[COP Box Core Macrofauna Species Counts 2021-2022] - Box Core Macrofauna Species Counts collected Oregon and Washington Shelf 2021-2022 (Environmental consequences of expanded recruitment of an ecosystem engineer on a hypoxia-influenced continental shelf)

The burrowing ghost shrimp Neotrypaea sp. are commonly found in U.S. west coast estuaries (bays), sometimes occupying >80% of the intertidal area. In 2022, we documented a large population of ghost shrimp initially found offshore central Oregon in 2019 in waters 40-70 m (< 200 ft) deep where environmental conditions are substantially different from estuaries.

Habitat suitability modeling suggested the potential for additional offshore populations on the Oregon and Washington shelves. We conducted ground-truthing sampling using a box core aboard the R/V Pacific Storm October 2021 to July 2022 on three cruises. Results from the ground-truthing cruises were used to target additional sampling areas in July to September 2022 across three more cruises.