MOLLUSKS IN THE NORTHEASTERN CHUKCHI SEA

Infaunal and epifaunal mollusks of the northeastern Chukchi Sea were s ampled and 139 molluscan taxa were identified. The pattern of spatial distribution of molluscan species was determined by cluster analysis, which resulted in six infaunal and five epifaunal station groups. Spec ies characterizing various faunal groups are defined. Stepwise multipl e discriminant analysis was applied to correlate benthic biological as sociations with environmental variables. Delineation of infaunal group s was mainly due to percentage of sand and bottom salinity, while epif aunal groups were separated by percent gravel and bottom temperature. An increase in abundance and biomass of infaunal mollusks occurred adj acent to and north and northwest of an identified bottom front between the Bering Shelf and Resident Chukchi Water and Alaska Coastal Water. Epifaunal molluscan abundance and biomass were highest near the coast . Mollusks, especially smaller species and the juvenile stages of larg er species, represent a food resource for bottom-feeding predators in the study area.