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Articles 661 - 690 of 711
Full-Text Articles in Life Sciences
Bull Kelp Restoration Project At Hornby Island, Bc, Canada, William Heath, Kayt Chambers
Bull Kelp Restoration Project At Hornby Island, Bc, Canada, William Heath, Kayt Chambers
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana, has declined sharply in recent decades in central Strait of Georgia (Salish Sea) due to factors that are not well understood. The Nile Creek Enhancement Society started a project in 2011 to study local ocean conditions at a natural kelp bed (south Denman I.) and at a restoration site (Maude Reef, Hornby I.) where culture techniques are being applied to re-establish bull kelp. The project was funded by Pacific Salmon Foundation initially, with volunteer involvement from Hornby Island Diving, support from Conservancy Hornby Island, and collaboration with Bamfield Marine Sciences Centre, Vancouver Island University Deep Bay …
Characterizing Changes In Puget Sound Benthic Infaunal Invertebrate Assemblages: A Functional Approach, Valerie Partridge, Margaret Dutch, Sandra Weakland, Kathy Welch, Clifton Herrmann
Characterizing Changes In Puget Sound Benthic Infaunal Invertebrate Assemblages: A Functional Approach, Valerie Partridge, Margaret Dutch, Sandra Weakland, Kathy Welch, Clifton Herrmann
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Puget Sound benthic infaunal invertebrate assemblages (benthos) have been sampled and characterized for eight regions and six urban bays as part of the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) since 1997. A suite of structural abundance and diversity indices, and an overarching Benthic Index, have been applied to the benthos data to illustrate and interpret community condition both spatially and temporally throughout the Sound. In general, community composition varies between locations, and significant declines in condition have been observed for most of the resampled study areas. Relational analyses conducted on baseline data collected from 1997-1999 showed correspondence between community structure, …
Don't Drip & Drive- Greasing The Skids With Social Science To Prevent Vehicle Leaks, Stef Frenzl
Don't Drip & Drive- Greasing The Skids With Social Science To Prevent Vehicle Leaks, Stef Frenzl
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Over 7 million quarts of motor oil are dripped onto streets and highways in the Puget Sound Basin each year, resulting in over $53 million worth of motor oil going down storm drains each year. But it’s not only money that’s lost. Toxic, petroleum-based oil, grease and other fluids such as transmission, power steering, brake and windshield wiper fluids, often leak from vehicles, and these contaminants are carried by stormwater to streams, rivers and Puget Sound, where they accumulate in sediments, harm water quality, and harm or kill aquatic life. The Washington Department of Ecology has identified leaky vehicles as …
Estimating Recreational Harvest Of Surf Smelt Hypomesus Pretiosus Via A Combined Access Point And Roving Creel Count Design, Kurt C. Stick, Dayv Lowry, Adam Lindquist
Estimating Recreational Harvest Of Surf Smelt Hypomesus Pretiosus Via A Combined Access Point And Roving Creel Count Design, Kurt C. Stick, Dayv Lowry, Adam Lindquist
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Fisheries for surf smelt Hypomesus pretiosus in Washington State are currently managed under the assumption that recreational harvest is roughly comparable to commercial harvest on a Puget Sound-wide basis. This assumption may underestimate total fishing pressure and harvest, leading to localized or Sound-wide depletion and negative ecosystem impacts. Assessing recreational effort and harvest is complicated by the lack of a licensing requirement for fishers, the fact that fishing occurs throughout the year but tends to peak during locally specific time windows, and the ability of anglers to engage in the fishery from private shorelines in addition to public access points …
Fish And Zooplankton Distributions In A Seasonally Hypoxic Fjord, Mei Sato, John K. Horne, Sandra L. Parker-Stetter
Fish And Zooplankton Distributions In A Seasonally Hypoxic Fjord, Mei Sato, John K. Horne, Sandra L. Parker-Stetter
