piscothe pdo has intensifi ed coastal upwelling, which results in colder waters (left, top panel)...

PISCO Coastal Connections • Volume 2

The Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans is a long-term program of scientific research and training dedicated to advancing the understanding of marine ecosystems along the U.S. West Coast. PISCO is pioneering an integrated approach to studying these complex, poorly known, exceedingly rich, and economically important environments.

PISCO is distinguished by its highly interdisciplinary approach, large geographic extent, and decades-long time frame. PISCO conducts monitoring and experiments along more than 1,200 miles (2,000 km) of coastline, as well as laboratory and theoretical studies. The research incorporates oceanography, ecology, chemistry, physiology, molecular biology, genetics, and mathematical modeling to gain novel insights into systems ranging from individual animals and plants to whole ecosystems.

PISCO’s findings apply to conservation and resource management issues. PISCO scientists participate in local, regional, national, and international initiatives in marine environmental planning. Through its university courses, PISCO helps to train the next generation of scientists in interdisciplinary approaches to marine research.

Established in 1999 with funding from The David and Lucile Packard Foundation, PISCO is led by scientists from Oregon State University (OSU), Stanford University, University of California at Santa Cruz (UCSC), and University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB). Additional funding from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of the Interior, Bob and Betty Lundeen Fund, the four universities, and other sources makes this unique partnership possible.

what is PISCO?


1 View from the Wave Crest

2 Patterns of ChangeDetailed Mapping Reveals Changes

6 Oceanographic FrontiersShifts Linked to Long-term Cycles

10 Ecological LinkagesTracking Dispersal of Young Animals

14 Interdisciplinary Training & Research

16 Sharing the Science

“Patterns of Change” presents some of our fi ndings regarding variations in marine ecosystems over time and distance. In “Oceanographic Frontiers,” we explore new insights into the dynamics of coastal waters. “Ecological Linkages” focuses on our use of innovative techniques to understand complex connections in ecosystems. “Interdisciplinary Training” features PISCO graduate students and postdoctoral researchers who have learned diverse methods to produce vital, original research fi ndings. Finally, “Sharing the Science” describes PISCO’s latest activities to advance science-based management of the marine environment.

We are energized by these research, training, and outreach successes and delight in sharing them with you. Enjoy this issue of PISCO Coastal Connections.

View from the Wave Crest

PISCO Coastal Connections Coordinators:Lydia Bergen, Renee Davis-Born, Satie Airamé, Joanna Nelson

PISCOCoastal ConnectionsVolume 2

Table of Contents

PISCO Coastal Connections is a publication of the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO). Contents © 2003.For more information about PISCO or to join the mailing list for future publications, please contact the consortium at the addresses listed on the back cover.

Welcome to the second issue of PISCO Coastal Connections. Our novel approach to studying coastal marine ecosystems has seen continued success during the past year. PISCO’s program of large-scale, interdisciplinary research is helping to solve mysteries of these dynamic environments.

Cover photo: © 2003 Dave Lohse

PISCO Principal Investigators (left to right): Mark Carr (UC Santa Cruz), Robert Warner (UC Santa Barbara), Pete Raimondi (UC Santa Cruz), George Somero (Stanford University), Bruce Menge (Oregon State University), Mark Denny (Stanford University), Jane Lubchenco (Oregon State University), and Steve Gaines (UC Santa Barbara).

Editor & Writer: Peter H. TaylorCreative Director: Jeff JonesSenior Designer: Monica PessinoDesigner: Natalie WongIllustrator: Linda D. Nelson

1

OFpatterns change

Percentage of species whose

geographic ranges end at

each degree of latitude.

Temperature data from June 2000

ow does oceanography infl uence the geographic distributions of marine animals and plants along the U.S. West Coast? PISCO scientists Satie Airamé, Steve Gaines, Dov Sax, and Ginny Eckert conducted a coastwide analysis

of more than a thousand species of marine mammals, seabirds, fi sh, marine plants, and invertebrates. Despite tremendous variety in lifestyles and habitat requirements, the animals and plants displayed consistent patterns of distribution. The graph above shows the percentage of species whose ranges end at each degree of latitude. Many reach their northern and southern limits at particular places, such as Vancouver Island and Point Conception, where major currents meet or change direction. These places represent distinct boundaries between biogeographic regions. The complex, large-scale connections between ecology and oceanography revealed in this study pose challenges for conservation and management.

