AFSC/RACE NPRB_1016 An annotated checklist of the marine macroinvertebrates of Alaska and a retrospective analysis of the groundfish trawl database.

A comprehensive species list of marine invertebrates of Alaska has been
lacking. The checklist of Austin (1985) treated the marine invertebrates of the
southern coast of Alaska to California and since then many new species have been
described, many range extensions have been discovered, and considerable changes in
higher-level systematics have been made. The checklist we compiled lists over 3,500
species and includes the currently accepted scientific name and its significant
synonyms, common names, type localities, geographic and depth distributions, a
general statement of abundance in Alaska when known (e.g., rare, uncommon, common,
abundant), and general remarks. This checklist will serve as a foundation for future
species-specific research. Updated species lists are necessary to reflect the
current state of biodiversity knowledge and are thus essential for conservation
planning and management. To monitor and predict future changes to marine life, the
distribution and abundance of marine species need to be better understood, and this
can only be achieved with reliable identifications based on a sound taxonomy. The
current status and future directions of Alaskan marine invertebrate biodiversity are
briefly discussed. 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.