2017-18 NPRB Biennial Report

NORTH PACIFIC RESEARCH BOARD

2017-2018 Biennial Report

www.nprb.org

Contents Letter from the Executive Committee......................... 1 Letter from the Executive Director............................... 2 Research Impact...............................................................4 NPRB Science Overview.................................................6 NPRB Science Plan Update............................................8 IERP Programs Overview..............................................10 GOAIERP Program.......................................................... 12 Arctic IERP Program....................................................... 14 Image Gallery...........................................................16 Long-term Monitoring Program.................................18 Core Program/Funded Projects................................. 20 Graduate Student Research Awards..........................38 GSRA: Where Are They Now................................ 40 Outreach Program. ........................................................42 Board & Panels............................................................... 44 Operations & Meeting Support.................................. 46 Fiscal Summary & Audit. .............................................. 48 Publications..................................................................... 50

N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Dear NPRB Stakeholder,

This is the fifth biennial report that NPRB has published since we began funding marine science in 2002. Prior to the first biennial report appearing in 2009-2010, NPRB published “The Foundational Years 2001-2008,”* detailing key budgetary and program developments, and – most importantly - research proposals funded by NPRB for each year of operation. Charged with funding “cooperative research efforts designed to address pressing fishery management or marine ecosystem information needs,” (43 USC §1474d (e)(2)) in some of the most dynamic and productive ecosystems on earth, the substance and scope of the work has changed over time to meet pressing research needs consistent with the NPRB’s mission. Each of the previous biennial reports included a letter from the Chairman of the Board: Ian Dutton for 2009-10; Eric Olson for 2011-12 and 2013-14; and Dan Hull for 2015-16. We - all five members of the Board’s Executive Committee - are pleased to present the current report in this transitional period between Dan Hull’s chairmanship (2014-October 2018) and the Board’s elec- tion of a new chair in spring 2019. We thank Dan for his exceptional and dedicated service not only to NPRB but to the larger communities who depend on the research that NPRB funds. NPRB has accomplished much in the two years that are the focus of this report: two successful cruise seasons for the Arctic Integrated Ecosystem Research Program, funding 49 research projects under the Core Program, which is also transitioning to a no-deadline submissions approach, granting twelve graduate students to help launch them on marine science careers, providing dedicated funding to outreach efforts associated with Core program research, and reaffirming NPRB’s commitment to long-term monitoring in the waters around Alaska, all while continuing to address NPRB’s reduced funding in ways that support strong science. We encourage you to spend time digging into the details that catch your attention in the following pages.

None of this work would be possible without the dedication of NPRB’s Board, Science and Advisory Panels, the hundreds of other volunteers who provide peer review, research ideas, and other feedback on the region’s science needs, and the talented professional staff that supports all of their efforts. We extend our sincere thanks to every one of you.

* All of these reports are available at https://www.nprb.org/nprb/about-us/

Left to right: Matt Robinson Andy Mezirow Tara Riemer Forrest Bowers Not Pictured: Doug Mecum

LETTER FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Dear NPRB Community,

What did the North Pacific Research Board accomplish in 2017 and 2018? The answer extends well beyond the numbers for these two years: $9.2 million in funding awarded to 27 institutions, passing the $114 million mark in 2018 for funds disbursed since NPRB began funding research in 2002. NPRB’s accomplishments presented in this biennial report are possible because of

• The work of scientists who received subawards in that two-year span; • The ongoing research and analyses of previously-funded scientists; and • The commitment of an exceptional group of board and panel members, peer reviewers, staff, and other friends of marine research in the North Pacific.

Each of your contributions is essential to NPRB’s success, and we thank you for your support.

Congress mandates NPRB to “place a priority on cooperative research efforts designed to address pressing fishery management or marine ecosystem information needs,” 43 USC §1474d(e)(2). The 2018 revision of the NPRB Science Plan, the first since it was published in 2005, was a major accomplishment this biennium. The 2018 Science Plan looks to the future while demonstrating the myriad ways in which NPRB-funded science has responded to our Congressional tasking (see page 8 for download instructions). In 2018, we also launched an analysis of the more than sixteen years of NPRB funded research and how it is used to address those management and information needs. NPRB’s first Alaska Sea Grant Fellow Marguerite Tibbles is helping us design and conduct the study. We look forward to presenting more results of her study in the next biennial report. NPRB continues to fund collaboration among researchers and integration across scientific disciplines and ecosystem components with its Integrated Ecosystem Research Programs (IERPs). Three Arctic IERP research cruises successfully collected critical data: two late spring oceanography cruises to the northern Bering and southern Chukchi Seas in 2017 and 2018 at infrequently sampled locations and times of year, and a summer 2017 cruise throughout the Chukchi Sea to study physics and chemistry, plankton, fishes, seabirds, and marine mammals. Cruise reports are available at https://www.nprb.org/arctic-program/preliminary-results/. The Arctic IERP invests more than $18 million of NPRB and partner funds and in-kind support (BOEM, North Slope Borough/ Shell Baseline Studies Program, Office of Naval Research, NOAA, UAF, USFWS, NSF) over five years to examine marine processes in the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas. A project of this scale is possible because of innovative partnerships with agencies, research institutions, and private and industry support.

