A comparison of biological trends from four marine ecosystems:
synchronies, differences, and commonalities
Jason S. Link, William Stockhausen, Georg Skaret, William Overholtz, Bernard A. Megrey, Harald
Gjoesaeter, Sarah Gaichas, Are Dommasnes, Jannike Falk-Petersen, Kerim Aydin, Joseph Kane, Franz
Mueter, Kevin Friedland and Jon Hare
Objectives
• MENU project
• Compare 4 Northern Hemisphere Marine Ecosystems
– Environment – Biota
– Fisheries
• Elucidate pan-basin synchronies and differences
• Particular emphasis on climate change
relationships
Methods
• Time series from various fishery
independent and dependent surveys
• Normalized to mean
• Presented as anomalies to facilitate cross- system comparisons
• Bartlett’s correction for auto-correlation
• Cross-correlations among ecosystems
Eastern Bering Sea
(EBS)
Gulf of
Alaska (GOA)
Gulf of Maine / Georges Bank (GOM/GB)
(BNS) Alaska
Russia
Canada
USA
Greenland
GB
Norwegian Sea
Barents Sea
GOM
4 Major Ecosystems
Norway
0 250,000 500,000 750,000 1,000,000 1,250,000 1,500,000
EBS GOA GOM GB NOR BAR
Ar ea (km 2 )
35 45 55 65 75 85
EBS GOA GOM GB NOR BAR
Latitude (degrees N)
Fisheries
0 2 4
EBS GOA GB GOM Nor/Bar
Ecosystem F ish e ry R e m o val s ( t km -2 yr -1 )
Phytoplankton
0 10 20 30 40
EBS GOA GB GOM Nor/Bar
Ecosystem
B io m ass ( t km -2 )
For further details on systemic metrics, see Gaichas et al.
0 50 100 150
EBS GOA GB GOM Nor/Bar
Ecosystem B io m as s ( t k m -2 )
Total Zooplankton Biomass
Total Benthos Biomass
Total Fish Biomass
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 0
2 4 0 2 4 2 4 0 2 4
Barents 1 Barents 2 Barents 3
C h lo ro p h y ll a , m g m -3
Month
Norwegian Sea Gulf of Maine Bering Sea Gulf of Alaska
For further details on lower TL and climate, see Drinkwater et al., Mueter et al.
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec 0
1000 2000 0 1000 2000 0 1000 2000 0 1000 2000
Barents 1 Barents 2 Barents 3
P ri m a ry pr od uc ti v it y , m g m -2 da y -1
Month
Norwegian Sea Gulf of Maine Bering Sea Gulf of Alaska
For further details on lower TL and climate, see Drinkwater et al., Mueter et al.
For further details on lower TL, see Mueter et al.
Zooplankton Index
-1 -0.5 0 0.5 1
19 77 19 79 19 81 19 83 19 85 19 87 19 89 19 91 19 93 19 95 19 97 19 99 20 01 20 03 20 05
N o rm a li z ed B io m as s A n o m al ies
GB GOM BAR
-0.15 -0.10 -0.05 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 -0.15
-0.10 -0.05 0.00 0.05 0.10
0.15 ZOOPLANKTON
GOM/GB
-0.15 -0.10 -0.05 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 -0.5
0.0 0.5
ZOOPLANKTON GOM/BAR
-0.15 -0.10 -0.05 0.00 0.05 0.10 0.15 -0.5
0.0 0.5
ZOOPLANKTON
GB/BAR
For further details on lower TL, see Mueter et al.
Shrimp Biomass
-1 0 1 2 3
1982 1984 1986 1988 1990 1992 1994 1996 1998 2000 2002 2004
N o rm al iz ed B io m ass A n o m al ies
GOA EBS GOM NOR/BAR
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
2.5 SHRIMP
GOA/EBS
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
-0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4
0.6 SHRIMP
GOA/GOM
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
0.8 SHRIMP
GOA/NOR+BAR
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 -0.6
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4
0.6 SHRIMP
EBS/GOM
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 -0.4
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
0.8 SHRIMP
EBS/NOR+BAR
-0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 -0.4
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
0.8 SHRIMP
GOM/NOR+BAR
Krill Biomass
-1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2
197 7 197 9 198 1 198 3 198 5 198 7 198 9 199 1 199 3 199 5 199 7 199 9 200 1 200 3
N o rm al iz ed B io m as s A n o m al ies
GB GOM NOR/BAR
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
-0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4
KRILL GOM/GB
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
KRILL GOM/NOR+BAR
-0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 -0.4
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
KRILL GB/NOR+BAR
For further details on lower TL, see Mueter et al.
