Developing a Literature Database for the North Aleutian Basin of Alaska Elisabeth Ann Stull North Aleutian Basin Information Status and Research Planning Meeting Minerals Management Service Anchorage, Alaska November 28—December 1, 2006

2 Purpose To identify recent literature to support an assessment of the impacts of oil and gas development on natural, cultural, and socioeconomic resources in the North Aleutian Basin

3 Many Types of References were Identified and Collected Workshop and symposium proceedings Personal Web pages Web pages of non-governmental organizations Web pages of governmental organizations Environmental impact studies Books and articles reporting research results Regulatory documents Technical reports Newspapers and newsletters Theses and dissertations

4 The Database was Organized into Eleven Topical Areas Oceanography (Biological, Chemical, and Physical) and Other Physical Sciences Marine Mammals Birds Fish and Shellfish Other Biota and Community/Ecosystem Studies Effects of Oil/Gas and Other Development Fisheries Subsistence, Traditional Knowledge, and Other Related Topics Socioeconomics Resource and Research Planning Studies Related to Regulatory Requirements

References were Found; 63% in Electronic Formats

6 References were Collected for the Years 1996 through 2006

7 Oceanography (Biological, Chemical, and Physical) and Other Physical Sciences Major Topics: –Dynamics of the Bering Sea, the Bering Sea ecosystem –Interactions between oceanographic regions (Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, Beaufort Sea) –Currents in and around the Aleutian Chain –Effects of global warming. Little information was found on: –Bristol Bay nearshore –Benthic and intertidal areas

8 Marine Mammals Major Topics included: –Surveys, distribution, abundance, migration and movement –Diet and food supply –Impact of human activities –Population trends –Subsistence use and traditional knowledge Species most studied: –Right, fin, bowhead whales –Walrus –Sea otter –Polar bear Geographic Area: Bering Sea and North Pacific Little Information was found on: –Populations in the immediate vicinity of potential oil/gas development activities.

9 Birds Major topics: –Waterfowl abundance, distribution, breeding –Seabird by-catch –Seabird colonies –Effects of petroleum spills –Contaminant concentrations and effects –Subsistence harvest Species most studied: –Eider species –Kittlitz’s murrelet

10 Fish and Shellfish Major topics –Population dynamics –Migration –Abundance and distribution –Recruitment Major species studied: –All salmon species –King and tanner crabs –Pacific herring –Walleye pollock

11 Other Biota and Community/Ecosystem Studies Community and ecosystem studies: –Phytoplankton and plankton productivity of the Bering Sea –Relationships of groups of organisms to habitats –Cumulative impacts –Factors structuring communities and ecosystems –Benthic organisms –Wildlife studies –Impact of oil spills on communities and ecosystems

12 Effects of Oil/Gas and Other Development Oil spill history and impacts –Selendang Ayu –Exxon Valdez Assessments of oil development impacts Population abundance after oil spills for birds and mammals Effects of disturbance from development activities Collisions, both with respect to birds and mammals Pollutant concentrations in biota Effects of fishing on biota, including birds and mammals

13 Fisheries Major topics are: –Stock assessments and recruitment and escapement predictions –Fish and shellfish diseases and contamination –Effect of other activities on commercial fishing –Effect of commercial fishing on birds and mammals –Fishery management –Regulations –Fishery economics Major stocks of interest are: –Salmon –Crabs (king and tanner) –Pacific herring –Groundfish

14 Subsistence, Traditional Knowledge, and Other Related Topics Major topics include: –Subsistence harvest of plant products, fish, birds, and mammals –Wild foods: identification and use –Surveys of subsistence practices –Native management of resources important in subsistence –Traditional knowledge of resource abundance, trends, and ecology –Regulations

15 Socioeconomics Major topics include: –Community descriptions, including population, education, income, housing, government –Resource economics –Infrastructure development (i.e., harbors, community services) –Borough and Native governments and corporations –Community planning –Developing industries –Mineral resources

16 Studies Related to Regulatory Requirements Types of documents include: –Regulations –Regulatory analysis –Environmental assessments and impact statements –Endangered Species Act determinations –Critical habitat determinations –Recovery plans for endangered species –Biological Opinions prepared pursuant to the Endangered Species Act

17 Research and Planning Examples include: –North Pacific Research Board –Bering Sea impacts study (BESIS) –Western Arctic shelf-basin interaction study (SBI) –Gulf of Alaska Ecosystem Monitoring and Research Plan –Eastern Bering Sea (BASIS) coastal research

18 Conclusions There are many recent studies of the Bering Sea area. –Research emphasis has been placed on: Wider regional issues Global climate change Marine mammal species Waterfowl and protected bird species Fishery biology and fishery economics There is less research activity in certain areas, such as –In areas adjacent to proposed oil/gas development locations –Benthic and coastal communities and ecosystems You will be able to identify areas which should high priorities for future research related to oil/gas development in the North Aleutian basin.