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Full-Text Articles in Marine Biology
Assessing The Legacy Of Large Woody Debris As Coastal Protection In Bc And Washington, Jessica Wilson
Assessing The Legacy Of Large Woody Debris As Coastal Protection In Bc And Washington, Jessica Wilson
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Large Woody Debris (LWD) accumulates naturally in the coastal environment (Brennan et al., 2009; Sass, 2009) and is thought to be a vital component of a diverse coastal habitat ( Rich et al., 2014). Decreasing natural coverage of LWD (Heathfield & Walker, 2011) and increasing demand for environmentally sensitive coastal protection techniques has led to the promotion of LWD as a viable nature-based method of shoreline protection (e.g. Johannessen et al., 2014; Stewardship Centre for BC, 2016; Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, 2016). However, there is currently no peer-reviewed literature assessing the efficacy of coastal protection using LWD. This …
Northern Kelp Crab (Pugettia Producta) Feeding Preferences - Kelp Crabs Eat Kelp, And Lots Else?, Katie Dobkowski
Northern Kelp Crab (Pugettia Producta) Feeding Preferences - Kelp Crabs Eat Kelp, And Lots Else?, Katie Dobkowski
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) is an important source of both habitat and primary production in the Salish Sea and appears to be in decline in certain areas. Northern Kelp Crabs (Pugettia producta) are large crustacean consumers that preferentially consume N. luetkeana over other local seaweed species in laboratory feeding trials and exert some level of top-down control on kelp populations in the field. We have observed differences in kelp crab density around the Salish Sea and noted P. producta living on invasive wireweed (Sargassum muticum) as well as on kelp and in other habitats. We used a combination of laboratory …
Strategizing For Workplace Culture: Developing And Introducing A Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Road Map, Melissa Watkinson
Strategizing For Workplace Culture: Developing And Introducing A Diversity, Equity, And Inclusion Road Map, Melissa Watkinson
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Organizations are familiar with developing a strategic plan to focus their work on achieving their mission and vision. A diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) road map, aligned with organizational values of DEI, is a strategic plan that defines DEI in your work: where you are starting, where you want to end up, and how you are going to get there. Washington Sea Grant (WSG) has developed a 10-year road map that includes 13 ambitious, but achievable goals that are aligned with tangible strategies and expected outcomes. The road map goals range in specificity; examples include “WSG is welcome and inclusive” …
A Journey, Not A Destination: An Agency Approach To Incorporate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Justice, Alexandra Doty
A Journey, Not A Destination: An Agency Approach To Incorporate Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, And Justice, Alexandra Doty
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Puget Sound environmental recovery is a complex, wicked problem, including both ecosystem and human and cultural wellbeing. The Puget Sound Partnership (Partnership) is a small Washington State agency that serves as a backbone organization guiding Puget Sound recovery, coordinating and collaborating with hundreds of partner organizations to accelerate recovery of Puget Sound. Our partner organizations include state and federal agencies, tribes, cities, counties, non-profits, academic institutions, special purpose districts, and many others. In 2018, the Partnership began a journey to better enable and foster diversity, equity, inclusion, and justice within the agency itself, as well as within the Puget Sound …
Begin At The Beginning: Steps, Stumbles And Learnings On The Path To Understanding And Implementing Dei Practices In Regional Engo., Christianne Wilhelmson
Begin At The Beginning: Steps, Stumbles And Learnings On The Path To Understanding And Implementing Dei Practices In Regional Engo., Christianne Wilhelmson
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
In 2018, Georgia Strait Alliance made the decision to begin the journey of addressing the complex issue of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) in our organization, one that like many environmental groups in BC lacks diversity in its staff and board. We prioritized this as we recognized there is an inherent risk that our work and our organization could become irrelevant if we don’t represent the communities we claim to serve. In addition to diversity, we also needed to address the need to deepen our relationships with indigenous communities in the Georgia Strait region and reflect those relationships in our …
