WWU professor researching effects of climate change on the Bering Sea

Western Washington University Assistant Professor of Environmental Science David Shull is researching how climate change and global warming are affecting the Bering Sea, one of the most important commercial fisheries on the planet.

The Bering Sea produces a catch worth $1 billion annually – half of all the seafood taken in the United States each year, according to statistics from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Located at the crucial intersection between the stormy North Pacific and the icebound Arctic Ocean, the Bering Sea’s annual cycle of freeze-and-thaw is the trigger for an explosion of plankton growth every spring, microscopic food that is the building block of the entire food chain, according to Shull, an assistant professor of Environmental Science at WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment.

On a normal spring, at the edge of the sea ice, warming temperatures combine with increased sunlight to thaw just enough of the ice to produce perfect salinity and water temperatures for the explosion in plankton growth, which then grow and reproduce quickly during the lengthening arctic days. But higher water temperatures trigger a later, weaker bloom of the algae. As a result, the most basic building block of the region’s food chain can be largely unavailable at the time when it is needed most, a ripple which spreads far and wide throughout the ecosystem.

“We’re now studying the consequences to the ecosystem when this happens. We know it affects bottom-dwelling creatures like crabs, and creatures that feed on clams and shellfish such as walruses. We’ve seen a definite impact on these types of species,” he said. “We’ve got to find out more about how the sea’s fish are affected as well. Given how much we rely on this region to produce the food we consume each day, the health of this ecosystem is incredibly important.”

Shull’s project is funded by a five-year, $421,000 grant from the National Science Foundation, and this will be the last research cruise funded by the grant. In addition to his research duties, Shull will also be the chief scientist on the cruise, which involves juggling the needs of 30 scientists from more than 10 different institutions.

“I’ve got to figure out where to put all the equipment and all the people, and try and make sure they all get the data they need on the cruise,” he said. “It’s my job to come up with a plan for the cruise that satisfies everyone, which isn’t always easy.”

For more information, call Shull at (360) 650-3690, or e-mail david.shull@wwu.edu.

WWU’s Huxley College of the Environment is one of the oldest environmental colleges in the nation and a recognized national leader in producing the next generation of environmental stewards. The College’s academic programs reflect a broad view of the physical, biological, social and cultural world. This innovative and interdisciplinary approach makes Huxley unique, and the College continues to earn international recognition for the quality of its programs.