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Hypoxia has been identified as a major threat to marine ecosystem health in the world’s coastal waters including Puget Sound. This study is evaluating the potential effects of hypoxia on fish and zooplankton distributions in Hood Canal, WA, using multifrequency acoustics and net sampling. Field surveys were conducted monthly from June to October in 2012 and 2013 to characterize pre-, during, and post-hypoxia nekton distributions at four sites along the Canal. Using the repeated samplings and high-resolution survey data, we are examining how seasonal and inter-annual difference in the timing and intensity of hypoxia affects distributions of predators (primarily Pacific …
Is Hypoxia’S Influence Restricted To The Deep? Evaluation Of Nearshore Community Composition In Hood Canal, Washington, A Seasonally Hypoxic Estuary, Halley E. Froehlich, Timothy Essington, Anne Houston Beaudreau, Shannon Hennessey, Phillip S. Levin
Is Hypoxia’S Influence Restricted To The Deep? Evaluation Of Nearshore Community Composition In Hood Canal, Washington, A Seasonally Hypoxic Estuary, Halley E. Froehlich, Timothy Essington, Anne Houston Beaudreau, Shannon Hennessey, Phillip S. Levin
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Hypoxia [dissolved oxygen (DO) < 2 mg L-1] has been identified as a key threat to the Puget Sound ecosystem, particularly in Hood Canal. Hood Canal is subject to seasonal hypoxia in its southern reaches, and prior work has demonstrated avoidance patterns of demersal species from the deep, offshore hypoxia-impacted waters. However, the non-lethal impact of low DO conditions on the nearshore community is not well understood, despite its importance to the estuary (e.g., nursery habitat). We evaluated the nature and extent of the sub-lethal influence of hypoxia on the nearshore community using underwater video monitoring techniques. Within two regions of Hood Canal, a southern highly impacted region and a northern reference region, we recorded weekly underwater video of the benthos via transects at three depths (10, 20, 30m) to measure species density and composition. Weekly monitoring of water quality revealed strong differences in DO over time and space, with the vertical extent of low DO waters increasing markedly at the end of summer in the south. While we were unable to detect acute shifts in nearshore densities, the community composition was significantly different between the two study regions; the south was primarily composed of hypoxia tolerant invertebrates and fewer fish species compared to the north. Moreover, the tolerant invertebrates displayed a three-fold increase in presence below a specific DO threshold (mean threshold ± SE = 3.95 mg L-1 ± 0.22), while the more sensitive species (e.g., fish) declined. Post-hoc comparisons of our findings to long-term DO trends in Hood Canal revealed the potential for a more persistent low DO state in the southern reaches. As a result, this study provides further insight into the complex regional differences in community structure and potential sensitivity of the nearshore community to other perturbations in Hood Canal.
Kelp Bed Expansion At Edmonds Underwater Park, Bruce Higgins
Kelp Bed Expansion At Edmonds Underwater Park, Bruce Higgins
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Edmonds Underwater Park in Puget Sound just north of the Edmonds Ferry Terminal contains extensive bull kelp (Nereocystist sp.) bed in the north east corner. Kelp grows on a natural gravelly substrate but most of the Park has a sand bottom. Kelp also grows on some of the artificial structures placed in the Park but not in a dense pattern like in the northeast corner. Beginning in 1999 we began a series of efforts to encourage the kelp to grow farther south in the Park. We have employed two basic techniques: an Oasis approach and a Linear approach. We started …
Is Nitrogen A Major Stressor Of Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) In Puget Sound?, Fred Short, Pete Dowty, Helen Berry, Lisa Ferrier, Jeffrey Gaeckle
Is Nitrogen A Major Stressor Of Eelgrass (Zostera Marina) In Puget Sound?, Fred Short, Pete Dowty, Helen Berry, Lisa Ferrier, Jeffrey Gaeckle
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The deep, cold and well-flushed waters of Puget Sound, WA (USA) are experiencing areas of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) decline. Eelgrass faces anthropogenic stresses ranging from eutrophication and sedimentation to shoreline hardening, ship traffic, and aquaculture, which are currently being evaluated with a weight-of-evidence analysis. Since 2000, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources’ Submerged Vegetation Monitoring Program has assessed status and trends in eelgrass area and depth distribution throughout Puget Sound. Over this same time period, WA Department of Ecology has been monitoring nitrogen in the Sound’s waters; increasing concentrations of nitrate have been measured, linked to anthropogenic sources. …
