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Vol. 53 - Alaska Resources Library and Information Services

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found from Unimak Isl<strong>and</strong> to Cape Seniavin were gathered by divers at<br />

Amak Isl<strong>and</strong> (trawl, video camera, <strong>and</strong> divers used to locate; Walt<br />

Pearson, Battelle Laboratory, Sequim Wa., pers. communication).<br />

Heavy<br />

oiling of the shallow sublittoral area around Amak could destroy a<br />

substantial portion of one or two juvenile king crab year-classes that<br />

metamorphosed in that area.<br />

(Distribution of small juveniles into upper<br />

Bristol Bay is currently under investigation through OCSEAP in FY 83).<br />

8.5.3 Tanner Crab Larvae<br />

Larvae of both C. bairdi <strong>and</strong> C. opilio are ubiquitously distributed<br />

over the St. George Basin, <strong>and</strong> C. opilio populations are also large to<br />

the north <strong>and</strong> northeast over the middle shelf (Figs. 4.10-4.15).<br />

A very<br />

large oil spill might cover 10-15% of the Basin (Sonntag et al. 1980;<br />

Manen <strong>and</strong> Curl 1981) <strong>and</strong> could have a significant impact depending on<br />

the following points:<br />

1. Location. If a large spill was generally dispersed along 200 km of<br />

the 100-m isobath in a 50 km wide b<strong>and</strong>, then the high densities of<br />

larvae associated with this depth in the years of our study (Fig.<br />

4.7) could result in a high percentage of the year-class being<br />

affected.<br />

2. Month. A spill that coincides with the megalops larval stage would<br />

probably be more destructive than an earlier spill when zoeae are<br />

present.<br />

Larvae of both Chionoecetes spp. are molting into the<br />

megalops stage by early July, <strong>and</strong> large numbers of megalopae may be<br />

found through September. Megalopae may spend a considerable amount<br />

825

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