From above, the seaweed on the beaches of Homer and Anchor Point doesn’t look like much. But up close, there are entire worlds in every sample.
A study published this year found tens of thousands of invertebrate organisms in seaweed debris on Homer area beaches — including on Bishop’s Beach, pictured above. But up close, there are entire worlds in every sample. That’s what University of Alaska Fairbanks researcher Brian Ulaski found when he analyzed the seaweed that had washed up on Homer beaches — also called wrack. His team found tens of thousands of organisms in samples they collected on the southern peninsula in 2021.
And more people on the Kenai Peninsula are catching on. In the last couple years, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has started issuing— about three per year. The season for harvesting is open September through April. Now, researchers are putting seaweed under the microscope to make sure that harvest isn’t causing harm to the populations that rely on it to survive.
To gather samples, he used clam guns to punch holes into the wrack line and the sediment below at about a dozen sites near Homer, from Anchor Point to Bishop’s Beach on one side of Kachemak Bay, and then between Seldovia and Grewingk River on the other. “You don’t really see much activity in the wrack unless you’re looking at it very closely,” he said. “So it was kind of a pleasant surprise the amount of organisms we found in those samples.”
Konar said that information is important for other species that feed on wrack in those areas, like birds. Ulaski said in future research, he’d want to look into the impacts of wrack on shorebird abundance.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
The Ohio legislature is spending $24 million to combat perceived liberal bias at 5 universities. Is it necessary?$24 million will be used to open civics institutes that state lawmakers say will crimp what they believe is liberal bias in teaching and research on five Ohio university campuses.
Read more »
Northwestern fires football coach Pat Fitzgerald; players speak on hazing allegationsBREAKING: Pat Fitzgerald has been fired as the head football coach of Northwestern University, the university said.
Read more »
Northwestern football coach Pat Fitzgerald fired; players speak on hazing allegationsPat Fitzgerald has been fired as the head football coach of Northwestern University, the university said.
Read more »
National League snaps All-Star Game losing streak, tops AL 3-2 behind Elias Díaz homerThe NL won for the first time since an 8-0 victory in 2012 in Kansas City thanks to Elias Díaz, a catcher who became the first Rockies player to win the All-Star MVP award.
Read more »
National League ends 9-game losing streak, rides Elias Diaz homer to win over American LeagueElias Díaz hit a two-run homer off Félix Bautista in the eighth inning, and the National League snapped a nine-game losing streak in the All-Star Game with a 3-2 win over the American League on Tuesday night.
Read more »
Defeated Lockport school candidate named Homer Township trusteeMike Clausen was sworn in as collector April 11, seven days after he lost his Lockport Township High School District 205 Board race as part of the We the Parents Illinois slate, coming in sixth in an eight-person race for three seats.
Read more »