i QUANTIFYING TEMPORAL AND SPATIAL ECOSYSTEM VARIABILITY ACROSS THE NORTHERN GULF OF ALASKA TO UNDERSTAND MECHANISMS OF CHANGE SCIENCE SYNTHESIS REPORT FOR THE GULF WATCH ALASKA PROGRAM PROGRAM NUMBERS: 14120114 AND 14120120 EXXON VALDEZ OIL SPILL TRUSTEE COUNCIL SEPTEMBER 1, 2015 Tammy Hoem Neher, Brenda Ballachey, Katrina Hoffman, Kris Holderied, Russell Hopcroft, Mandy Lindeberg, Molly McCammon, and Tom Weingartner, editors and contributing authors With articles by Gulf Watch Alaska scientists and staff members: Sonia Batten, Robert Campbell, Craig Matkin, John Moran, Janice Straley, Mayumi Arimitsu, John Piatt, Kathy Kuletz, Daniel Esler, Heather Coletti, Tammy Wilson, Daniel Cushing, Mary Anne Bishop, Jessica Couture, James Bodkin, Tom Dean, George Esslinger, Katrin Iken, Brenda Konar, Kim Kloecker, Daniel Monson, Michael Shephard, Ben Weitzman, Mark Carls, Tuula Hollmen, and Suresh Sethi.