APPENDIX D. BEST: A novel molecular approach to measuring In situ feeding
rates of copepods in the South Eastern Bering Sea.
General
Mesozooplankton play a critical role in determining carbon flow from primary producers
to higher trophic levels. In the SE Bering Sea interannual changes in the timing and
extent of both sea ice cover and summer stratification will affect their role in determining
the path of carbon flow, whether through the pelagic ecosystem or to the benthos.
Knowledge of the actual in situ mesozooplankton diet composition and ingestion rates is
essential to understanding the flow of carbon in this system. Information about these
rates using traditional bottle incubation techniques when sea ice cover is present will be
compromised because of the strong vertical gradients in the mesozooplankton prey
environment making sampling the appropriate prey field difficult.
The PIs will carry out a field investigation of in situ feeding rates by copepods on the
Bering shelf during spring when sea ice is present. For this they will use a novel
molecular technique they have developed to quantitatively measure ingestion rates on
different prey species from zooplankton stomach content analysis. They will use the
18S ribosomal RNA gene as a marker to identify different prey species present in the
guts of copepods and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (q-PCR) to
measure copy number of this gene for each prey species. Ingestion rates will be
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calculated from this gut content information, 18S copy number/organism, and DNA
digestion rates. By combining these in situ ingestion rate measurements with
zooplankton abundance measurements and the prey field composition, they will be able
to determine the fate of phytoplankton production under the varying environmental
conditions.
In addition, since little is known of the development of abundant copepods such as
Calanus glacialis in this region during early spring, the PIs will collect samples to
determine the abundance of different developmental stages of these dominant
copepods.
Station Activities
The station plan indicates that several stations per day will be sampled in the intensive
sampling area. The PIs would probably only sample at two of these. Since zooplankton
usually show diel feeding periodicity, even if they are not undergoing diel vertical
migration, the PIs would like to make some of their collections for feeding rate
measurements during the early evening hours.
They would like to sample during the 70 m isobath transect on the return to Kodiak to
provide larger spatial scale information on zooplankton abundance and stage
distribution, and on zooplankton feeding.
At each station that they sample their activities will be:
1. Collect 4 l of water from the surface and the chlorophyll max (15 m if no
chlorophyll max present) from CTD niskin bottles. Water for phytoplankton DNA
will be filtered and frozen at -80°C. Water for microscopic species identification
will be concentrated and preserved with Lugols iodine.
2. Make a vertical tow with a 0.5 m diam 64 µm mesh ring net from near the bottom
to the surface. This will be preserved in formalin for identification and
enumeration of smaller zooplankton and determination of developmental stages
of abundant copepods such as Calanus glacialis.
3. Make a vertical tow with a 60 cm bongo from near the bottom to the surface. This
will be preserved in formalin for larger zooplankton identification and
enumeration.
Both of these nets will be deployed so that they only sample during the upward
tow.
4. Make a vertical tow with a 1 m diam 150 µm mesh ring net to about 30 m to
collect zooplankton for gut DNA characterization and gut pigment determination.
This is non-quantitative and the net will sample on both the down and up portions
of the tow.
A portion of the cod-end will be immediately fixed in ethanol for gut DNA. A
second portion will be anesthetized with MS222 and adults or older copepodid
stages of abundant copepods sorted for gut pigment determination.
5. At selected stations we will isolate phytoplankton cells to establish cultures of
species of interest.
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APPENDIX E. Measuring and modeling habitat use by Spectacled Eiders
wintering in the Bering Sea, Jim Lovvorn, University of Wyoming
In 2007, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council established the Northern Bering
Sea Research Area, which is closed to bottom trawling until a fishery management plan
is developed. Areas must be identified for protecting marine mammals, threatened
species, snow crabs, and Native subsistence, followed by research in remaining areas
to assess possible effects of bottom trawling. Between St. Matthew and St. Lawrence
Islands, the principal threatened species is the Spectacled Eider (SPEI), whose world
population winters there. The eiders’ dispersion was consistent in the 5 years they were
located between 1996 and 2001; however, a limited search in 2006 suggested that their
distribution has changed. Such shifts would alter current perceptions of viable habitat
for SPEI, and modify delineation of areas to be protected. Such delineations might also
be influenced by population trends. In conjunction with walrus surveys funded by NSF
BEST and NPRB BSIERP, we propose to characterize the current dispersion of SPEI
from ships’ helicopters, and count the population from fixed-wing aircraft. Eider
dispersion will be compared with recent and concurrent surveys of benthic prey, and
used to test and refine a model that predicts where eiders can maintain positive energy
balance. This model will indicate how the location and extent of SPEI habitat has
changed over 35 years, and how possible future changes can be considered in fishery
management plans.