Reconstructing A Century Of Coastal Productivity And Predator Trophic Position In The Salish Sea Using Archival Harbor Seal Bone., Megan Feddern
Reconstructing A Century Of Coastal Productivity And Predator Trophic Position In The Salish Sea Using Archival Harbor Seal Bone., Megan Feddern
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Following the passage of the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, pinniped populations along the west coast of North America experienced exponential population increases following historic lows in the 1970's. In the Salish Sea, this increase in pinniped abundance also corresponded to large scale changes environmental condition (ie. Pacific Decadal Oscillation; PDO) and declines of prey species (forage fish, salmon), creating new challenges and tradeoffs for fisheries management in the region. The objective of this research is to understand how an abundant top predator, harbor seals, respond to bottom up forces in the system such as shifts in primary productivity …
Shifting Phenology Of An Apex/Specialist Predator Tracks Changes In Its Favored Prey, Ailene Ettinger
Shifting Phenology Of An Apex/Specialist Predator Tracks Changes In Its Favored Prey, Ailene Ettinger
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Phenology, or the timing of biological activities such as migration, growth, and reproduction, can have dramatic implications for fitness; consumer phenology that is out of step with its resource phenology can cause increased mortality or reduced reproductive success. The timing of southern resident killer whale (SRKW, Orcinus orca) movements in the Salish Sea is thought to be related to seasonal migrations of their prey. In recent decades, the abundance and phenology of the favored prey of SRKWs, salmon, has shifted in many locations across the western United States. Here, we use the OrcaMaster Database to quantify seasonal variation in SRKW …
Sources, Sinks, Dispersion And Cycling Of Dissolved Polybrominated Diphenyl Ethers (Pbdes) Discharged In The Strait Of Georgia, Yuanji Sun
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The temporal and spatial distribution of dissolved PBDE concentration in the Strait of Georgia (SoG) is combined with concentrations predicted from a time-dependent box model of the Salish Sea to investigate the sources, sinks, dispersion and cycling of PBDE congeners. Prominent sub-surface concentration maxima (up to ca. 400 pg/L for total PBDE) occasionally measured in the southern SoG point to the Iona Island Waste Water Treatment Plant diffusers, discharging primary-treated effluent at 72 - 106 m depth, as an important proximal point source of dissolved PBDE. The decreasing depth of concentration maximum with increasing congener bromination suggests that dissolved PBDEs …
Harbor Porpoises (Phocoena Phocoena Vomerina) Catching And Handling Large Fish On The U.S. West Coast, Katrina Maciver
Harbor Porpoises (Phocoena Phocoena Vomerina) Catching And Handling Large Fish On The U.S. West Coast, Katrina Maciver
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The harbor porpoise is a cryptic species, and information on their behavior is limited. This study describes the chase and capture of large fish by harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena vomerina) in the Salish Sea off Fidalgo Island, Washington, which were identified as salmonid species (2017/2019). Similar large fish chase/capture events of American Shad (Alosa sapidissima) have also been documented in San Francisco, CA (2016/2017). In all capture events consistent behavior was observed: the porpoise accelerated after the fish, swimming in a circle at the same spot, diving and coming out of the water head first carrying the fish cross-wise in …
Sublethal Effects Of The Sea Lice Pesticides Ivermectin And Slice® On Starry Flounder Behaviour And Physiology When Exposed To Contaminated Sediments, Daniel King
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Aquaculture is an important part of Canada’s economy, and open net-pen Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) aquaculture is a key facet of this industry. Chemotherapeutants, including anthelminthics, are often used in salmon aquaculture to prevent the loss of stock due to various pathogens. The formulation SLICE® (active ingredient: emamectin benzoate) and ivermectin (IVM) are two chemicals used in salmon aquaculture in Canada to treat and prevent sea lice infestations. SLICE® and IVM have low water solubilities and long half-lives in sediment (225 d and >100 d, respectively). Due to the persistence of these pesticides and their tendency to accumulate in marine …