For further details on fish related to climate, see Mueter et al.
Total Fish Biomass
-1 -0.8 -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1
1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
N o rm a li z e d B io m a ss A n o m al ie s
GOA EBS GOM/GB NOR/BAR
-0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 -0.2
-0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3
0.4 TOT BM
GOA/EBS
-0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 -0.2
0.0 0.2
0.4 TOT BM
GOA/GOM+GB
-0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 -0.5
0.0 0.5
TOT BM GOA/NOR+BAR
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4
-0.2 0.0 0.2
0.4 TOT BM
EBS/GOM+GB
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4
-0.5 0.0 0.5
TOT BM EBS/NOR+BAR
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 -0.5
0.0 0.5
TOT BM
GOM+GB/NOR+BAR
Cod Biomass
-1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
N o rma liz e d B io ma s s A n o ma lie s
GOA EBS GB GOM NOR/BAR
Medium Gadid Biomass
-1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
N o rm al iz ed B io m as s A n o m al ies
GOA EBS GOM/GB NOR/BAR
For further details on fish recruitment, see Megrey et al.
-0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2
-0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4
0.6 MEDIUM GADIDS
GOA/EBS
-0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
MEDIUM GADIDS GOA/GOM+GB
-0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0
MEDIUM GADIDS GOA/NOR+BAR
-0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 -0.5
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
MEDIUM GADIDS EBS/GOM+GB
-0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 -0.5
0.0 0.5 1.0
MEDIUM GADIDS EBS/NOR+BAR
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0
MEDIUM GADIDS GOM+GB/NOR+BAR
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4
0.6 COD
GOA/EBS
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4
-0.5 0.0 0.5
COD GOA/GB
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4
COD GOA/GOM
-0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
COD GOA/NOR+BAR
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
-0.5 0.0 0.5
COD EBS/GB
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4
COD EBS/GOM
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
COD EBS/NOR+BAR
-0.5 0.0 0.5
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4
COD GB/GOM
-0.5 0.0 0.5
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
COD GB/NOR+BAR
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
COD GOM/NOR+BAR
Herring Biomass
-1.5 -1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5
1940 1950 1960 1970 1980 1990 2000 2010
No rm a li z e d Bi o m a s s An o m a li e s
GOA EBS GOM/GB NOR/BAR
Mackerel Biomass
-1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5
1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
N o rma liz e d B io ma s s A n o ma lie s
GOM/GB NOR/BAR
-1 0 1 2 3
-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0
2.5 HERRING
GOA/EBS
-1 0 1 2 3
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
HERRING GOA/GOM+GB
-1 0 1 2 3
-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
2.0 HERRING
GOA/NOR+BAR
-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 -0.5
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
HERRING EBS/GOM+GB
-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 -1.0
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
2.0 HERRING
EBS/NOR+BAR
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
-1.0 -0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
2.0 HERRING
GOM+GB/NOR+BAR
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0
0.0 0.5
MACKEREL
GOM/NOR+BAR
Sebastes spp. Biomass
-2 -1 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
N o rm al iz ed B io m as s A n o m al ies
GOA EBS GOM/GB NOR/BAR
Pleuronectid Biomass
-1 -0.5 0 0.5 1 1.5 2
1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010
N o rm a li z ed B io m ass A n o m a li e s
GOA EBS GOM/GB NOR/BAR
-0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 -0.5
0.0 0.5 1.0
PLEURONECTIDS GOA/EBS
-0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 -0.5
0.0 0.5 1.0
1.5 PLEURONECTIDS
GOA/GOM+GB
-0.3 -0.2 -0.1 0.0 0.1 0.2 0.3 -0.5
0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
PLEURONECTIDS GOA/NOR+BAR
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0
1.5 PLEURONECTIDS
EBS/GOM+GB
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
PLEURONECTIDS EBS/NOR+BAR
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
-0.5 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5
PLEURONECTIDS GOM+GB/NOR+BAR -0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
SEBASTES GOA/EBS
-0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 -0.5
0.0 0.5
SEBASTES GOA/GOM+GB
-0.6 -0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2 0.4 0.6 -0.4
-0.2 0.0 0.2
0.4 SEBASTES
GOA/NOR+BAR
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
-0.5 0.0 0.5
SEBASTES EBS/GOM+GB
0 2 4 6 8 10 12
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2
0.4 SEBASTES
EBS/NOR+BAR
-0.5 0.0 0.5
-0.4 -0.2 0.0 0.2
0.4 SEBASTES
GOM+GB/NOR+BAR