Wasting disease and static environmental variables drive sea star assemblages in the Northern Gulf of Alaska

摘要: Abstract Sea stars are ecologically important in rocky intertidal habitats where they can play an apex predator role, completely restructuring communities. The recent sea star die-off throughout the eastern Pacific, known as Star Wasting Disease, has prompted a need to understand spatial and temporal patterns of assemblages environmental variables that structure these assemblages. We examined (composition density) across regions northern Gulf Alaska assessed role seven static (distance freshwater inputs, tidewater glacial presence, exposure wave action, fetch, beach slope, substrate composition, tidal range) influencing assemblage before after declines. Environmental correlated with distribution serve proxies stressors, such desiccation, attachment, action. Intertidal surveys were conducted annually from 2005 2018 at five sites each four between 100 420 km apart Alaska. In pre-disease years, different among regions, mostly glacier range. wasting disease those event lower diversity density. addition declines, manifested itself times did not impact all species uniformly sites. Post wasting, there was shift structure, resulting being highly essence, resulted is now correlating slightly combination variables. Understanding delicate interplay influence could expand knowledge habitat preferences tolerance ranges relatively unstudied within