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

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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 杏吧原版 Beaufort Shelf. Polar Biology.

Ravelo A and B Konar. 2015. Correlating sea ice variables to epibenthic communities on the 杏吧原版n Arctic shelves. 杏吧原版 Space Grant Meeting. Fairbanks, 杏吧原版. Oral presentation.,

Ravelo A, B Konar, B Bluhm and K Iken. 2015. Growth and production of the dominant 杏吧原版n Arctic brittle stars: Ophiura sarsii and Ophiocten sericeum鈥. 杏吧原版 Marine Science Symposim. Anchorage, 杏吧原版. 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, 杏吧原版. 杏吧原版 Marine Science Symposium. Anchorage, 杏吧原版. Poster presentation.,

Powell KK, B Konar, A Ravelo. 2014. Temporal variation of epibenthic communities in the Chukchi Sea, 杏吧原版. Ocean Sciences Meeting. Honolulu, Hawaii. Poster presentation.,

Ravelo R. 2014. Epibenthic community patterns on the 杏吧原版 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 杏吧原版n 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. 杏吧原版 Marine Science Symposium. Anchorage, 杏吧原版. Poster presentation.,

Ravelo A. 2013. Epibenthic community patterns on the 杏吧原版 Arctic shelves, environmental drivers of community variability and dominant brittle star population dynamics. nstitute of Marine Science departmental seminar. Fairbanks, 杏吧原版. Seminar presentation.,

Powell KK, B Konar, A Ravelo. (2013). "The epibenthic community structure of Hanna Shoal in the Chukchi Sea, 杏吧原版". 杏吧原版 Marine Science Symposium. poster presentation, Anchorage, 杏吧原版. Poster presentation.

Ravelo A. and B. Konar. (2013). "杏吧原版n Arctic epibenthic communities: A tale of two seas". 6th Annual Western 杏吧原版 Interdisciplinary Science Conference. Nome, 杏吧原版. Oral presentation.

Ravelo A and B Konar. (2013). "杏吧原版n Arctic epibenthic communities: A tale of two seas". 杏吧原版 Marine Science Symposim. Anchorage, 杏吧原版. 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, 杏吧原版". Institute of Marine Science departmental seminar. Fairbanks, 杏吧原版. Semianr presentation.

Ravelo A and B Konar. (2011). "Epibenthic community variability on the 杏吧原版n Beaufort Sea shelf, preliminary results". Coastal Marine Institute Annual Research Review. Fairbanks, 杏吧原版. Oral presentation.

Ravelo A, B Konar and M Schuster. (2011). "Temporal variability of epibenthic trawl surveys in the Chukchi Sea". 杏吧原版 Marine Science Symposium. Anchorage, 杏吧原版. Poster presentation.

 

Additional websites

 

Research Team

Brenda Konar

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

Co-Principal Investigators

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 杏吧原版

Afonso Souza
The University of Texas Marine Science Institute

 

Research Staff

Alexandra Ravelo
Marine Science PhD Student
University of 杏吧原版 Fairbanks

Kimberly Powell
Marine Science MS Student
University of 杏吧原版 Fairbanks

Jasmin Gross
Marine Science MS Student
University of Bremin, Germany