Constructing a limnocorral at McKinley Lake for Elodea spp. experiment. This experiment is studying the effect of the invasive species Elodea spp. on aquatic ecosystems.
Fish and aquatic habitats in Alaska support important commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries and provide forage fish that support wildlife populations. The USGS Alaska Science Center conducts interdisciplinary research to inform local, state, federal, and international policy makers regarding conservation of fish, aquatic species, and their habitats. We work collaboratively with hydrologists, geologists and other biologists to study fish and aquatic systems in an ecosystem based framework. The goal of our current research effort is to improve our understanding of the biocomplexity, resilience, and function of aquatic ecosystems to better inform future predictions of fish and aquatic ecosystems as they respond to a changing environment.
Return to Ecosystems
- Assessing Heat Stress in Migrating Yukon River Chinook Salmon
- Nearshore Fish Surveys in the Beaufort Sea
- Sockeye Salmon Migrating at the Northern Edge of Their Distribution
- Effect of Elodea spp. on Fish Performance Mediated Through Food Web Interactions
- Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Ecology or Hydrology
- Primary production sources and bottom-up limitations in nearshore ecosystems
- Lake Trout Biochronologies as Long-term Climate and Productivity Indicators in Alaska Lake Ecosystems
- Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas
- Condition of Forage Fish in Prince William Sound during the marine heatwave
- Arctic Lake Food Webs
- Winter Habitat of juvenile Dolly Varden in the Canning River
- Beavers Impacting Tundra Ecosystems (BITE)
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Primary Production Sources and Bottom-up Limitations in Nearshore Ecosystems
Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Ecology
Effect of Elodea spp. on Fish Performance Mediated Through Food Web Interactions
Sockeye Salmon Migrating at the Northern Edge of Their Distribution
Arctic Coastal Plain Studies
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Meteorological Data from Two Locations in the Agashashok River Watershed, Northwestern Alaska, 2015 to 2017
Water Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen Measured During a Manipulative Thermal Challenge Experiment for Adult Salmonids, Yukon River, Alaska, 2018
Gene Transcription and Heat Shock Protein 70 Abundance Results from Migrating Adult Chinook Salmon, Yukon Watershed, 2016-2017
Physical, Hydraulic, and Thermal Properties of Soils in the Noatak River Basin, Alaska, 2016
Lake Trout Otolith Growth Increment Measurements, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska, 1979-2012
Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) Body Condition and Water Temperature Along the Pilgrim River, Northwestern Alaska, 2013-2016
Carbon Isotope Concentrations in Stream Food Webs of the Arctic Network National Parks, Alaska, 2014-2016
Pacific Sand Lance Energy Density, Length, and Age, Prince William Sound, Alaska, 2012-2016
Fish Species Composition and Diet Information in Lakes of the Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska, 2011-2013
Kuskokwim Bay chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) energy density, distribution, and stomach data, 2004
Count of Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), River Temperature, and River Height in the Pilgrim River, Nome, Alaska, 2003-2014
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Constructing a limnocorral at McKinley Lake for Elodea spp. experiment. This experiment is studying the effect of the invasive species Elodea spp. on aquatic ecosystems.
Deployment of a limnocorral at McKinley Lake, near Cordova, Alaska for Elodea spp. experiment. This experiment is studying the effect of the invasive species Elodea spp. on aquatic ecosystems.
Deployment of a limnocorral at McKinley Lake, near Cordova, Alaska for Elodea spp. experiment. This experiment is studying the effect of the invasive species Elodea spp. on aquatic ecosystems.
A completed limnocorral positioned over a bed of Elodea spp.. This experiment is studying the effect of the invasive species Elodea spp. on aquatic ecosystems.
A completed limnocorral positioned over a bed of Elodea spp.. This experiment is studying the effect of the invasive species Elodea spp. on aquatic ecosystems.
Vanessa von Biela with a Chinook salmon on the Yukon River.
Vanessa von Biela with a Chinook salmon on the Yukon River.
Dolly Varden in a minnow trap in the Agashashok River drainage. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.
Dolly Varden in a minnow trap in the Agashashok River drainage. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.
Chris Zimmerman removing otoliths from sockeye salmon carcasses on the shoreline of Salmon Lake. Otoliths are used to read age of a fish and other chemical signatures over time.