N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

The NPRB Core program promotes cooperative and disciplinary research, funding 49 projects in response to the 2017 and 2018 Requests for Proposals (RFPs). As this report goes to press, staff has received the first proposals under the new no-deadline, rolling submissions approach to the Core Program RFP for 2019. In 2017 and 2018, the Board funded a new category of Outreach proposal substantially increasing support for cutting edge outreach efforts by scientists and outreach experts associated with the Core Program subawards. In 2017 and 2018, NPRB also issued twelve graduate student awards; GSRA alumni who have successfully established their own scientific careers continue to cross our radar, most recently as two of the keynote speakers at the 2018 Sitka WhaleFest (featured at page 40 in this biennial report).

NPRB continues to identify new partnerships as part of the Board’s strategic and financial planning for the current gradual decline in our primary funding source, which is derived from interest on ten-year U.S. Treasury notes. NPRB will remain a reliable source of research support by increasing our efficiencies and carefully tailoring, rather than growing, our operations in the next biennium.

The people and institutions responsible for ensuring the health of our marine resources, and the individuals and industries that depend on them, all benefit from NPRB-funded research. Thank you for joining us in this critically important work, which the following pages bring to life. We welcome your feedback and ideas for how NPRB can continue to set the standard for funding high quality marine research that sparks scientific inquiry to serve all who care about the North Pacific and its marine resources.

Betsy Baker

2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 B I E N N I A L R E P O R T

RESEARCH IMPACT

references to NPRB research in fishery management decisions), qualitative assessments (e.g., surveys, qualitative network models, Qualtrics), and other potentially meaningful metrics that may be less obvious will be used. These include how many new collaborations developed are maintained over time, and what new research questions, approaches, methodologies, technologies, or insights emerge from NPRB research investments. As part of this effort, NPRB is expanding efforts to archive data and metadata and to better document research collaborations. What is the impact? NPRB is reviewing the application of research findings (e.g., how research is used), the inte- gration in applied fisheries management, and the influence on our evolving understanding of paradigms and processes in the marine realm (e.g., consequences of this information).

Since the North Pacific Research Board (NPRB) began funding research in 2002, it has provided over $114 million in research sub-awards to 492 projects (983 sub-awards), as well as three long-term monitoring programs and three integrated research programs, supporting more than 162 academic, community, and other research institutions. NPRB funding has also created a substantial data repository for data generated by NPRB invest- ments. This public repository includes data and metadata published through the NPRB Research Workspace, accessible through a public data portal http://projects.nprb.org/ . In 2018, NPRB initiated an extensive effort to investigate and analyze its investments for overall research impact. Insights are intended to inform strategic planning and provide a reference to NPRB stakeholders and target audiences that include the broader research community, state and federal agencies, fisheries and resource extraction industries, coastal and Alaska Native communities, partner institutions, and interested public. NPRB is focusing on the following questions: What research priorities have been addressed? NPRB is interested in how research priorities were developed, and how these priorities relate to partner institutions and NPRB’s overall mission. Additionally, this effort is examining how funding allocation aligns with identified priorities, what priorities have or have not been addressed, and why. Where have monies been invested? NPRB is developing a process to track investments in marine research and analyze their impact over time. This includes what types of proposals are received, and why certain areas have or have not been successful. Specific areas of inquiry include: • What (e.g., research area, species, habitat, interactions, processes); • Where (e.g., geographic area, ecosystem component, spatial and temporal scale); • How (e.g., research approach, methodologies, institutional, industry or partner involve- ment); and • Why (e.g., how does this research address the NPRB mission). What are the products? NPRB is constructing a framework to document the results of NPRB-funded research and ways to track their impact through time. Quantitative metrics (e.g., publications, citations,

Geographic Areas Funded 2002 – 2018 Core Program

Gulf of Alaska Prince William Sound Southeast Alaska Kodiak Cook Inlet Seward Alaska Peninsula Bering Sea Eastern Bering Sea Pribilof Islands Bristol Bay North Bering Sea Norton Sound North Pacific Ocean Arctic Ocean

n Full Geographic Region n Sub-region

Chukchi Sea Beaufort Sea Aleutian Islands

$10M

$20M

$30M

N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

Species Funded 2002 – 2018 Core Program

Funded Research Areas in Oceanography 2002 – 2018 Core Program

Fishes & Invertebrates Groundfish Crabs Salmonids Rockfish Forage species Invertebrates

Biological

n Full Group n Sub Group

Multiple

Physical

Ocean-atmosphere

Shellfish Arctic species Marine Mammals & Seabirds

Chemical

Pathogens/biotoxins

Pinnipeds Cetaceans Other seabirds Sea ducks Polar bears Alcids Petrels Sea otters Gulls