Investing In Watershed Services: From Valuation To Funding Mechanisms, Zachary Christin, Roel Boumans
Investing In Watershed Services: From Valuation To Funding Mechanisms, Zachary Christin, Roel Boumans
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Before the Westward Expansion and colonization of what is now Washington State, the Tulalip Tribes had a fully sustainable economy in harmony with the healthy ecosystems of the Snohomish Basin. However, European settlement greatly harmed the Tribes’ people, as well as the lands and resources upon which they depended. A century has passed since natural resources like salmon and forests were abundant. Today, Chinook and other salmon populations have declined near the threat of extinction. To increase the remaining populations of salmon will require more habitat, restoration of hydrology that is compatible with salmon biology, and a climate conducive to …
Knowing Your Audience: Lessons For Environmental Behavior Change From Mason County, Wa, Cammy Mills, Robert C. Simmons, Heidi Keller
Knowing Your Audience: Lessons For Environmental Behavior Change From Mason County, Wa, Cammy Mills, Robert C. Simmons, Heidi Keller
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Washington State University Mason County Extension has been actively involved in environmental outreach and behavior change programs and in that role, has had multiple opportunities to gather audience research in partnership with other organizations. Research has focused on septic maintenance, livestock management, SMP regulations, shoreline planting as well as general attitudes toward BMPs (such as picking up pet waste) and personal values. Participants in audience research were shoreline residents as well as upland residents. Key findings will be summarized and their implication for effective messaging and outreach techniques will be discussed. These include: • Perception of messaging that focuses generally …
Pacific Herring Spawns Provide Temporal Subsidies To Nearshore Ecosystems, Margot Hessing-Lewis, Brittany Keeling, Christina Mckenzie, Anne K. Salomon
Pacific Herring Spawns Provide Temporal Subsidies To Nearshore Ecosystems, Margot Hessing-Lewis, Brittany Keeling, Christina Mckenzie, Anne K. Salomon
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi), low trophic level fish at the base of many pelagic food webs, are integral to coastal social-ecological systems in North America. This migratory species provides a temporal subsidy to coastal systems by moving from offshore to nearshore waters for annual spawning events. Spawning migrations support subsistence and commercial fisheries, and provide an ecological pulse in prey availability. In coastal British Columbia, we quantified changes in rockfish (Sebastes maliger and caurinus) diet composition surrounding spawn events to understand the temporal importance of this subsidy. We found that the percentage of fish in rockfish diets switched from 30% …
Quantitative Assessment Of Intertidal Forage Fish Embryos, Shannon Miller, Randy Hatch, John Hagan
Quantitative Assessment Of Intertidal Forage Fish Embryos, Shannon Miller, Randy Hatch, John Hagan
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Most investigations of intertidal forage fish reproduction have been qualitative, useful for documenting spatio-temporal spawning distributions. Quantitative methods for assessing trends in egg abundance are lacking, however. We began a study at Naval Magazine Indian Island during 2011 to develop a standardized sampling protocol to establish annual indices of surf smelt (Hypomesus pretiosus) and Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) spawning success. A stainless steel quadrat frame was used to remove substrate samples from transects at random points in the +5 to +10 foot tidal elevation range. Samples were later placed in an inverted plastic cone and water pumped upwards (i.e. …
Rapid Deterioration Of Sediment Surface Ecosystems In Bellingham Bay As Indicated By Benthic Foraminifera, Elizabeth A. Nesbitt, Ruth A. Martin, Jude K. Apple
Rapid Deterioration Of Sediment Surface Ecosystems In Bellingham Bay As Indicated By Benthic Foraminifera, Elizabeth A. Nesbitt, Ruth A. Martin, Jude K. Apple
