Life Sciences Commons^™

Sea Level Change In The Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, Southern British Columbia: Implications For The Interpretation Of Nearshore Archaeological Features, Glenda J. Wyatt

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Sea level along the B.C. coastline has changed dramatically over the past 10,000 years due to isostatic rebound following deglaciation from the Fra ser Glaciation (Clague & James, 2002). In the future, sea levels globally are also predicted to rise according to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) (2014), due to climate change. Lemmen et al. (2008), suggest that in the near future some B.C. coastal communities will have to deal with changes in shorelines due to rising sea levels, and hence erosional patterns, modifications to ecosystems and habitats, and potentially an altered marine food supply. This thesis examines …

Pacific Great Blue Heron Population Monitoring On Vancouver Island And The Surrounding Gulf Islands, Trudy A. Chatwin, Travis Heckford

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Pacific or Great Blue Heron fannini subspecies winters and breeds on Vancouver Island in locations within 5 km of the marine shoreline. Its visibility and close connection to the Salish Sea make it an important flagship species. Due to population concerns and threats associated with urban development, the Province of BC has coordinated monitoring of Great Blue Heron colonies on Vancouver Island and the adjacent Gulf Islands from 1997 through 2015. Starting in 2005, I trained volunteer stewards and technicians to use a standardized methodology to locate and assess heron colonies, count active nests, determine nest success and follow …

Near-Space Conditions And Their Effects On Physiology, Jennifer Jo Burden, Sarah E. Bell

Posters-at-the-Capitol

Abstract 1:

Jennifer Jo Burden

UVA and UVB

The NASA Balloon Satellite, which is a balloon that is sent 100,000 feet into the upper atmosphere to collect data, and stream that data live to NASA webpage, will carry experiments that are part of a payload. My experiment will be a Neulog Sensor Logger that will collect data on the UVA and UVB exposure rate of light from the upper stratosphere and on the ground. Data measuring the exposure rate of the light will also be collected from robot welding cells or sections in which one robot will be measured in …

Mathematical Modeling In Collaborative Courses: The Soup To Nuts Experience, Sarah Hews, Christina Cianfrani

Annual Symposium on Biomathematics and Ecology Education and Research

No abstract provided.

Persistence Of Trace Organic Contaminants From A Commercial Biosolids-Based Fertilizer In Aerobic Soils, Travis A. Banet, Jihyun R. Kim, Michael L. Mashtare

The Summer Undergraduate Research Fellowship (SURF) Symposium

Municipal biosolids are recycled as agricultural fertilizers. Recent studies have raised concerns due to the presence of emerging contaminants in municipal biosolids. Previous research suggests that these contaminants have the potential to reside in biosolids-based fertilizers that are commercially distributed. Use of these products in urban/suburban areas may provide a pathway for these contaminants to enter ecosystems and impact human and environmental health. Soils from Purdue University’s community garden and MiracleGro Potting Mix were chosen to represent commonly used urban/suburban growth media. Triclosan, triclocarban, and methyl parabens were selected as compounds of interest for this study. A heat treated commercial …

Irrigated And Rainfed Crops Zea Mays L. (Maize) And Glycine Max (Soybean) Acting As A Source Or Sink For Atmospheric Warming At Mead, Nebraska, Jane A. Okalebo Dr., Kenneth G. Hubbard, Andy Suyker

Conference on Applied Statistics in Agriculture

Land Use and Land Cover Change (LULCC) influence the climate at a global and local scale. Using long term microclimate data (2002-2009, 2011-2012) from the Carbon Sequestration Project (CSP), Mead, NE, this study examines how crop selection and water management can mitigate heat in the atmosphere. Mitigation of global warming is dependent on the management of crop lands, and the amount and timing of rainfall during the growing season. Rainfed crops were found to heat the passing air. The irrigated maize crop was able to mitigate 20 to 62% of the sensible heat (H) compared to the rainfed maize counterpart, …

Now Hear This! Orientation And Behavioral Responses Of Hatchling Loggerhead Sea Turtles, Caretta Caretta, To Environmental Acoustic Cues, Bethany Holtz

