The dataset contains records of fish eggs and larvae collected during FOCI assessment surveys. Records include all data pertinent to identify where specimens were collected (lat, lon, date, gear used, max depth of gear, water depth). Specific data on specimens includes scientific name, stage of development, number collected (whole numbers and CPUE), lengths of larvae, and diameters and stages of eggs. In addition, there are comments that explain any irregularities that may have occurred during sample collection; depending on the reason data is being extracted, comments may indicate a sample is not suitable for consideration.

Otolith data are collected to measure age and growth of larval pollock. They are used to determine whether growth rate, hatch data and/or temperature influence fish size.

Zooplankton data are abundance by taxanomic group (to species where possible), stage, size and sex. Zooplankton sorting is performed at The Polish Plankton Sorting Institute in Szcecin, Poland. The zooplankton protocol was changed in 2012 to include a wider range of taxaonomic categories for all study areas and to finer taxanomic resolution where possible. Limited biomass information is available using literature values for micrograms carbon of select copepod species. Various gears with different mesh sizes are used to asses different size classes of zooplankton including 20/60cm paired bongos, Tucker, Multinet, MOCNESS, Methot, CalVET and microzooplankton nets hung on nisken bottles.

Benthic samples were collected between 2009-2012 in the Bering Sea to study Essential Fish Habitat. Station locations were at or near fixed stations of the AFSC bottom trawl survey. Granulometry of surficial sediment and infauna communities were analyzed.

The datasets contain larval size, water temperature, cell cycle data, and classification of larval condition.

These data are part of a ocean observation study by Stabeno, Napp, and Whitledge sponsored, in part, by the North Pacific Research Board (Project 410; http://doc.nprb.org). The grant was titled "Long-term observations on the Bering Sea shelf (2004-2005): biophysical moorings at sites 2 and 4 as sentinels for ecosystem change." Moorings were maintained on the southeastern Bering Sea shelf at M2 (56.9B0N, 164.1B0W), and at M4 (57.9B0N, 168.9B0W). Shipboard measurements of temperature, salinity, nutrients, chlorophyll, fluorescence and zooplankton were collected around the moorings on two cruises (3MF04 - April 2004 and 8MF04 - September 2004) to ground truth in situ sensors on the moorings. This long-term monitoring supported major findings: (1) The timing of the spring phytoplankton bloom is determined by the presence of ice, with an early bloom occurring if ice is present after mid-March and later bloom occurring if there is no sea-ice after mid-March; (2) During the last decade, the southeastern Bering Sea shelf has undergone a marked warming (~3B0C) that is closely associated with a marked decrease of sea ice over the southeastern shelf; (3) Nutrients supply and summer salinity over the shelf has not significantly changed during the last three decades; (4) There is an indication that cold water zooplankton species (e.g Calanus marshallae ) are occurring in reduced abundance in association with the warming. While the warming over the southeastern shelf is primarily related to the reduction of ice extent, a combination of other mechanisms are important: the presence over the eastern shelf of a relatively mild air mass during winter since 2000; a shorter ice season caused by a later fall transition and/or earlier spring transition; increased flow through Unimak Pass during winter introducing warm Gulf of Alaska water onto the shelf; and a thermal feedback mechanism whereby warmer, summer ocean temperatures delay the southward advection of sea ice during winter.

A total of 105 stations were occupied. There were two sample grids (southeast Alaska and Yakutat Bay) and two transects in the vicinity of Kayak Island. At each station we sampled using paired 20 and 60 cm Bongo frames (150 and 500 micron mesh nets, respectively) and a Sameoto neuston sampler (500 micron mesh net) to estimate the abundance of zoo- and ichthyoplankton. A SeaBird SeaCat (SBE 19 plus) was used with the bongo frames to determine the depth of the samplers in real time and to measure temperature and conductivity. At a few selected stations depth-stratified plankton were obtained with a 1 meter squared MOCNESS (500 micron mesh nets) and at other selected stations microzooplankton were sampled with vertical tows of a CalVET net (53 micron mesh).

A total of 105 stations were occupied. There were two sample grids (southeast Alaska and Yakutat Bay) and two transects in the vicinity of Kayak Island. At each station we sampled using paired 20 and 60 cm Bongo frames (150 and 500 micron mesh nets, respectively) and a Sameoto neuston sampler (500 micron mesh net) to estimate the abundance of zoo- and ichthyoplankton. A SeaBird SeaCat (SBE 19 plus) was used with the bongo frames to determine the depth of the samplers in real time and to measure temperature and conductivity. At a few selected stations depth-stratified plankton were obtained with a 1 meter squared MOCNESS (500 micron mesh nets) and at other selected stations microzooplankton were sampled with vertical tows of a CalVET net (53 micron mesh).

This collection of GIS layers was prepared for the report Alaska Arctic Marine Fish Ecology Catalog (U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5038). The layers display geographic distribution and sampling locations for Arctic marine fish species in the region of United States sectors of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Certain diadromous species (for example, Pacific salmon, char, and whitefishes) are treated as marine fishes (McDowall, 1987) because much of their life cycle is in marine and brackish environments. This synthesis of information is meant to provide current information and understanding of this fauna and its relative vulnerability to changing Arctic conditions. There are 104 species in the collection - some species have both polygon and point data layers. The report (SIR 2016-5038) also describes for each species its names - species, common, and colloquial; ecological role; physical description/attributes; range (geographic); relative abundance; depth range; habitats and life history; behavior; populations or stocks, reproduction, food and feeding, biological interactions, resilience, traditional and cultural importance, commercial fisheries, potential effects of climate change, areas for future research, cited references, and bibliography. The published report has one map for each species showing the polygon and point data as well as land and relevant administrative boundaries. Although some of the species also have an inland water presence, this report was concerned only with their marine conditions; therefore, the land component (from the original sources) has been clipped and removed. The distribution areas may be greater in extent than that shown in the report map bounding box limits. Distributions of marine fishes are shown in adjacent Arctic seas where reliable data are available. The report can be accessed at: https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20165038 This metadata document describes the collection of species data layers. Each species layer file will have its own metadata with details specific to that layer.

This collection of GIS layers was prepared for the report Alaska Arctic Marine Fish Ecology Catalog (U.S. Geological Survey Scientific Investigations Report 2016–5038). The layers display geographic distribution and sampling locations for Arctic marine fish species in the region of United States sectors of the Chukchi and Beaufort Seas. Certain diadromous species (for example, Pacific salmon, char, and whitefishes) are treated as marine fishes (McDowall, 1987) because much of their life cycle is in marine and brackish environments. This synthesis of information is meant to provide current information and understanding of this fauna and its relative vulnerability to changing Arctic conditions. There are 104 species in the collection - some species have both polygon and point data layers. The report (SIR 2016-5038) also describes for each species its names - species, common, and colloquial; ecological role; physical description/attributes; range (geographic); relative abundance; depth range; habitats and life history; behavior; populations or stocks, reproduction, food and feeding, biological interactions, resilience, traditional and cultural importance, commercial fisheries, potential effects of climate change, areas for future research, cited references, and bibliography. The published report has one map for each species showing the polygon and point data as well as land and relevant administrative boundaries. Although some of the species also have an inland water presence, this report was concerned only with their marine conditions; therefore, the land component (from the original sources) has been clipped and removed. The distribution areas may be greater in extent than that shown in the report map bounding box limits. Distributions of marine fishes are shown in adjacent Arctic seas where reliable data are available. The report can be accessed at: https://doi.org/10.3133/sir20165038 This metadata document describes the collection of species data layers. Each species layer file will have its own metadata with details specific to that layer.