Chris Zimmerman removing otoliths from sockeye salmon carcasses on the shoreline of Salmon Lake. Otoliths are used to read age of a fish and other chemical signatures over time.
The 2015 benthic field sampling team Jannelle Trowbridge, Vanessa von Biela, Carolynn Harris, and Thomas Nguyen. This was from the Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas project.
The 2015 benthic field sampling team Jannelle Trowbridge, Vanessa von Biela, Carolynn Harris, and Thomas Nguyen. This was from the Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas project.
Sea ice in the Chukchi Sea.
Sea ice in the Chukchi Sea.
Biologists sorting through buckets of benthic invertebrates looking for bivalves onboard the Norseman II in the Chukchi Sea.
Biologists sorting through buckets of benthic invertebrates looking for bivalves onboard the Norseman II in the Chukchi Sea.
Benthic invertebrates captured in a bottom trawl. This was from the Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas project.
Benthic invertebrates captured in a bottom trawl. This was from the Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas project.
ANSEP intern Jannelle Trowbridge sorts through a catch of benthic invertebrates for bivalves on the Norseman II. This was from the Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas project.
ANSEP intern Jannelle Trowbridge sorts through a catch of benthic invertebrates for bivalves on the Norseman II. This was from the Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas project.
Near the top of the Tusuk Channel of the Pilgrim River.
Near the top of the Tusuk Channel of the Pilgrim River.
A stream type at the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range, Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park. The stream is in the Agashashok River watershed. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.
A stream type at the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range, Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park. The stream is in the Agashashok River watershed. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.
Beach seining on the spawing grounds of sockeye salmon in Salmon Lake. This is the headwater of the Pilgrim River which is the northern edge of the sockeye salmon distribution.
Beach seining on the spawing grounds of sockeye salmon in Salmon Lake. This is the headwater of the Pilgrim River which is the northern edge of the sockeye salmon distribution.
A stream type at the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range, Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park. The stream is in the Agashashok River watershed. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.
A stream type at the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range, Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park. The stream is in the Agashashok River watershed. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.
Collecting water quality data on the Pilgrim River. Types of measurements taken were on water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and conductivity.
Collecting water quality data on the Pilgrim River. Types of measurements taken were on water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and conductivity.
A handful of adult ninespine stickleback ready to be measured for total body length. These fish are ubiquitous in freshwater habitats of the Arctic Coastal Plain, outnumbering other fish species by as many as 800 individuals to one.
A handful of adult ninespine stickleback ready to be measured for total body length. These fish are ubiquitous in freshwater habitats of the Arctic Coastal Plain, outnumbering other fish species by as many as 800 individuals to one.
Northern pike captured from an Arctic Coastal Plain lake. Predatory fish, like this northern pike, occupied only lakes with strong, permanent channel connections. Permanent channel connections provide movement corridors that fish use to swim between summer feeding areas and winter refuges.
Northern pike captured from an Arctic Coastal Plain lake. Predatory fish, like this northern pike, occupied only lakes with strong, permanent channel connections. Permanent channel connections provide movement corridors that fish use to swim between summer feeding areas and winter refuges.
The fish weir is operated on the Pilgrim River by the Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation with assistance from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
The fish weir is operated on the Pilgrim River by the Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation with assistance from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Stream outflow from a lake on the Arctic Coastal Plain. Surface water connectivity affects the occupancy of fish species in lakes, influencing richness, composition, and food web complexity.
Stream outflow from a lake on the Arctic Coastal Plain. Surface water connectivity affects the occupancy of fish species in lakes, influencing richness, composition, and food web complexity.
Below are publications associated with this project.