Biogeography of Marine Species

H

Variation in Keystone PredationThe ochre sea star ranges widely along the West Coast, where it preys on mussels, barnacles, and other invertebrates. As a keystone predator, it helps determine the diversity of species at a site by eating dominant prey, which would otherwise overgrow and eliminate other species. However, studies show that the ochre sea star may have a strong influence in some places and little or no effect in others. Because keystone predators can be important in maintaining biodiversity in many different ecosystems, understanding this variability could help inform conservation and management practices. To address this issue, PISCO scientists are conducting an unprecedented array of field experiments at 14 sites that span thousands of kilometers in Oregon and California. The research program reveals that keystone predation varies considerably from weak to strong among the sites (below). In Oregon, where the ochre sea star is a very effective keystone predator, a plentiful supply of young mussels and barnacles arrive to replenish the prey populations, and phytoplankton—food for these filter-feeding prey—are abundant. In California, despite fewer prey for sea stars, strong keystone predation occurs at some sites. This suggests that local abundance of sea stars is the key factor there. Consequently, processes operating at both local and regional scales help determine the impact of this keystone predator.

RNA Indicates Growth Rates

PISCO scientists have developed techniques to monitor the health and growth rate of animals by examining the ratio of RNA to DNA in muscle. A high ratio indicates a fast growth rate. Using these techniques, PISCO research fellow Elizabeth Dahlhoff found that despite scarce phytoplankton to eat, mussels in southern California grew almost as fast as mussels along Oregon’s food-rich central coast. Further sampling indicated that an alternative food—particles of decaying plant matter—actually was the primary sustenance for southern California mussels. However, conditions also are warmer south of Point Conception, and the warmth might accelerate metabolic rates. This stepping up of metabolism allows more growth per amount of RNA. Dahlhoff ’s findings emphasize that use of physiological indicators must take temperature into account. Students in PISCO’s training courses learn to use the RNA:DNA ratio as part of their repertoire for interdisciplinary research.

Researchers prepare mussel tissue for RNA:DNA analysis.

Ochre sea star eating California mussel.


3

Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans PISCO Coastal Connections • Volume 2

Detailed Mapping Reveals ChangesIn collaboration with researchers at the U.S. Minerals Management Service, Pete Raimondi and other PISCO scientists are conducting detailed mapping of invertebrates, seaweeds, and topography at close to one hundred sites from Washington to Baja California, Mexico. By monitoring these sites for many years and using the same techniques, the scientists will be able to detect ecological shifts within sites and along much of the West Coast. This research is designed to reveal long-term infl uences of such factors as climate change and El Niño.

Many ecological patterns emerge from the data. For example, the three-dimen-sional maps below show where fi ve selected species (or groups of related species) live on the rocky shorelines at two sites in northern California. Many other species also inhabit these sites. The overall number of species is one-third greater at Shelter Cove than at Kibesillah Hill. One reason is that Shelter Cove is much more topographically complex, providing varied habitats. As indicated on these maps, the sites differ in their dominant species. At Shelter Cove, two erect red algae—Endocladia and Mazzaella—are most common, while coral-line algae, mussels, and surf grass dominate the shore at Kibesillah Hill.

By surveying many sites in detail, PISCO scientists will be able to go beyond simple descriptions of patterns of diversity. They will isolate how various habitat features and ecological processes determine the makeup of natural communi-ties. This information is vital for conservation planning and has many implica-tions for ocean policy and management.

Sampling sites for detailed mapping surveys.

4


patterns of change

Dynamics of Kelp ForestsSeveral PISCO studies, led by Mark Carr, Craig Syms, and Jennifer Caselle, focus on the underwater habitats of central and southern California. Now the program is expanding into Oregon under Michael Webster’s guidance. A major component of the research is a long-term, large-scale monitoring study of dynamics and spatial variation in kelp-forest communities. During the annual survey’s fourth year, researchers surveyed 26 sites from north of Monterey Bay to Santa Barbara. They found that wave exposure, rock type (such as sandstone or granite), and species interactions all contribute to determining which algae live at a site. These algae are essential sources of habitat and food for many invertebrates and fi shes that inhabit kelp forests. In contrast, replenishment of fi sh populations largely refl ects oceanographic patterns that infl uence arrival of young. The primary factors determining which adult fi sh live at a site are habitat, including rock type and algae, and arrival of young. This PISCO research reveals changes over time at individual sites, including the amount of kelp-forest habitat and replenishment of fi sh. These year-to-year changes provide a gauge for assessing long-term differences due to El Niño, climate change, Pacifi c Decadal Oscillation, and other processes.

