970 



Fishery Bulletin 97(4), 1999 



cod (>50%), sculpins (>40%), and butter sole (Pleiiro- 

 nectes isolepis; 18%). 



CPUE varied by about two orders of magnitude 

 among the three areas. On the basis of this variable, 

 we determined that Barren Islands waters were more 

 productive than those of Kachemak Bay and Chisik 

 Island (Table 2). However, Chisik Island and Kachemak 

 Bay displayed greater species diversity and richness 

 than ^e Barren Islands (Table 2; Fig. 5). Equity (J') 



was much greater at Chisik Island (Table 2), indi- 

 cating that this community was not dominated by 

 any one species. Jaccard's similarity coefficients were 

 low when compared between areas. Species assem- 

 blages in Kachemak Bay and at Chisik Island were 

 similar (42% ), and both of these areas differed from 

 the Barren Islands (<25% similarity). 



Comparison of nearshore and shelf communities in 

 lower Cook Inlet 



1250 ^ 



4 4 



Number of sets 



9 16 26 40 40 

 14 24 69 53 80 19 



Year 



1976 

 1996 



M J J A S 

 Month 



O N D 



Figure 4 



Seasonal variation of CPUE in beach seines during 1976 

 ( ) and 1996 ( ) in Kachemak Bav. 



In 1996, midwater trawls were made during July at 

 all three study sites (Fig. 1 ). Nine species were found 



