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Resource Ecology and Ecosystem Modeling - Home

REFM Home

REEM Home

Overview of Activities

Groundfish Trophic Interactions Database

Ecosystem Assessements

Diet Composition Tables

Diet Data Download

Stomach Examiner's Tool

Ecosystem Considerations

Metadata

Life History DB

The Resource Ecology and Ecosystem Modeling Task at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center focuses on the collection and analysis of data relating to trophic interactions in the North Pacific and incorporation of these data into environmental assessments and single-species and multispecies models. Systematic collection and analysis of groundfish food habits data is performed. Data on size-at-age is integrated with bioenergetic information to estimate food consumption rates by fish populations. Information on marine mammal and bird diet is obtained from other Center programs or outside researchers. Quantifying food web linkages is essential to increase our understanding of how external forces such as fishing may cause unanticipated shifts in ecosystem composition. The importance of this research is also elevated given the increasing emphasis on fishery-mammal interactions: groundfish predation interactions are an important part of knowing the true nature of resource availability to mammals and birds.

Stomach samples are collected at virtually no cost to the program, utilizing fishery observers and existing assessment cruises for collection platforms. Samples are analyzed in the laboratory and entered into a food habits database. These data allow assessment of factors influencing individual species food habits, including interannual changes. Predation effects by groundfish populations are then quantified and incorporated into assessment models.

Recent Publications, Poster Presentations, Reports & Activities

Final Ecosystem Considerations for the North Pacific Groundfish Stock Assessment and Fishery Evaluation Report - Updated November 2016 - Aleutian Islands Marine Ecosystem(.pdf), Eastern Bering Sea Marine Ecosystem(.pdf), Gulf of Alaska Marine Ecosystem(.pdf)
Diet compositions and trophic guild structure of the eastern Chukchi Sea demersal fish community
WHITEHOUSE G. A., T. W. BUCKLEY, and S. L. DANIELSON. 2017. Diet compositions and trophic guild structure of the eastern Chukchi Sea demersal fish community. Deep-Sea Res. II 135:95-110. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.dsr2.2016.03.010 Online.
Seabird bycatch and mitigation efforts in Alaska fisheries Summary Report: 2007 through 2015
EICH, A.M., K.R. MABRY, S.K. WRIGHT, and S.M. FITZGERALD. 2016. Seabird bycatch and mitigation efforts in Alaska fisheries Summary Report: 2007 through 2015. U.S. Dep. Commer., NOAA Tech. Memo. NMFS-F/AKR-12, 47 p. Online.
Spatio-temporal distribution of euphausiids: an important component to understanding ecosystem processes in the Gulf of Alaska and eastern Bering Sea.
SIMONSEN, K. A., P. H. RESSLER, C. N. ROOPER, and S. G. ZADOR. 2016. Spatio-temporal distribution of euphausiids: an important component to understanding ecosystem processes in the Gulf of Alaska and eastern Bering Sea. ICES J. Mar. Sci. 73:2020-2036. http://dx.doi.org/10.1093/icesjms/fsv272 Online.
Trophic Guilds of The Eastern Chukchi Sea Demersal Fish Community
By: G. ANDREW WHITEHOUSE, TROY W. BUCKLEY, RICHARD E. HIBPSHMAN, CAROLINE L. ROBINSON, SEAN K. ROHAN, KIMBERLY A. SAWYER
Conference: American Fisheries Society, 145th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR, Aug 2015
(2015 poster, .pdf, 1.94 MB) Online.
Patterns in Octopus Predation by Pacific Cod, Gadus macrocephalus, in the Eastern Bering Sea
By: SEAN K. ROHAN, TROY W. BUCKLEY
Conference: American Fisheries Society, 145th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR, Aug 2015
(2015 poster, .pdf, 1.27 MB) Online.
Generating Data for Food Habits Models Resource Ecology and Ecosystem Modeling Trophic Interactions Laboratory
By: RICHARD E. HIBPSHMAN, KIMBERLY A. SAWYER, SEAN K. ROHAN, CAROLINE L. ROBINSON, TROY W. BUCKLEY, GEOFFREY M. LANG, MEI-SUN YANG, KERIM Y. AYDIN
Conference: American Fisheries Society, 145th Annual Meeting, Portland, OR, Aug 2015
(2015 poster, .pdf, 24.7 MB) Online.
Trophic Interactions Sampling and Analysis
Ecosystem Considerations 2015: The Status of Alaska's Marine Ecosystems
REEM Participates in World Seabird Conference
Ecosystem Modeling (food web modeling software)

See the publications and poster databases for additional listings.

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