Not all reefs are alike. PISCO scientists have found that distinctive assem-blages of fi sh occur depending on various factors including rock type, algae (which form habitat), oceanographic conditions, and arrival of young. For example, areas dominated by soft, sedimentary rocks tend to host fi sh communities distinguished by the presence of surfperch and greenlings (A) regardless of latitude. Conversely, areas with high-relief morphology host different fi sh assemblages (B or C) depending on oceanographic conditions which likely control the arrival of young.

Species characterizing differences among fi sh communities:A. Surfperches and greenlingsB. Rockfi shes and surfperchC. Sheephead, garibaldi, kelp bass, and blacksmith

5


oceanographicfrontiers

During the last decade, oceanographers described a long-term cycle of oceanic temperature changes, which they have termed the Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO). After reviewing over 100 years of records, scientists found evidence of reversals in the prevailing oceanographic conditions at intervals of 20 to 30 years. For example, from 1947 to 1976, the waters along the West Coast of North America were in a cool phase, and then a warm phase started in 1976. Evidence is mounting that a shift back to a cool phase occurred in the late 1990s. While these large-scale oceanographic patterns are now well documented, scientific understanding of the ecological consequences is meager. PISCO’s long-term monitoring is shedding light on effects of the PDO.

Images courtesy of http://tao.atmos.washington.edu/pdo/

Mean deviations from decadal means of daily water temperatures at Strawberry Hill, Oregon (top) and Santa Barbara Channel, California (bottom) for the period of June through August 2000-2002.

Device to monitor numbers of young mussels settling on the shore.


n an effort led by Bruce Menge, Jane Lubchenco, and Steve Gaines, PISCO scien-tists are analyzing data that reveal connections between the Pacifi c Decadal Oscillation (PDO) and changes in coastal ecosystems. In Oregon, for example, the PDO has intensifi ed coastal upwelling, which results in colder waters (left, top panel) and more nutrients coming

from depth to the surface. These higher nutrients fuel greater phytoplankton production. The concentration of phytoplankton has increased fi ve-fold since 1998 (below, top panel). This increase in microscopic plants likely results in a greater abundance of larvae that feed upon them. As a probable consequence, numbers of young mussels entering the adult population on rocky shores in Oregon have skyrocketed from pre-1998 levels. In recent years, mussel replen-ishment levels are now often 10 times higher than before the PDO shift.

Changes in mussels and phytoplankton have not occurred uniformly along the West Coast, however. The magnitude of the PDO change is high in Oregon and north-central California, but minimal in southern California. Around Point Conception, water temperatures (above left, bottom panel) have increased slightly but phytoplankton concentration (below, bottom panel) and mussel replenishment have not changed from pre-1998 values.

The strikingly different responses at shorelines in different areas highlight the importance of studying ecological changes over large geographic regions. Detailed studies at single locations could paint a misleading picture of the broader impacts of climate cycles such as the PDO. PISCO’s coordinated sam-pling over 1,200 miles of shoreline provides a coast-wide perspective on such global climate processes.

Ecological ShiftsLinked to Long-term Ocean Cycles

I

Phytoplankton as measured by chlorophyll-a concentrations along the central coast of Oregon (top panel) and at Point Conception, California (bottom panel). Arrows indicate the approximate timing of the PDO shift to a cool phase that occurred in 1998. Since that time, chlorophyll levels differ by an order of magnitude between Oregon and California.

7


PISCO scientists working in Monterey Bay are identifying how atmospheric and oceanographic conditions determine the timing and number of young fish and invertebrates that replenish adult populations.

When fish and invertebrates reproduce, their larvae can drift with ocean cur-rents for up to several months, potentially traveling great distances. PISCO/UCSC oceanographers Margaret McManus, Curt Storlazzi, and Patrick Drake are documenting a number of physical processes near shore that may contrib-ute to larval movement within Monterey Bay. For example, they have found that fluctuations in northwesterly winds during spring and summer can be an important influence. In a process called upwelling, these winds cause warm, surface waters to move offshore, thereby drawing cold, deep water to the surface (above left). However, the winds weaken or reverse every 10 to 12 days, causing upwelling to slow down and warm surface currents to flow shoreward (above right). This reversal of upwelling—called relaxation—can move juvenile fish and invertebrates back to the coast, where they find homes on reefs and rocky shores. PISCO also is uncovering links between physical oceanography and biological processes on longer time scales, including multi-year effects of El Niño on fish replenishment (see PISCO Coastal Connections, Volume 1).

