Responses of the Northern Bering Sea and Southeastern Bering Sea Pelagic Ecosystems Following Record‐Breaking Low Winter Sea Ice

Abstract Bering Sea sea ice during winter 2017–2018 was the lowest ever recorded. Ecosystem effects of low ice have been observed in the southeastern Bering Sea, but never in the northern Bering Sea. Observations in both systems included weakened water column stratification, delayed spring bloom, an...

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Main Authors: Janet T. Duffy‐Anderson, Phyllis Stabeno, Alexander G. Andrews III, Kristin Cieciel, Alison Deary, Edward Farley, Corey Fugate, Colleen Harpold, Ronald Heintz, David Kimmel, Kathy Kuletz, Jesse Lamb, Melanie Paquin, Steven Porter, Lauren Rogers, Adam Spear, Ellen Yasumiishi
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Wiley 2019-08-01
Series:Geophysical Research Letters
Subjects:
Online Access:https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083396
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author Janet T. Duffy‐Anderson
Phyllis Stabeno
Alexander G. Andrews III
Kristin Cieciel
Alison Deary
Edward Farley
Corey Fugate
Colleen Harpold
Ronald Heintz
David Kimmel
Kathy Kuletz
Jesse Lamb
Melanie Paquin
Steven Porter
Lauren Rogers
Adam Spear
Ellen Yasumiishi
author_facet Janet T. Duffy‐Anderson
Phyllis Stabeno
Alexander G. Andrews III
Kristin Cieciel
Alison Deary
Edward Farley
Corey Fugate
Colleen Harpold
Ronald Heintz
David Kimmel
Kathy Kuletz
Jesse Lamb
Melanie Paquin
Steven Porter
Lauren Rogers
Adam Spear
Ellen Yasumiishi
author_sort Janet T. Duffy‐Anderson
collection DOAJ
description Abstract Bering Sea sea ice during winter 2017–2018 was the lowest ever recorded. Ecosystem effects of low ice have been observed in the southeastern Bering Sea, but never in the northern Bering Sea. Observations in both systems included weakened water column stratification, delayed spring bloom, and low abundances of large crustacean zooplankton. Summer Cold Pool presence was extremely limited. Young walleye pollock production and condition were similar to prior warm years, though catches of other pelagic forage fishes were low. Summer seabird die‐offs were observed in the northern Bering Sea, and to lesser extent in the southeastern Bering Sea, and reproductive success was poor at monitored colonies. Selected bottom‐up responses to lack of sea ice in the north were similar to those in the south, potentially providing environmental indicators to project ecosystem effects in a lesser studied system. Results offer a potential glimpse of the broader Bering Sea pelagic ecosystem under future low‐ice projections.
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series Geophysical Research Letters
spelling doaj-art-bb299a19939d412f9dd7227fee6ea8a22025-08-20T03:13:22ZengWileyGeophysical Research Letters0094-82761944-80072019-08-0146169833984210.1029/2019GL083396Responses of the Northern Bering Sea and Southeastern Bering Sea Pelagic Ecosystems Following Record‐Breaking Low Winter Sea IceJanet T. Duffy‐Anderson0Phyllis Stabeno1Alexander G. Andrews III2Kristin Cieciel3Alison Deary4Edward Farley5Corey Fugate6Colleen Harpold7Ronald Heintz8David Kimmel9Kathy Kuletz10Jesse Lamb11Melanie Paquin12Steven Porter13Lauren Rogers14Adam Spear15Ellen Yasumiishi16Alaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Seattle WA USAPacific Marine Environmental Laboratory NOAA Research Seattle WA USAAlaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Juneau AK USAAlaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Juneau AK USAAlaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Seattle WA USAAlaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Juneau AK USAAlaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Juneau AK USAAlaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Seattle WA USAAlaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Juneau AK USAAlaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Seattle WA USAU.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Anchorage AK USAAlaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Seattle WA USAAlaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Seattle WA USAAlaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Seattle WA USAAlaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Seattle WA USAAlaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Seattle WA USAAlaska Fisheries Science Center NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service Juneau AK USAAbstract Bering Sea sea ice during winter 2017–2018 was the lowest ever recorded. Ecosystem effects of low ice have been observed in the southeastern Bering Sea, but never in the northern Bering Sea. Observations in both systems included weakened water column stratification, delayed spring bloom, and low abundances of large crustacean zooplankton. Summer Cold Pool presence was extremely limited. Young walleye pollock production and condition were similar to prior warm years, though catches of other pelagic forage fishes were low. Summer seabird die‐offs were observed in the northern Bering Sea, and to lesser extent in the southeastern Bering Sea, and reproductive success was poor at monitored colonies. Selected bottom‐up responses to lack of sea ice in the north were similar to those in the south, potentially providing environmental indicators to project ecosystem effects in a lesser studied system. Results offer a potential glimpse of the broader Bering Sea pelagic ecosystem under future low‐ice projections.https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083396Bering Seaecosystemwalleye pollockseabirds
spellingShingle Janet T. Duffy‐Anderson
Phyllis Stabeno
Alexander G. Andrews III
Kristin Cieciel
Alison Deary
Edward Farley
Corey Fugate
Colleen Harpold
Ronald Heintz
David Kimmel
Kathy Kuletz
Jesse Lamb
Melanie Paquin
Steven Porter
Lauren Rogers
Adam Spear
Ellen Yasumiishi
Responses of the Northern Bering Sea and Southeastern Bering Sea Pelagic Ecosystems Following Record‐Breaking Low Winter Sea Ice
Geophysical Research Letters
Bering Sea
ecosystem
walleye pollock
seabirds
title Responses of the Northern Bering Sea and Southeastern Bering Sea Pelagic Ecosystems Following Record‐Breaking Low Winter Sea Ice
title_full Responses of the Northern Bering Sea and Southeastern Bering Sea Pelagic Ecosystems Following Record‐Breaking Low Winter Sea Ice
title_fullStr Responses of the Northern Bering Sea and Southeastern Bering Sea Pelagic Ecosystems Following Record‐Breaking Low Winter Sea Ice
title_full_unstemmed Responses of the Northern Bering Sea and Southeastern Bering Sea Pelagic Ecosystems Following Record‐Breaking Low Winter Sea Ice
title_short Responses of the Northern Bering Sea and Southeastern Bering Sea Pelagic Ecosystems Following Record‐Breaking Low Winter Sea Ice
title_sort responses of the northern bering sea and southeastern bering sea pelagic ecosystems following record breaking low winter sea ice
topic Bering Sea
ecosystem
walleye pollock
seabirds
url https://doi.org/10.1029/2019GL083396
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