Celebration

Although the visual and geologic orientation cues utilized by sea turtle hatchlings during seafinding, when they move from the nest to the sea after hatching, have been well studied, the potential for auditory stimuli to act as an orientation cue has not been well explored. Over the past several decades our knowledge of the auditory capacity of sea turtles has increased greatly, yet little is known about the biological significance of this sensory ability. To investigate whether hatchlings can use ocean sounds during seafinding, we measured the behavioral responses of hatchling loggerhead sea turtles (Caretta caretta) collected from nesting beaches …

Relations Between Stream Chemistry, Fish Diversity, And Land Use In The Upper Little Miami Watershed, Connor J. Gilmour, Randy Howell, David Paulding, Charles W. Reynolds, Mark A. Gathany

The Research and Scholarship Symposium (2013-2019)

Streams are susceptible to numerous threats to their water quality and biodiversity. In southwest Ohio a major driver of these impacts is associated with current agricultural practices and associated legacy effects. These structural and chemical impacts are known to affect biodiversity in these streams. The objective of this study was to document and examine relationships among land-use/land cover, stream chemistry, and fish diversity in the headwaters streams of the Little Miami Watershed. Three streams (Little Miami River, Massies Creek - North Fork, and Massies Creek - South Fork) were sampled in the upper headwaters as well as downstream. Air and …

Channel Movement, Error Analysis, And Impacts For Neighboring Landowners: A Lower Bear River, Ut Case Study, Russell Babb, Kellie Shawn, Todd Brown, Ayman Alafifi, David Rosenberg

Spring Runoff Conference

The Bear River Fellows program is a unique learning experience for undergraduate students giving hands-on experience in collecting, synthesizing, and analyzing environmental and ecological data. The Bear River is an important resource that provides water to farms, reservoirs, wetlands, wildlife, and hydropower generation. Because of the river’s value, it is important to understand how the Bear River channel moves and how that affects the surrounding landscape, which is a topic of interest for local land owners but especially conservationists in protecting wetlands and river ecology. We collected hydrological, topologic, and vegetative data from three persisting research sites along an 8 …

Seasonal Flow Rates Along The Lower Bear River, Ut, Todd Keniry, Dahlia Curiel, Dylan Anderson, Ayman Alafifi, David E. Rosenberg

Spring Runoff Conference

The goal of this research is to identify how flow on the Bear River in Cache Valley has changed over the last three years and how flow changes seasonally. Identifying flows is important to manage water resources along the Bear River. We collected and processed water pressure data every 30 minutes using HOBO transducers at two sites in Cache Valley (Morton, just downstream of highway 142, and Confluence which is located at the confluence of the Bear and Cub Rivers) south of the Idaho‐Utah border in 2015. We also measured flow and water stage up to three times per year …

The Effect Of Nitrate On The Release Of Glucose Into The Hemolymph Of Crayfish, Procambarus Clarkii, Alec R. Flores, Lee Kats, David Green, Gary Bucciarelli

Seaver College Research And Scholarly Achievement Symposium

Pollutants can change the behaviors of invertebrate stream animals. The level of one common pollutant, nitrate (NO3), has been rising in many local rivers and streams throughout the United States due to increases in anthropogenic sources. Nitrate, heavily regulated for its toxic effects to human health, namely the aiding in the development of cancer, also dangerously affects aquatic species by converting oxygen-carrying pigments to forms that are incapable of carrying oxygen. To understand the stress effects of ambient nitrate exposure on P. clarkii, we collected hemolymph samples from red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) over a 48-hour period after exposure to …

Developing Probability Maps For Locating And Scouting Unprotected Areas Of Gravel Hill Prairies On Rodman Soils Along The Wabash River Valley Near Lafayette, Indiana, Ryan W.R. Schroeder

Engagement & Service-Learning Summit

No abstract provided.