Innovative Treatment Of Wood Waste Sediments Using Reactive Amendments And Dgt Passive Porewater Sulphide Testing Techniques, Daniel Berlin
Innovative Treatment Of Wood Waste Sediments Using Reactive Amendments And Dgt Passive Porewater Sulphide Testing Techniques, Daniel Berlin
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Esquimalt Harbour has historically been used for log rafting, log storage and wood mill operations over the last 70 years, resulting in the accumulation of over 200 hectares of wood waste deposits. As wood waste decomposes, it creates a biological oxygen demand in sediments that can reduce or eliminate oxygenated zones. This can lead to a buildup of compounds such as sulphides and ammonia, which are toxic to benthic organisms at higher concentrations. Public Services and Procurement Canada, on behalf of the Department of National Defence, has completed studies of wood waste sediments and is currently constructing a pilot project …
Results From Biennial Mussel Watch Monitoring In Sinclair And Dyes Inlets, Puget Sound, Washington From 2010 To 2018, Robert Johnston
Results From Biennial Mussel Watch Monitoring In Sinclair And Dyes Inlets, Puget Sound, Washington From 2010 To 2018, Robert Johnston
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
As a component of a greater effort to assess the status and trends of ecological resources within Sinclair and Dyes Inlets, a monitoring network of mussel watch sites was initiated in winter of 2010 and has continued every-other-year through 2018. Twenty-five indigenous bivalve monitoring sites were sampled biennially for a total of five campaigns. Indigenous mussels (Mytilus spp.) were collected at sites located near suspected sources (industrial, wastewater, and storm water outfalls; marinas, stream mouths, and other sources) as well as sites that were representative of ambient conditions in Sinclair and Dyes Inlets, the adjoining passages, and Liberty Bay in …
Can Larval Dispersal Explain Differences In Population Structure Of Esa-Listed Rockfish In Puget Sound?, Kelly S. Andrews
Can Larval Dispersal Explain Differences In Population Structure Of Esa-Listed Rockfish In Puget Sound?, Kelly S. Andrews
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
In 2010, three species of rockfish in the Puget Sound/Georgia Basin (PSGB) region were listed under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Subsequent genetic analyses revealed that yelloweye rockfish in PSGB were genetically differentiated from individuals on the outer coast; while canary rockfish showed no population structure among these geographic regions. These results confirmed the listing status of yelloweye rockfish in PSGB as a “distinct population segment” (DPS), but suggested that canary rockfish in PSGB were not a DPS, which led to their removal from the endangered species list. Here, we test whether larval dispersal could be a mechanism for the …
Reefs For Rockfish: A Collaborative Approach To Monitor Populations And Increase Awareness In Howe Sound., Amanda Weltman
Reefs For Rockfish: A Collaborative Approach To Monitor Populations And Increase Awareness In Howe Sound., Amanda Weltman
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Artificial reefs are a conservation tool that can increase biodiversity and habitat complexity in degraded habitats around the world. In some areas, they can be effective at helping to counter stressors such as overfishing by increasing the abundance of coral and fish. In addition to providing habitat, they also provide an opportunity to engage non-scientists in monitoring projects as the public can be involved in both the design and monitoring of these artificial structures. While numerous artificial reef projects exist, many are located in warm tropical waters with limited focus on the role that artificial structures can play for fish …
Puget Sound Vital Sign Revision: Objectives For Puget Sound Recovery And Protection, Ron Thom
Puget Sound Vital Sign Revision: Objectives For Puget Sound Recovery And Protection, Ron Thom
