Gulf of Alaska | Climate and Oceanography DOCTORATE POSTER PRESENTATION A comparison of seasonal pH variability from concurrent environmental monitoring programs in Sitka Sound, Alaska
Presenter: Lauren Bell , laebell@ucsc.edu, University of California Santa Cruz Chris Whitehead , chris.whitehead@sitkatribe-nsn.gov, Sitka Tribe of Alaska Wiley Evans , wiley.evans@hakai.org, Hakai, Institute Kari Lanphier , kari.lanphier@sitkatribe-nsn.gov, Sitka Tribe of Alaska Esther Kennedy , esther.kennedy@sitkatribe-nsn.gov, Sitka Tribe of Alaska Will Peterson , will.peterson@sitkatribe-nsn.gov, Sitka Tribe of Alaska Paul Cook , paul.cook@sitkatribe-nsn.gov, Sitka Tribe of Alaska Kristy Kroeker , kkroeker@ucsc.edu, University of California Santa Cruz
The pH and carbonate chemistry of Alaska’s dynamic coastal ecosystems is driven by a large number of physical and biological processes that can vary dramatically on small temporal and spatial scales. A network of continuous nearshore monitoring efforts that has developed across the Gulf of Alaska over the last decade is providing valuable insights into the high frequency dynamics of natural pH variability. However, the spatial scale of inference for independent monitoring programs can be difficult to assess, particularly when distinct sensor systems are located near unique potential drivers of environmental variability. In Sitka Sound, Southeast Alaska, two pH and carbonate chemistry monitoring programs have been running simultaneously since 2017. The Kroeker Lab from the University of California Santa Cruz has used sensor packages (Martz SeapHOx, Martz SeaFET and Sea-Bird Scientific SeapHOx) deployed on rocky reefs around inner Sitka Sound at ~10m depth to capture year-round pH and environmental data within giant kelp forests and un-forested urchin ‘barrens’. Meanwhile, the Sitka Tribe of Alaska in partnership with the Hakai Institute have used a flow-through Burke-o-Lator (Dakunalytics, LLC) to measure the CO2 content, temperature and salinity of surface seawater in the Sitka Harbor. Here, we present concurrent time series from both environmental monitoring programs to assess how ocean pH compares at sites located less than 8 km apart, but potentially subject to different physical and biological drivers. This collaborative data exploration strengthens both programs - and benefits the broader marine research community - by enabling a more robust assessment of the distinct factors that shape ocean chemistry in this region.
Alaska Marine Science Symposium 2023 99
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