Impacts of the 2008 Kasatochi Volcano Eruption on Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems
Research at Kasatochi is focused on understanding the effects of the 2008 eruption on a highly productive marine island ecosystem and understanding the factors affecting the recovery process.Abstract
Volcanic eruptions are often significant natural disturbances, and ecosystem responses to volcanic eruptions may vary markedly with eruption style, frequency, and magnitude of the eruption as well as isolation of the disturbed sites from potential colonizing organisms. Despite the relatively high frequency of volcanic activity in the Aleutians, the response of island ecosystems to volcanic disturbances is largely unstudied because of the region's isolation. Kasatochi Island is a small volcano in the central Aleutian Islands of Alaska that erupted violently in 2008. Kasatochi Island is one of nine annual monitoring sites for seabirds in the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge and, despite its small size, supported a diverse and remarkably abundant terrestrial and marine flora and fauna. During the eruption, the entire island, including all vegetation and nesting habitats for birds, and former intertidal and shallow subtidal habitats, were covered by thick volcanic deposits. The ecology of Kasatochi was studied for several decades before the eruption, providing a basis for evaluating the impacts of the eruption on the biota of the island. Studying the consequences of the Kasatochi eruption will enhance existing knowledge regarding disturbance ecology and primary successional processes following volcanic and other types of disturbance.
Products
| Title | Type |
|---|---|
| Kasatochi Crested and Least Auklet Survey Data, 1996-2016 | Data |
| Impacts of the 2008 Kasatochi Volcano Eruption on Terrestrial and Marine Ecosystems | Project Website |
Contacts
Drew, Gary S., 907-786-7168Talbot, Sandra L., 907-786-7188
Wang, Bronwen , 907-786-7110
Waythomas, Christopher , 907-786-7122
Status: completed
Start Year: 2009
End Year: 2017
Project Sites
Collaborators
ADNR - Division of Geological and Geophysical SurveysFWS - Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge
University of Alaska Anchorage
University of Alaska Fairbanks
USGS - Volcano Science Center - AVO
USGS Mission Area and Program
Ecosystems → Wildlife ProgramNatural Hazards → Volcano Hazards