Transcript Why So Many Fish in Alaska? - School of Fisheries and

Why So Many Fish in Alaska?
~ 60-65% of US Food Fish are Landed in Alaska WHY?
1. Alaska is Surrounded by Oceans
a. Oceanographic Currents
b. Ice Edge Considerations
2. Alaska’s Shoreline & Continental Shelf
3. Geological Nutrient Input into Alaskan Waters
a. Loess - Windborne Dusts
b. Suspended Sediments in Rivers
c. Volcanic Ash
4. Climate Controlled Nutrient Input
Volcanic Nutrients
Ecology of Boreal & Subarctic Waters I
1. Define Ecosystem Health: Temperate & Tropical
Systems - Definition is Species Diversity
2. Evolutionary Divisions in T&T Communities
- Speciation by Niche Specialization
3. In T&T Communities: Nearest Neighbor
Distance - Meters to Tens of Meters
Specialists Versus Generalists
1. Specialists
a. Allows Escape from Direct Competition
b. More Efficient - Greater Degree Fine Tuning
c. Less Evolutionarily Flexible
2. Generalists
a. Less Efficient - Tuned to Different Seasons
b. Greater Exposure to Direct Competition
c. Greater Evolutionary Flexibility
Specialist
Generalist
Ecology Boreal & Subarctic Waters II
1. Ecosystem Health in Boreal & Subarctic Waters
- Defined Not by Species Diversity
2. Evolutionary Divisions B&SA Communities
- Generalists Predominate - Seasonal Differences
3. B&SA Communities Nearest Neighbor Distance
- Monocultures Covering Vast Areas
Boreal & Subarctic Species
1. Ongoing Biological Research
a. Cold Adaptation
b. Reproductive Ecology
c. Census of Marine Life
2. Needed Research
a. B&SA Community Ecology
b. Winter Physiology
c. Stress, Disease & Monocultures
Boreal & Subarctic Ecology: Bottom Line
1. Use Caution When Attempting to Apply Ecological
Principles Derived from T&T
2. Estimations of Over-Fishing Cannot Be Based On
Comparisons with T&T Populations
3. Generalist Physiological Parameters Can Be
Markedly Different from Niche Specialists
4. Boreal & Subarctic Waters can be Distinct in Their
Ecology Compared with T&T
5. Caution: Potential Cryptic Sister Species: Cucumaria
lubrica C. vegae assemblage.
Why So Many Fish In Alaska?
1. Area of Continental Shelf
2. Length of Coastline
3. State’s Land Area
4. Number of Unpolluted Rivers
5. Boreal and Subarctic Waters
6. Extremes in Sunlight
7. Ample Nutrients
8. Huge Algal Blooms
9. Excellent Management
Human Migrations into North America
Clovis Culture ~12,000 bp
Probably Multiple Migrations
Concept of Bering Land Bridge Land Migrations
Ice Free Corridor
Coastal Migrations
Some Newer Evidence
Most Likely Sites Now Underwater
Bering Land Bridge
Bering Land Bridge 16,200 ybp
Beringia & Human Migration
Beringia 15,000 ybp
Linguistic vs DNA Data
DNA Evidence Shows
Not all Speakers share same DNA
Evidence of Multiple Migrations Many
after 10,000 ybp
Bering Land Bridge Flooded 10,000 ybp
Close Affinity with Siberians
Newer Groups Moved Further South
Tlinket & Haida among most recent
Alaskan Native Language Map
Hunting Sea Mammals
Age Classes I
Yupik Fishing Technology
Closed Inupiat Stone Fish Trap
Open Inupiat Stone Fish Trap
Archaeological Dig SW Alaska
Ancient Fish Spears
Ancient Barbed Spears
Ancient Harpoon Tips
Reconstructed Halibut Hook