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Benthic foraminifera, shelled protists, are valuable tools for monitoring environmental conditions of the sediment surface in nearshore marine and estuarine to marsh settings. This study analyzed 64 sediment samples from Bellingham Bay (June 1997, 2006 and 2010) and 18 samples from Boundary Bay, Birch Bay and Neptune Beach (June 2006 and 2010), provided by the Washington State Department of Ecology. Thirty five taxa were identified, dominated by three calcareous and one agglutinate species. In Bellingham Bay, benthic foraminiferal diversity and density deteriorated strikingly between 1996 and 2006, most notably in the middle of the bay. Many of these bay-center sites …
Seahurst Park Ecosystem Restoration: Green Infrastructure Components, Peter Hummel
Seahurst Park Ecosystem Restoration: Green Infrastructure Components, Peter Hummel
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
At over ¾ of a mile long, the Seahurst Park Ecosystem Restoration Project (Project) is the largest armor removal and soft shore restoration project on Puget Sound. Initiated in 2001 by the City of Burien in partnership the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), and many other funding partners, construction of the second phase is scheduled for completion in April of 2014. At 180 acres, Seahurst Park can be viewed as a green infrastructure project from many different perspectives. First is the role of the site and project in delivering sediment to the longest drift cell along King County's eastern …
Samish Indian Nation: Designing Successful Shoreline Projects, Christine Woodward
Samish Indian Nation: Designing Successful Shoreline Projects, Christine Woodward
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
In 2009, the Samish Indian Nation located in Anacortes Washington networked with a variety of local, state and federal agencies to restore 550 feet of eroding shoreline along Weaverling Spit with an engineered soft shore stabilization project to protect an archeological site that was in danger of eroding onto the beach. This project also provided habitat for forage fish spawning along with shade vegetation; and helped stabilize the shoreline along the popular Tommy Thompson pedestrian trail that was currently being impacted by erosion and in danger of being lost in certain portions. . Phase Two, The Central Weaverling Spit project …
The Fox And The Hound: Zeus’S Paradox And Prioritizing Ecosystem Recovery, Kenneth P. Currens, William Labiosa, Elizabeth Mcmanus
The Fox And The Hound: Zeus’S Paradox And Prioritizing Ecosystem Recovery, Kenneth P. Currens, William Labiosa, Elizabeth Mcmanus
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
In Greek mythology, Zeus solves the paradox of the giant Teumessian fox, which had the power to never be caught, and Laelaps, the magical hound that always caught its prey, by changing them into constellations (Canis major and Canis minor) where their battle could play out for eternity. Zeus’s paradox also aptly describes the play of politics and science in prioritizing ecosystem recovery actions. Faced with the problem of prioritizing across hundreds of actions identified to recover terrestrial, freshwater, and nearshore domains of the Puget Sound, we structured an interactive process to capture both the key socio-political values of decision …
Temporal And Spatial Variation In Springtime Ichthyoplankton Assemblages In Puget Sound: The Search For An Ecological Baseline, Jessica Randall, Correigh M. Greene, Timothy Essington, Casimir Alexander Rice, Morgan S. Busby, Richard D. Brodeur, Toby Auth
Temporal And Spatial Variation In Springtime Ichthyoplankton Assemblages In Puget Sound: The Search For An Ecological Baseline, Jessica Randall, Correigh M. Greene, Timothy Essington, Casimir Alexander Rice, Morgan S. Busby, Richard D. Brodeur, Toby Auth
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Our knowledge of historical baselines for many marine fisheries is scant, making it difficult to determine the extent of change in commercial and non-commercial stocks alike. Providing a unique glimpse at entire communities and relatively easy to sample, ichthyoplankton surveys are a valuable tool for assessing change in populations. Our study evaluates the degree of spatial and temporal variation in larval fish assemblages across the sub-basins of Puget Sound by comparing historical and current surveys. Historical data for comparison was drawn from a study in 1967 conducted throughout the sub-basins (Waldron 1972). Larval fish were also collected in April of …
