U.S. Beaufort Sea Fish Communities

1. U.S. Beaufort Sea Fish Communities Brenda L. Norcross and Lorena E. Edenfield School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences University of Alaska Fairbanks US – Canada Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum Anchorage, AK November 2012 Photo credit: S. Carroll

2. UAF Beaufort Sea surveys • 3 cruises • 2010: WWW1004 (6 days, Westward Wind) • 2011: BeauFish (21 days, Norseman II) • 2012: US Transboundary (10 days, Norseman II) • Sampling gears: • Benthic nets: Fish and Invertebrates • Midwater nets: Fish and Zooplankton • Oceanography • Sediments and Infauna

4. Canadian 3-m beam trawl Otter trawl 3-m plumbstaff beam trawl Modified 3-m PSBT for complex substrate Photo credit: S. MacPhee Photo credit: C. Cano Photo credit: BOEM

5. 2010

6. 2010 • Small sampling area, mostly shallow • Camden Bay, “Sivuliq area” • Funded by Shell Exploration and Production Co. • 17 stations from 20-100 m • Captured approximately 800 fish total • 600 in bottom gear Photo credit: T. Foster Photo credit: S. Carroll

7. 2010- small area, shallow

8. 2011

9. 2011 • Large area, mostly shallow • BeauFish cruise, from Camden Bay to Pt. Barrow • Funded by BOEM • 79 stations from 15-200 m • Captured approximately 17,000 fish • 13,000 in bottom gear Photo credit: I. Rutzen

10. 2011- large area, shallow

11. All fish Captured 13,000 Size range: 1 -12 inches

12. Snailfish Captured 750 Size range: 1 -8 inches Photo credit: K. Mecklenburg

13. Sculpins Captured 2,700 Size range: 1 -9 inches Photo credit: B. Sheiko

14. Photo credit: B. Sheiko Cod Captured 68,000 Size range: 1 -7 inches

15. From Gallaway et al., submitted

16. 2012

17. 2012 Collaboration Norseman II Frosti US Beaufort Canadian Beaufort

18. 2012- US Beaufort • Small area, shallow and deep depths • US Transboundary cruise, central US Beaufort • Funded by BOEM • 18 stations from 20-1,000 m • Captured approximately 5,500 fish • 4,700in bottom gear Photo credit: S. Atchison

19. 2012- small area, deep

20. Percent composition of catch at depth

21. Average length at depth

23. Species List 43 confirmed species from 12 families

24. Length differences 2010-2011 vs 2012

25. Shelf vs. slope • Average length • Shelf = small • Slope = big • Catch composition • Shelf- sculpins, snailfishes, and cod • Slope- eelpout, rays, and flatfishes • Different species within families

26. East vs. West Density of all fishes is greater in west Larval cod density high in east

28. Future transboundary surveys • US and Canadian Beaufort • 10 planned transects on US and Canadian side of border • collaboration between scientists • 2013: Norseman II (UAF) and Frosti (DFO) • 2014: Sikuiliaq • Both US and DFO scientists Photo credit: C. Cano

29. Potential enhancements to future transboundary surveys • Ichthyoplankton • Hydroacoustics • ROV/gliders • Primary productivity • Marine mammal surveys • Seabird observations Image courtesy of Kate Stafford, 2012 RUSALCA Expedition, RAS-NOAA Photo credit: C. Cano

30. Thanks! • The crews of the Westward Wind (2010) Norseman II (2011 and 2012) • UAF Fisheries Oceanography Lab students and technicians • BOEM and Shell Exploration and Production Co. for funding • Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans Photo credit: S. Carroll