Kelp Distribution and Biodiversity Kelp Distribution and Biodiversity along the Pacific Coasts of North along the Pacific Coasts of North

and South Americaand South America

• Larry Deysher – Ocean Imaging• Matt Edwards – San Diego State University• Jon Dykstra – MDA Federal Inc• Paul Dayton – Scripps Institution of Oceanography

Project ObjectivesProject Objectives

• Cost-effective method of mapping and visualizing kelp canopies on a global basis

• Link kelp distributions with physical factors such as temperature, nitrogen concentrations, wave climate, daylength & solar irradiance

• Discriminate localized anthropogenic changes in kelp bed distributions from climate related effects

Year 2000 ETM+ CoverageYear 2000 ETM+ Coverage

Data AvailabilityData Availability

ftp://samoa.gsfc.nasa.gov/landsat/kelp/

Original ETM+ ImageryOriginal ETM+ Imageryhttp://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi/kelp.plhttp://oceancolor.gsfc.nasa.gov/cgi/kelp.pl

Visualization in Google EarthVisualization in Google Earth

San Juan StationSan Juan Station

San Juan Station - AerialSan Juan Station - Aerial

Macrocystis integrifoliaMacrocystis integrifolia

Macrocystis pyriferaMacrocystis pyrifera

ETM+ - 49 haColor IR Photo - 39

ha

Macrocystis pyriferaMacrocystis pyrifera

Macrocystis integrifoliaMacrocystis integrifolia

Eisenia arboreaEisenia arborea

Kodiak Kodiak MacrocystisMacrocystis Population Population

Winter 2002 - FebruaryWinter 2002 - February

Summer/Fall 2002 - SeptemberSummer/Fall 2002 - September

Summer/Fall 2002 - SeptemberSummer/Fall 2002 - September

Winter 2002 - FebruaryWinter 2002 - February

Kodiak Island SST AnomaliesKodiak Island SST Anomalies

Irradiance / Nutrient Irradiance / Nutrient Relationship - Sitka Relationship - Sitka

0

10

20

30

40

50

A S O N D J F M A M J J

Nit

rate

(u

Mo

ls)

Adequate Solar Irradiance for Growth

(Stekoll, 1999)

Solar IrradianceSolar IrradianceJune 1991June 1991

Kodiak – 182 W/m2 Sitka – 255 W/m2

GES DISC DAAC

NASA/GISS

Northern HemisphereNorthern HemisphereSouthern BoundarySouthern Boundary

• Baja California• Peru / Chile & Argentina• Namibia / South Africa• Australia – Tasmanian

population declines• Subantarctic Islands

– Kerguelen Island– Heard Island– South Georgia Island

J A S O N D J F M A M J

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

2004 2005

Tem

per

atur

e (C

)

J A S O N D J F M A M J

12

14

16

18

20

22

24

2004 2005

Tem

per

atur

e (C

)12

14

16

18

20

22

24

2004 2005

Tem

per

atur

e (C

)

Baja Nitrogen EnrichmentBaja Nitrogen Enrichment

(Ladah, 2003)

Nitrate - TemperatureNitrate - Temperature

0

5

10

15

20

25

5 10 15 20 25

Temperature (C)

Nit

rate

(u

Mo

l)

Average Southern California

Baja California periodic occurence CA UnderCurrent ?

Macrocystis pyriferaMacrocystis pyrifera

Macrocystis integrifoliaMacrocystis integrifolia

Eisenia cokeri Eisenia cokeri

= E. arborea ?= E. arborea ?

Islas DesventuradasIslas Desventuradas

Eisenia galapagensisEisenia galapagensis

Type - 1934Type - 1934

December 2004December 2004

Eisenia cokeri Eisenia cokeri Sechura Bay – 5.5Sechura Bay – 5.5oo S S

Summer 2002Summer 2002MarchMarch

Winter 2002Winter 2002JulyJuly

SST - South Georgia IslandSST - South Georgia IslandApril 1998 October 1998

Summer 2002Summer 2002MarchMarch

South Georgia SST AnomaliesSouth Georgia SST Anomalies

Subantarctic Subantarctic IslandsIslands

Kelp on islands north of Antarctic Convergence

with the exception of South Georgia Island

SST Anomaly - Kerguelen & HeardSST Anomaly - Kerguelen & HeardApril 1998 October 1998

Heard Heard

Kerguelen Kerguelen

Heard Island SST AnomaliesHeard Island SST Anomalies

Take HomesTake Homes

• Google Earth is an ideal visualization tool for broad scale biodiversity data

• Northern range of Macrocystis in Alaska may be expanding

• Range of Eisenia galapagensis in Galapagos has contracted

• Northern range of Macrocystis in Peru has contracted

• Heard Island may be a useful habitat to look for climate change in the Southern Ocean