Forage fish and habitat in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Islands

The purpose of this study was to determine whether we could efficiently sample and characterize forage habitats in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian
Islands using the M/V Tiglax, a vessel that routinely travels throughout the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge system during summer. We sampled
pelagic fish communities with hydroacoustics and trawls, and nearshore (less than 30 m from shore) fish communities with beach seines. During transits and
at sample sites, we also collected data on oceanography, and plankton. We documented over 30 species of nearshore fishes and 24 species of pelagic fishes
throughout the study area. Walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma), Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) and spawning capelin (Mallotus villosus)
dominated the pelagic catch, and young of the year Gadids, Pacific sand lance and pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) dominated the nearshore catch.
We detected a longitudinal gradient of physical oceanography that suggests cooler, more saline, and nutrient rich conditions in the west (i.e., central
Aleutians) compared to the east (Alaska Peninsula). Automated data collection using equipment that is permanently installed on the vessel is an efficient
and cost-effective way to sample the marine environment during travel of the . Collection of opportunistic station data (CTD, plankton tows, beach seines)
was moderately efficient, requiring only a little assistance from the crew and generally no dedicated vessel time when stations are occupied at sites visited
by the vessel during the course of normal refuge operations. Midwater trawling was least efficient of all sampling procedures because it required dedicated
operation of the vessel and crew for the duration of the sampling. However, great efficiency in spatial sampling was achieved because transit time and cost
were borne by the refuge during normal operations. We conclude that this research platform has enormous potential for monitoring key ecosystem components
in the Gulf of Alaska and Aleutian Archipelago on seasonal, annual and decadal time-scales. These datasets were archived as part of the North Pacific Research Board legacy project recovery effort undertaken by Axiom Data Science and NPRB in 2025. The goal of the recovery effort was to assess the NPRB-funded data projects from 2002 to 2014 and archive final data packages that were ready for publication to increase long-term accessibility and discoverability. Data packages were archived as is given limited funding and resources.