Home » Northern Gulf of Alaska LTER – Old

 

Northern Gulf of Alaska Long Term Ecological Research (NGA LTER)

We provide educational resources, research, and data about the ecosystems of the Northern Gulf of Alaska for teachers, students, and the community at large.

Our research team creates information for our resources through sustained data collection and experimentation within our study area. This is an LTER program that investigates the features, mechanisms, and processes that drive NGA ecosystem production and foster its resilience.

Our ecosystem

The features, mechanisms, and processes that form in the Gulf of Alaska begin with the lower levels of the food chain (phytoplankton and zooplankton). These support the iconic fish, crabs, seabirds, and marine mammals of Alaska.

Large increases in phytoplankton during the spring and sustained production during the summer support zooplankton that transfer energy up the food chain. Substantial amounts of this organic matter also sink to feed animals on the sea bottom.

About us

Alaska ecosystem map

Recent measurements

September 2021

Seward Line CTD September 2021
CTD data from the Seward Line, September 2021.

July 2021

Seward Line CTD, July 2021
CTD data from the Seward Line, July 2021.

We acknowledge that we work on the ancestral lands and waters of the Eyak and Sugpiaq-Alutiiq peoples. We recognize their unique relationships with and knowledge of this place and are grateful for their stewardship past, present, and future. We strive to be in good relations with the original peoples and with this place.