Abstracts
SEARCH Open Science Meeting
October 27, 2003
Seattle, Washington, USA
The Impact of Climate Patterns on the Bering Sea Ecosystem
Phyllis J. Stabeno1, Nicholas A. Bond2, George L. Hunt3, Carol Ladd4, C. W. Mordy5
1National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 7600 Sand Point Way NE , Seattle, WA, 98115, USA, Phone 206-526-6453, Fax 206-526-6815, stabeno@pmel.noaa.gov
2JISAO, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98115, USA, bond@pmel.noaa.gov
3Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, University of California, Irvine, CA, 92697, USA, glhunt@uci.edu
4JISAO, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98115, USA, carol.ladd@noaa.gov
5Joint Institute for the Study of Atmosphere and Ocean, University of Washington, Seattle, WA, 98115, Phone 206-526-6870, mordy@u.washington.edu
The subarctic seas are influences by hemispheric wide patterns of climate variability. Changes in the 1990s in the Arctic Oscillation (AO) have brought warmer temperatures and more southerly winds over the Barents Sea in winter, and warmer temperatures over the eastern Bering Sea shelf in spring. The southern Bering Sea is also influenced by changes in the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). Changes in these large-scale climate patterns cascade through the ecosystem, modifying physical forcing, timing and extent of the phytoplankton bloom, and community composition of upper trophic levels. One of the defining characteristics of the Bering Sea is the sea ice cover. Changes in the AO and PDO are associated with changes in the timing of the arrival of sea ice, its duration and its extent. Over the southeastern shelf, the timing of ice retreat plays a critical role in determining the timing of the spring phytoplankton bloom. The presence of ice after mid-March results in an early phytoplankton bloom associated with presence of sea ice. The timing of phytoplankton bloom impacts the availability of food for zooplankton. The Oscillating Control Hypothesis addresses how different regimes (cold versus warm) impacts the ecosystem and in particular the fisheries. Changes in large scale climate patterns also influence the flow of water through the Aleutian Passes which brings nutrient rich, warm water into the Bering Sea, and modifies the transport through Bering Strait which is the only oceanic connection between the North Pacific and Arctic Ocean. Research focused on understanding how climate variability affects the ecosystems of the Bering Sea is critical.
Abstract Categories: Changes in the Sea
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