Upwelling Causes Influxes of Young

The figure to the left presents data collected by former PISCO/UCSC graduate student Arnold Ammann that indicate how arrival of juvenile rockfish corresponds to changes in upwelling. Young copper, gopher, black-and-yellow, and kelp rockfish (top) recruit during periods of warm water (red bars), which reflects reduced upwelling. In contrast, juvenile black, yellowtail, and olive rockfish (middle) appear in pulses that correspond to cold-water periods (blue bars) that indicate upwelling. These findings suggest that different rockfish respond to different oceanographic conditions. Width of yellow bars indicates sampling frequency.

Do Currents Deliver Larvae?

A PISCO/UCSB research team including Libe Washburn, Cynthia Cudaback, Jennifer Caselle, and Carol Blanchette is studying how changes in shallow-water circulation patterns may influence the arrival of young mussels, snails, crabs, and barnacles into a population. These creatures spend their early lives drifting with currents before settling to live on rocks. Along the coast near Ellwood, California, the scientists found that few young invertebrates settled on most days, but there were sporadic pulses when many arrived. To track changes in water circulation at the same time, the scientists used acoustic Doppler current profilers, high-frequency radars, temperature recorders, and other devices. Based on preliminary data analysis, the scientists believe that large numbers of young invertebrates may arrive during oceanographic events such as eddies (below), internal tidal bores, and reversals in upwelling that carry larvae to shore.

Upwelling Relaxation

Arrows show direction and strength of surface currents in Santa Barbara Channel, California, on August 9, 2001. Colors indicate vorticity, or local rotation in the fluid flow.

8

Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans


In July 2002, multitudes of lifeless crabs filled traps and dead fish suddenly washed onto the Oregon shore. PISCO helped solve the mystery because of its long-term program of monitoring water conditions along the coast. When Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) biologists conducted underwater surveys, they found numerous dead fish and invertebrates on the seafloor. PISCO/OSU scientists Francis Chan, Brian Grantham, Karina Nielsen, Jane Lubchenco, and Bruce Menge, working in conjunction with researchers from Oregon State University’s College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences (COAS), discovered that an extraordinary expanse of water with almost no dissolved oxygen had developed close to shore. The oxygen-poor, or hypoxic, water hugged the ocean floor in a layer about 10 to 20 meters thick, span-ning some 55 kilometers from Cape Perpetua to Newport, Oregon, and extending 10 kilometers offshore. Apparently, the animals that washed ashore also had perished from lack of oxygen. As shallow as 30 meters depth in mid-July, the hypoxic zone moved shoreward as time passed. By August, the low-oxygen zone was found in water as shallow as 10 meters, just beyond the breaking waves. Finally, conditions changed and fish and invertebrates began returning to the area in September.

Scientists have rarely, if ever, recorded hypoxic conditions in waters this shallow along the Oregon coast. Was the “killing zone” near Cape Perpetua and Heceta Bank caused by unusual circulation patterns that brought oxygen-poor water nearer to shore, or were increased phyto-plankton blooms the main culprit? PISCO scientists, along with their COAS colleagues, now are working to unravel the cause of this coastal hypoxia and predict whether it will visit our shores again.

Oxygen-Poor Water

oceanographic frontiers

Dead fish and marine worms on the seafloor in video capture from ODFW remotely operated vehicle (ROV) surveys. This site is normally teeming with rockfish, crabs, and other marine life.

A coastal phytoplankton bloom, evidenced by the light green water close to shore, in the Cape Perpetua area of Oregon. This bloom is similar in intensity to the phytoplankton blooms that occurred during summer 2002 around the time of the die-off.

A profile of chlorophyll-a concentrations measured on August 12, 2002, from the intertidal zone (left side of graph) to offshore areas (right side of graph), shows unusually high values in water up to 25-m depth and 10 km from shore, where the water was hypoxic. Chloro-phyll-a is an indicator of phytoplankton concentration.

