Holocene History of the Bering Sea Bowhead Whale (Balaena Mysticetus) in Its Beaufort Sea Summer Grounds off Southwestern Victoria Island, Western Canadian Arctic

2001 ◽  
Vol 55 (3) ◽  
pp. 371-379 ◽  
Author(s):  
Arthur S. Dyke ◽  
James M. Savelle
Keyword(s):  
Bering Sea ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
Bering Strait ◽  
Range Limit ◽  
Summer Range ◽  
Victoria Island ◽  
The Bering Sea

AbstractThe fossil remains of 43 bowhead whales were mapped on the raised beaches of western Wollaston Peninsula, Victoria Island, Canadian Arctic, near the historic summer range limit of the Bering Sea stock in the Beaufort Sea. The elevations and radiocarbon ages of the remains demonstrate that the bowhead ranged commonly into the region following the submergence of Bering Strait at ca. 10,000 14C yr B.P. until ca. 8500 14C yr B.P. During the same interval, bowheads ranged widely from the Beaufort Sea to Baffin Bay. Subsequently, no whales reached Wollaston Peninsula until ca. 1500 14C yr B.P. Late Holocene populations evidently were small, or occupations were brief, in comparison to those of the early Holocene. Although the late Holocene recurrence may relate to the expansion of pioneering Thule whalers eastward from Alaska, there are few Thule sites and limited evidence of Thule whaling in the area surveyed to support this suggestion.

scholarly journals MARINE RESERVOIR EFFECTS IN SEAL (PHOCIDAE) BONES IN THE NORTHERN BERING AND CHUKCHI SEAS, NORTHWESTERN ALASKA

Radiocarbon ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 1-19
Author(s):  
Joshua Reuther ◽  
Scott Shirar ◽  
Owen Mason ◽  
Shelby L Anderson ◽  
Joan B Coltrain ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
North America ◽  
Bering Sea ◽  
Late Holocene ◽  
Northeast Asia ◽  
Archaeological Sites ◽  
Human Populations ◽  
Bering Strait ◽  
Sea Mammals ◽  
Over Time ◽  
The Bering Sea

ABSTRACT We explore marine reservoir effects (MREs) in seal bones from the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas regions. Ringed and bearded seals have served as dietary staples in human populations along the coasts of Arctic northeast Asia and North America for several millennia. Radiocarbon (14C) dates on seal bones and terrestrial materials (caribou, plants seeds, wood, and wood charcoal) were compared from archaeological sites in the Bering Strait region of northwestern Alaska to assess MREs in these sea mammals over time. We also compared these results to 14C dates on modern seal specimens collected in AD 1932 and 1946 from the Bering Sea region. Our paired archaeological samples were recovered from late Holocene archaeological features, including floors from dwellings and cache pits, that date between 1600 and 130 cal BP. 14C dates on seal bones from the northern Bering and Chukchi Seas show differences [R(t)] of 800 ± 140 years from to their terrestrial counterparts, and deviations of 404 ± 112 years (ΔR) from the marine calibration curve.

scholarly journals A THREE-DIMENSIONAL MODEL OF THE BEAUFORT SEA

1984 ◽  
Vol 1 (19) ◽  
pp. 56 ◽  
Author(s):  
Shiao-Kung Liu ◽  
Jan J. Leendertse
Keyword(s):  
Bering Sea ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Three Dimensional ◽  
Weather Conditions ◽  
Beaufort Sea ◽  
The United States ◽  
Bering Strait ◽  
Three Dimensional Model ◽  
Three Dimensional Modeling ◽  
The Bering Sea

The Beaufort Sea borders the northern coasts of the United States and Canada. During the last decade, oil discovered at the Prudhoe Bay field contributes a substantial amount of the petroleum needs of the U.S. At present, it represents approximately 20 percent of the total domestic production. However, according to estimates made by the Department of the Interior, gas and oil lie under the Alaskan coastal waters (mainly in the Beaufort Sea) accounts for about 40 percent of the total domestic reserve. To assist government agencies in their assessment of offshore oil exploration, the authors have been engaged, during the past nine years, in three-dimensional modeling work of the the Alaskan coastal area (Fig. 1). Results from the modeling work involving the Bering Sea and the Chukchi Sea have been reported at an earlier conference (Ref. 1). This paper describes the formulation, coupling, and other essential aspects of the Beaufort Sea model (Fig. 2). The Beaufort Sea, occupying a larger portion of the Alaskan coastal water, is dynamically interactive with other modeled areas. Most importantly, the exchange of water mass with the Chukchi Sea interconnects the Bering Sea through the Bering Strait (Fig. 3). Under certain weather conditions, ice in the Beaufort Sea can be transported toward the Bering Sea by an "ice breakout" process through the Bering Strait.

