Climate Change Risks to Freshwater Subsistence Fisheries in Arctic Alaska: Insights and Uncertainty from Broad Whitefish Coregonus nasus
- University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK (United States); The Wilderness Society, Anchorage, AK (United States)
- U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Anchorage, AK (United States)
- University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK (United States)
- Woodwell Climate Research Center, Falmouth, MA (United States); University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK (United States)
Arctic freshwater ecosystems and fish populations are largely shaped by seasonal and long-term watershed hydrology. In this paper, we hypothesize how changing air temperature and precipitation will alter freeze and thaw processes, hydrology, and instream habitat to assess potential indirect effects, such as the change to the foraging and behavioral ecology, on Arctic fishes, using Broad Whitefish Coregonus nasus as an indicator species. Climate change is expected to continue to alter hydrologic pathways, flow regimes, and, therefore, habitat suitability, connectivity, and availability for fishes. Warming and lengthening of the growing season will likely increase fish growth rates; however, the exceedance of threshold stream temperatures will likely increase physiological stress and alter life histories. We expect these changes to have mixed effects on Arctic subsistence fishes and fisheries. Management and conservation approaches focused on preserving the processes that create heterogeneity in aquatic habitats, genes, and communities will help maintain the resilience of Broad Whitefish and other important subsistence fisheries. Long-term effects are uncertain, so filling scientific knowledge gaps, such as identifying important habitats or increasing knowledge of abiotic variables in priority watersheds, is key to understanding and potentially mitigating likely impacts to Arctic fishes in a rapidly changing landscape.
- Research Organization:
- University of Alaska, Fairbanks, AK (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE; National Science Foundation (NSF)
- OSTI ID:
- 2424407
- Journal Information:
- Fisheries, Journal Name: Fisheries Journal Issue: 7 Vol. 48; ISSN 0363-2415
- Publisher:
- Taylor & FrancisCopyright Statement
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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