Vol. 53 - Alaska Resources Library and Information Services

1.0 GENERAL INTRODUCTION
1.1 Justification of the Study
The southeastern Bering Sea is characterized by rich water column
productivity of both phytoplankton and zooplankton (McRoy and Goering
1974; Goering and Iverson 1978; Goeriny and McRoy 1981, Cooney 1981)
which, in turn, supports an extensive and productive benthic community
over much of the shelf (Feder and Jewett 1981; McDonald et al. 1981;
Jewett and Feder 1981).
Some of the most abundant epifaunal organisms
quantified in these studies are several species of crab that constitute
lucrative invertebrate fisheries for the United States (Otto 1981).
Distribution
of these species, particularly gravid females and sensitive
larvae and juveniles, in relation to areas of future oil and gas development
of the St. George Basin and North Aleutian Shelf (NAS), make them
particularly vulnerable to oil mishaps that could have ultimate repercussions
on the general benthic community and commercial fishery (Curl and
Manen 1982; Armstrong et al. 1983).
Minerals Management Service (MMS) has established six outer continental
shelf planning units in the Bering Sea.
Three of these units have
been through tract selection stages and include the St. George Basin and
the North Aleutian Shelf, which together encompass virtually all of the
southeastern Bering Sea crab fishering grounds.
Two synthesis meetings
have been held to consider the impact of Outer Continental Shelf (OCS)
oil and gas development on biota and habitats in both units in order to
aid in development of management plans that mitigate perturbations on
resources.
Proceedings of the St. George Basin meeting have been
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