Quantifying marine biodiversity through movements and feeding: Assessing coastal marine ecosystem dynamics near estuary mouths

PI: Furey, Nathan (University of New Hampshire)
Start Year: 2022 | Duration: 5 years
Partners: Office of Naval Research, NOAA, University of New Hampshire, Gulf of Maine Research Institute, Northeastern Regional Association of Coastal Ocean Observing Systems

Project Abstract:

This project will integrate powerful technologies (acoustic telemetry, environmental DNA [eDNA], and acoustics) with traditional fisheries sampling to quantify impacts of changes in local and regional water conditions on individuals, populations, and community structure. We will study the impacts of forage species and environmental conditions on Atlantic cod and common terns in both New Hampshire and southern Maine (Casco Bay) coastal waters. To study the movements of these predators, we will use tracking tags (GPS technology for terns, acoustic technology for Atlantic cod) to follow their movements. We will also examine their diet, but analyzing gut contents from Atlantic cod (both visually and via genomic methods) and terns (via genomics of fecal samples). We will quantify the availability of forage species (including river herring, Atlantic herring, and squid) through tracking, active acoustics, passive acoustics, and eDNA of water samples. Information on animal movements and diet will be integrated with a variety of environmental conditions from oceanographic buoys, other sensors, and ocean simulation models. We will use mathematical models to predict how changes in water temperature and diet will affect Atlantic cod and terns. Comparing and contrasting species’ responses to environmental change will help us determine the “winners and losers” of climate change. All efforts each year will be informed by a variety of stakeholders representing resource managers and non-profit organizations. Our team also includes experts in data management and accessibility to ensure data are accessible in a timely manner.

Collectively, these results demonstrate the value in novel technologies in tracking shifts in biodiversity across space and time. Our efforts would build on the known strengths of each method (eDNA, diet analyses, active acoustics, and passive acoustics) while also exploring their integration and defining scales of appropriate use. We will define how each method describes marine biodiversity in both unique but also shared ways. This knowledge would allow stakeholders to integrate these methods into their own efforts, aiding research and monitoring. Marine ecosystems are dynamic, and our approach would determine at which scales ecosystem components change, and which methods best detect such variation. Broadly, our results would demonstrate the relative importance of environmental conditions and food availability on marine communities to promote proper conservation and management in a rapidly changing Gulf of Maine.