1. U.S. Beaufort Sea Fish Communities Brenda L. Norcross and Lorena E. Edenfield School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences University of Alaska Fairbanks Photo credit: S. Carroll US – Canada Northern Oil and Gas Research Forum Anchorage, AK November 2012

2. UAF Beaufort Sea surveys 3 cruises – 2010: WWW1004 (6 days, Westward Wind) – 2011: BeauFish (21 days, Norseman II) – 2012: US Transboundary (10 days, Norseman II) Sampling gears: – Benthic nets: Fish and Invertebrates – Midwater nets: Fish and Zooplankton – Oceanography – Sediments and Infauna

4. Photo credit: C. Cano Canadian 3-m beam trawl Otter trawl 3-m plumbstaff beam trawl Modified 3-m PSBT for complex substrate Photo credit: BOEM Photo credit: S. MacPhee

6. 2010 Small sampling area, mostly shallow – Camden Bay, “Sivuliq area” – Funded by Shell Exploration and Production Co. – 17 stations from 20-100 m Captured approximately 800 fish total – 600 in bottom gear Photo credit: T. Foster Photo credit: S. Carroll

7. 2010- small area, shallow

9. Large area, mostly shallow – BeauFish cruise, from Camden Bay to Pt. Barrow – Funded by BOEM – 79 stations from 15-200 m Captured approximately 17,000 fish – 13,000 in bottom gear Photo credit: I. Rutzen 2011

10. 2011- large area, shallow

11. All fish Captured 13,000 Size range: 1 -12 inches

12. Photo credit: K. Mecklenburg Snailfish Captured 750 Size range: 1 -8 inches

13. Photo credit: B. Sheiko Sculpins Captured 2,700 Size range: 1 -9 inches

14. Photo credit: B. Sheiko Cod Captured 68,000 Size range: 1 -7 inches

15. From Gallaway et al., submitted

17. 2012 Collaboration US BeaufortCanadian Beaufort Norseman IIFrosti

18. Photo credit: S. Atchison 2012- US Beaufort Small area, shallow and deep depths – US Transboundary cruise, central US Beaufort – Funded by BOEM – 18 stations from 20-1,000 m Captured approximately 5,500 fish – 4,700 in bottom gear

19. 2012- small area, deep

20. Percent composition of catch at depth

21. Average length at depth

23. Species List RajidaeHemitripteridaeZoarcidae Raja binoculataNautichthys pribiloviusGymnelus hemifasciatus OsmeridaeAgonidaeGymnelus viridis Mallotus villosusAspidophoroides monopterygiusLycodes mucosus Osmerus mordaxLeptagonus decagonusLycodes polaris GadidaePodothecus veternusLycodes raridens Arctogadus glacialisAspidophoroides olrikiiLycodes sagittarius Boreogadus saidaCyclopteridaeLycodes adolfi Eleginus gracilisEumicrotremus derjuginiLycodes rossi CottidaeLiparidaeLycodes seminudis Artediellus scaberLiparis fabriciiLycodes reticulatus Gymnocanthus tricuspisLiparis gibbusLycodes frigidus Icelus spatulaLiparis bathyarticusStichaeidae Myoxocephalus quadricornisLiparis tunicatusAnisarchus medius Myoxocephalus scorpiusCareproctus sp.Eumesogrammus praecisus Triglops nybeliniAmmodytidaeLeptoclinus maculatus Triglops pingeliiAmmodytes hexapterusLumpenus fabricii PleuronectidaeStichaeus punctatus Hippoglossoides robustus Reinhardtius hippoglossoides 43 confirmed species from 12 families

24. Length differences YearMinimum Length (mm) Maximum Length (mm) Average Length (mm) 20101914648 20111830056 20121579599 2010-2011 vs 2012

25. Shelf vs. slope Average length – Shelf = small – Slope = big Catch composition – Shelf- sculpins, snailfishes, and cod – Slope- eelpout, rays, and flatfishes – Different species within families

26. East vs. West Density of all fishes is greater in west Larval cod density high in east

28. Photo credit: C. Cano US and Canadian Beaufort – 10 planned transects on US and Canadian side of border – collaboration between scientists 2013: Norseman II (UAF) and Frosti (DFO) 2014: Sikuiliaq – Both US and DFO scientists Future transboundary surveys

29. Photo credit: C. Cano Ichthyoplankton Hydroacoustics ROV/gliders Primary productivity Marine mammal surveys Seabird observations Potential enhancements to future transboundary surveys Image courtesy of Kate Stafford, 2012 RUSALCA Expedition, RAS-NOAA

30. Thanks! Photo credit: S. Carroll The crews of the Westward Wind (2010) Norseman II (2011 and 2012) UAF Fisheries Oceanography Lab students and technicians BOEM and Shell Exploration and Production Co. for funding Canada Department of Fisheries and Oceans