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Articles 511 - 540 of 1242

Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences

Puget Sound Shoreline Inventory And Assessment Using Boat-Based Lidar, George M. Kaminsky, Alice Henderson, Heather Weiner, Hannah Drummond Apr 2018

Puget Sound Shoreline Inventory And Assessment Using Boat-Based Lidar, George M. Kaminsky, Alice Henderson, Heather Weiner, Hannah Drummond

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Boat-based lidar of Puget Sound shorelines collected by the Washington State Department of Ecology are developed to provide a comprehensive inventory, classification, and analyses of site conditions and variability. For example, quantitative metrics of shoreline characteristics are derived from DEMs such as bluff crest height, bluff slope, bluff toe elevation, beach slope, and shoreline armoring elevations. These metrics can then be compiled and compared within and among drift cells to determine regional variability such as differences between updrift and downdrift beaches and the effect of fetch, orientation, and other exposure variables. Certain features can also be correlated to characterize how …

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Using Ferry Monitoring Data To Explore The Importance Of Isotherms On The Winter Survival Of Northern Anchovy In Puget Sound, Suzan Pool, Christopher Krembs, Julia Bos, S. L. Albertson Apr 2018

Using Ferry Monitoring Data To Explore The Importance Of Isotherms On The Winter Survival Of Northern Anchovy In Puget Sound, Suzan Pool, Christopher Krembs, Julia Bos, S. L. Albertson

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Salish Sea displays strong seasonality in water temperature which can impose physiological limits on temperature sensitive species. Puget Sound, in winter, relies on ocean water as a heat source whereas in summer, the gradient is reversed. The dynamic exchange of Puget Sound with coastal water dictates the spatial and temporal patterns of isotherms that are relevant to temperature sensitive species. Recent winters with increased water temperature may expand the range of certain species to be able to survive in Puget Sound over the winter. Northern anchovy (Engraulis mordax) are pelagic spawners and survive in between 8 and 25 °C …

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Assessment Of Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites Of Cortisol And Corticosterone In Captive Sea Otters, Enhydra Lutris, Amy Olsen, Shawn Larson Apr 2018

Assessment Of Fecal Glucocorticoid Metabolites Of Cortisol And Corticosterone In Captive Sea Otters, Enhydra Lutris, Amy Olsen, Shawn Larson

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Glucocorticoid hormones in blood are frequently measured as indicators of vertebrate stress response. Sea otters (Enhydra lutris), common in zoos and aquariums, have been documented to secrete both cortisol and corticosterone from adrenal glands. Animals under human care allow for longitudinal study, and non-invasive collection of samples are a priority to the Seattle Aquarium. Glucocorticoid hormones are secreted, metabolized, and excreted in feces. Fecal samples can be collected opportunistically without contaminating the sample with a stress response from handling or taking blood. These samples are often coupled with extensive environmental and medical health notes, which can retrospectively link peaks with …

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Cross Species Infection Of Yersinia Ruckeri From Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) To Yellowtail Rockfish (Sebastes Flavidus) And Kelp Greenling (Hexagrammos Decagrammus), Briana Gabel, Matthew Wilson, Rus Higley Apr 2018

Cross Species Infection Of Yersinia Ruckeri From Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) To Yellowtail Rockfish (Sebastes Flavidus) And Kelp Greenling (Hexagrammos Decagrammus), Briana Gabel, Matthew Wilson, Rus Higley

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Yersiniosis is a well documented disease that has largely affected salmonid farming and aquaculture. Caused by the bacteria Yersinia ruckeri, gram-negative and facultatively anaerobic, there has been little documentation of the condition in species beyond salmonids, and the direct inoculation of several non-salmonid species. Y. ruckeri is capable of living outside of a host for months at a time, is most severe at colder temperatures, and can be readily spread in captivity without relatively intense biosecurity. External symptoms often include loss of appetite, lethargy, loss of buoyancy control, darkening of the skin, hemorrhaging and ulceration in the fins and surrounding …