Diversity of diatoms, benthic macroinvertebrates, and fish varies in response to different environmental correlates in Arctic rivers across North America
Circumpolar patterns of Arctic freshwater fish biodiversity: A baseline for monitoring
Migration strategies supporting salmonids in Arctic Rivers: A case study of Arctic Cisco and Dolly Varden
Egg retention of high-latitude sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) in the Pilgrim River, Alaska, during the Pacific marine heatwave of 2014–2016
Reduced quality and synchronous collapse of forage species disrupts trophic transfer during a prolonged marine heatwave
Heatwave-induced synchrony within forage fish portfolio disrupts energy flow to top pelagic predators
Interaction between watershed features and climate forcing affects habitat profitability for juvenile salmon
A manipulative thermal challenge protocol for adult salmonids in remote field settings
Transcriptomic response to elevated water temperatures in adult migrating Yukon River Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
Evidence of prevalent heat stress in Yukon River Chinook salmon
Energy depletion and stress levels of Sockeye Salmon migrating at the northern edge of their distribution
Energy allocation and feeding ecology of juvenile chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) during transition from freshwater to saltwater
Fish and aquatic habitats in Alaska support important commercial, sport, and subsistence fisheries and provide forage fish that support wildlife populations. The USGS Alaska Science Center conducts interdisciplinary research to inform local, state, federal, and international policy makers regarding conservation of fish, aquatic species, and their habitats. We work collaboratively with hydrologists, geologists and other biologists to study fish and aquatic systems in an ecosystem based framework. The goal of our current research effort is to improve our understanding of the biocomplexity, resilience, and function of aquatic ecosystems to better inform future predictions of fish and aquatic ecosystems as they respond to a changing environment.
Return to Ecosystems
- Assessing Heat Stress in Migrating Yukon River Chinook Salmon
- Nearshore Fish Surveys in the Beaufort Sea
- Sockeye Salmon Migrating at the Northern Edge of Their Distribution
- Effect of Elodea spp. on Fish Performance Mediated Through Food Web Interactions
- Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Ecology or Hydrology
- Primary production sources and bottom-up limitations in nearshore ecosystems
- Lake Trout Biochronologies as Long-term Climate and Productivity Indicators in Alaska Lake Ecosystems
- Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas
- Condition of Forage Fish in Prince William Sound during the marine heatwave
- Arctic Lake Food Webs
- Winter Habitat of juvenile Dolly Varden in the Canning River
- Beavers Impacting Tundra Ecosystems (BITE)
Below are other science projects associated with this project.
Primary Production Sources and Bottom-up Limitations in Nearshore Ecosystems
Hydro-Ecology of Arctic Thawing (HEAT): Ecology
Effect of Elodea spp. on Fish Performance Mediated Through Food Web Interactions
Sockeye Salmon Migrating at the Northern Edge of Their Distribution
Arctic Coastal Plain Studies
Below are data or web applications associated with this project.
Meteorological Data from Two Locations in the Agashashok River Watershed, Northwestern Alaska, 2015 to 2017
Water Temperature and Dissolved Oxygen Measured During a Manipulative Thermal Challenge Experiment for Adult Salmonids, Yukon River, Alaska, 2018
Gene Transcription and Heat Shock Protein 70 Abundance Results from Migrating Adult Chinook Salmon, Yukon Watershed, 2016-2017
Physical, Hydraulic, and Thermal Properties of Soils in the Noatak River Basin, Alaska, 2016
Lake Trout Otolith Growth Increment Measurements, Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, Alaska, 1979-2012
Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) Body Condition and Water Temperature Along the Pilgrim River, Northwestern Alaska, 2013-2016
Carbon Isotope Concentrations in Stream Food Webs of the Arctic Network National Parks, Alaska, 2014-2016
Pacific Sand Lance Energy Density, Length, and Age, Prince William Sound, Alaska, 2012-2016
Fish Species Composition and Diet Information in Lakes of the Arctic Coastal Plain, Alaska, 2011-2013
Kuskokwim Bay chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) energy density, distribution, and stomach data, 2004
Count of Sockeye Salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka), River Temperature, and River Height in the Pilgrim River, Nome, Alaska, 2003-2014
Below are multimedia items associated with this project.
Constructing a limnocorral at McKinley Lake for Elodea spp. experiment. This experiment is studying the effect of the invasive species Elodea spp. on aquatic ecosystems.
Constructing a limnocorral at McKinley Lake for Elodea spp. experiment. This experiment is studying the effect of the invasive species Elodea spp. on aquatic ecosystems.
Deployment of a limnocorral at McKinley Lake, near Cordova, Alaska for Elodea spp. experiment. This experiment is studying the effect of the invasive species Elodea spp. on aquatic ecosystems.
Deployment of a limnocorral at McKinley Lake, near Cordova, Alaska for Elodea spp. experiment. This experiment is studying the effect of the invasive species Elodea spp. on aquatic ecosystems.
A completed limnocorral positioned over a bed of Elodea spp.. This experiment is studying the effect of the invasive species Elodea spp. on aquatic ecosystems.
