Analysis of Benthic Communities on Weathervane Scallop Beds in Shelikof Strait.

摘要

Weathervane scallops have been fished commercially in Alaska since 1967. One area containing prominent commercial weathervane scallop beds is Shelikof Strait, which consistently provides some of the highest levels of scallop harvest in the state. Data are available from these observers date back to 1996-2012, and contain daily information on the complete dredge haul composition, including scallops, benthic invertebrates (e.g., sea stars, anemones, brittle stars, crabs, and octopus), and fishes (e.g., skates, groundfish, and flatfishes). This study used these observations describe the biogeography and biodiversity of benthic communities on the continental shelf off Alaska, and contribute towards advancing our knowledge of essential fish habitat. Results showed significant differences in benthic community composition across Shelikof Straits between individual beds, as well as over a 17-year period. In this district, dredging effort was significantly correlated with both spatial and temporal changes, indicating sensitivity to human disturbance by benthic communities, including commercially important species. The report summarizes that changes may reflect the ability of these benthic communities to change over a relatively short time period (17 years), despite the fact that many of these taxa, including weathervane scallops, anemones, and sea pens, are long-lived.