Gulf of Alaska | Climate and Oceanography
Twenty-five years of observations reveal strong influence of climate indices along the Seward Line Presenter: Russell Hopcroft , rrhopcroft@alaska.edu, University of Alaska Fairbanks, CFOS Caitlin Smoot , casmoot@alaska.edu, University of Alaska Over the past 25 years the Seward Line program has been providing observations about status of the Gulf of Alaska and its ecosystems. Some components of this ecosystem have responded strongly to extreme events, while impact has been more nebulous for other components. Thus, mechanistic links behind this variability have remained elusive. Here we show that the major atmospheric indices, such as the Pacific Decadal Oscillation, are correlated to much of this variability – particularly in zooplankton communities – both during spring and early fall. We propose the different basin-scale mechanisms shaping planktonic communities in these two seasons. This new understanding provides insights into what ecosystem changes can be expected as these indices continue to vary in the future.
Alaska Marine Science Symposium 2023 10
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