Ecosystem Reference
Ecosystem Gulf of Alaska
Type Sea/Bay/Gulf
Salinity saltwater
Other Names
Location
LME SAU No 2. Northeast Pacific, from Alaska to Vancouver. LME2002, LME2006, SAU 2008. 60° N 55° N - 160° W 130° W
Location Map Gulf_of_Alaska.png
Size Ref
River Length Area 1481493 km2 Drainage Area
Depth
Average Depth Max Depth Ref
Temperature
Surface 8.5 °C Map57.gif
100 Meters Depth 5.4 °C Map58.gif
Description The Gulf of Alaska LME lies off the southern coast of Alaska and the western coast of Canada. Its hydrography is marked by the counterclockwise gyre of the Alaska Current and incursions by the colder Subarctic Current. The Gulf of Alaska (GOA) shelf supports a diverse ecosystem that includes several commercially important fisheries such as crab, shrimp, pollock, salmon, and halibut. In aggregate these stocks imply that the gulf is amongst the world's largest fisheries with annual catches exceeding 300g/1000 m3. (http://murphydome.ims.uaf.edu:8000/globec/intro/). (http://www.na.nmfs.gov/lme/text/lme2.htm)
Comments on faunal list Area from SAU (November 2015).
URL 1 http://www.seaaroundus.org/lme/2.aspx
URL 2
Ecosystem Checklist Link
Total
SeaLifeBase Literature
Species Families Species Families Reference
376 184
Comments & Corrections
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