PISCO researchers working aboard the R/V ELAKHA at the time of the hypoxic event.

Map on left: Location of scientific surveys and known area of low-oxygen water in summer 2002.Graphs on right: Profiles of oxygen concentration in the water column off Newport, Oregon, during July 2001 and July 2002. In 2001, bands of biologically

stressful and hypoxic water were restricted to much lower depths than in 2002, when PISCO surveys found hypoxic conditions in water as shallow as 8 meters. Oxygen profiles are from GLOBEC NEP Long Term Observation Program, and provided by A. Huyer COAS, OSU.

9

PISCO Coastal Connections • Volume 2linkagesecological

Identifying BirthplaceSignatures in Fish

Microchemistry data for otoliths of larval rockfishPISCO scientists collected rockfish larvae from three areas near Santa Barbara, California, and analyzed trace-metal signatures in the fishes’ otoliths. In this graph, each square represents a fish with color corresponding to birthplace. Each axis is an index of the trace metals found in the fishes’ otoliths. Because the researchers found that each birthplace has a unique average trace-metal signature, as indicated by the colored circles, it may be possible to identify birthplace signatures in older fish.


o help understand linkages among marine populations, PISCO scientists continue to develop techniques for reading the natural “fl ight recorders” in fi sh and some invertebrates (see PISCO Coastal Connections, Volume 1). Called otoliths and statoliths, these hard body structures incorporate trace elements from the environment and provide a record of where an animal was born and has lived.

TAre Estuaries Nurseries?

Research by PISCO graduate student Jennifer Brown supports the long-suspected signifi cance of estuaries as fi sh nurseries. After collecting numerous adult English sole in Monterey Bay, California, she is analyzing the chemical signatures in their otoliths. Previously she determined that signatures in the otoliths of juvenile English sole indicate whether the fi sh resided in an estuary or on the coast. Now her preliminary results reveal that, on an acre-for-acre basis, estuaries contribute more fi sh to the adult population in Monterey Bay than do coastal waters. Consequently, protecting estuaries may be a priority for fi sh conservation.

To test the idea of a birthplace signature in rockfi sh otoliths, PISCO scientists took larvae from near-term female kelp rockfi sh at locations near Santa Bar-bara, California (opposite). They found that larvae from the same site but differ-ent broods showed a consistent pattern of trace metals in their otoliths. At the same time, larvae from different sites only a few kilometers apart had distinct otolith signatures. These fi ndings indicate that it may be possible to identify birthplace signatures in older rockfi sh and to learn where the fi sh were born.

Now PISCO principal investigator Robert Warner and colleagues are mapping trace-element chemistry in waters around Santa Barbara and the northern Channel Islands that they will use to identify birthplaces of cabezon, a popular sportfi sh. The researchers will determine if chemical indicators in seawater are consistent over time, making it unnecessary to redraw the “chemical atlas” each season. In addition, large-scale experiments conducted at Bodega Bay Marine Laboratory will reveal just how otoliths and statoliths refl ect seawater chemistry. Eventually, this research will help scientists to match birthplace signatures in fi sh and invertebrates to particular locations. This information is crucial to understand how different populations are linked by dispersal of offspring, which will help advance management of marine ecosystems.

Tracking Dispersal of Young Animals

Jennifer Brown collecting fi sh in Monterey Bay. 11


How Far Do Larvae Travel?PISCO’s ecological and oceanographic framework provides a valuable plat-form for collaboration with two labs that are examining barnacle genetics on unprecedented geographic scales with the highest-resolution genetic tools ever applied to a marine species. Funded by the Andrew W. Mellon Founda-tion, Steve Palumbi (Stanford University) and Rick Grosberg (UC Davis), along with postdoctoral fellows Eric Sotka, John Wares, and Rob Toonen, are track-ing where and how far the larvae of marine invertebrates disperse. Results to date point to a fundamental shift in how we view the process of dispersal along the West Coast. They suggest that dispersal distance of barnacles (above right) along some parts of the coast may be much smaller than expected.

The researchers examined the genetic structure of barnacle populations and found that underwater features and ocean currents infl uence exchange between populations. Heceta Bank, along the central coast of Oregon, causes water fl owing south to be moved offshore and creates a leeward gyre south-east of the bank (right, black arrows). This ocean feature is linked to genetic changes in the barnacles along the shore, with barnacles outside of the infl u-ence of the gyre being genetically distinct from those within the gyre’s reach (right, red arrows).