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Since the mid-1980’s, there have been focused federal, state and local efforts to restore the Puget Sound ecosystem. Beginning in 2008 the Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) has produced Action Agendas that describe comprehensive recovery programs and, since 2011, have identified a set of Vital Signs and indicators. As of 2018, PSP identified 25 Vital Signs (VS) with 52 affiliated indicators. The PSP is now undertaking a collaborative effort to revise the VS and indicators to address known concerns and to situate them in a framework of other types of progress measures. Revised VS and indicators will characterize biophysical condition and …
Seasonal Trends In Cu, Ag And Cd Content In Strait Of Georgia Zooplankton, Bertha Iselle Flores Ruiz
Seasonal Trends In Cu, Ag And Cd Content In Strait Of Georgia Zooplankton, Bertha Iselle Flores Ruiz
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The temporal variations of copper (Cu), silver (Ag) and cadmium (Cd) content in the Strait of Georgia (SoG) zooplankton were measured between 2017 and 2018. We present the first values measured for these trace metals in zooplankton from this region and how they compare with values in other regions in the world. Our results suggest that there are significant seasonal trends in carbon-normalized Ag and Cu contents in zooplankton, and that these two metals tend to increase with increasing zooplankton size. Additionally, the trends on metal content in Ag –a toxic, nonessential metal– are similar to those for Cu-an essential …
Sea Cucumber (Apostichopus Californicus) Culture And Enhancement Opportunities., Andy Suhrbier
Sea Cucumber (Apostichopus Californicus) Culture And Enhancement Opportunities., Andy Suhrbier
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Demand for giant red sea cucumbers (Apostichopus californicus) continues in Asian markets while wild harvest has declined on the west coast of North America. Multiple trials are in place in Washington state to culture this species on upland and floating structures that support other species. Co-culture of sea cucumbers has proved to be effective with mussels, black cod, sea weed and oysters. In addition, there are food resources from aquaculture that the wild population currently exploits but conceivably could utilize more efficiently. Efforts to further this utilization are in progress.
Sediment Sourcing In Cascade Watersheds And Nearshore Dispersal Of Terrestrial Sediment And Contaminants Using Multivariate Geochemical Analysis, Renee Takesue
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Coastal ecosystems require sediment inputs of sufficient quantity and quality to maintain ecological integrity. Identification of sources and processes affecting quality and nearshore dispersal of terrestrial sediment are important considerations for successful habitat restoration and resource management. Sourcing of sediment via geochemical fingerprinting is one way to explore such processes, and appears to be a promising approach in Cascade watersheds where volcanic uplands confer distinct geochemical signatures relative to glacial and marine sediment. A sediment geochemical source-to-sink study using compositional data of the fine fraction was undertaken from the Nooksack River watershed to Bellingham and Samish Bays in March 2019 …
Squishy But Not Useless For Energy Balance: Energetic Value Of Gelatinous Zooplankton From The Salish Sea And Adjacent Waters, Florian Lüskow
Squishy But Not Useless For Energy Balance: Energetic Value Of Gelatinous Zooplankton From The Salish Sea And Adjacent Waters, Florian Lüskow
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Despite the low energy content, the contribution of gelatinous zooplankton (GZ; medusae, siphonophores, ctenophores, pelagic tunicates, pelagic gastropods) to predator energy budgets might be much greater than traditionally assumed (trophic dead end hypothesis). Feeding on GZ does, in fact, hold several advantages for the predator, including fast digestion, low capture and handling costs, easy access during blooms. Selective feeding on the more energy-rich tissues and organs can enhance prey attractivity for predators. Results of new analytical approaches have revealed that GZ around the world’s oceans are frequently consumed by a diverse set of marine predators. Nevertheless, GZ are infrequently included …
Temporal Variability Of Phytoplankton Communities In Padilla Bay, Washington, Holly Young
Temporal Variability Of Phytoplankton Communities In Padilla Bay, Washington, Holly Young