Lycodapus (Pisces: Zoarcidae) of eastern Bering Sea and nearby Pacific Ocean, with three new species and a revised key to the species

1981 ◽  
Vol 59 (4) ◽  
pp. 667-678 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alex E. Peden ◽  
M. Eric Anderson
Keyword(s):  
New Species ◽  
Pacific Ocean ◽  
Bering Sea ◽  
Sea Of Okhotsk ◽  
Range Limit ◽  
The Sea Of Okhotsk ◽  
Eastern Bering Sea ◽  
Northern Range Limit ◽  
Three New Species ◽  
The Bering Sea

Lycodapus leptus n.sp., L. poecilus n.sp., and L. psarostomatus n.sp. are described from the eastern Bering Sea. A new key to all known species of Lycodapus is presented. In addition, L. fierasfer Gilbert, L. parviceps Gilbert, and L. derjugini Andriashev are recognized from the Bering Sea and L. microdon Schmidt is recognized from the Sea of Okhotsk. The northern range limit of Lycodapus dermatinus Gilbert is established from a sea mount off southeastern Alaska. A specimen of Lycodapus that cannot be identified to species represents the most southern record for the genus in Asiatic waters.

Migration and Feeding of the Gray Whale (Eschrichtius gibbosus)

1962 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 815-838 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gordon C. Pike
Keyword(s):  
British Columbia ◽  
Bering Sea ◽  
Chukchi Sea ◽  
Close Contact ◽  
Gulf Of Alaska ◽  
Bering Strait ◽  
Visual Contact ◽  
Gray Whales ◽  
Baleen Whales ◽  
The Bering Sea

Observations of gray whales from the coasts of British Columbia, Washington, and Alaska are compared with published accounts in order to re-assess knowledge of migration and feeding of the American herd. Source of material is mainly from lighthouses and lightships.The American herd of gray whales retains close contact with the shore during migration south of Alaska. Off Washington and British Columbia the northward migration begins in February, ends in May, and is at a peak during the first two weeks in April; the southward migration occurs in December and January, and is at a peak in late December. Northward migrants stop occasionally to rest or feed; southward migrants are travelling faster and appear not to stop to rest or feed during December and January. Gray whales seen off British Columbia, sometimes in inside protected waters, from June through October, probably remain in this area throughout the summer and fall months.Available evidence suggests that gray whales retain contact with the coast while circumscribing the Gulf of Alaska, enter the Bering Sea through eastern passages of the Aleutian chain, and approach St. Lawrence Island by way of the shallow eastern part of the Bering Sea. Arriving off the coast of St. Lawrence Island in May and June the herd splits with some parts dispersing along the Koryak coast and some parts continuing northward as the ice retreats through Bering Strait. Gray whales feed in the waters of the Chukchi Sea along the Siberian and Alaskan coasts in July, August and September. Advance of the ice through Bering Strait in October initiates the southern migration for most of the herd. In summering areas, in northern latitudes, gray whales feed in shallow waters on benthic and near-benthic organisms, mostly amphipods.There is no evidence to indicate that gray whales utilize ocean currents or follow the same routes as other baleen whales in their migrations. Visual contact with coastal landmarks appear to aid gray whales in successfully accomplishing the 5000-mile migration between summer feeding grounds in the Bering and Chukchi Seas and winter breeding grounds in Mexico.Reconstruction of the migration from all available data shows that most of the American herd breeds and calves in January and February, migrates northward in March, April and May, feeds from June through October, and migrates southward in November and December.

Right whale versus bowhead whale gunshot calls in the Bering Sea

2012 ◽  
Vol 132 (3) ◽  
pp. 1950-1950
Author(s):  
Catherine L. Berchok ◽  
Jessica L. Crance ◽  
Jessica L. Thompson ◽  
Stephanie L. Grassia ◽  
Phillip J. Clapham ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bering Sea ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
Right Whale ◽  
The Bering Sea

Potential for bowhead whale entanglement in cod and crab pot gear in the Bering Sea

2013 ◽  
Vol 30 (2) ◽  
pp. 445-459 ◽  
Author(s):  
John J. Citta ◽  
John J. Burns ◽  
Lori T. Quakenbush ◽  
Vicki Vanek ◽  
John C. George ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bering Sea ◽  
Bowhead Whale ◽  
The Bering Sea

scholarly journals Population structure in Arctic marine forests is shaped by diverse recolonisation pathways and far northern glacial refugia

