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Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Vignette 13: The Salish Sea Model, Tarang Khangaonkar P.E.
Vignette 13: The Salish Sea Model, Tarang Khangaonkar P.E.
Institute Publications
Given numerous concerns related to the health of the ecosystem and the possibility of anthropogenic impacts—from population growth to climate impacts, such as sea level rise—scientists, engineers, and planners seek an improved basic understanding of the biophysical behavior of the Salish Sea. The Salish Sea Model (SSM) development was motivated by this urgent need for a comprehensive predictive model that could diagnose water quality issues and concerns and serve as a planning tool in support of Puget Sound restoration efforts. The SSM was developed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) …
Section 4: Climate Change: A Global Problem With Local Impacts, Kathryn L. Sobocinski
Section 4: Climate Change: A Global Problem With Local Impacts, Kathryn L. Sobocinski
Institute Publications
Section 4 shifts from the local impacts of urbanization to the locally realized impacts of global climate change, including ocean acidification and sea level rise, followed by evidence of climate change in the ecosystem, ranging from phytoplankton and kelp, to wetlands, salmon, and marine birds.
Section 5: Cumulative Ecosystem Effects, Kathryn L. Sobocinski, Jennifer Boldt, Todd Sandell, Jaclyn Cleary, Michael Schmidt, Isobel Pearsall, Iris Kemp, Brian Riddell, Lynda V. Mapes
Section 5: Cumulative Ecosystem Effects, Kathryn L. Sobocinski, Jennifer Boldt, Todd Sandell, Jaclyn Cleary, Michael Schmidt, Isobel Pearsall, Iris Kemp, Brian Riddell, Lynda V. Mapes
Institute Publications
Section 5 introduces cumulative effects and brings in brief case discussions focused on herring, salmon, and orcas. Understanding the layers of stressors the ecosystem faces is integral to gaining a full picture of declines in ecosystem function.
Population, Community And Food Web Impacts Of Hypoxia : A Synthesis Of Findings From Hood Canal, Timothy Essington
Population, Community And Food Web Impacts Of Hypoxia : A Synthesis Of Findings From Hood Canal, Timothy Essington
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Hypoxia is a regular, yet increasingly prevalent feature of southern regions of Hood Canal, WA. While occasional fish kill events garner much public attention, these events are rare and may therefore may not be as important as effects from non-lethal levels of dissolved oxygen. Low levels (near 2 mg / l ) are common and species have a range of responses Here I use results from multiple investigations to illustrate the nature and magnitude of effects. On a population level, long lived sessile species like geoduck clams show clear evidence of substantial impacts from hypoxia. In addition, several sessile invertebrate …
Community Members Of All Ages Work Together To Reveal The Dynamic Nature Of Liberty Bay, Lauren Kemper, Markie Rodgers, Catherine Somerville, Melissa O'Brien, Charles Kleinwort, Sylvia Yang
Community Members Of All Ages Work Together To Reveal The Dynamic Nature Of Liberty Bay, Lauren Kemper, Markie Rodgers, Catherine Somerville, Melissa O'Brien, Charles Kleinwort, Sylvia Yang
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
At the SEA Discovery Center, we have begun a community citizen science project to monitor Liberty Bay, to gain a deeper sense of understanding and inspire stewardship of the local marine environment. As a public aquarium and marine science center serving the communities of the Kitsap Peninsula region, the SEA Discovery Center has the opportunity to engage the community in environmental science that no one person could do alone. Elementary students, college interns, volunteers, and visitors from the community are mentored by SEA Discovery Center staff to measure abiotic (seawater temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen) and biotic (phytoplankton and zooplankton abundance …
Southern Resident Killer Whales: From Captivity To Conservation, Colleen Weiler, Rob Lott, Erich Hoyt, Deborah Giles, Howard Garrett, Susan Berta, Rein Attemann, Giulia Good-Stefani, Francine Kershaw
Southern Resident Killer Whales: From Captivity To Conservation, Colleen Weiler, Rob Lott, Erich Hoyt, Deborah Giles, Howard Garrett, Susan Berta, Rein Attemann, Giulia Good-Stefani, Francine Kershaw
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The endangered Southern Resident killer whale (Orcinus orca) (SRKW) population remains the only killer whale population listed under the United States Endangered Species Act in U.S. waters since it was listed in 2005. In the 1960s and 70s, the population was reduced by approximately 40% following intensive efforts to capture individuals for a growing marine park captivity industry. The first Northwest killer whale census (1974) found just 70 remaining individuals in the SRKW community. This population has struggled to return to pre-capture numbers, and in the face of new threats including prey depletion, toxic contamination, and vessel effects, fewer than …
The Ecosystem Approach: Recovering Rivers To Help Save The Southern Resident Killer Whales, Colleen Weiler, Deborah Giles, Regina Asmutis-Silvia
The Ecosystem Approach: Recovering Rivers To Help Save The Southern Resident Killer Whales, Colleen Weiler, Deborah Giles, Regina Asmutis-Silvia
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The “ecosystem approach” to managing habitats is of growing interest in the world of conservation biology, with the realization that recovery of protected species ultimately relies on the health of their environment. In the case of the critically endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) population, prey depletion is a major threat to their survival. Research has shown that the SRKWs are highly dependent on Chinook salmon; thus the restoration of Chinook throughout the U.S. and Canada Pacific region is crucial for SRKW recovery. The significant decline of salmon abundance can be attributed to habitat loss and degradation throughout their range. …