Macrophytes

$10M

$20M

$30M

68 Different species funded

$10M

$20M

$30M

$40M

Top funded individual species

Institutions funded

Pacific Salmon

Walleye Pollock

Steller Sea Lions

2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 B I E N N I A L R E P O R T

NPRB SCIENCE OVERVIEW

Congress established the North Pacific Research Board in 1997 to recommend marine research to the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. NPRB supports research through several distinct research programs, which include Core, Integrated Ecosystem Research (IERP), Long-TermMonitoring, Graduate Student Awards, and Outreach Programs. For almost two decades, these programs have contributed to the understanding of marine ecosystems in Alaska and provided resource agencies information to better manage fisheries and habitat. Through these efforts, NPRB has advanced integrated science, extended and shared new insights and knowledge, and supported the develop- ment and application of new technologies, methodologies, models, and approaches in analyses of marine ecosystems and across scientific disciplines. Additionally, NPRB has directed resources to mentor and support the training and development of a newgeneration of marine scientists active in North Pacific marine ecosystems and environmental management.

Total Funding by Large Marine Ecosystem – All Programs Since 2002 NPRB continues to serve in a central role in the coordination of marine science, the integra- tion of efforts and initiatives across disciplinary, institutional, and international boundaries, and the facilitation of data and information exchange. NPRB staff are in active leadership roles in the development of the third issue of the North Pacific Ecosystem Status Report, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) Bering Sea Plan Team and NPFMC develop- ment of research priorities, the convening of the Alaska Marine Science Symposium, the development of the Lowell Wakefield Symposium on Cooperative Research with Industry, and the PICES Annual Science Conference. NPRB staff and community are also active participants in scientific conferences and have contributed to recent workshops at the National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis on salmon, and informed recent NPFMC and U.S. Senate subcommittee deliberations through testimony on important areas for marine research. In

Total Funding by Research Program Since 2002

$1.9m $1.6m

$1%

$1.3m

$7.3m

13%

$8.5m

$13.3m

$114,343,515 Total Funded 983 Total Subawards

42%

43%

$80.4m

n Arctic Program n Bering Sea Project n Core Program n Gulf of Alaska Project n GSRA Awards n Long-term Monitoring n NPMRI

n Arctic n Bering Sea & Aleutian Islands n Gulf of Alaska n Multiple

N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

Alaska, NPRB is facilitating exchange between federal and state research and management agencies in areas of common interest such as ecoforecasting, integrated stock assessment models for groundfish, and Pacific salmon research. Also, NPRB staff are engaged in facili- tating exchange and interaction between U.S. and Russian scientists on Arctic and Aleutian research through supporting the participation of Russian scientists on research cruises and through a series of workshops and meetings on mechanisms and avenues to promote data exchange and active collaboration. NPRB is also furthering efforts to expand U.S.-Japanese collaboration related to research efforts in the Aleutians and Bering Sea, and international data exchange relevant to the International Pacific Halibut Commission.

Internally, NPRB completed a full revision of its foundational document – the NPRB Science Plan – and has made substantial improvements to expand communications and outreach support for funded researchers, facilitate improvements to proposal submission and review systems, and archive and disseminate data research products. In 2017, NPRB launched an opportunity for researchers to submit independent proposals for outreach related to Core-funded projects (see page 42). In 2018, NPRB also launched a formal initiative to assess research outcomes and impacts related to NPRB investments that is intended to inform the research community and inform internal strategic planning (see page 4). NPRB staff are continually refining how the organization supports its panels, Board members, grant applicants, and awardees so that the scientific community can devote maximum time to research and their findings are positioned to better informmarine science and management.

Total Funding by Program, IERPs Combined Since 2002

Total Funding by Institution Type Since 2002

$60m

500

468

$1.9m $1.3m

n $ Amount (millions) Number of Projects

400

$29.2m

$40m

300

278

200

$20m

$80.4m

100

n IERPs n Core Program n Long-term Monitoring n Graduate Student Award excludes NPMRI funding

NPRB Direct

Alaskan Village

International State Consultant NGO Federal

Academic

2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 B I E N N I A L R E P O R T