Movements Of Sub-Adult Chinook Salmon (Oncorhynchus Tshawytscha) In Puget Sound, Washington, As Indicated By Hydroacoustic Tracking, Anna Kagley, Joseph Smith, Kurt L. Fresh, Kinsey Frick, Thomas P. (Thomas Peter) Quinn

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Alternative forms of migratory behavior can have substantial consequences for the growth, survival, and fitness of the individuals involved. Salmonids vary in the tendency of individuals to migrate to marine waters (anadromy) or remain in freshwater habitats. In addition, substantial variation in migratory patterns can exist among anadromous and resident species. This talk summarizes our use of hydroacoustic telemetry to investigate the movement patterns of anadromous Chinook salmon Oncorhynchus tshawytscha remaining in the marine waters of Puget Sound after ocean entry rather than continuing out to the coastal waters of the North Pacific Ocean, as is typical of the species. …

2015 Olympia Oyster, Ostrea Lurida, Brooding Results From Northern Puget Sound, Jackie E. Dexter, Sarah K. Grossman, Courtney M. Greiner, Julie S. Barber, James T. Mcardle

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community recently began a restoration project to establish, expand, and research Olympia oyster, Ostrea lurida, populations on reservation tidelands. For our pilot project, we evenly distributed seeded cultch in two pocket estuaries in Similk and northern Skagit Bays during the summer of 2012 and spring of 2013. Subsequently, we initiated a long-term monitoring program that included measuring reproductive benchmarks to determine population expansion potential. While brooding data have been collected at one other site in northern Puget Sound (i.e. Fidalgo Bay), it is likely that oysters in pocket estuaries will be exposed to different environmental …

Problem To Progress: Understanding And Improving Permitting For Shoreline Armoring In Kitsap County, Kathlene Barnhart

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Kitsap County partnered with San Juan County and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to objectively review and assess the effectiveness of existing marine shoreline stabilization permitting programs in achieving a balance between applicant needs and protection of nearshore resources. Utilizing a T.A.C.T. approach (Troubleshooting, Action planning, Course correction and Tracking & monitoring), the agencies worked together to identify gaps and overlap in the permit review and monitoring process, as well as the effectiveness of permit provisions (conditions) through field assessment of recent marine shoreline armoring projects. Actions to correct these internal deficiencies and …

Cross-Border Citizen Action: Protecting The Salish Sea From The Risks Of Fossil Fuel Transport, Alexandra L. Woodsworth

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Currently, more than a dozen oil, coal and liquid natural gas projects are proposed on both sides of the border, threatening the health of the Salish Sea and its communities, as well as the global climate. Recent estimates suggest that if all the projects were to be approved, each year they would generate an extra 308 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions and an additional 1,200 ship journeys through the already-busy waters of the Salish Sea. Each fossil fuel project proposed in BC and Washington is currently being assessed in isolation from the others by the government agencies that are …

Pacific Region Contaminants Atlas, Rob Knight, Chris Garrett, Peter Ross, Brad Mason

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Pacific Region Contaminants Atlas (PRCA) is an online resource created to explore environmental contaminants topics in British Columbia, Canada. The industrialized and urbanized Georgia Basin, situated in the southwestern corner of British Columbia, is one of the key areas of concern and is the current focus of this Atlas.

Information sharing is crucial to effective decision-making by stakeholders. This web atlas provides access to scientific and technical information to support such decision-making and presents information on successes, future needs, and continuing concerns with respect to contaminants in the Georgia Basin.

In addition, the Atlas includes a Kids’ Page, an …

Relative Abundance Of Sixgill Sharks (Hexanchus Griseus) In Elliott Bay, Seattle, Washington, Denise Griffing, Shawn Larson, Jeff Christiansen, Joel Hollander, Tim Carpenter

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Sixgill Shark Research Project is designed to address gaps in the body of scientific knowledge on bluntnose sixgill sharks (Hexanchus griseus) in Puget Sound. This project utilizes three interwoven techniques: (1) genetics research, (2) visual marker tagging, and (3) video analysis. Seattle Aquarium biologists monitor sixgill shark sightings reported by local divers (since 1999) and study their relative abundance in Elliott Bay under the Aquarium’s pier (since 2003). Here we report on our findings of relative abundance.

