Herald Shoal
Herald Shoal is a region of high benthic productivity on the Chukchi Sea shelf. It serves as rich foraging habitat for many species of marine mammals and birds.
Geography[edit]
Herald Shoal is approximately 50 meters deep in most places. The shoal diverts warm water flowing northward from the Bering Sea and holds colder water long into the summer season, which allows sea ice to persist in this area longer.[1][2][3] Herald Shoal is no longer covered by continuous pack ice, but along with Hanna Shoal, has some of the most reliable ice present on the entire Chukchi shelf.[4]
Fauna[edit]
Herald Shoal has relatively colder, saltier, and more nutrient rich water compared to more easterly water, and during the spring ice retreat this region experiences high primary productivity from phytoplankton blooms.[5] This leads to the region's rich seafloor, making it a significant food resource for many marine species.[6]
In early to mid-summer, Herald Shoal has a high-concentration of walrus that are either migrating through the region or foraging for food.[7][8] Beluga whales have been observed concentrating around the Shoal in the fall before they migrate southward into the Bering Sea.[9]
Importance[edit]
Like Hanna Shoal, Herald Shoal is likely to be important as ocean conditions change.[10] Identified as an important area by scientists, Herald shoal will likely provide ecosystem resilience to climate change due to the unique characteristics of the region that makes it so productive.[11][12][13]
References[edit]
- ^ Weingartner T., Aagaard K., Woodgate R., Danielson S., Sasaki Y., and Cavalieri D., "Circulation on the north central Chukchi Sea shelf", Deep Sea Research Part II: Topical Studies in Oceanography, 2005. Retrieved 03-10-2016.
- ^ Martin S. and Drucker R., "The effect of possible Taylor columns on the summer ice retreat in the Chukchi Sea", Journal of Geophysical Research, 1997. Retrieved 03-10-2016.
- ^ Spall M., "Circulation and water mass transformation in a model of the Chukchi Sea", Journal of Geophysical Research, 2007. Retrieved 03-10-2016.
- ^ Weingartner T., Dobbins E., Danielson S., Winsor P., Potter R., and Statscewich H., "Hydrographic variability over the northeastern Chukchi Sea shelf in summer-fall 2008-2010", Continental Shelf Research, 2013. Retrieved 03-10-2016.
- ^ Hopcroft R., Bluhm B., and Gradinger R., "Arctic Ocean Synthesis: Analysis of Climate Change Impacts in the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas with Strategies for Future Research", Institute of Marine Sciences, University of Alaska, Fairbanks, 2008. Retrieved 03-10-2016.
- ^ Grebmeier, Jacqueline M.; Cooper, Lee W.; Feder, Howard M.; Sirenko, Boris I. (October 2006). "Ecosystem dynamics of the Pacific-influenced Northern Bering and Chukchi Seas in the Amerasian Arctic". Progress in Oceanography. 71 (2–4): 331–361. doi:10.1016/j.pocean.2006.10.001.
- ^ United States Geological Survey, "Walrus radio-tracking in the Chukchi Sea, 2009-2013", U.S. Geological Survey. Retrieved 03-10-2016.
- ^ Clarke J., Christman C., Brower A., and Ferguson M., "Distribution and Relative Abundance of Marine Mammals in the Alaskan Chukchi and Beaufort Seas, 2011", Annual Report, OCS Study BOEM, 2012. Retrieved 03-10-2016.
- ^ Hauser D., Laidre K., Suydam R., and Richard P., "Population-specific home ranges and migration timing of Pacific Arctic beluga whales (Delphinapterus leucas)", Polar Biology, 2014. Retrieved 03-10-2016.
- ^ Christie P., and Sommerkorn M., "RACER: Rapid Assessment of Circum-arctic Ecosystem Resilience", WWF Global Arctic Programme, 2012. Retrieved 03-10-2016.
- ^ Oceana, ["Oceana Comments on Effects of Oil and Gas Activities in the Arctic Ocean Supplemental Draft Environmental Impact Statement,"].
- ^ Gunderson L., "Ecological Resilience-In Theory and Application", Annual Review of Ecology and Systematics, 2000. Retrieved 03-10-2016.
- ^ Christie P., and Sommerkorn M., "RACER: Rapid Assessment of Circum-arctic Ecosystem Resilience", WWF Global Arctic Programme, 2012. Retrieved 03-10-2016.
Further reading[edit]