A completed limnocorral positioned over a bed of Elodea spp.. This experiment is studying the effect of the invasive species Elodea spp. on aquatic ecosystems.
Vanessa von Biela with a Chinook salmon on the Yukon River.
Vanessa von Biela with a Chinook salmon on the Yukon River.
Dolly Varden in a minnow trap in the Agashashok River drainage. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.
Dolly Varden in a minnow trap in the Agashashok River drainage. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.
Chris Zimmerman removing otoliths from sockeye salmon carcasses on the shoreline of Salmon Lake. Otoliths are used to read age of a fish and other chemical signatures over time.
Chris Zimmerman removing otoliths from sockeye salmon carcasses on the shoreline of Salmon Lake. Otoliths are used to read age of a fish and other chemical signatures over time.
The 2015 benthic field sampling team Jannelle Trowbridge, Vanessa von Biela, Carolynn Harris, and Thomas Nguyen. This was from the Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas project.
The 2015 benthic field sampling team Jannelle Trowbridge, Vanessa von Biela, Carolynn Harris, and Thomas Nguyen. This was from the Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas project.
Sea ice in the Chukchi Sea.
Sea ice in the Chukchi Sea.
Biologists sorting through buckets of benthic invertebrates looking for bivalves onboard the Norseman II in the Chukchi Sea.
Biologists sorting through buckets of benthic invertebrates looking for bivalves onboard the Norseman II in the Chukchi Sea.
Benthic invertebrates captured in a bottom trawl. This was from the Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas project.
Benthic invertebrates captured in a bottom trawl. This was from the Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas project.
ANSEP intern Jannelle Trowbridge sorts through a catch of benthic invertebrates for bivalves on the Norseman II. This was from the Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas project.
ANSEP intern Jannelle Trowbridge sorts through a catch of benthic invertebrates for bivalves on the Norseman II. This was from the Ecosystem Shifts in Arctic Seas project.
Near the top of the Tusuk Channel of the Pilgrim River.
Near the top of the Tusuk Channel of the Pilgrim River.
A stream type at the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range, Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park. The stream is in the Agashashok River watershed. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.
A stream type at the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range, Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park. The stream is in the Agashashok River watershed. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.
Beach seining on the spawing grounds of sockeye salmon in Salmon Lake. This is the headwater of the Pilgrim River which is the northern edge of the sockeye salmon distribution.
Beach seining on the spawing grounds of sockeye salmon in Salmon Lake. This is the headwater of the Pilgrim River which is the northern edge of the sockeye salmon distribution.
A stream type at the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range, Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park. The stream is in the Agashashok River watershed. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.
A stream type at the Boreal-Arctic transition of the Brooks Range, Noatak National Park and Preserve, Kobuk Valley National Park. The stream is in the Agashashok River watershed. This is part of the Hydro-Ecoloy of Arctic Thawing (HEAT) project.
Collecting water quality data on the Pilgrim River. Types of measurements taken were on water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and conductivity.
Collecting water quality data on the Pilgrim River. Types of measurements taken were on water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, and conductivity.
A handful of adult ninespine stickleback ready to be measured for total body length. These fish are ubiquitous in freshwater habitats of the Arctic Coastal Plain, outnumbering other fish species by as many as 800 individuals to one.
A handful of adult ninespine stickleback ready to be measured for total body length. These fish are ubiquitous in freshwater habitats of the Arctic Coastal Plain, outnumbering other fish species by as many as 800 individuals to one.
Northern pike captured from an Arctic Coastal Plain lake. Predatory fish, like this northern pike, occupied only lakes with strong, permanent channel connections. Permanent channel connections provide movement corridors that fish use to swim between summer feeding areas and winter refuges.
Northern pike captured from an Arctic Coastal Plain lake. Predatory fish, like this northern pike, occupied only lakes with strong, permanent channel connections. Permanent channel connections provide movement corridors that fish use to swim between summer feeding areas and winter refuges.
The fish weir is operated on the Pilgrim River by the Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation with assistance from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
The fish weir is operated on the Pilgrim River by the Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation with assistance from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.
Stream outflow from a lake on the Arctic Coastal Plain. Surface water connectivity affects the occupancy of fish species in lakes, influencing richness, composition, and food web complexity.
Stream outflow from a lake on the Arctic Coastal Plain. Surface water connectivity affects the occupancy of fish species in lakes, influencing richness, composition, and food web complexity.
Below are publications associated with this project.