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Extending Observations Further: Using Historic Biogeochemical Data To Understand Trends In Puget Sound, Ben Larson, Stephanie Jaeger, Wendy Eash-Loucks, Kimberle Stark, Bruce Nairn Apr 2018

Extending Observations Further: Using Historic Biogeochemical Data To Understand Trends In Puget Sound, Ben Larson, Stephanie Jaeger, Wendy Eash-Loucks, Kimberle Stark, Bruce Nairn

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Fluctuations in Puget Sound water quality reflect a combination of natural variability and anthropogenic influence. Predictions of how future changes will unfold requires an understanding of the complex interplay between these factors. Recent and ongoing measurement of water quality parameters allow a thorough assessment of variability over short time scales, but understanding changes over longer (e.g., decadal) timescales is critical for forecasting future changes. Examining long term trends requires the use of historical data, however, measurements that pre-date modern monitoring programs can be scarce, and the detection limits are often higher than newer analytical techniques. Here, we will consider several …

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Noaa Rockfish Recovery Management And Research In The Salish Sea, Washington, James R. (James Robert) Selleck, Dan Tonnes Apr 2018

Noaa Rockfish Recovery Management And Research In The Salish Sea, Washington, James R. (James Robert) Selleck, Dan Tonnes

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Rockfish are a long-lived species group that provide an important function for the food web dynamics in the Salish Sea, as both a mid-level trophic predator and important prey source, and they hold cultural significance to the region. Rockfish are comprised of over 25 different species locally, and over 60 species from California to Alaska. Many species experienced declines since the 1980’s, and two species are listed in the Salish Sea under ESA as threatened (yelloweye) or endangered (Bocaccio). Different species occupy a range of habitat types, from deep-water rock piles and hard bottom substrate, to nearshore kelp forests and …

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Satellite-Derived Ecosystem Indicators: A Retrospective Analysis Of High Resolution Ocean Color And Sea Surface Temperature Products In The Salish Sea, Benjamin Leonard, Brandon S. Sackmann, Nicholas Shonka Apr 2018

Satellite-Derived Ecosystem Indicators: A Retrospective Analysis Of High Resolution Ocean Color And Sea Surface Temperature Products In The Salish Sea, Benjamin Leonard, Brandon S. Sackmann, Nicholas Shonka

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

A complete set of MERIS CoastColour data products (2002 to 2012) were developed for the greater Salish Sea, including Puget Sound, Strait of Georgia, and the continental shelf/slope off Washington and Vancouver Island, BC. These data were processed by Integral Consulting Inc. for the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project and is being made available to the regional research community for any number of applications. The dataset includes both nearshore and offshore processed satellite data products at 300 m resolution for over 10 years (3 day revisit). Data products highlight seasonal water quality trends in the Salish Sea and show how …

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Spatial Distribution Of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Biomass In Puget Sound: Establishing A Baseline, Dany Burgess, Angela Eagleston, Margaret Dutch, Valerie Partridge, Sandra Weakland Apr 2018

Spatial Distribution Of Benthic Macroinvertebrate Biomass In Puget Sound: Establishing A Baseline, Dany Burgess, Angela Eagleston, Margaret Dutch, Valerie Partridge, Sandra Weakland

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Since 1989, Ecology’s Marine Sediment Monitoring Program has collected data to assess the condition of Puget Sound’s sediment-dwelling invertebrate communities (benthos). These long-term data reveal declines in benthos abundance and taxa richness in parts of Puget Sound that do not appear to be correlated with concentrations of chemical contaminants in the sediment. In 2016, a biomass and size classification component was added to the suite of benthic community indices analyzed, as part of a large-scale program redesign intended to shed more light on alternate causes of declining benthos, such as climate change and nutrient enrichment. Benthic invertebrate biomass not only …

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Zooplankton Ecology Of The Fraser River Estuary, Joanne Breckenridge, Evgeny Pakhomov Apr 2018

