Evaluation of Seascapes and their Relationship to Epipelagic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services within the California Current

Isaac D Schroeder, University of California Santa Cruz, Institute of Marine Sciences, Santa Cruz, CA, United States, Jarrod A Santora, University of California Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA, United States, Steven J. Bograd, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Monterey, United States, Elliott L. Hazen, NOAA Southwest Fisheries Science Center, Environmental Research Division, Monterey, United States, John C Field, FED, SWFSC, NOAA, Santa Cruz, CA, United States, Megan A Cimino, University Of Delaware, Lewes, United States and Francisco Chavez, Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, Moss Landing, CA, United States
Abstract:
As part of a Marine Biodiversity Observation Network (MBON) study, essential biodiversity indices were quantified from long-term (1990-present) collections derived from mid-water trawl surveys of epipelagic micronekton (e.g., juvenile groundfish, coastal pelagic species and invertebrates). The interannual variability of species richness, diversity and evenness time series is coherent over three ecological regions located along the shelf, Monterey Bay submarine canyon, and offshore habitats. Spatiotempral changes in forage species biodiversity reflects an influx of oceanic species to nearshore habitat during anomalous warm years as well as increases in juvenile groundfish species. Specifically, increased rockfish diversity corresponds to a greater percentage of subarctic water mass entering into the California Current. These forage species are important links to top predator populations and their distribution, with socio-economic impacts such as whale entanglements in fishing gear related to upwelling habitat compression. We demonstrate how remote-sensing and biophysical seascape (integration of different remote sensing measurements) products fluctuate with upwelling and source water variability. Seascapes are classified from synoptic satellite and modeled time series (surface temperature, salinity, sea surface height, chl-a, phytoplankton fluorescence, and colored dissolved organic matter) and unique seascapes can be associated with unique ecological areas and essential biodiversity variables. Monitoring and predictive understanding of epipelagic forage biodiversity along the California Current will benefit ecosystem management and such groups as the National Marine Sanctuaries and the California Current Integrated Ecosystem Assessment.
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