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Biology

Western Washington University

Series

Conservation

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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Vignette 04: Olympia Oysters, Jodie Toft, Betsy Peabody May 2021

Vignette 04: Olympia Oysters, Jodie Toft, Betsy Peabody

Institute Publications

Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) are our only native oyster species here in the Salish Sea. Olympia oysters once covered an estimated 13-26% of the intertidal area in Puget Sound, mostly near the heads of inlets. A combination of overharvest, pollution, and habitat loss reduced the current population to less than 4% of historic numbers, though sparse numbers of Olympia oysters can still be found throughout most of their historic distribution. Looking to the future, as our region’s marine waters experience effects of climate change and ocean acidification (OA), native species such as the Olympia oyster may prove to …


How Effective Are Posted Signs To Regulate Tourism? An Example With New Zealand Fur Seals, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez, Lisa Acedvedo, Olga Belonovich, Laura Boren Jan 2010

How Effective Are Posted Signs To Regulate Tourism? An Example With New Zealand Fur Seals, Alejandro Acevedo-Gutiérrez, Lisa Acedvedo, Olga Belonovich, Laura Boren

Biology Faculty and Staff Publications

Increased tourism has augmented harassment to wildlife and posted signs are commonly used to manage such interactions. This study determined whether signs increased tourist compliance with regulations to remain >10 m from New Zealand fur seals (Arctocephalus forsteri ) at Kaikoura Peninsula. We observed 362 tourist groups interacting with seals. The percentage of groups in which all members respected the posted distance was similar whether tourists saw the signs or not [60.6% vs. 65.9%; G(l ) = 0.98, p 0.32]. Results indicate that posted signs were ineffective in increasing compliance to regulations and suggest that alternative approaches must be considered …