Bluntnose sixgills are a species of conservation concern. Sixgills are listed as “near threatened” on the IUCN Red List. Living mainly at …

Simulating The Dispersal Of Invasive Clams In A Freshwater Lake Using A Three-Dimensional Hydrodynamic Model; A Prototype For Simulating Invasions In Marine Ecosystems, Elizabeth Kilanowski, Lambert Rubash

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The discovery of several populations of an invasive Asian clam (corbicula fluminea) in Lake Whatcom, the drinking water source for approximately 100,000 people in Northern Washington State, created a need among elected officials, local government staff, and the public for a better understanding of lake hydrodynamics during the reproductive season for the Asian clam, and for times when Quagga and Zebra mussel invasions are likely. Seasonal vertical thermal stratification of the lake and a desire to predict likely locations of additional clam populations or of new populations of mussels led to the choice of a model that could be configured …

Creating A Culture Of Shoreline Stewardship In Puget Sound, Erica Bates, Robert C. Simmons

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

This poster will describe the results of the WSU Shore Stewards program over its 13 year history. The program recruits, educates, and engages shoreline property owners in home and landscape management activities that protect and improve shoreline functions and water quality. The program has regularly surveyed program participants to determine behavior changes as a result of the program, as well as undergone a comprehensive evaluation in 2014/2015, which will be highlighted in this poster. In 2015, WSU re-developed its peer reviewed program materials, which includes new website (shorestewards.wsu.edu), a revised “Guide for Shoreline Living,” and a DVD containing multiple videos …

Protecting Puget Sound From Csos By Retrofitting Urban Neighborhoods With Green Stormwater Infrastructure, Kathryn Gwilym Pe, John Phillips, Steve Burke Pe, Peg Staeheli Fasla

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

In 2009 King County Wastewater Treatment Division (KCWTD) selected green stormwater infrastructure (GSI) as the preferred alternative for controlling combined sewer overflows (CSO) for the 1100-acre Barton combined sewer system (CSS) basin in Seattle. In 2008 KCWTD reported that the basin had an average of four overflows per year that discharge a total of four million gallons into Puget Sound. In order to reduce the overflows to no more than one CSO event per year for Washington State’s Department of Ecology compliance, KCWTD retrofitted 15 residential streets with bioretention cells in order to intercept, treat and reduce the amount of …

A Nonparametric Statistical Approach To Analyzing Eelgrass Density Data, Traci L. Sanderson, Michelle Spani, Andrew Rippington

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

As part of continuing work in Port Gamble, WA a diver-based eelgrass survey was completed to support the application for a Hydraulic Project Approval (HPA), as required by the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) for in-water work. The survey was completed following interim guidelines established by WDFW in 2008, although to fit the guidelines to the specific project some methods were modified and approved by WDFW. Collecting statistically robust data proved to be difficult, as shoot density in the eelgrass bed was highly variable. In some areas the variance was so high that power calculations estimated the …

Telling Stories: Designing Effective Data Visualization And Climate Change Communication Tools, Ilon E. Logan, Carol Macilroy

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

As a scientific community, our understanding of the potential effects of a changing climate has increased dramatically over the past decade. We are integrating multiple models with increasing sophistication and projecting impacts at the local scale. But the results of our scientific data and analysis are only as good as their presentation to the public and other decision-makers. Telling the stories of our work using technology and thoughtful, accurate, and visually compelling graphics is paramount in today’s information-rich environment. MacIlroy Consulting, Inc. and Environmental Science Associates (ESA) collaborated to develop data visualization and communication tools for the Skagit Climate Science …

Assessing Habitat Compensation In The Lower Fraser River And Estuary, Megan A. Lievesley, Dan Stewart, Brad Mason, Rob Knight

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Over the last century, wetland ecosystems along the Lower Fraser River (LFR) have been heavily impacted by foreshore development and industry. Wetlands along the LFR provide important ecosystem services and habitat for wildlife such as rearing grounds for fish and staging grounds for migratory birds. For 30 years, habitat compensation has been the accepted method for offsetting habitat degradation; however, due to a lack of follow-up research and consistent baseline data it is yet to be determined if compensation projects truly replicate habitat lost. This project, funded by the National Wetland Conservation Fund, aims to (1) review, assess, and determine …

Greening Real Estate Professionals: A Model For Landowner Engagement Through Effective Education For Brokers & Appraisers, Erica S. Guttman, Robert C. Simmons

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Real estate brokers, appraisers, and developers are an essential audience for bridging communication with new landowners throughout the Salish Sea watershed. The majority of these professionals share concerns about protecting water quality, ensuring the health of theSalishSeafor recreation and economic vitality, and preventing activities that lead to anthropogenic-caused landslides, flooding and other disasters.