NPRB SCIENCE PLAN UPDATE

In 2018, a revised Science Plan was approved and published to function as the main reference for the scientific direction and research priorities of NPRB. Designed to be an evolving document, this revision was initiated in 2016 and led by the NPRB Science Director and the Science Plan drafting team. Recommendations and guidance were provided by an eight-member working group of board, advisory and science panel members to provide ongoing guid- ance and direction to staff. A nine-member External Review Committee (ERC) was also commissioned, convening six times over a 22-month period. ERC members represented nominated experts and professionals with institutional affiliations, and incorporated perspectives from academic, federal agency, fisheries manage- ment, and fishing industry research. Their disciplines ranged from atmospheric science, oceanography, fish and invertebrate ecology and stock assessment, marine birds and mammals, quantitative modeling, economics, social science, policy, and commercial fishing (members listed below). The ERC also produced a 10-page report titled: “The Revision of a Science Plan for the North Pacific Research Board.” The 2018 Science Plan provides a thorough description of the various programs developed since NPRB’s inception, including Integrated Ecosystem Research and Long-term Monitoring Programs. The Science Plan revision also served as an opportunity to update the status of knowledge and emergent scientific questions in each research area, and to identify new research themes and approaches. New research themes include human dimensions and social science; new approaches include data rescue, technology development, community involvement, and cooperative research with industry. This publication marks a continued commitment of NPRB to its mission, articulates broad priorities for funding science in the next ten years, and explores options to remain adaptive and flexible to new research needs. It also prioritizes integration of research across ecosystem components, disciplines, and methodologies. NPRB remains an active leader in identifying research needs and furthering dynamic science in the North Pacific. It is committed to serve as a center point in a broader network of research institutions to link programs, coordinate integrated science, set priorities, share results, and inform stakeholders.

Science Plan External Review Committee • Dr. Brendan Kelly (Chair), International Arctic Research Center, University of Alaska Fairbanks • Dr. Nicholas Bond, Research Meteorologist, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration • Dr. David Fluharty, School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, University of Washington • Dr. Robert Foy, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration • Dave Fraser, IMARIBAWest • Dr. Alan Haynie, Alaska Fisheries Science Center, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration • Dr. George Hunt, University of Washington • Dr. Henry Huntington, Huntington Consulting • Dr. Terrance Quinn, College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, University of Alaska Fairbanks

To download, go to www.nprb.org/nprb/about-the-science/#plan

N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 B I E N N I A L R E P O R T

INTEGRATED ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH PROGRAMS

NPRB aims to further knowledge of North Pacific marine ecosystems and understanding of ecosystem processes and interactions in the context of a variable environment.

NPRB developed the Integrated Ecosystem Research Program (IERP) to promote mecha- nistic understanding of complex interactions within dynamic marine ecosystems. Initiated in the Bering Sea, continued in the Gulf of Alaska, and now active in the Arctic, this program sponsors research to investigate ecosystem linkages and processes. The program supports multidisciplinary teams in their efforts to advance hypothesis-driven, multidisciplinary research that explore the structure, processes, and interactions within North Pacific marine systems. The program actively promotes cooperation and exchange across disciplines (e.g., oceanography, fisheries, social science) and integration across components of the ecosystem (e.g., physics, chemistry, production, fish and invertebrates, marine birds and mammals, humans), and fosters collaboration and solicits investment from academic, government, and community institutions engaged in research and management.

This program focuses on ecosystem interactions but has direct relevance to species-specific and sector-specific questions and to informed management of fisheries and other marine resources. The intent is to recognize and characterize important features and processes and to improve our ability to forecast and respond to effects of anthropogenic and natural changes to these systems. To date, these programs have been geographically defined and region-based, designed to characterize a defined set of processes in the ecosystem. The projects include the following: • Bering Sea Project (2007-2014). This project, in partnership with the National Science Foundation, provided more than $50 million in research funding to understand the Bering Sea in the context of climate regimes and shifts in seasonal sea ice. • Gulf of Alaska IERP (2010-2018). This $17 million project investigated environmental processes and biological interactions that influence survival, transport, settlement, and recruitment of larval and juvenile stages of commercially and ecologically important groundfish. • Arctic IERP (2016-2021). In 2016, NPRB launched its Arctic Program to advance understanding of linkages between the northern Bering Sea and the Arctic, productivity and rate processes in the Bering Strait, physics and fish in the Chukchi Sea, and resource use and local knowledge in coastal communities. The Arctic IERP is funded in partnership with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, North Slope Borough/Shell Baseline Studies Program, and Office of Naval Research Marine Mammals and Biology Program. In-kind support was provided by National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Alaska Fisheries Science Center, Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, University of Alaska Fairbanks, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and National Science Foundation. These multi-year IERPs have been implemented with successive stages, including assessment, research, and synthesis phases. In 2017, NPRB held its second Gulf of Alaska synthesis work- shop, integrating new researchers, data and analyses with existing models and understanding of Gulf dynamics and developing a set of tools, metrics and guidance for stock assessment and fisheries management. Also in 2017, NPRB launched the first field season for the Arctic with cruises in the northern Bering Sea, Bering Strait and Chukchi Sea; a second cruise was conducted in 2018.