Zooplankton Ecology Of The Fraser River Estuary, Joanne Breckenridge, Evgeny Pakhomov

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Zooplankton are critical components of the pelagic food web. This presentation will discuss zooplankton ecology in the Fraser River Estuary, drawing on the preliminary results of a monitoring study, which ran from August 2013 to May 2016, as well as specific investigations into the life history and behaviour of one of the dominant species, the copepod Eurytemora affinis. Data analysis is ongoing, but, for most of the year, estuarine zooplankton appear limited by the estuary’s short residence time. Due to the advective nature of their environment, estuarine zooplankton have evolved mechanisms to retain populations within the estuary. Our results suggest …

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Developing A Regional Protocol For Photo-Id Of Harbor Porpoise, Phocoena Phocoena, In The Salish Sea Through Transboundary Collaboration, Cindy Elliser, Anna Hall, Katrina Maciver, Marcus Wernicke Apr 2018

Developing A Regional Protocol For Photo-Id Of Harbor Porpoise, Phocoena Phocoena, In The Salish Sea Through Transboundary Collaboration, Cindy Elliser, Anna Hall, Katrina Maciver, Marcus Wernicke

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) are one of the most common cetaceans in the Salish Sea. However little is known about this species’ regional and fine-scale habitat use patterns. Photo-identification (photo-ID) is a key tool that has long been used with other cetacean species in the Salish Sea (e.g. Orcinus orca) to understand ecological parameters including site fidelity, habitat use, ranging patterns, and group dynamics. This technique had not previously been applied to Salish Sea harbor porpoise research until 2014 when Pacific Mammal Research (PacMam) initiated a long-term photo-ID study of harbor porpoises off Fidalgo Island, WA. This demonstrated the viability …

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Challenges With Accurate Tracking Of Oil Spill Trajectories Within Puget Sound, Jonathan Whiting, Tarang Khangaonkar Apr 2018

Challenges With Accurate Tracking Of Oil Spill Trajectories Within Puget Sound, Jonathan Whiting, Tarang Khangaonkar

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Risk of oil spill within the Salish Sea has recently been highlighted by the construction of Canada’s Kinder Morgan Trans-Mountain Expansion Project, which is expected to increase oil tanker traffic through the Strait of Juan de Fuca by over 400 tankers per year. Complex circulation patterns in this high-energy fjord complicates the tracking of spills to aid both prevention and response. PNNL’s Salish Sea Model has been refined for over a decade and represents the leading hydrodynamic model for the region. In a recent project, the Salish Sea Model was paired with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s General NOAA …

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The Challenges Of Moving From Framework Development To The Real World: Operationalising An Oil Vulnerability Framework For Oil Spill Response In The Canadian Pacific Region, Lucie Hannah, Matthias Herborg, Candice St. Germain, Sharon Jeffery Apr 2018

The Challenges Of Moving From Framework Development To The Real World: Operationalising An Oil Vulnerability Framework For Oil Spill Response In The Canadian Pacific Region, Lucie Hannah, Matthias Herborg, Candice St. Germain, Sharon Jeffery

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

To support oil spill response planning, and to focus data collection within the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, Canada (DFO), an oil vulnerability framework was developed in 2016, and applied to the Pacific region. Using a criteria scoring (Exposure, Sensitivity and Recovery categories) and screening process, the framework identifies and ranks species sub-groups in terms of their vulnerability to oil. The framework outputs have been applied during oil spill exercises and during the recent Jake Shearer incident near Bella Bella in Nov 2017. Operationalising the framework at the spatial scale and within the time constraints of oil spill response requires …

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Has Primary Productivity Declined In The Strait Of Georgia Since The 1970s?, Sophia Johannessen Apr 2018

Has Primary Productivity Declined In The Strait Of Georgia Since The 1970s?, Sophia Johannessen

