Show simple item record

dc.contributor.authorBrown, Eloise
dc.date.accessioned2024-03-26T18:59:31Z
dc.date.available2024-03-26T18:59:31Z
dc.date.issued2003-05
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11122/14934
dc.descriptionThesis (M.S.) University of Alaska Fairbanks, 2003 / Supplemental material missingen_US
dc.description.abstractSediment properties and benthic community composition in areas subject to commercial bottom trawling were compared to control areas in a shallow sandy habitat of the southeastern Bering Sea. The top 3 cm sediments in the fished area were slightly better sorted, less variable, and contained fewer finer grains than those of the closed area. Infaunal species assemblages were distinct. The fished area was characterized by reduced infauna richness and biomass, but abundance and diversity were similar to the closed area. No shift in means of any sediment parameter were detected after experimental trawling, but significant increases in variability were observed for several grain size and organic matter parameters. Reduced richness, elimination of rare taxa, and patchy changes in infauna assemblage biomass were found, but there were no differences in abundance, diversity or total biomass relative to controls. A turbulent wake generated by the trawl was on the same order of magnitude as a winter storm wave, but of different seasonal timing and duration. Turbulence combined with friction from contact with fishing gear has the potential to erode sediments from deeper within the seabed than naturally occurring bottom currents. Trawling apparently removed finer grains from the upper sediment layers and altered infauna communities.en_US
dc.language.isoen_USen_US
dc.subjectTrawls and trawlingen_US
dc.subjectEnvironmental aspectsen_US
dc.subjectBering Seaen_US
dc.subjectBenthosen_US
dc.subjectFlatfishesen_US
dc.subjectHabitaten_US
dc.subjectYellowfin soleen_US
dc.subjectMarine sedimentsen_US
dc.titleEffects of commercial otter trawling on essential fish habitat of the southeastern Bering Sea shelfen_US
dc.typeThesisen_US
dc.type.degreemsen_US
dc.identifier.departmentDepartment of Marine Science and Limnologyen_US
refterms.dateFOA2024-03-26T18:59:33Z
atmire.accessrights


Files in this item

Thumbnail
Name:
Brown_E_2003.pdf
Size:
180.2Mb
Format:
PDF

This item appears in the following Collection(s)

Show simple item record