N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 B I E N N I A L R E P O R T

INTEGRATED ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH PROGRAMS

The Gulf of Alaska IERP (2010-2018) focuses on the environmental factors that affect the survival and recruitment of five species of commercially and ecologically important groundfish in the Gulf of Alaska, with particular focus on survival during the fishes’ first year of life. These five species are Pacific cod, walleye pollock, sablefish, Pacific ocean perch, and arrowtooth flounder— fishes that have different life history strategies, habitat needs, and distribution patterns, and respond differently to environmental forcing. Comparisons among them provide information about how broad-scale environmental conditions may affect fish survival and the success of commercial fisheries. Results from the Gulf of Alaska IERP are providing insights into the physical processes and biological interactions that structure the Gulf of Alaska marine ecosystem, how these processes vary in space and time, and how they affect the recruitment of a suite of commercially important fishes. This program involves over fifty scientists investigating many different marine science disciplines including physical oceanography (e.g., currents, winds, stratification), ocean chemistry (e.g., nutrients, iron), plankton bloom dynamics, larval fish distribution, habitat mapping, and modeling of larval fish

transport and connectivity between offshore spawning and nearshore rearing areas. The findings of each component are integrated with those of other disciplines to better understand broader ecosystem processes. A synthesis project (2015-2018) engages new collaborators and applies the results of the research program to fisheries management. The synthesis is structured around four themes: • Along-shore connectivity and regional variation in the Gulf of Alaska; • In and out of bays: connecting inshore areas to the open waters of the Gulf of Alaska; • Trophic structuring in the Gulf of Alaska: the role of salmon as predators and competitors; and • Beyond the gauntlet: connecting the Gulf of Alaska IERP to the management of fisheries and ecosystems.

N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

Highlights in 2017-2018: •

• Fishes employ a diverse range of strategies for reproduction, growth, and survival to adapt to the complexity of the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem. For example, fishes use temporal niches for reproduction that result from strong seasonality in this ecosystem. • The Gulf of Alaska IERP contributed to identifying indices for the Ecosystem Considerations chapter of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation report. The results influenced the development of separate indices to hindcast conditions for eastern and western regions of the Gulf of Alaska ecosystem. • Results of the Gulf of Alaska IERP are being incorporated into single-species stock assessments via a new ecosystem and socio-economic profile (ESP) framework. Through this process, a set of metrics are graded to determine vulnerabilities throughout the life history of a fish stock and relevant ecosystem and socio-economic indicators are identified for continued monitoring. • Genetic analyses of salmon captured in southeast Alaska in July 2011-2015 found that juvenile salmon in the Gulf of Alaska in mid-summer are predom- inantly from the Columbia River, comprising nearly 80% of the samples. Sampling in the Gulf of Alaska may allow assessment of the marine survival of juvenile Columbia River Chinook salmon two years prior to their return to the river as adults.

The eastern and western Gulf of Alaska regions display differences in physics and biology that affect the survival and recruitment of fishes, with a transi- tion zone between 145° and 148° W longitude. • Within the context of larger regional variation, local processes that operate on a scale of 10-100 km have great influence and serve to determine the function of the entire ecosystem. Episodic weather events and strong winds that blow through mountain passes have major effects on ocean physics and biological responses. Eddies influence vertical circulation and the movement of nutrients and organisms. Submarine canyons are important conduits between the basin and shelf, and the embayments that ring the Gulf of Alaska act as sources of nutrients and a refuge for marine organisms.

2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 B I E N N I A L R E P O R T

INTEGRATED ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH PROGRAMS

The overarching question that the Arctic IERP will address is: How will reductions in Arctic sea ice and the associated changes in the physical environ- ment influence the flow of energy through the ecosystem in the Chukchi Sea? Specifically, the Arctic IERP will examine: • Transport, seasonal composition, distribution, and production of phytoplankton, particulate matter, zooplankton, fishes, benthic invertebrates, seabirds, and marine mammals; • Timing, magnitude, and fate of the primary and secondary productivity; • Partitioning/flux of energy between pelagic and benthic realms; • Distribution, condition, and standing stocks of large crustacean zooplankton that serve as the prey base for upper trophic level fishes and seabirds; • Assemblages, distributions, abundances, and condition of larval and early juvenile fishes that influence the recruitment success of later life stages; • Density of marine mammals and seabirds; and • Human use of, and interaction with, the marine environment. The Arctic IERP was developed with the interests of Alaskan Arctic communities in mind. In 2013, the Pacific Marine Arctic Regional Synthesis (PacMARS), administered by NPRB and funded using $1.45 million provided by Shell and ConocoPhillips, conducted meetings with community members in the North Slope, Northwest Arctic, and Bering Strait regions. Community members shared their concerns about the marine ecosystem, and NPRB sought to develop a research program that would address them. The results of the Arctic IERP will provide information that is relevant to food security and potential shifts in the abundance, distribution, and timing of subsistence resources, for example.

NPRB will provide $7 million to support the science associated with the Arctic Integrated Ecosystem Research Program in 2016-2021. The program is conducted in partnership with the U.S. Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, Collaborative Alaskan Arctic Studies Program (formerly the North Slope Borough/Shell Baseline Studies Program), and Office of Naval Research Marine Mammals & Biology Program. Generous in-kind support is provided by National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (Alaska Fisheries Science Center and Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory), University of Alaska Fairbanks, U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service, and National Science Foundation. The Arctic IERP represents an investment from all partners of more than $18 million over the course of five years. NPRB will provide a minimum of $1 million in additional funding to support a synthesis phase that will follow the field program beginning in 2022 and is actively seeking funding partners. NPRB is particularly interested in funding modeling projects that will use the data generated by the field program to improve understanding of ecosystem processes, test hypotheses about how loss of sea ice and warming water temperatures may change ecosystem dynamics in the future, and expand local and regional results to a pan-Arctic scale. The Arctic IERP seeks to better understand the mechanisms and processes that structure the ecosystem and influence the distribution, life history, and interactions of biological communities in the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas. This research is timely because the region has experienced dramatic reductions in sea ice extent, duration, and volume in recent years accompanied by associated changes in oceanographic patterns and changes in the distribution and timing of biological production.