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

A strong decline in phytoplankton productivity has been proposed as a principal cause of the decline in salmon survival in the Strait of Georgia over the last four decades. The best estimate of total annual primary productivity in the Strait in the 1970s was 280 gC m-2 yr-1 (Harrison et al., 1983). We tested whether or not primary productivity had declined since that time by calculating recent productivity from regional nitrogen budgets. We constructed the budgets using measurements (collected 2001-2011) of dissolved and particulate nitrogen and stable isotopes of nitrogen in seawater, river water, sinking particles, bottom sediments, atmospheric deposition, …

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Dye And Microbial Study In Response To Outbreak Of Norovirus-Like Illnesses From Consumption Of Shellfish From Hammersley Inlet, Washington, Mark Toy Apr 2018

Dye And Microbial Study In Response To Outbreak Of Norovirus-Like Illnesses From Consumption Of Shellfish From Hammersley Inlet, Washington, Mark Toy

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Hammersley Inlet Growing Area has experienced several clusters of norovirus-like illness in recent years. This presentation will describe a recent study to help evaluate how likely the Shelton WWTP is a potential source of viral loading to the growing area. A hydrographic dye study of the WWTP effluent was conducted by injecting dye at the WWTP at a continuous rate over a full tidal cycle (approximately 24 hours) to approximate steady state concentrations. Sampling of wastewater was also done to evaluate microbial removal across the treatment train. Sentinel shellfish cages are also deployed to measure bioaccumulation of microbial indicators. …

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The Story So Far: An In Situ Pairing Of Chemical Oceanography And Physiology, Helen Gurney-Smith, Kayla Mohns, Caitlin Smith, Tamara Brown, Brenna Collicutt, Anne Haegert, Wiley Evans Apr 2018

The Story So Far: An In Situ Pairing Of Chemical Oceanography And Physiology, Helen Gurney-Smith, Kayla Mohns, Caitlin Smith, Tamara Brown, Brenna Collicutt, Anne Haegert, Wiley Evans

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Climate change is a pressing environmental concern, and understanding how abiotic variation contributes to population dynamics and persistence may ultimately predict the fates of species. Ocean acidification negatively impacts a range of species, including those using calcium carbonate for shell formation such as shellfish, which are important as ecosystem engineers and for food security. While much is known about carbonate chemistry and impacts of ocean acidification on the U.S. Pacific coast, there is limited regional information in British Columbia (BC), especially in socio-economically important coastal zones for aquaculture and migrating fisheries populations. Laboratory experimentation mimicking future climate scenarios provide valuable …

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Development Of An Interactive Web Map To Visualize A Complex Dataset, Lisa Ferrier Apr 2018

Development Of An Interactive Web Map To Visualize A Complex Dataset, Lisa Ferrier

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) is steward to 2.6 million acres of state-owned aquatic lands. As part of its management responsibilities, DNR’s Submerged Vegetation Monitoring Program (SVMP) documents occurrences of seagrass throughout greater Puget Sound. Seagrasses are recognized globally as a sensitive indicator of water quality while providing productive, critical habitat utilized by many fish, bird and invertebrate species. The SVMP has been conducting seagrass surveys in Puget Sound, using underwater video, since 2000. Video is reviewed, classified for presence/absence, and ultimately used to characterize abundance, distribution and change in seagrass at local, regional, and sound-wide scales. …

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Population Genetics Of Native Shellfish Aquaculture Species And Potential Genetic Risks Of Cultivation, Natalie Lowell, Lorenz Hauser, Brent Vadopalas Apr 2018

Population Genetics Of Native Shellfish Aquaculture Species And Potential Genetic Risks Of Cultivation, Natalie Lowell, Lorenz Hauser, Brent Vadopalas

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Native shellfish aquaculture has many benefits, but interbreeding of hatchery and wild populations may pose genetic risks to wild populations. The type and magnitude of these risks depends in part on the genetic population structure of native shellfish species. Early genetic studies on marine shellfish provided little evidence for such structure. However, recent population genetic studies provide higher resolution, make use of both neutral and non-neutral molecular markers, and suggest some marine shellfish can exhibit population structure and even local adaptation. Here, we present preliminary results on genetic differentiation among populations of Crassadoma gigantea (the purple-hinged rock scallop) and Parastichopus …