The Assessment Of Nutrient, Metal, And Organic Contaminant Concentrations In Eelgrass (Zostera Marina L.) In Puget Sound, Wa (Usa): A Project Overview, Jeffrey Gaeckle
The Assessment Of Nutrient, Metal, And Organic Contaminant Concentrations In Eelgrass (Zostera Marina L.) In Puget Sound, Wa (Usa): A Project Overview, Jeffrey Gaeckle
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Outfalls that discharge residential, commercial, and industrial wastewater as well as upland stormwater are abundant throughout Puget Sound, WA (USA). However, there are limited data or few regulatory guidelines related to the management of outfalls, and practically no oversight on the impacts outfall infrastructure and discharge have on critical nearshore habitats (e.g., eelgrass and macroalgae). Research has demonstrated seagrasses uptake nutrients, metals and organic contaminants with varied physiological effects, but little is known about the concentration of these substances in eelgrass in the Pacific Northwest and more specifically, in greater Puget Sound. Basic nutrients, nitrogen and phosphorus, are known to …
The Kelp Of British Columbia And Their Environment, Louis D. Druehl
The Kelp Of British Columbia And Their Environment, Louis D. Druehl
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
British Columbia has the richest kelp flora in the world. This reflects the overlap of two distinct kelp floras—Northern and Southern—within the latitudes of Vancouver Island. Further, the British Columbia kelp flora is divided into Salish Sea and outer coast assemblages. This is thought to be driven by temperature/salinity regimes. The Salish Sea protists are subjected to low summer salinities, resulting from snow runoff, and the outer coasters experience low salinities, resulting winter rains. Incomplete surveys indicate a changing kelp flora, perhaps driven by ocean warming: for example, Egregia, of southern origin seems to be replacing Alaria, a northern species. …
Brominated Flame Retardants: Spatial And Temporal Patterns And Trends In Seabird Eggs From The Nearshore Pacific Coast Of Canada, Aroha Miller, John E. (John Edward) Elliott, Kyle Elliott, Sandi Lee, Melanie Guigueno, Abde Idrissez
Brominated Flame Retardants: Spatial And Temporal Patterns And Trends In Seabird Eggs From The Nearshore Pacific Coast Of Canada, Aroha Miller, John E. (John Edward) Elliott, Kyle Elliott, Sandi Lee, Melanie Guigueno, Abde Idrissez
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) have been widely used to reduce fire hazards. One class, the polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs), are particularly persistent bioaccumulative and toxic chemicals, now classified as POPs under the Stockholm Convention. Marine ecosystems are the ultimate sink for POPs, and thus there is a continuing need to monitor such contamination. Eggs of marine birds have proven to be an efficient and effective means of measuring and tracking xenobiotic compounds which are transferred from the female bird to the egg via yolk lipids or proteins. Here we report and discuss data from long term monitoring of and mercury …
Assessing Regional Patterns Of Juvenile Salmon Growth In The Salish Sea, Meredith L. Journey, Marc Jean Trudel, C. M. Neville, Ruston Sweeting, Brian R. Beckman
Assessing Regional Patterns Of Juvenile Salmon Growth In The Salish Sea, Meredith L. Journey, Marc Jean Trudel, C. M. Neville, Ruston Sweeting, Brian R. Beckman
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Early marine juvenile growth in Pacific salmon is generally positively correlated with overall survival to reproductive age. In this study, regional patterns of juvenile salmon growth are being analyzed over a two-year period (2012-2013) in the Salish Sea and surrounding waters to better assess juvenile productivity, via growth, in the Salish Sea and surrounding waters to provide us insight into possible mechanisms regulating survival. Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), a hormone used to assess instantaneous growth in fishes, including juvenile salmon, was measured in late June and early July of 2012 and 2013 in the Strait of Georgia, Johnstone Strait, Queen …
Evaluating Non-Indigenous Species Eradication Options In A Bayesian Network Derived Adaptive Management Framework, Carlie Herring, Jonah Stinson, Wayne G. Landis
Evaluating Non-Indigenous Species Eradication Options In A Bayesian Network Derived Adaptive Management Framework, Carlie Herring, Jonah Stinson, Wayne G. Landis