N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

Research surveys are planned in spring 2017 & 2018 and summer/fall 2017 & 2019. The spring surveys will collect samples in the northern Bering and southern Chukchi Seas (as far north as Cape Lisburne) during a time of year for which information is currently scarce. These surveys will involve measuring the rates of growth, advection, respiration, and deposition of plankton to allow better parameterization of ecosystem models. The summer/fall surveys will sample the entire U.S. Chukchi Sea shelf and will focus on the factors driving the abundance and distribution of fish—particularly Arctic & saffron cod, and pink & chum salmon. Bio/physical moorings will be placed throughout the study area to collect data year-round. Some will include passive acoustic recorders to document the vocalizations of marine mammals and allow examination of the migration timing of various species. Vessel noise will also be documented by these acoustic recorders. Some moorings will include water samplers and sediment traps as well.

A social science study on Chukchi Coastal Communities’ Understanding of and Responses to Environmental Change will integrate Local and Traditional Knowledge with other aspects of the research program. This project will examine the relative influences of environmental and socio-economic factors on the food security of Arctic residents. NPRB is coordinating and collaborating with several separately-funded national and international projects, and new collaborations are welcome. NPRB staff actively participate in the U.S. Interagency Arctic Research Policy Committee’s marine ecosystem collaboration team and discuss coordination with Federal agencies on a regular basis. The Arctic IERP will contribute samples to the Distributed Biological Observatory, and NPRB staff participate in the Pacific Arctic Group to coordinate sampling efforts with other nations, including Canada, China, Japan, Korea, and Russia. NPRB is also developing collaborations with the Nansen Legacy Program that will collect a similar suite of data in the northern Barents Sea.

2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 B I E N N I A L R E P O R T

https://www.nprb.org/arctic-program

>$18M Invested by NPRB and funding partners 2016-2021

INTEGRATED ECOSYSTEM RESEARCH PROGRAMS

N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

16 Institutions contributing to conducting and/or funding the science

$1M Synthesis planned to begin in 2022, and new funding partners are welcome

In 2017 and 2018, Brendan Smith, NPRB Communications Director and professional photographer, participated in the summer Arctic IERP cruises aboard R/V Sikuliaq . In addition to oceanographic sampling, Brendan collected more than 2 terabytes of video and still photography—over 20,000 images. NPRB and the Arctic Program’s collaborators have used these images to illustrate science in-the-field, to document the scientific rigor needed to study a changing Arctic, and to help tell the overall story of the Arctic IERP. Not all images made the final cut, but above are some that have.

2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 B I E N N I A L R E P O R T

LONG-TERM MONITORING PROGRAM

Overview In the spring of 2013, NPRB formalized a program for long-term monitoring projects that aid in understanding marine ecosystem variability and the effect of this variability on subsistence and/or commercial marine resources. NPRB dedicated an initial $400,000 per year for five years ($2,000,000 total) to this program. Three proposals were approved for funding by the Board in May 2014, and the funding for these projects was renewed for another five-year term in May 2018. The overall goal of NPRB’s Long-term Monitoring (LTM) Program is to support new or existing time-series research that enhances the ability to understand the current state of the marine ecosystem and support efforts attempting to predict future ecosystem states in response to changing ocean conditions. Projects funded under this program are required to take a collaborative approach with at least three partnering organizations involved in supporting the project and, whenever possible, share provisional, interim data in real (or near-real) time. At minimum, data collected through these projects must be made publicly available within six months of collection.

N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

Ecosystem monitoring through a year-round mooring array in the northeast Chukchi Sea NPRB contributes funding to the deployment of a subsur- face mooring array on the Northeast Chukchi Sea shelf. This mooring array records continuously throughout the year, providing data in under-sampled and poorly under- stood seasons when sea ice inhibits ship-based sampling. Instruments record information about the physical and chemical properties of the water column, nutrients and particulate matter, plankton, and fish. This mooring array provides important data on ocean acidification, nutrient and carbon cycles, and wind, waves, and ice. These data are providing unprecedented insights into the mechanistic processes operating in the Chukchi shelf ecosystem and providing baseline datasets for climate studies and model validations. https://www.uaf.edu/cfos/research/projects/ ne-chukchi-sea-moored-eco/

