If the southeast Alaskan fjords provide conditions similar to deeper waters at higher latitudes, does this mean that there are species there (in Alaska) that are only found in deeper, colder waters?

Question from: Mrs. Haste, NBCT, MSED, US State Department Office of Cultural Affairs, Teachers for Global Classrooms Fellow, NOAA Climate Steward NASA Endeavor Fellow

Yes, there are species in the fjords that are typically only found in other deeper colder waters. There is regional fauna similarity with deeper areas at lower latitudes, found from Washington through the Gulf of Alaska off the Southeastern pacific.

Answer from: Cheryl Morrison, USGS

What type of adaptations do the species other than coral have to allow them to survive and thrive in the cold water?

Question from: Mrs. Haste, NBCT, MSED, US State Department Office of Cultural Affairs, Teachers for Global Classrooms Fellow, NOAA Climate Steward NASA Endeavor Fellow

There are many different types of adaptaions that animals have that allow them to live in the cold water. One example of this is the otters that live in Glacier Bay National Park, they have the densest fur of any mammals with up 400,000 hairs per square centimeter!

Answer from: Lisa Etherington, NPS