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Phytoplankton are a critical component of estuarine food webs and changes in their community composition may indicate shifts in ecosystem-scale processes, such as grazing pressure or nutrient availability. However, seasonal variability of phytoplankton communities and potential links to ecosystem processes are not well understood in Padilla Bay. To meet this research need, we have established a monitoring program to investigate how phytoplankton communities change over time. These monitoring efforts are part of a reserve wide program that investigates water quality, zooplankton, and phytoplankton across four sites in Padilla Bay. The present study focuses on phytoplankton collected at an open water …
The Hood Canal Bridge Impedes Migration Of Juvenile Salmonids, Emily Bishop
The Hood Canal Bridge Impedes Migration Of Juvenile Salmonids, Emily Bishop
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Between 2006 and 2010, Moore et al. (2013) conducted an acoustic tagging study to evaluate early marine survival of outmigrating steelhead. Results of that study showed high mortality near the Hood Canal Bridge, ranging between 0 and 36%, which led to the formation of the Hood Canal Bridge Assessment Team. The Assessment Team set out to examine water quality, predator presence, and physical aspects of the bridge structure as they related to steelhead outmigration in 2017 and 2018. As part of the Team, the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe used a variety of sampling techniques to characterize biota assemblage, abundance, and …
Toxicity Of Gasoline, Diesel And Weathered Diesel Related Petroleum Hydrocarbons To Freshwater And Marine Organisms, Curtis Eickhoff
Toxicity Of Gasoline, Diesel And Weathered Diesel Related Petroleum Hydrocarbons To Freshwater And Marine Organisms, Curtis Eickhoff
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The purpose of this study was to determine environmental effects-based concentrations of total petroleum hydrocarbons for assessing the impacts of fresh gasoline and fresh or weathered diesel in the freshwater and marine environments. The study was conducted by the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) and Nautilus Environmental to determine the NOEC and LOEC of gasoline, diesel and weathered diesel, in addition to IC25 and IC50 endpoints, using aquatic toxicity bioassays. In separate experiments, hydrocarbons within either the diesel or gasoline range were spiked into toxicity test solutions and weathered diesel in contaminated groundwater was obtained from a well-characterised site …
Utility Of The Strait Of Georgia Data Centre As A Marine Spatial Planning Tool, Benjamin Skinner
Utility Of The Strait Of Georgia Data Centre As A Marine Spatial Planning Tool, Benjamin Skinner
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The Strait of Georgia Data Centre (SGDC) has been developed to serve as a secure repository and archive for marine ecosystem data specific to the Strait of Georgia (www.sogdatacentre.ca) and is a collaborative effort between the Pacific Salmon Foundation and the University of British Columbia. From the website the public can access literature specific to the Strait of Georgia, general information about the ecosystems of the Strait of Georgia, as well as search for and download available data and metadata. One focus of the SGDC has been to provide a centralized hub from which users can search, view and download …
Sound Impacts 2.0, Aaron Clark
Sound Impacts 2.0, Aaron Clark
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
In 2015, Stewardship Partners began creating a pilot impact metrics portal for Puget Sound called Sound Impacts (www.SoundImpacts.org). Now in its 4th year of operation, the portal tracks and provides data-based storytelling resources for 6,332 individual projects that have an estimated annual impact of managing 815,258,094 gallons of stormwater. Dozens of organizations and agencies are using Sound Impacts to track and catalog their efforts and others are using it as they consider how and where to make new investments in ecological restoration and green infrastructure. In 2020, Sound Impacts will undergo a redevelopment to add ecological impacts and co-benefits beyond …
Using Seasonality And Particle Tracking To Trace Intermediate Water In The Strait Of Georgia, Samuel Stevens
Using Seasonality And Particle Tracking To Trace Intermediate Water In The Strait Of Georgia, Samuel Stevens
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The Strait of Georgia is a complex system of basins and waterways within the Salish Sea that receives the majority of Greater Vancouver’s wastewater via riverine input and effluent outfalls. It can be nominally divided into three constituent water masses: (1) a riverine surface layer; (2) a deep oceanic layer; and (3) an intermediate layer, composed of a mixture of the surface and deep waters. The intermediate water (IW) layer is the largest layer volumetrically and a primary component of the region’s subsurface estuarine circulation, yet a comprehensive understanding of the system has proved challenging. Here, we use two methods …