Extreme Variation in DispersalOn land, most species that stay put as adults, such as trees, drop their seeds or young nearby. In the ocean, however, dispersal of young is common and plays an important role in population dynamics. PISCO scientists Brian Kinlan and Steve Gaines used genetic data to analyze the dispersal distances of many marine species. Their fi ndings highlight the extreme variety of distances trav-eled (right). On average, larval fi sh tend to travel farthest, larval invertebrates a moderate distance, and marine plants shorter distances. However, each group shows tremendous diversity. For example, some young invertebrates disperse only a few feet from their parents, but others can move well over 100 kilome-ters. As a result, understanding the ecological linkages among marine com-munities, which comprise hundreds of species, requires consideration of many scales of dispersal.

Insights from GeneticsPISCO has developed a toolbox of genetic techniques to understand ecologi-cal linkages among marine populations.

Adult barnacles (top) produce young that are carried by ocean currents. The map (bottom) shows patterns of oceanic currents (black arrows) and barnacle dispersal (red arrows) near Heceta Bank.

Within and among taxonomic groups, marine offspring vary greatly in their dispersal distances.

Estimated Average Dispersal Distance

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ecological linkages

Tools to Identify RockfishRockfish are a large group of species that diverged from other fish in an evo-lutionary burst. The species tend to look quite similar, especially when young, making it difficult to study them. For example, the larvae of black, yellowtail, and olive rockfish are difficult to distinguish, as are the larvae of kelp, black-and-yellow and gopher rockfish. PISCO scientist Giacomo Bernardi devised genetic tools that can help with species identification. Together with Grant Pogson, he developed an array of small stretches of DNA that target individual rockfish species. Now, scientists can extract DNA from rockfish and perform polymerase chain reaction amplification to identify the species. This technique is valuable for monitoring the number of young fish of a given species enter-ing a population, even when individuals cannot be identified visually.

Clues to Mussel DispersalHow far do mussel larvae disperse? Do oceanographic conditions have an important influence on their travel and population replenishment suc-cess? PISCO scientist Grant Pogson has developed a set of genetic markers to address these questions. Using the markers, Pogson has found small, but significant, genetic differences between three PISCO sites in Oregon and Cali-fornia. The findings suggest that many larvae disperse broadly, yet some are retained near their parents. In addition, the DNA indicates that mussel popula-tion size within the region has fluctuated since the Pleistocene and recently increased. PISCO also uses the genetic markers to identify different mussel species at sites along the U.S. West Coast.

New genetic tools help scientists to identify juvenile rockfish more quickly and accurately than visual inspection. Individuals within each of two groups of rockfish species (above) look very similar, especially after they are preserved. Even with the time-consuming analysis of body features, typically some ten percent are identified incorrectly. Now, genetic techniques developed by PISCO scientists allow researchers to correctly distinguish one hundred rockfish in two hours.

Giacomo Bernardi working in his laboratory at UC Santa Cruz.

Mussels produce larvae that may disperse widely or stay close to their parents.

13


interdisciplinaryresearchtraining&

Genetics of Whelk PredationMelding genetic techniques and ecological fieldwork, PISCO postdoctoral fellow Eric Sanford’s research provides new insights into whelk feeding behav-ior along the U.S. West Coast. These important predators influence the dynamics of ecological communities along rocky shores. By studying 16 sites from California to Washington, Sanford (top left) has found that whelks drill the California mussel intensively at southern sites, but rarely on the central coast of Oregon. Remarkably, he discovered that genetics seem to drive this difference. Raising whelks in a common laboratory from eggs collected in both regions, he found the same pattern of behavior. To examine the evolu-tionary history, Sanford worked with members of PISCO principal investiga-tor George Somero’s laboratory to sequence genes. The results suggest that a unique life history—young whelks disperse only meters from where eggs are laid—combined with thousands of years of reproductive isolation has led whelks from California, Oregon, and Washington to evolve different feed-ing behaviors. In Oregon, whelks prefer to drill the thin-shelled bay mussel, whereas in the south they drill the California mussel, a meal that few Oregon whelks will touch. Now Sanford is investigating how these genetically based feeding behaviors may influence the broader ecological community.

ne of the distinguishing features of PISCO is a strong commitment to expose students to a wide range of disciplines and opportunities to learn state-of-the-art techniques. These examples showcase a few of the interdisciplinary student projects that combine ecology, molecular biology, oceanography, and other fields.