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Using Multivariate Statistical Tools To Evaluate Dioxin/Furan Congener Profiles And Inform Policy Decisions, Will Hafner, Jonathan Nuwer, Timothy Hammermeister, Peter Striplin, Chance Asher Apr 2018

Using Multivariate Statistical Tools To Evaluate Dioxin/Furan Congener Profiles And Inform Policy Decisions, Will Hafner, Jonathan Nuwer, Timothy Hammermeister, Peter Striplin, Chance Asher

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Multivariate statistical methods (collectively referred to as chemometrics) are a valuable means of reducing the variability and complexity of large data sets. When incorporated with data visualization tools such as Geographical Information Systems (GIS), the output of these chemometric methods can be presented in a manner that is both intuitive and more readily usable for informing policy decisions. We have used these chemometric methods and visualization tools to evaluate the distributions of, and contributions from, various dioxin/furan congener profiles in sediments at three embayments in Puget Sound. One of these embayments was Budd Inlet, which is located in the south …

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Plant Community And Nutrient Development Within Four Estuary Restoration Sites In Kitsap County, Washington, Shannon Call, Jenise M. Bauman Apr 2018

Plant Community And Nutrient Development Within Four Estuary Restoration Sites In Kitsap County, Washington, Shannon Call, Jenise M. Bauman

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Estuaries affected by physical barriers, such as culverts, experience reduced hydrological inputs and reduced connectivity resulting in the loss of ecological processes. To address reduction in ecological connectedness, culverts at three sites were removed and replaced with bridges. An observational field study was conducted in Kitsap County, Washington of three sites where culverts were replaced with bridges three, eight, and 13 years ago. Data was collected at a reference site where the estuary contains a culvert. It is hypothesized that estuary restoration will recover plant species, carbon sequestration, and nutrient cycling homogeneity above and below the restoration site. However, the …

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Results From The Baynes Sound Environmental Intelligence Collaboration (Baseic), Wiley Evans, Darlene Winterburn, Katie Pocock, Carrie Weekes, Alex Hare Apr 2018

Results From The Baynes Sound Environmental Intelligence Collaboration (Baseic), Wiley Evans, Darlene Winterburn, Katie Pocock, Carrie Weekes, Alex Hare

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Baynes Sound, in the northern Salish Sea, hosts more than 50% of the BC shellfish aquaculture industry, with Pacific oyster (Magallana gigas) as the dominant production species. The known vulnerability of this species to ocean acidification (OA)-driven changes in seawater chemistry – specifically through alteration in calcium carbonate (CaCO3) mineral stability, combined with periodic production problems in Baynes Sound – have led to a growing concern regarding possible contemporaneous impacts of OA in spite of lacking environmental intelligence detailing baseline conditions. In order to build our understanding of current biogeochemical patterns in this key Salish Sea setting, the BC Shellfish …

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Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) Restoration In Puget Sound: Restoration Tools, Successes And Challenges, Jeff Gaeckle, John Vavrinec, Kate Buenau, A. B. (Amy B.) Borde, Lara Aston, Ronald M. Thom, Jim Shannon Apr 2018

Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) Restoration In Puget Sound: Restoration Tools, Successes And Challenges, Jeff Gaeckle, John Vavrinec, Kate Buenau, A. B. (Amy B.) Borde, Lara Aston, Ronald M. Thom, Jim Shannon

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is one of 25 Vital Signs to track the health of Puget Sound and restoration of this critical nearshore habitat is part of the overall regional recovery strategy. Eelgrass restoration will provide a multitude of benefits, ranging from habitat for species to ameliorating the effects of climate change. Since 2013, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources has led regional evaluation of potential eelgrass restoration sites and transplanting in Washington State. Through collaborations we have developed and tested strategies to enhance transplant success and restore natural processes. We developed an eelgrass transplant suitability model to identify potential …

