Arctic | Ecosystem Perspectives
The Beaufort Lagoon Ecosystems LTER: Coastal ecosystem stability amidst extreme seasonal variation Presenter: Kenneth Dunton , ken.dunton@utexas.edu, University of Texas at Austin James W. McClelland , jimm@utexas.edu The Beaufort Lagoon Ecosystems Long-Term Ecological Research (BLE LTER) program focuses on productivity, trophic relationships, and biogeochemical cycling in the network of highly dynamic lagoons spanning Alaska’s northernmost coastline. Lagoons along the coast of Alaska’s Beaufort Sea support large populations of migratory waterfowl, fish, and marine mammals that are essential to the culture of Iñupiat communities in the region. Researchers of the BLE LTER investigate how temporal variations in terrestrial inputs and ocean exchange over seasonal, inter-annual, and inter- decadal periods affect these lagoon ecosystems. One of the central goals of the BLE LTER is to track how variations in terrestrial inputs and water exchange with the open ocean over different time scales influence food web relationships and productivity within the lagoons. Extreme seasonal swings in sunlight, temperature, and freshwater inflows are defining features of these ecosystems. Our field campaigns began in summer 2018 and include annual field trips during ice covered, ice break-up, and open water periods. This presentation will highlight our latest findings on the connectivity between North Slope watersheds and the coastal Beaufort Sea, the unique seasonality of these lagoon systems, and the resilience of lagoon food webs with respect to the availability of marine and terrestrial carbon sources.
Alaska Marine Science Symposium 2023 83
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