O


Larval Nutrition Affects Later SuccessScientists often monitor recruitment, or the number of young invertebrates arriving at a site, to understand population dynamics. However, they rarely consider the nutritional history of the young. Former PISCO graduate student Nicole Phillips found that differences in nutrition obtained by larval animals greatly infl uenced their survival and growth as juveniles. She studied mussels and barnacles along the coast near Point Conception, California, where oceanographic conditions change dramati-cally. In environments where food is plentiful, larvae grew larger and stored more lipids. This enhanced their success after settling into adult habitat. Her fi ndings help us to understand variation in recruitment, especially when high recruitment is coupled with abundant food such as phytoplankton and organic particulates.

interdisciplinary training & research

Regional Differences in Barnacle EcologyPISCO postdoctoral fellow Dave Lohse is leading a compre-hensive study of barnacle populations around Monterey Bay, California. Using digital photography and image analysis, he measured the sizes, abundance, growth, mortality, and population replenishment of barnacles at permanent monitoring sites. In the fi eld, he also collected information about the repro-ductive status of adult barnacles and the abundance of predatory snails. The results indicate regional differences in the dynamics of barnacle populations north and south of Monterey Bay. When linked with data on water tempera-ture and nutrient concentrations collected at each site, these fi ndings provide insight into how oceanographic and ecological processes shape barnacle populations along this stretch of coastline.

Ecological Effects of UpwellingAlong Oregon’s southern coast, upwelling of cold, nutrient-rich water is strong and persistent, while on the central coast it is relatively weak and intermittent. Former PISCO graduate student Tess Freidenburg conducted a series of experiments, in collaboration with principal investiga-tor Bruce Menge, to examine how this difference in oceanographic regimes affects the ecology of rocky shorelines. Her research revealed that recruitment and growth of mussels and barnacles occurred more slowly on the southern coast than they did on the central coast. In addition, seaweeds grew faster on the southern coast during a year of El Niño, but they did not during years without El Niño. The decline in the intensity and frequency of upwelling between southern and central Oregon appears to cause these changes in rocky-shore communities.

Taken one year apart, these photographs show changes in barnacle plots established at two sites, one north (Sand Hill Bluff) and the other south (Andrew Molera) of Monterey Bay, California. Although larvae were up to a hundred times more numerous at Sand Hill Bluff, the barnacle population at that site actually declined over this time period, while the population at the southern site remained stable. Differences in mortality, substrate, and oceanography may cause these contrasting dynamics.

Nicole Phillips

Tess Freidenburg

15

PISCO Coastal Connections • Volume 2sharing scienceTH

En both Oregon and California, PISCO has played a key role in state-level processes to plan and implement marine reserves. In California, PISCO scientists served on the Science Advisory Panel for designing marine reserves in Channel Islands National Marine Sanctuary beginning in 1999. In October 2002, California’s Fish and

Game Commission designated a network of reserves in state waters of the Sanctuary. Once implemented, PISCO’s monitoring program will help serve as a baseline for studying the performance of these reserves. Currently, implementation of the Marine Life Protection Act aims to designate a network of marine protected areas in California waters. PISCO scientists are contributing to this program through membership on the Master Plan Team—an advisory body of scientists—and regional stakeholder working groups. During the past two years in Oregon, PISCO scientists contributed to the Ocean Policy Advisory Council’s initiative to identify the potential role of marine reserves in state waters. In November 2002, the Governor supported the Council’s recommendation to establish “a limited system of marine reserves to test and evaluate their effectiveness in meeting marine resource conservation goals” within Oregon. As these processes in Oregon and California move forward, PISCO scientists will continue to contribute through formal presentations, public meetings, and new scientifi c analyses. PISCO is unique in having three policy coordinators—Lydia Bergen, Renee Davis-Born, and Satie Airamé—whose positions are dedicated to facilitating PISCO’s involvement in these and other marine policy initiatives.

IPISCO Science Informs Marine Reserve Process


sharing the science

New Video & Booklet

In 2002, PISCO released a 15-minute video and 20-page companion booklet called The Science of Marine Reserves that provide the

latest information in an understandable format. These products are designed to inform natural

resource managers, government offi cials, scientists, and the interested

public nationwide.

