COMIDA: Chukchi Sea Offshore Monitoring in Drilling Area: Epibenthic communities on and around Hanna Shoal
Project Description
The northern Chukchi Shelf receives extraordinarily large inputs of organic matter advected from the highly productive shelf regions of the North Pacific and from in situ sources of primary production, including ice algae, sediment microalgae, and phytoplankton. These contributions of highly labile organic carbon, together with potential benthic sources of regenerated inorganic nitrogen, probably contribute to the enormous secondary production of this region. In particular, the relatively shallow depths (40-55 m) and appreciable bottom flow facilitate high standing stocks of biota, particularly in the benthos. These "hotspots" have been noted in the vicinity of Hanna Shoal, particularly along its southeastern and eastern margins. The Hanna Shoal Ecosystem Study, an extension of the COMIDA CAB program (2008-2011), is a multi-disciplinary investigation funded by the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to examine the biological, chemical and physical properties that define this ecosystem. The project spans 2011-2015, with field seasons in 2012-2013. My lab is examining the epibenthic communities in this area. These epibenthic communities contain a wide range of organisms and serve an important role in the marine ecosystem. They are involved in carbon remineralization, benthic production, and are important prey items for higher trophic levels. We are using data from 2009, 2010, 2012 and 2013 to ask questions about spatial and temporal variability in this system and to explore their environmental drivers.
Project Posters
Project Funding
BOEM
Amount: $000,000
Start Date: 2008-00-00
End Date: 2015-00-00
Ravelo AM, Konar B, Bluhm BA (in review) Spatial variability of epibenthic communities on the Alaska Beaufort Shelf. Polar Biology.
Ravelo A and B Konar. 2015. Correlating sea ice variables to epibenthic communities on the Alaskan Arctic shelves. Alaska Space Grant Meeting. Fairbanks, Alaska. Oral presentation.,
Ravelo A, B Konar, B Bluhm and K Iken. 2015. Growth and production of the dominant Alaskan Arctic brittle stars: Ophiura sarsii and Ophiocten sericeum”. Alaska Marine Science Symposim. Anchorage, Alaska. Oral presentation.,
Konar B, A Ravelo, L Cooper, J Grebmeier and J Trefry. 2014. Influence of environmental parameters on the size frequencies of key epibenthic organisms in the Chukchi Sea. Deep Sea Research II 102: 107-118,
Ravelo A, B Konar, L Cooper, J Grebmeier and J Trefry. 2014. Epibenthic community variability in the Chukchi Sea. Deep Sea Research II 102: 119-131.,
Powell KK, B Konar, A Ravelo. 2014. Temporal variation of epibenthic communities in the Chukchi Sea, Alaska. Alaska Marine Science Symposium. Anchorage, Alaska. Poster presentation.,
Powell KK, B Konar, A Ravelo. 2014. Temporal variation of epibenthic communities in the Chukchi Sea, Alaska. Ocean Sciences Meeting. Honolulu, Hawaii. Poster presentation.,
Ravelo R. 2014. Epibenthic community patterns on the Alaska Arctic shelves, environmental drivers of community variability and dominant brittle star population dynamics. CEBIMAR (Center for Marine Biology). University of Sao Paulo, Brazil. Seminar presentation.,
Ravelo A and B Konar. 2014. Correlating sea ice variables to epibenthic communities on the Alaskan Arctic shelves. Ocean Sciences Meeting. Honolulu, Hawaii. Poster presentation.,
Ravelo A and B Konar. 2014. Size structure, distribution and abundance of the dominant Arctic shelf brittle stars: Ophiura sarsii and Ophiocten sericeum. Alaska Marine Science Symposium. Anchorage, Alaska. Poster presentation.,
Ravelo A. 2013. Epibenthic community patterns on the Alaska Arctic shelves, environmental drivers of community variability and dominant brittle star population dynamics. nstitute of Marine Science departmental seminar. Fairbanks, Alaska. Seminar presentation.,
Powell KK, B Konar, A Ravelo. (2013). "The epibenthic community structure of Hanna Shoal in the Chukchi Sea, Alaska". Alaska Marine Science Symposium. poster presentation, Anchorage, Alaska. Poster presentation.
Ravelo A. and B. Konar. (2013). "Alaskan Arctic epibenthic communities: A tale of two seas". 6th Annual Western Alaska Interdisciplinary Science Conference. Nome, Alaska. Oral presentation.
Ravelo A and B Konar. (2013). "Alaskan Arctic epibenthic communities: A tale of two seas". Alaska Marine Science Symposim. Anchorage, Alaska. Poster presentation.
Ravelo A, B Konar, JH Trefry and J Grebmeier. (2012). "Epibenthic community variability in the northeastern Chukchi Sea". Ocean Sciences Meeting. Salt Lake City, Utah. Oral presentation.
Powell KK, B Konar. (2012). "The epibenthic community structure of Hanna Shoal in the Chukchi Sea, Alaska". Institute of Marine Science departmental seminar. Fairbanks, Alaska. Semianr presentation.
Ravelo A and B Konar. (2011). "Epibenthic community variability on the Alaskan Beaufort Sea shelf, preliminary results". Coastal Marine Institute Annual Research Review. Fairbanks, Alaska. Oral presentation.
Ravelo A, B Konar and M Schuster. (2011). "Temporal variability of epibenthic trawl surveys in the Chukchi Sea". Alaska Marine Science Symposium. Anchorage, Alaska. Poster presentation.
Research Team
Brenda Konar
Principal Investigator
Associate Dean of Research and Administration; Director of Institute of Marine Science; Director of Coastal Marine Institute; Professor
Specialties:
- phycology
- research scuba diving
- biodiversity
- monitoring programs
- nearshore ecology
- ecosystem change
- benthic ecology
- kelp forest ecology
Ken Dunton
The University of Texas Marine Science Institute
Carin Ashjian
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
Robert Campbell
University of Rhode Island
Lee Cooper
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Jacqueline Grebmeier
University of Maryland Center for Environmental Science
Roger Harvey
Old Dominion University
David Maidment
The University of Texas at Austin
John Trefry
Florida Institute of Technology
Thomas Weingartner
University of Alaska
Afonso Souza
The University of Texas Marine Science Institute
Alexandra Ravelo
Marine Science PhD Student
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Kimberly Powell
Marine Science MS Student
University of Alaska Fairbanks
Jasmin Gross
Marine Science MS Student
University of Bremin, Germany