(PLEASE NOTE: These web pages are for archival purposes only and are no longer maintained. For current information on this topic at the AFSC visit the Ecosystem Monitoring and Assessment program. )

Crew members of the F/V Sea Storm repair surface trawl.

Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Juvenile Chum Salmon Ecology

Marine survival of juvenile salmon is thought to be primarily linked to estuarine and near shore environments through processes affecting early marine growth. Faster growth rates reduced susceptibility to size-selective predation and improve survival during their first winter at sea. OCC is currently examining linkages between ocean conditions, early marine growth, and survival of AYK juvenile chum salmon as part of the U.S. Bering-Aleutian Salmon International Survey (BASIS) on the eastern Bering Sea shelf.

Physiological and Behavioral Ecology

The Ocean Carrying Capacity Program is investigating how salmon function mechanically and physiologically given specific biophysical conditions, and applying this information to quantify effects of environmental variability on population-level performance by employing individual based modeling techniques. Pacific salmon are currently the focus of our research because of our ability to accurately identify specific stocks and year classes, the availability of robust abundance and survival records, and commercial and cultural importance.

Juvenile Walleye Pollock Ecology

The objectives of the Ocean Carrying Capacity program’s walleye pollock research are to describe the distribution of age-0 pollock in the eastern Bering Sea and examine potential relationships between age-0 pollock biomass, zooplankton biomass, and oceanographic parameters, such as sea surface temperature, salinity, and primary production. This research is conducted as part of the Bering-Aleutian Salmon International Survey (BASIS) in collaboration with the University of Alaska Fairbanks School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences.

Fish collection and processing.