Database of Coastal Information

Brooke Simler and other PISCO staff members are devel-oping a new database called the Catalogue of Oregon Marine and Coastal Information (COMCI). Although a tremendous amount of information about Oregon’s coast and ocean exists, it is often diffi cult to fi nd and obtain for resource management and scientifi c research. COMCI will provide a centralized place to locate this information on the Internet. The searchable database will guide users to materials such as oceanographic data, habitat maps, and local economic statistics. To search COMCI, visit http://ocid.nacse.org/research/comci. COMCI complements the Oregon Coastal Atlas (www.coastalatlas.net), a geospatial tool that can be used to improve decision-making about Oregon’s coastal zone.

Monitoring Marine Life

The Cooperative Research and Assess-ment of Nearshore Ecosystems (CRANE) is an initiative led by the California Depart-ment of Fish and Game (CDFG) to gather fi sheries-independent data about fi sh populations and their habitats. This infor-mation is required for the Nearshore Fish-eries Management Plan under the Marine Life Management Act. PISCO scientists Mark Carr, Jennifer Caselle, and Craig Syms and policy coordinator Lydia Bergen have contributed to the program’s development. PISCO has advised CDFG on sampling design and methods and trained CDFG divers to conduct the sampling protocol. PISCO’s existing monitoring program pro-vides 26 core sites from which a statewide network of new locations will develop. In addition to aiding stock assessments, this monitoring network is vital for CDFG to evaluate the performance of marine reserves established in California waters in coming years.

Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity

In a partnership with national and state organizations, PISCO infor-mation managers Chris Jones and Rex Core are developing and testing the Knowledge Network for Biocomplexity (KNB). This new Internet-based system (http://knb.ecoinformatics.org) will facilitate ecological and environmental research nationwide by enabling the effi cient discovery, access, and analysis of ecological data sets that are scattered among fi eld stations, laboratories, research sites, and individual researchers.

Celebrating the tenth anniversary of Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary, PISCO participated in the Monterey Oceans Fair and Santa Cruz Shark Festival, where we shared our science with the public.

On March 10, 2002, PISCO presented its research at a public symposium attended by 200 people in Seaside, Cal-ifornia. The event was held in conjunction with Monterey Bay National Marine Sanctuary’s Currents Symposium.

Community Outreach

Kelp forests are important fi sh habitats in California.

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Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans(PISCO)

For more information:Web site: www.piscoweb.orgE-mail: [email protected]

PISCOOregon State UniversityDepartment of Zoology3029 Cordley HallCorvallis, OR 97331Tel (541) 737-8645Fax (541) 737-3360

PISCOUniversity of California, Santa CruzLong Marine Laboratory100 Shaffer RoadSanta Cruz, CA 95060Tel (831) 459-5022Fax (831) 459-3383

PISCOUniversity of California, Santa BarbaraMarine Science InstituteSanta Barbara, CA 93106-6150Tel (805) 893-5175Fax (805) 893-8062

PISCOStanford UniversityHopkins Marine StationOceanview BoulevardPacific Grove, CA 93950Tel (831) 655-6243Fax (831) 375-0793

Image Credits: Satie Airamé (p. 1), Arnold Ammann (11), Todd Anderson (5), Lydia Bergen (inside cover, 17, back cover), Mark Carr (cover, 2, 5, 11, 13, back cover), Tish Conway-Cranos (4), Sheri Etchemendy (12), Dave Fox (9), Patricia Halpin (13), Hilary Hayford (16, back cover), Jeff Jones (back cover), Alison Kendall (4), Dave Lohse (cover, 15, 16), Jane Lubchenco (cover, inside cover, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9, back cover), Erin Maloney (4), Bruce Menge (2), Cristine McConnell (11), Karl Menard (11), Karina Nielsen (9), Monica Pessino (2), Russ Schmitt (5), Eric Sanford (14), Jeff Shima (15), Jackie Sones (14), Curt Storlazzi (back cover), Michael Webster (cover, 3, 15, 17, back cover), R. Wicklund OAR/National Undersea Research Program (2), Megan Williams (4, 17).

Paper stock contains 50% recycled content, 15% post-consumer content. Printed with linseed oil-based inks.

piscothe pdo has intensifi ed coastal upwelling, which results in colder waters (left, top panel)...

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