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Many coastal regions are facing problems with the introduction and spread of non-indigenous species (NIS). Common efforts addressing this issue include eradicating these species, which can occur at different stages of the NIS invasions, such as elimination of these species before being introduced to the habitat, or removal of the species after settlement. Eradication methods can either target multiple species (such as with ballast water treatments) or single species eradication, with chemical and/or mechanical treatment options. Little information is available as to the consequences of some of these eradication practices in terms of ecological and toxicological impacts to the surrounding …
Elements Of Success: Lessons From A Decade Of Restoration Project Identification, Cultivation And Implementation, Shannon W. Davis, Tina Whitman, Stephanie Buffum
Elements Of Success: Lessons From A Decade Of Restoration Project Identification, Cultivation And Implementation, Shannon W. Davis, Tina Whitman, Stephanie Buffum
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Coastal geologic processes create and maintain the nearshore habitats upon which forage fish and many other Puget Sound species of concern rely. Shoreline modifications, like bulkheads, disrupt and damage sediment supply and transport processes that form beaches and provide appropriate spawning substrate for surf smelt and Pacific sand lance (Penttila 2007, Carrasquero-Verde et al 2005, Johannessen and MacLennan 2007). Shoreline modifications have been identified as one of the greatest threats to our nearshore ecosystems (Thom et al. 1994) and are ranked as one of the top three threats to the marine ecosystem in the San Juan County Marine Stewardship Area …
Future Climate Impacts On Puget Sound Oceanography: The North Pacific And Hydrological Context, Neil Banas
Future Climate Impacts On Puget Sound Oceanography: The North Pacific And Hydrological Context, Neil Banas
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Climate change affects coastal and estuarine regions via a complex web of oceanic, atmospheric, hydrological, and biogeochemical processes. This talk summarizes the state of our knowledge regarding the relative importance of these pathways for Puget Sound, drawing on recent climate-downscaling model studies and retrospective analyses of observations by a number of research groups. Riverflow in the Puget Sound basin is expected to shift significantly in timing, and hydrodynamic modeling suggests that this will have direct effects on the seasonality of water-column stratification in Puget Sound, and potentially on the timing of the spring phytoplankton bloom. Contemporary projections of trends in …
Integrating The Natural And Social Sciences: An Introduction, Sara J. Breslow
Integrating The Natural And Social Sciences: An Introduction, Sara J. Breslow
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
In an effort to address the complexity of socio-ecological problems, environmental scientists and decision-makers increasingly call for the integration of natural and social sciences in research and application. Yet collaborative efforts continue to be limited by a misunderstanding of different disciplines and a lack of deliberate strategies to bridge disciplinary differences. This paper summarizes concepts and tools for integration from the literature on interdisciplinarity, and reports lessons learned from two cross-disciplinary experiences: teaching a University of Washington doctoral seminar on interdisciplinary environmental research, and collaborating as an anthropologist with marine scientists at NOAA. Two major principles for successful interdisciplinary integration …
Mapping Coupled Social-Ecological Systems In Puget Sound: Lessons From Paired Social And Biophysical Data, Karma C. Norman, Blake E. (Blake Edward) Feist, Thomas Safford
Mapping Coupled Social-Ecological Systems In Puget Sound: Lessons From Paired Social And Biophysical Data, Karma C. Norman, Blake E. (Blake Edward) Feist, Thomas Safford
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Ecology benefits from integrated, interdisciplinary collaborations. However, most collaboration exists within natural science disciplines. Expanding these collaborations to disciplines outside the natural sciences enhances both ecology as well as other engaged disciplines. Our work suggests that ecosystem based research needs to be grounded in social science frameworks, in order to better address the complexities of resource management in urbanized and urbanizing systems. The Washington portion of the Salish Sea is home to over 3.5 million people. The anthropogenic pressures are substantial, as are the complexities of managing them. This complexity challenges conventional ecology-centric management approaches, and this limitation can be …
