The purpose of this science plan is to outline a general strategy for the execution and completion of the most important research activities conducted under the Alaska Deep-Sea Coral and Sponge Initiative (AKCSI). The plan outlines the general approach and proposed research. Research projects supported by the 2020-2023 AKCSI will consist of the following:

This is a comprehen­sive, up-to-date guide, detailing 161 coral taxa identified from museum collections, primary literature, and video records. The guide provides informa­tion for targeting new collections and identifying areas of high abundance and indicator species of vulnerable marine ecosystems.

Have you ever wondered what the seafloor looks like in Alaska? Join us to learn about Alaska's deep-sea coral and sponge habitats, how we study them, and what it's like to be a student intern with NOAA's Deep Sea Coral Research Technology Program.

Did you know that corals live in the deep, cold waters of Alaska? Come learn about deep-sea corals and sponges, and their importance for underwater communities in Alaska. We will talk about how we study these cold water creatures, how they have adapted to this environment, and how they eat and grow. The webinar is about 60 minutes long with moderated questions and answers throughout. Aimed at grades 2-8, but all ages will enjoy. (Recorded on March 16, 2021) Pam Goddard, Vanessa Lowe, and Rachel Wilborn, NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center Seattle, WA.

bathymetric maps; hydrographic surveying; multibeam mapping

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Callyspongiidae; Chalinidae; Callyspongia; Cladocroce; Aleutian Islands; North Pacific; Alaska

The red tree coral Primnoa pacifica is an important habitat forming octocoral in North Pacific waters. Given the prominence of this species in shelf and upper slope areas of the Gulf of Alaska where fishing disturbance can be high, it may be able to sustain healthy populations through adaptive reproductive processes. This study was designed to test this hypothesis, examining reproductive mode, seasonality and fecundity in both undamaged and simulated damaged colonies over the course of 16 months using a deepwater-emerged population in Tracy Arm Fjord.

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distribution modelling; generalized additive models; deep-sea coral; deep-sea sponge; habitat; spatial management; Alaska

The objective of the present analysis was to construct models that could predict the distribution, abundance and diversity of deep sea corals and sponges in the Aleutian Islands. Generalized additive models were constructed based on bottom trawl survey data collected from 1991 to 2011 and tested on data from 2012.

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new species; Porifera; Demospongiae; Astrophorida; Geodia; Aleutian Islands; North Pacific; Alaska

A new species of Geodia is described from the North Pacific, collected in the summer of 2012 in the western Aleutian Islands. Geodia starki sp. nov. differs from all known species of Geodia by the possession of two categories of sterrasters and exceptionally large megascleres. The new species is compared with congeners of the North Pacific Ocean, Bering Sea, Arctic and the North Atlantic Oceans.

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new demosponges; Aleutian Islands; Alaska; North Pacific; Bering Sea

Two new species of the genus Stelletta and one new species of Ancorina are described from the Aleutian Islands of Alaska and compared to congeners of the region. This is the first record of the genus Ancorina in the North Pacific Ocean. Stelletta ovalae Tanita 1965 is also reported for the first time from the Bering Sea and Alaska.