| MMS ENVIRONMENTAL STUDIES PROGRAM: ONGOING STUDIES | ||||||
| MMS OCS Region: | Alaska | |||||
| Title: | Analysis of Variation
in Abundance of Arctic Cisco in the |
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| Total Cost: | $314,983 | Period of Performance: | FY2004-2006 | |||
| Conducting Organization: | ABR, Inc-Fairbanks, AK | |||||
| MMS Contact: | ||||||
| Description: | Background Native Alaskans are concerned that arctic cisco in the Colville River have been less abundant during the last few years than in the years preceding. Considerable research has been conducted on the natural history of the species, with particular emphasis being placed on the potential effect of causeways, constructed during oil development, on migration. The current understanding of the arctic cisco life cycle is that all spawning for the species takes place in the Mackenzie River drainages. The young-of-the-year leave the river during the spring and become entrained in wind-driven currents along the Beaufort coast. If east winds are sufficient and sustained, young fish migrate all the way to the Colville River, where they will spend several years maturing before returning to the MacKenzie River. If winds are not sufficient, they go elsewhere. Thus, migrations of arctic cisco are particularly vulnerable to large-scale changes in oceanic circulation, such as recent suspected changes in the Beaufort gyre, which may lead to modification of the strength and direction of nearshore winds. Nuiqsut villagers are also concerned that drilling muds, spilled underground during the construction of the Alpine pipeline, could be entering the river and have effects on the abundance of arctic cisco. Other factors that could affect arctic cisco populations include, but are not limited to, factors affecting recruitment at the MacKenzie River, changes in the channels of the Colville river and hence the distribution of fish available for subsistence use, fishing practices and harvest, and possibly, the cumulative effects of onshore and offshore oil-related development. A study is needed to further establish the observed trends in arctic cisco abundance and evaluate the factors influencing population variation. | |||||
| Background | ||||||
| Objectives 1. Access information from Native subsistence users, fisheries
biologists and governmental organizations to develop hypotheses on the
variable, or possible declining, arctic cisco abundance in the 2. Quantify inter-annual variation in the abundance of arctic cisco
in the 3. Use a statistical approach to estimate which environmental factors
contribute to observed variation in arctic cisco abundance in the |
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Methods
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| Importance to MMS Information will be used for NEPA analysis and documentation for Beaufort Sea Lease Sales, oil-spill-contingency plans, facilitation of outreach with North Slope communities, and DPP’s. |
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| Current Status: Data
compilation is complete. Data Exploration, Validating interpretations with a panel of local experts and hypothesis testing are ongoing. |
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| Final Report Due: | 12/26/2006 | |||||
| Publications: | Murphy, Steve. 2005. Analysis of
Variation in Abundance of Arctic Cisco in the Colville River. Presentation
at the 2005 American Fisheries Society Annual Meeting, Anchorage Alaska Sept
12-15, 2005. Murphy, Steve. 2006. Analysis of Variation in Abundance of Arctic Cisco in the Colville River. Presentation at the Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage Alaska January, 2006. |
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| Affiliated WWW Sites: | ||||||
| Revised date: | April 2006 | |||||
| ESPIS |
ESPIS - All completed
ESP Studies: |
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