Monitoring Metal Stress In Puget Sound Using Metallothionein Production In Mussels In The Nearshore, Jim Gawel, Julia Dolan, Jennifer Lanksbury, James E. West
Monitoring Metal Stress In Puget Sound Using Metallothionein Production In Mussels In The Nearshore, Jim Gawel, Julia Dolan, Jennifer Lanksbury, James E. West
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Toxic metals are common contaminants in sediments near industrial ports and in stormwater from urban areas throughout the Salish Sea. Although pollutant concentrations have been mapped in the sediments, waters and biota of Puget Sound for decades, equating these contaminant levels to biological impacts has been attempted infrequently. Moreover, many of these attempts at studying metal toxicity have not been applied to the ecologically and economically important nearshore area. As part of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW) 2012-2013 MusselWatch Pilot Expansion Project, an effort to develop a nearshore biomonitoring protocol for Puget Sound, mussels of the same …
Oyster Recruitment And Climate Change: Do Higher Summer Temperatures Mean Earlier And Greater Settlement In Pacific Oysters?, Stephanie Valdez, Collin Gross, Jennifer L. Ruesink
Oyster Recruitment And Climate Change: Do Higher Summer Temperatures Mean Earlier And Greater Settlement In Pacific Oysters?, Stephanie Valdez, Collin Gross, Jennifer L. Ruesink
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Pacific oysters (Crassostrea gigas) are an economically beneficial product of the Pacific Northwest, introduced in the 1920s. In the 1940s governments initiated studies on the status and health of oysters in Pendrell Sound, BC (1949-1981) and Hood Canal WA (1942-1995). Seasonal surveys collected information on Pacific oyster settlement and timing through regular placement of spat collectors, usually clean shells. Simultaneously, water temperature was recorded. Because of temperatures in native ranges, reproduction in Pacific oysters is expected to improve in warmer years. Further, reproduction tends to be spatially limited to these two regions of the Salish Sea, where water temperatures can …
Patterns And Drivers Of Nearshore Particulate Organic Matter Composition, Alexander Lowe, Aaron Winson Elias Galloway
Patterns And Drivers Of Nearshore Particulate Organic Matter Composition, Alexander Lowe, Aaron Winson Elias Galloway
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Suspended particulate organic matter (POM) is a primary food source for benthic and pelagic suspension feeders in aquatic ecosystems. POM is potentially composed of many sources, including phytoplankton, bacteria, zooplankton, and macrophyte (seaweed and seagrass) and terrestrial detritus. The relative importance of these sources to POM consumers is debated, in large part due to differing interpretations of stable isotope and fatty acid biomarkers. We investigated POM composition in the San Juan Archipelago using multiple methods including visual quantification of living and detrital components, multiple stable isotope (MSI) and fatty acid (FA) analyses. Sampling was conducted at multiple temporal and spatial …
Relative Influences Of Human Nutrient Sources, The Pacific Ocean, And Climate Change On Salish Sea Dissolved Oxygen Through 2070, Mindy Roberts, Teizeen Mohamedali, Brandon S. Sackmann, Tarang Khangaonkar, Wen Long, Alan F. Hamlet
Relative Influences Of Human Nutrient Sources, The Pacific Ocean, And Climate Change On Salish Sea Dissolved Oxygen Through 2070, Mindy Roberts, Teizeen Mohamedali, Brandon S. Sackmann, Tarang Khangaonkar, Wen Long, Alan F. Hamlet
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The Department of Ecology and Pacific Northwest National Laboratory evaluated future dissolved oxygen scenarios within the Salish Sea using a circulation and water quality model of Puget Sound, the Strait of Georgia, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A recently published report summarizes relative contributions of human nutrient sources, the Pacific Ocean, and climate factors on dissolved oxygen both now and through 2070. Human nitrogen contributions from the U.S. and Canada to the Salish Sea have the greatest impacts on dissolved oxygen in portions of South and Central Puget Sound. Marine point sources cause greater impacts on oxygen than …