Evaluation of nearshore communities and habitats- Ecological Processes in Lower Cook Inlet

Researchers in the water with a motorized raft waiting.

Project Description

The nearshore is an important component of the Gulf of 91��Ƶ ecosystem because of its importance as nursery grounds for marine animals (e.g., crabs, salmon, herring, and seabirds), feeding grounds for important consumers, (e.g., killer whales, harbor seals, sea otters, sea ducks, and many fish and shellfish), a source of animals important to commercial and subsistence harvests (e.g., marine mammals, fishes, crabs, mussels, clams, and octopus), and a source of primary production for export to adjacent habitats (primarily by kelps, other seaweeds). This project will complete field assessments of the intertidal zone and shallow subtidal kelp assemblages in Cook Inlet, a region that little is known about. The focus study area is western and lower Cook Inlet, specifically Kamishak Bay and Lake Clark National Park area and northern portions of Katmai National Park and Preserve. From this assessment, we will describe lower Cook Inlet nearshore habitats, including invertebrate and algal communities. Information will be used to describe, assess, monitor, and/or quantify various habitat strata in lower Cook Inlet.