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Copper Accumulation From Antifouling Paints In Five Marinas On Puget Sound, William Hobbs, Melissa Mccall, Jennifer Lanksbury Apr 2018

Copper Accumulation From Antifouling Paints In Five Marinas On Puget Sound, William Hobbs, Melissa Mccall, Jennifer Lanksbury

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Marinas have been shown to contribute elevated levels of metals to marine waters, copper (Cu) in particular. The Cu comes primarily from antifouling paints which are designed to discourage biofouling (barnacles, mussels, and other organisms) of boat hulls. In 2011 the Washington State Legislature passed SSB5436 to phase out Cu in marine antifouling paints. This legislation states that new recreational vessels with Cu-containing bottom paint may not be sold in the state after January 1, 2018. This study provides baseline data for Cu in five marinas of different configuration and size within Puget Sound and assesses potential impacts to marine …

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A Modeling Study Of Storm Surge In The Salish Sea, Zhaoqing Yang, Taiping Wang, Ian Miller Apr 2018

A Modeling Study Of Storm Surge In The Salish Sea, Zhaoqing Yang, Taiping Wang, Ian Miller

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Pacific Northwest coasts are subject to the threat of coastal inundation as a result of storm surge. This snapshot presentation provides an overview of a modeling study of storm surge in the Salish Sea using a high resolution coastal hydrodynamic model. A series of historical storm surge events were identified based on non-tidal residual (NTR) water levels observed at Seattle tide gage. Model simulations corresponding to selected storm surge events were conducted. The Salish Sea storm surge model was validated with both observed tidal and NTR data at NOAA tide gauges in the Salish Sea. Sensitivity analysis on the …

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Survival Of Juvenile Cowichan River Chinook Throughout Their First Year Of Life: A Summary Of Pit Tag Returns Through Fall 2017, Kevin Pellett Apr 2018

Survival Of Juvenile Cowichan River Chinook Throughout Their First Year Of Life: A Summary Of Pit Tag Returns Through Fall 2017, Kevin Pellett

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The productivity of many Chinook stocks within the Salish Sea has declined dramatically since the 1990s while reductions in marine survival are evident. Researching the mechanisms which control early marine survival of this species has proven to be challenging despite significant efforts. Juveniles occupy a broad range of habitats in their first summer at sea and become increasingly difficulty to study over time. A novel approach using PIT tags to study the survival of juveniles captured throughout their first year of life has shed light on previously unanswered questions. Returning adults were scanned for tags in the river to estimate …

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Sources Of Acidic Bottom Water In Bellingham Bay, Washington, David Shull Apr 2018

Sources Of Acidic Bottom Water In Bellingham Bay, Washington, David Shull

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Results of the first survey of acidification in Bellingham Bay demonstrate corrosive water in the center of the bay. Low levels of pH (7.5) and aragonite saturation state (0.5) were observed near the region of seasonal hypoxia. Measurements of the input of dissolved inorganic carbon and alkalinity from the Nooksack River, sediment flux, the Post Point WWTP, and deep water, along with measurements of respiration indicate that relatively high rates of respiration in the bay are largely responsible for the acidic water. Sediments are an important contribution to alkalinity. Model results suggest that acidification is seasonal and that water column …

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If Historic Marine Pollution Ceases, Will The Natural Intertidal Community Return? How Exposure To And Release From Pollution Disturbance Shapes Rocky Intertidal Communities In The Salish Sea, Shannon Bard, Aaron Eger, Julia Baum Apr 2018

If Historic Marine Pollution Ceases, Will The Natural Intertidal Community Return? How Exposure To And Release From Pollution Disturbance Shapes Rocky Intertidal Communities In The Salish Sea, Shannon Bard, Aaron Eger, Julia Baum

