Seasonal movements of broad whitefish (Coregonus nasus) in the freshwater systems of the Prudhoe Bay oil field

Abstract

Adult broad whitefish were tagged with radio transmitters in the Little Putuligayuk and Putuligayuk rivers along the Beaufort Sea coast of the Prudhoe Bay area, Alaska. Thirty-two fish were tagged in Lake Judith, a shallow tundra lake in the Little Putuligayuk River system. An additional 5 fish were tagged in the Putuligayuk River near a suspected spawning and overwintering site. Many fish left the tundra system to overwinter in the west channel of the Sagavanirktok River, however, unexpected movements also occurred. Six (20%) of the fish found in overwintering areas moved to the east channel of the Sagavanirktok River, an area long disregarded as having much potential for overwintering fish. Additionally, 2 fish traveled west over 100 km along the coast to the Colville River. Broad whitefish in this study wintered in marginal habitat and exhibited the ability to travel between distant coastal river systems along the arctic coast of Alaska.