Pink and chum salmon. Photo credit: Scott Smiley.

Gulf Apex Predator Prey Project

Problem: This project has used a multi-disciplinary approach to documenting the interactions of forage and forage consumers in the North Gulf of Alaska. Among the consumers are marine mammals such as Steller sea lions and whales, various predatory fish species, sea birds and humans who are commercially fishing. The goal has been to document the volume of forage, changing population levels among the forage species and consumption between the various forage consumer groups.

Solution & Approach: We employed three major lines of inquiry in this project. Quarterly sonar surveys, following established transects, allowed us to document forage fish abundance, species identification as well as the abundance of apex fish predators. Marine mammals were observed via aerial surveys and their feeding documented by scat analysis. Chiniak Bay seabird colonies were extensively monitored for reproductive output, feeding of chicks monitored and fledging efficiency recorded. These data along with harvested data from commercial fisheries will be analyzed and the data published. The project has been on going for five years.

Principal Investigator: Robert Foy