Glenn R. VanBlaricom, University of Washington
$29,935

Effects of commercial geoduck (Panopea abrupta) harvest on the benthic infaunal communities of Puget Sound There is widespread concern that physical disturbances associated with marine benthic fishing operations may be damaging marine ecosystems and increasing extinction risk for component species. Most marine benthic fisheries are pursued with large equipment, on a large scale, in deep water. As a result, mechanistic insight to ecological effects of recurrent disturbance associated with fishing activity is difficult to obtain. The commercial fishery for geoduck clams (Panopea abrupta) in the semi-enclosed marine waters of Washington and British Columbia is successful, highly productive, and geographically widespread across the region. Harvesting is done by divers in shallow waters (5-20 m depth) relatively close to shore. There is little understanding of effects of physical disturbances associated with the fishery on benthic communities in Puget Sound or other regional inland marine waters. Because of the minimal depths, proximity to shore, and relative protection from oceanic weather and seas, the geoduck fishery represents an excellent opportunity for detailed understanding of the interactions of benthic fisheries and benthic communities in marine habitats. We will use diver-collected core samples and visual transect data to test hypotheses that disturbances associated with geoduck fisheries alter the structure and dynamics of benthic communities, and that fishery activity alters the availability and distribution of physical microhabitat and biogenic structure. We will design experiments to separately evaluate contributions of three categories of physical disturbance associated with the fishery (local liquefaction, hose dragging, and general diver activity) to habitat and community modification, if it is found to occur. In addition to hypothesis testing, we will develop a spatial-temporal disturbance-recovery model, linking fishing disturbance to major features of benthic community structure. Our data will place geoduck fishing activities in a more meaningful and better understood community ecological context, will be useful to managers in linking geoduck fishery management to marine conservation goals, and will contribute to improved information about effects of marine benthic fisheries on communities in general.

EFFECTS OF SUBTIDAL HARVEST OF GEODUCKS ON BENTHIC INFAUNA IN PHYSICALLY DYNAMIC HABITATS OF THE STRAIT OF JUAN DE FUCA

Glenn R. VanBlaricom, University of Washington
$29,935

Effects of commercial geoduck (Panopea abrupta) harvest on the benthic infaunal communities of Puget Sound There is widespread concern that physical disturbances associated with marine benthic fishing operations may be damaging marine ecosystems and increasing extinction risk for component species. Most marine benthic fisheries are pursued with large equipment, on a large scale, in deep water. As a result, mechanistic insight to ecological effects of recurrent disturbance associated with fishing activity is difficult to obtain. The commercial fishery for geoduck clams (Panopea abrupta) in the semi-enclosed marine waters of Washington and British Columbia is successful, highly productive, and geographically widespread across the region. Harvesting is done by divers in shallow waters (5-20 m depth) relatively close to shore. There is little understanding of effects of physical disturbances associated with the fishery on benthic communities in Puget Sound or other regional inland marine waters. Because of the minimal depths, proximity to shore, and relative protection from oceanic weather and seas, the geoduck fishery represents an excellent opportunity for detailed understanding of the interactions of benthic fisheries and benthic communities in marine habitats. We will use diver-collected core samples and visual transect data to test hypotheses that disturbances associated with geoduck fisheries alter the structure and dynamics of benthic communities, and that fishery activity alters the availability and distribution of physical microhabitat and biogenic structure. We will design experiments to separately evaluate contributions of three categories of physical disturbance associated with the fishery (local liquefaction, hose dragging, and general diver activity) to habitat and community modification, if it is found to occur. In addition to hypothesis testing, we will develop a spatial-temporal disturbance-recovery model, linking fishing disturbance to major features of benthic community structure. Our data will place geoduck fishing activities in a more meaningful and better understood community ecological context, will be useful to managers in linking geoduck fishery management to marine conservation goals, and will contribute to improved information about effects of marine benthic fisheries on communities in general.