Why So Many Fish in Alaska?

1
Why So Many Fish in Alaska?

• 60-65 of US Food Fish are Landed in Alaska
  WHY?
• 1. Alaska is Surrounded by Oceans
• a. Oceanographic Currents
• b. Ice Edge Considerations
• 2. Alaskas Shoreline Continental Shelf
• 3. Geological Nutrient Input into Alaskan
  Waters
• a. Loess - Windborne Dusts
• b. Suspended Sediments in Rivers
• c. Volcanic Ash
• 4. Climate Controlled Nutrient Input

2
Volcanic Nutrients
3
Ecology of Boreal Subarctic Waters I

• 1. Define Ecosystem Health Temperate Tropical
• Systems - Definition is Species Diversity
• 2. Evolutionary Divisions in TT Communities
• - Speciation by Niche Specialization
• 3. In TT Communities Nearest Neighbor
• Distance - Meters to Tens of Meters

4
Specialists Versus Generalists

• 1. Specialists
• a. Allows Escape from Direct Competition
• b. More Efficient - Greater Degree Fine
  Tuning
• c. Less Evolutionarily Flexible
• 2. Generalists
• a. Less Efficient - Tuned to Different
  Seasons
• b. Greater Exposure to Direct Competition
• c. Greater Evolutionary Flexibility

5
Specialist
6
Generalist
7
Ecology Boreal Subarctic Waters II

• 1. Ecosystem Health in Boreal Subarctic Waters
• - Defined Not by Species Diversity
• 2. Evolutionary Divisions BSA Communities
• - Generalists Predominate - Seasonal
  Differences
• 3. BSA Communities Nearest Neighbor Distance
• - Monocultures Covering Vast Areas

8
Boreal Subarctic Species

• 1. Ongoing Biological Research
• a. Cold Adaptation
• b. Reproductive Ecology
• c. Census of Marine Life
• 2. Needed Research
• a. BSA Community Ecology
• b. Winter Physiology
• c. Stress, Disease Monocultures

9
Boreal Subarctic Ecology Bottom Line

• 1. Use Caution When Attempting to Apply
  Ecological Principles Derived from TT
• 2. Estimations of Over-Fishing Cannot Be Based On
  Comparisons with TT Populations
• 3. Generalist Physiological Parameters Can Be
  Markedly Different from Niche Specialists
• 4. Boreal Subarctic Waters can be Distinct in
  Their Ecology Compared with TT
• 5. Caution Potential Cryptic Sister Species
  Cucumaria lubrica C. vegae assemblage.

10
Why So Many Fish In Alaska?
1. Area of Continental Shelf 2. Length of
Coastline 3. States Land Area 4. Number of
Unpolluted Rivers 5. Boreal and Subarctic
Waters 6. Extremes in Sunlight 7. Ample
Nutrients 8. Huge Algal Blooms 9. Excellent
Management
11
Human Migrations into North America

• Clovis Culture 12,000 bp
• Probably Multiple Migrations
• Concept of Bering Land Bridge -
• Land Migrations
• Ice Free Corridor
• Coastal Migrations
• Some Newer Evidence
• Most Likely Sites Now Underwater

12
Bering Land Bridge
13
Bering Land Bridge 16,200 ybp
14
Beringia Human Migration
15
Beringia 15,000 ybp
16
Linguistic vs DNA Data

• DNA Evidence Shows
• Not all Speakers share same DNA
• Evidence of Multiple Migrations Many after 10,000
  ybp
• Bering Land Bridge Flooded 10,000 ybp
• Close Affinity with Siberians
• Newer Groups Moved Further South
• Tlinket Haida among most recent

17
Alaskan Native Language Map
18
Hunting Sea Mammals
19
Age Classes I
20
Yupik Fishing Technology
21
Closed Inupiat Stone Fish Trap
22
Open Inupiat Stone Fish Trap
23
Archaeological Dig SW Alaska
24
Ancient Fish Spears
25
Ancient Barbed Spears
26
Ancient Harpoon Tips
27
Reconstructed Halibut Hook