Temperature anomaly oC Ice concentration

Impacts of Climate Variations on the Bering Sea Ecosystem

Overarching theme: Describing the state of the Bering Sea, and using this information for inter-disciplinary and multi-institution studies

Temperature and fluorescence at Sites 2 (left) and 4 (right)

Depth-Averaged Temperature in the SE Bering Sea

Vertically Averaged Temperature (°C) at Site 2

Grey - Lowest 1/3 Pink - Middle 1/3 Red - Highest 1/3

1965 1975 1985 1995

Bering SeaClimate Indices

Bering Sea Pollock

Pollock and Bottom Temperature

00 0

2

2

4

0.0 0.25 0.50 0.75 1.0Relative CPUE

170oW 170 165 160oW

60oN

58oN

60oN

58oN

J Ianelli

Hunt et al., 2002

Oscillating Control Hypothesis

Pollock Recruitment withSummer Wind Mixing & Winter Surface

Temperature1978 19961982 1989

Produced from NOAA/PMEL’s Bering Sea Climate Theme Page

St. Paul

St. George

Northern fur seal pups born on Pribilof Islands

Error bars are 95% confidence intervals

http://nmml.afsc.noaa.gov/alaskaecosystems/nfshome/survey2004pribpups.htm

[M. Webber-USFWS]

Walrus herd in the Chukchi Sea– June 2002

Schematic of food web in the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas [Grebmeier and Dunton 2000]

Clam food in walrus stomachs

[photos courtesy G. Sheffield]

850 mb Temperature: 1-January-1975

Bering Sea

Arctic

NorthPacific

Bering Climate

Cold/Dry Arctic Air vs. Warm/Moist Pacific Air

Mooring Sites

42

5

Final Remarks

Present - Can often go beyond exploratory correlative analysis to scenario testing based on induction.

Near Future - Continue monitoring and process studies to refine quantitative understanding of mechanisms.