Since 1998, WSU Extension has managed a real estate school focused on "green" topics to engage real estate professionals in these issues critical to their clients and our region's water resources. In recent years, our focus has centered on the topics of Green Stormwater Infrastructure and Understanding …

A Framework To Assess Vulnerability Of Biological Components To Ship-Source Oil Spills In The Marine Environment, Kate Thornborough, Candice St. Germain, Lucie Hannah, Miriam O

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

A structured approach to identify biological components most affected by a ship-source oil spill has been developed utilising a suite of criteria to assess vulnerability. Our approach divides criteria into three categories: exposure, sensitivity, and recovery, each encompassing a number of criteria which are envisaged to be consistent and broad enough to be usable in any region in Canada. In support of this, we are working with biologists from other Canadian regions who are currently developing ship-source oil spill response plans (i.e. Pacific, Quebec and Maritimes) to test the usability of this approach in multiple marine environments. For the Pacific …

Variable Marsh Resilience To Stress Offers Clues To Climate Change Adaptive Management, Roger Nathan Fuller, Katrina L. Poppe, John M. Rybczyk, Eric Grossman, Chad Stellern

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

In Puget Sound’s Stillaguamish estuary, tidal marshes exhibit evidence of multiple stressors that affect their vulnerability and provide insight into adaptive management opportunities to enhance their resilience. Despite high accretion rates, some marsh areas have receded by 10m/yr since 1964. Sources of stress include overgrazing by snow geese, high soil salinities, insect attacks, and changes in flow and inundation patterns. These interact with winter vegetation structure, sediment composition, and wave exposure to result in spatially variable marsh resilience. Some marshes are receding quickly, some slowly, and others are minimally affected. In the context of climate change, with potentially substantial near-term …

Mapping On The Edge: Shoreline Mapping For Regulation And Voluntary Stewardship, Kate E. Emmings

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Nothing generates conversations between landowners and local government like a map! Shoreline mapping is a crucial decision making tool for local governments and regulators. It provides information about appropriate location of shoreline infrastructure, such as docks, and informs landowners about the location of important natural transition areas between the land and the sea. Maps can also provide information that limits the activities of private landowners and as such can cause community conflict if they are inaccurate or unclear. Because mapping can be used to inform regulation, local governments often have different needs than scientists and NGOs, but there is no …

Armoring On Puget Sound: Progress Towards A Better Baseline, Hugh Shipman, Jennifer Burke, Randy E. Carman, Kurt L. Fresh

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The construction of seawalls and similar structures along Puget Sound’s shoreline impacts geomorphic processes and ecological functions. The extent of shoreline armor has been adopted by the Puget Sound Partnership as a vital sign indicator, is used by local, state, and federal groups as a measure of ecosystem function, and has been employed as a tool for prioritizing restoration actions.

As a result, we recognized the importance of accurately characterizing the extent, character, and distribution of shoreline armor. The objectives of our project were to review existing data sources, assess methodologies, identify gaps in data quality or coverage, and to …

Resources For Marine Shoreline Design, Theresa Mitchell

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Shoreline armoring and reducing the use of hard, structural approaches to protecting property is a hot topic across marine communities of North America. As we learn more about the importance of the marine and terrestrial interface (the nearshore zone), we also understand more about how our past practices of hard armoring shorelines can be problematic to the nearshore zone and the ecosystem goods and services it provides. Shifting property owners away from using common hard approaches to erosion protection is difficult to achieve without easy access to information on effective environmentally-friendly alternatives.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and …