Using The Collaborative Model Of Storm For Impact And Environmental Engagement, Mary Rabourn
Using The Collaborative Model Of Storm For Impact And Environmental Engagement, Mary Rabourn
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The environment needs communications and engagement programs that are as professional as other environmental projects. STORM (Stormwater Outreach for Regional Municipalities) offers a model for environmental professionals on: 1. Crowd sourcing engagement and action, 2. Sharing a learning environment on best practices, 3. How collaboration adds up to resources, partners, training and impact. Projects of any size can use these approaches to improve outreach. STORM collaborates to design, create and evaluate programs that engage diverse audiences in environmental actions. Over 83 jurisdictions and nonprofit partners use the collective action model to deliver award winning programs. Examples of these techniques will …
Species Checklists For Salish Sea Seaweeds, Isaak Haberman
Species Checklists For Salish Sea Seaweeds, Isaak Haberman
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
There are nearly 700 seaweed species, subspecies and varieties reported in the Northeast Pacific, many with a distribution that includes British Columbia. Yet, it can be difficult to access reported distribution information at a regional scale; for example: does a seaweed species reported from Southern B.C. include the Salish Sea or just the West coast of Vancouver Island? Occurrence data for many seaweeds exist in the form of herbarium specimens, DNA records, and observations made by governmental agencies and citizen science initiatives. However, there are challenges to building species lists from these data, including: difficulty collating the disparate data types …
Vigor Industrial Southwest Yard Habitat Project: Demolition Of Shipways And Piers On The Duwamish River And Construction Of Transition Zone Habitat, Johnathan Cook
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Vigor Industrial owns a 27-acre facility at the mouth of the Western Waterway of the Duwamish River. This facility primarily constructs and repairs midsized to large maritime vessels. In 2014, Vigor began negotiating with NOAA a settlement for Natural Resource Damages associated with the Todd Shipyard Sediment Operable Unit of the Harbor Island Superfund Site. Since that time, Vigor has reached an agreement for a Consent Decree and the scope of a habitat restoration project to be constructed at the Shipyard. Using the 2013 PEIS prepared by NOAA, in conjunction with the Elliot Bay Trustees Council, Vigor has designed a …
Watersheds And Salmon, Student-Driven Habitat Restoration Projects; Increasing Engagement And Place-Based Learning Through Community Partnerships, Rachel Vasak
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) Students for Salmon (SFS) Program is an established 4th grade education program that has served public and private schools, including tribal and homeschool cooperatives in Whatcom County for 20 years at no cost. This multi-stage program includes both in-classroom and outdoor activities over a course of 5-6 weeks. The SFS Program builds a powerful continuum of awareness to action, building on traditional, science-oriented, environmental education. After conducting extensive scientific habitat assessments on local creeks, students then take direct action to restore critical salmon habitat to improve riparian conditions. Students additionally learn how community partnerships …
A Coastal Health Report Mobilized Community Members To Improve A Marine Environment, Amber Dearden
A Coastal Health Report Mobilized Community Members To Improve A Marine Environment, Amber Dearden
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Howe Sound/Atl’ḵa7tsem is a fjord located close to Vancouver BC, dotted with islands, and home to several communities and many unique marine species. Due to multiple factors including historical industries throughout the fjord and a growing human population with subsequent development, the marine environment became degraded, leading in some cases to population level species impacts. In 2017, an Ocean Watch report was released to summarize the state of Howe Sound/Atl’ḵa7tsem’s coastal ocean environment. The articles contained in the report included recommended actions to improve the marine environment throughout the fjord. These actions were consolidated into an Action Plan containing seven …