The North Pacific Continuous Plankton Recorder Survey The Continuous Plankton Recorder (CPR) Survey is a ship-of-opportunity monitoring program that uses commercial ships to collect samples of phytoplankton and zooplankton, as well as some aspects of the physical environment, along their regular routes of passage on a seasonal basis. Phytoplankton and zooplankton respond rapidly to changes in their environment and thus pass the influence of this variability via the food chain to higher trophic levels such as fish, seabirds, and marine mammals that have economic and cultural value for society. CPR data have been collected in the North Pacific since 2000, and NPRB’s renewed commitment will provide continued funding through 2023. https://www.pices.int/projects/tcprsotnp/main.aspx

Measuring the pulse of the Gulf of Alaska: Oceanographic observations along the Seward Line In an effort to understand the response of the marine ecosystem to climate variability, scientists have been monitoring physics, chemistry, phytoplankton, microzooplankton, metazooplankton, seabird, and marine mammal communities during spring (May) and late summer (September) at a series of oceanographic stations known as the Seward Line for the past 21 years. Recently, National Science Foundation joined the funding consortium and established the Seward Line as a Long-Term Ecological Research (LTER) site, expanding the scientific scope and geographic extent of the sampling and adding cruises in summer (July). https://nga.lternet.edu/

2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 B I E N N I A L R E P O R T

N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

CORE PROGRAM 49 projects | $9,241,904

2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 B I E N N I A L R E P O R T

CORE PROGRAM

Overview The NPRB Core Program and its request for proposals (RFP) addresses fishery management issues and ecosystem information needs. The funded research is geographically centered in the Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea & Aleutian Islands, and Arctic Ocean. NPRB announced the first RFP of $1.5 million in 2002. RFP funding amounts have since ranged from $3.5 million to $14 million. On average, 20-30 new projects are funded in each RFP cycle, with projects lasting as long as four years. This means that at any given moment, as many as 100 projects may be active at various stages of completion. Descriptions for each project initiated in 2017-2018 are provided in their corresponding research category.

Research Categories Research is funded in broad categories that encompass trophic levels (e.g., fishes and invertebrates, seabirds) and specific approaches or methodologies (e.g., local and tradi- tional knowledge, community involvement). Some categories are self-explanatory; others have specific requirements for funding eligibility. While proposers must select a single category at the time of submission, NPRB provides flexibility for novel research topics not explicitly described through an ‘other research’ clause to allow for innovative submissions. Interdisciplinary studies was introduced as a category in 2017 to encourage cross-category, multi-trophic study designs. In 2018, Seabirds, Marine Mammals, Oceanography, and Lower Trophic Levels were consolidated. Two larger categories forming Marine Birds and Mammals and Oceanography and Lower Trophic Levels were created, respectively. Data from 2017 were aggregated into these new categories for the purposes of this report.

Core Program Funding Success Rate Since 2002

Core Program Funding by Large Marine Ecosystem Since 2002

150

n Received n Funded

$5.3m

$1m

100

$80,399,403 Total Funded

$38.2m

$35.9m

n Arctic n Gulf of Alaska n Bering Sea & Aleutian Islands n Multiple

2002

2004

2006

2008

2010

2012

2014

2016

2018

N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

Core Program Funding by Research Category Since 2002

Oceanography & Lower Trophic Levels

Fishes & Invertebrates

Marine Mammals & Birds

Human Dimensions

Interdisciplinary Studies

Habitat

$10.7M

$4.9M

$33.5M

$19.0M

$3.9M

$.2M

Other Prominent Issues

Community Involvement

Cooperative Research With Industry

Technology Development

Focus Section

Data Rescue

$2.5M

$.3M

$1.3M

$1.5M

$1.8M

$.7M

2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 B I E N N I A L R E P O R T

CORE PROGRAM FUNDING | 2017–2018

2017

2018

$9,241,904 Total Funded 2017-2018

Community Involvement Combined Total: $136k

$4,637,574 Total Funding

$4,604,330 Total Funding

28 Projects

21 Projects

n Oceanography & Productivity n Fishes & Invertebrates n Marine Birds & Mammals n Human Dimensions n Interdisciplinary n Community Involvement n Cooperative Research with Industry n Technology Development n Data Rescue

Interdisciplinary Combined Total: $206k

Technology Development Combined Total: $790k

N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

Fishes & Invertebrates Combined Total: $3.8m

Cooperative Research with Industry Combined Total: $300k

Human Dimensions Combined Total: $856k

Marine Birds & Mammals Combined Total: $2.1m

Oceanography & Lower Trophic Level Productivity Combined Total: $694k

Other Prominent Issues Combined Total: N/A

2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 B I E N N I A L R E P O R T

OCEANOGRAPHY & PRODUCTIVITY

2017

2018 PSP toxins in the Alaska marine food web Xiuning Du | Oregon State University | $389,355 This study will investigate the transfer of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxins from Alexandrium cells to zooplankton, shellfish, forage fish, and commercially important predatory fishes in Prince William Sound and Kachemak Bay. Recent data point to more intense Alexandrium blooms, higher PSP risks and trophic transfer of toxins through the food web. Hot spots of activity in the cold ocean Roy Collins | University of Alaska Fairbanks | $174,940 This project targets the lower trophic levels that have not previously been surveyed (bacteria, archaea, and fungi) using novel DNA sequencing technologies. Specifically, the study will address the transport, composition, and distribution of the microbial communities that drive important processes on the Arctic shelves, including growth, respiration, and deposition.

