Former PBRC Graduate Assistant Publishes in Progress in Oceanography

Copepods — small crustaceans that anchor the pelagic food web for Gulf of Alaska fish, seabirds, and marine mammals — appear to vanish each winter, then surge back each spring. Sampling a deep Alaskan fjord, Lauren Block and her colleagues found a surprisingly rich, diverse community that persists all winter in deep water, using a range of life-history strategies. Some species breed on stored fat reserves, some wait for spring, and several unexpectedly appear to overwinter as larvae rather than adults — a previously unrecognized strategy. This diversity, even among closely related species competing for the same food, may help buffer the ecosystem against change. The findings identify deep fjords as an overlooked winter refuge that helps sustain the fisheries and wildlife the Gulf of Alaska depends on.