Secret Underwater Worlds: Gulf of Alaska Soundscapes
A project of the Northern Gulf of Alaska Long Term Ecological Research (NGA LTER) program
Project Objective:
To conduct an analysis of new and existing sound recordings from the Northern Gulf of Alaska to investigate the biophonic, geophonic, and anthropogenic contributors to its overall soundscape.
Guiding Questions:
What are the biological, geological, and anthropogenic sources of sound to the Northern Gulf of Alaska soundscape?
How active and diverse are these sources?
Is there a seasonal trend or pattern in the soundscape?
Is there a diel trend or pattern in the soundscape?
What oceanographic or geophonic parameters drive, or correlate with, patterns in biological sound sources to the Northern Gulf of Alaska soundscape?
Does storm frequency affect biophony in the NGA?
Are there patterns in the active acoustics that indicate prey densities? Do these patterns correlate with passive acoustic detection of marine mammal predators?
What anthropogenic parameters drive, or correlate with, patterns in biological sound sources to the Northern Gulf of Alaska soundscape?
Do shipping vessel traffic or air gun usage affect biophony in the NGA?
Program Overview:
This project is part of the Northern Gulf of Alaska Long Term Ecological Research (NGA LTER) program. “[It] investigates the features, mechanisms, and processes that drive NGA ecosystem production and foster its resilience. [This research] will illuminate marine ecosystem responses to environmental variability. This includes how seasonal and decadal variability in nutrients, light, temperature, freshwater, and wind influences productivity and promotes ecosystem resilience.”
Map of study area within the Northern Gulf of Alaska, including oceanographic sampling stations and moorings.
Investigators:
Nicole Webster
PhD Student
University of Alaska Fairbanks
nmwebster@alaska.edu
Kate Stafford
Associate Professor
Oregon State University
kate.stafford@oregonstate.edu
Seth Danielson
Associate Professor
University of Alaska Fairbanks
sldanielson@alaska.edu
Recent Activity:
Poster presentation at Ocean Sciences Meeting, February 2024
Poster presentation at Alaska Marine Sciences Symposium, January 2024
Northern Gulf of Alaska Long Term Ecological Research (NGA LTER) program All Hands Meeting, January 2024
Oceanographic research cruises in Spring, Summer, Fall 2023
Outreach:
Invited scientist at the Tatitlek Community School in the Chugach School District. Led a multi-day workshop investigating underwater sound, marine mammal adaptations, and hydrophone construction with K-12 students in partnership with the Center for Alaskan Coastal Studies and the NGA LTER.
Drawing on Science: An oceanography graduate student's artistic interpretation of the Gulf of Alaska. Created an illustrated field log to the summer 2022 NGA LTER research cruise by combining place-based field sketches with ArcGIS StoryMap software.
Contributors to the Soundscape.
So far, we are finding the continental shelf soundscape of the Northern Gulf of Alaska to be dominated by endangered baleen whales, poorly studied toothed whales, ships, and storms.
The GEO Mooring.
Part of the Gulf of Alaska Ecosystem Observatory (GEO).
A Railroad Wheel
B EdgeTech Acoustic Release
C SBE37 MicroCAT
D AURAL M2 (10-16384 Hz)
E HydroBios Sediment Trap
F Sexton Custom Build
G ADCP Float
H AZFP
I MBARI OsmoSampler
J AquaMonitor
K Near Surface Float
* Black dots represent thermistors
Sacrificial Anchor
Retrieval System
CTD
Passive Acoustic Recorder
Particle Collector
Particle Camera
Current Velocities
Active Acoustic Profiler
Trace Metals Water Sampler
Water Sampler + CTD
Recovery Beacon
Mooring design by
Pete Shipton & Seth Danielson,
UAF Oceans Lab
Recent Presentations.
Webster, N.M., Danielson, S.L., Stafford, K.M., Aguilar-Islas, A.M., Questel, J.M., and Womble, J.N. “The Inception of Two Long-Term Passive Acoustic Monitoring Programs in the Gulf of Alaska.” Poster presentation, Alaska Marine Science Symposium, Anchorage, AK, January 29, 2024.
Guiding publications for this project include:
Rice, A., Širović, A., Trickey, J. S., Debich, A. J., Gottlieb, R. S., Wiggins, S. M., Hildebrand, J. A., et al. (2021). “Cetacean occurrence in the Gulf of Alaska from long-term passive acoustic monitoring,” Mar Biol, 168, 72. doi:10.1007/s00227-021-03884-1
(Click on the image above to open a PDF copy of the poster)