Oceanography & Productivity Funding Metrics

Mixotrophy in the coastal Gulf of Alaska (CGOA) Suzanne Strom | Western Washington University $129,865 This project investigates the abundance, biomass, prev- alence, and identification of mixotrophs among CGOA plankton, namely ciliates and dinoflagellates along the Seward Line and in Prince William Sound. The prevalence of mixotrophy has important implications for the mech- anisms by which this coastal ecosystem sustains high abundances of upper trophic level species.

10% Funding Success Rate 2017-2018

Target

Requested

Funded

$500,000

$443,613 $129,865

2017

$500,000

$564,295 2018

$4,980,435

$694,160 Total Funded, 2017-2018

N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

HUMAN DIMENSIONS

This category was specifically designed to advance the role of social sciences, citizen science and/or local or traditional knowledge in the analysis of interactions between humans, resource management, and the marine environment.

Connecting fishery policies to fishing portfolios MatthewReimer | University of Alaska Anchorage | $308,528 National Standard 8 (NS8) of the Magnuson-Stevens Act requires that the design and evaluation of management policies account for the impact on fishing communities. This project proposes to examine the impacts of single- species fishery management changes on fishing portfolios of individuals and communities in Alaska. Effective co-management of marine mammals in Alaska Jennafer Malek | U.S. Marine Mammal Commission $172,336 Co-management of Alaska marine mammals is a key provision of the Marine Mammal Protection Act. This project will identify characteristics that increase the effectiveness of co-management by developing a mutually agreed-upon working definition of co-management across partners, review existing cooperative agreements to identify commonalities and differences, and identify essential components of, and key impediments to, effective co-management relationships.

Human Dimensions Funding Metrics

Funding Success Rate 2017-2018

15%

2017

Policy choices and permit migration in an LEP fishery Keith Criddle | University of Alaska Fairbanks | $99,355 Three aspects of the Limited Entry Permit (LEP) fisheries in Alaska will be explored by this study. Using statistical models fitted to time series panel data for Bristol Bay, the project will examine the consequences of recent regulatory changes that allow multiple limited entry permits to be fished from a single vessel, and the impact vessel size and capitalized value has in the fishery. Across Alaskan salmon fisheries, the project will determine the causes, consequences, and opportunity cost of remaining a local to a fishery.

2018

Target

Requested

Funded

$500,000

Bayesian integration of LTK and western science

2017

$580,219

$3,348,264

Andrew Van Duyke | North Slope Borough | $275,770 This project will develop a framework to integrate Local or Traditional Knowledge and western science, through fully informed Bayesian state-space models of species habitat use and behavior. Methods will be applied to ringed, bearded, and spotted seals in Alaskan waters using satellite telemetry data and LTK for these species.

$500,000

2018

$275,770

$2,545,209

$855,989 Total Funded, 2017-2018

2 0 1 7 – 2 0 1 8 B I E N N I A L R E P O R T

FISHES & INVERTEBRATES

2017

Data and information in salmon stock- recruitment analysis Milo Adkison | University of Alaska Fairbanks | $96,041 Salmon stock-recruitment analysis is critically dependent on the types and quality of information available. This project will review the diverse types of salmon data (e.g., abun- dance and auxiliary data) and their effects on the quality of estimates of the stock-recruitment relationship. Results may have implications to other fisheries stock assessments. Juvenile sablefish condition and growth Anne Beaudreau | University of Alaska Fairbanks $224,333 This project addresses a major gap in knowledge about environmental factors (e.g., temperature, prey quality, and energy allocation) affecting sablefish during their nearshore life stage after settlement out of the neuston. A bioener- getics model for sablefish will be parameterized to evaluate juvenile sablefish growth potential under future scenarios of increased warming in the Gulf of Alaska. Somatic growth regulation in the Pacific halibut Josep Planas | International Pacific Halibut Commission $230,127 This study will investigate the effects of temperature, density, social structure, and stress manipulations on biochemical and molecular indicators of growth in Pacific halibut. Emphasis will be placed on the physiological responses to temperature, given the demonstrated importance of this

Fishes & Invertebrates Funding Metrics

22% Funding Success Rate 2017-2018

Target

Requested

Funded

$1,100,000

2017

$10,787,166

$2,301,287

$1,200,000

$1,502,057 2018

$14,442,131

environmental parameter in determining growth patterns in the Pacific halibut.

$3,803,344 Total Funded, 2017-2018

N O R T H P A C I F I C R E S E A R C H B O A R D

Page i Page ii Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54

Made with FlippingBook Annual report maker