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Marine ecosystems in the Salish Sea are subject to a variety of pollution-based disturbances that restructure the composition of the vegetative and animal communities. A prime historical example of this is the effluent discharged from pulp mills across the province, which have been shown to have substantial negative impacts on coastal biodiversity. However, as environmental regulations have become more stringently enforced and the economic drivers of pulp mills have slowed down, in some areas much of this pollution has abated. The diminishment and in some cases, elimination of such disturbances provides a unique opportunity to assess the recovery of communities …

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Regional Patterns In Seagrass Distribution, And Their Implications For Management In Greater Puget Sound, Bart Christiaen, Pete Dowty, Lisa Ferrier, Jeff Gaeckle, Helen Berry Apr 2018

Regional Patterns In Seagrass Distribution, And Their Implications For Management In Greater Puget Sound, Bart Christiaen, Pete Dowty, Lisa Ferrier, Jeff Gaeckle, Helen Berry

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Seagrasses provide important ecosystem services, and are sensitive to a wide range of environmental stressors, making them effective indicators of habitat condition. In Washington State, eelgrass (Zostera marina) is one of 25 Vital Signs for the health of Puget Sound. Management targets associated with this Vital Sign are defined on a soundwide scale. However, greater Puget Sound is a geomorphologically diverse system with complex circulation patterns and environmental gradients in tidal range, salinity, water clarity, and temperature. Given the variability in seagrass habitat, it is likely that depending on the location, different environmental drivers control the distribution of eelgrass and …

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Sea Level Rise Guidance For Nearshore Habitat Restoration In Puget Sound, Harriet Morgan, Nicole Faghin, Jay Krienitz, Tish Conway-Cranos Apr 2018

Sea Level Rise Guidance For Nearshore Habitat Restoration In Puget Sound, Harriet Morgan, Nicole Faghin, Jay Krienitz, Tish Conway-Cranos

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Many agencies, organizations, and communities across Puget Sound are working to restore nearshore habitats from historic degradation to reestablish or maintain the functionality of these ecosystems. Sea level rise is expected to cause increased coastal flooding in low-lying areas and increased storm surge reach in coastal zones. There is widespread recognition that these new threats must be addressed in the siting, design, and maintenance of Puget Sound’s nearshore habitat restoration projects, especially given the limited resources available for restoration. In spite of this, existing information on sea level rise has not yet been synthesized in a way that facilitates incorporation …

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Seahurst Park Beach Restoration: Phase Ii, Beth Mccasland Apr 2018

Seahurst Park Beach Restoration: Phase Ii, Beth Mccasland

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) and the City of Burien completed construction and restoration of Seahurst Beach Park in 2014 with the objective to restore shoreline habitat and function. The project involved removal of approximately 1,200 linear feet of bulkhead, lawn terraces, and restoring a more natural pebbly beach habitat, reconnecting Puget Sound to the adjacent feeder bluffs. The project also restored mature riparian and wetland vegetation through plantings along the marine shoreline above mean higher high water. The $7.3 M construction project started in September 2013 and was completed in September 2014. The shoreline restoration project was …

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Lessons From Cumulative Effects Assessment And Management Initiatives On The North Pacific Coast Of British Columbia, Rebecca Martone, John Bones, Steve Diggon, Stuart Crawford, Maya Paul, Gord Mcgee Apr 2018

Lessons From Cumulative Effects Assessment And Management Initiatives On The North Pacific Coast Of British Columbia, Rebecca Martone, John Bones, Steve Diggon, Stuart Crawford, Maya Paul, Gord Mcgee

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Marine Plan Partnership (MaPP) is a collaborative, government-to-government initiative between the Province of British Columbia and 17 member First Nations in an area that encompasses approximately 102,000 km2 along two-thirds of British Columbia’s coast. Between 2011 and 2016, the Partners worked together complete a set of comprehensive marine plans for four sub-regions and an accompanying Regional Action Framework (RAF) emphasizing ecosystem-based management (EBM) of coastal and marine ecosystems and resources. MaPP sub-regional plans and the RAF inform decisions on the sustainable economic development and stewardship of the North Pacific Coast’s ecosystems by providing recommendations for key areas of marine …

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