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Trevor T. Bringloe ◽  
Heroen Verbruggen ◽  
Gary W. Saunders
Keyword(s):  
Genetic Diversity ◽  
Last Glacial Maximum ◽  
Bering Sea ◽  
Canadian Arctic ◽  
Species Distributions ◽  
Northwest Atlantic ◽  
Last Glacial ◽  
The Last Glacial Maximum ◽  
The Bering Sea ◽  
The Last Glacial

AbstractThe Arctic is experiencing a rapid shift towards warmer regimes, calling for a need to understand levels of biodiversity and ecosystem responses to climate cycles. This study examines marine refugial locations during the Last Glacial Maximum in order to link recolonization pathways to patterns of genetic diversity in Arctic marine forests. We present genetic data for 109 species of seaweed to infer community-level patterns, and hindcast species distributions during the Last Glacial Maximum to further pinpoint likely refugial locations. Sequence data revealed contiguous populations extending from the Bering Sea to the Northwest Atlantic, with high levels of genetic diversity in the East Canadian Arctic. One fifth of the species sampled appeared restricted to Arctic waters. Hindcasted species distributions highlighted refugia in the Bering Sea, Northwest Atlantic, South Greenland, and Europe. We hypothesize that Arctic coastal systems were recolonized from many geographically disparate refugia leading to enriched diversity levels in the East Canadian Arctic, with important contributions stemming from northerly refugia likely centered along Southern Greenland. Moreover, we hypothesize these northerly refugia likely played a key role in promoting polar endemic diversity, as reflected by abundant unique population haplotypes and endemic species in the East Arctic.Significance StatementOur work challenges the existing paradigm that marine Arctic ecosystems are depauperate extensions of southerly (temperate) communities established in the wake of recent glaciation, fundamentally changing how these systems should be viewed and interpreted. We forward novel hypotheses regarding the recent history of Arctic marine systems, particularly with regards to endemism being an integral feature of Arctic biomes, and present a firm framework for future evolutionary research in this system typically viewed as “ecologically immature.”

Vertical distribution of oceanic tintinnid (Ciliophora: Tintinnida) assemblages from the Bering Sea to Arctic Ocean through Bering Strait

Polar Biology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 42 (11) ◽  
pp. 2105-2117
Author(s):  
Chaofeng Wang ◽  
Zhiqiang Xu ◽  
Chenggang Liu ◽  
Haibo Li ◽  
Chen Liang ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Vertical Distribution ◽  
Arctic Ocean ◽  
Bering Sea ◽  
Bering Strait ◽  
The Bering Sea

scholarly journals Bering Sea surface water conditions during Marine Isotope Stages 12 to 10 at Navarin Canyon (IODP Site U1345)

2016 ◽  
Vol 12 (9) ◽  
pp. 1739-1763 ◽  
Author(s):  
Beth E. Caissie ◽  
Julie Brigham-Grette ◽  
Mea S. Cook ◽  
Elena Colmenero-Hidalgo
Keyword(s):  
Sea Ice ◽  
Sea Level ◽  
Bering Sea ◽  
Sea Surface ◽  
Bering Strait ◽  
The North ◽  
Shelf Slope ◽  
The Pacific ◽  
Continental Shelf Slope ◽  
The Bering Sea

Abstract. Records of past warm periods are essential for understanding interglacial climate system dynamics. Marine Isotope Stage 11 occurred from 425 to 394 ka, when global ice volume was the lowest, sea level was the highest, and terrestrial temperatures were the warmest of the last 500 kyr. Because of its extreme character, this interval has been considered an analog for the next century of climate change. The Bering Sea is ideally situated to record how opening or closing of the Pacific–Arctic Ocean gateway (Bering Strait) impacted primary productivity, sea ice, and sediment transport in the past; however, little is known about this region prior to 125 ka. IODP Expedition 323 to the Bering Sea offered the unparalleled opportunity to look in detail at time periods older than had been previously retrieved using gravity and piston cores. Here we present a multi-proxy record for Marine Isotope Stages 12 to 10 from Site U1345, located near the continental shelf-slope break. MIS 11 is bracketed by highly productive laminated intervals that may have been triggered by flooding of the Beringian shelf. Although sea ice is reduced during the early MIS 11 laminations, it remains present at the site throughout both glacials and MIS 11. High summer insolation is associated with higher productivity but colder sea surface temperatures, which implies that productivity was likely driven by increased upwelling. Multiple examples of Pacific–Atlantic teleconnections are presented including laminations deposited at the end of MIS 11 in synchrony with millennial-scale expansions in sea ice in the Bering Sea and stadial events seen in the North Atlantic. When global eustatic sea level was at its peak, a series of anomalous conditions are seen at U1345. We examine whether this is evidence for a reversal of Bering Strait throughflow, an advance of Beringian tidewater glaciers, or a turbidite.

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