Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™
Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®
- Discipline
-
- Environmental Sciences (36)
- Life Sciences (27)
- Marine Biology (26)
- Ecology and Evolutionary Biology (24)
- Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology (24)
-
- Biodiversity (18)
- Oceanography and Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology (13)
- Biology (11)
- Environmental Monitoring (11)
- Natural Resources and Conservation (9)
- Environmental Health and Protection (8)
- Fresh Water Studies (8)
- Earth Sciences (6)
- Climate (5)
- Geology (5)
- Animal Sciences (4)
- Aquaculture and Fisheries (4)
- Social and Behavioral Sciences (4)
- Environmental Indicators and Impact Assessment (3)
- Natural Resources Management and Policy (3)
- Oceanography (3)
- Sustainability (3)
- Political Science (2)
- Population Biology (2)
- Arts and Humanities (1)
- Environmental Health (1)
- Indigenous Studies (1)
- Meteorology (1)
- Microbiology (1)
- Publication Year
- Publication
- Publication Type
Articles 1 - 30 of 42
Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics
How-To: Make Your House A Battery--How Demand-Side Management Will Be One Key To A Greener Future, Explained For Popular Audiences., Olivia Kaulfus
How-To: Make Your House A Battery--How Demand-Side Management Will Be One Key To A Greener Future, Explained For Popular Audiences., Olivia Kaulfus
WWU Honors College Senior Projects
Demand-side management will be used to increase the electric grid's flexibility and make it easier to achieve a clean energy future. But what is it? How will it affect me, and what do I need to know? This brochure (and slide deck from the in-person presentation) will hopefully give you a bit of insight into the greater world of demand-side management. Don't know anything about electricity? No problem. Only the most necessary information is provided by this little handout. Most exciting of all is that demand-side management could be coming to a utility near you and could even help lower …
Glacial Loss And Threatened Fish: The Future Of Mount Rainier’S Cold-Water Bull Trout Habitats, Kathleen C. Ewen
Glacial Loss And Threatened Fish: The Future Of Mount Rainier’S Cold-Water Bull Trout Habitats, Kathleen C. Ewen
WWU Graduate School Collection
Glaciers play a key ecological role in the river systems that they support. Cold-water reaches supplied by glacial ice serve as critical habitats for aquatic organisms that rely on specific thermal ranges to survive. Federally threatened Bull Trout (Salvelinus confluentus) require very cold temperatures, like those found in glacial systems, to complete their life cycles. However, glaciers are retreating due to climate change and are expected to continue diminishing throughout this century. Decreased glacial extent could result in warmer stream temperatures downstream from glaciers and, depending on the magnitude of stream temperature increase, cold-water habitats relied upon by Bull Trout …
The Economic And Emissions Reduction Potential Of Air Source Heat Pumps As A Replacement For Natural Gas And Electric Resistance Space Heating In The Contiguous United States, Joshua Schraer
WWU Graduate School Collection
It is widely believed that to reduce CO2 emissions the best strategy is to electrify everything, decarbonize the grid, and improve energy efficiency. This research looks specifically at the use of air source heat pumps (AHP) as a tool to reduce the CO2 emissions of heating energy in the residential sector. The landscape of residential energy use is complicated by a broad range of factors. We compare AHP, natural gas (NG), and electric resistance (ER) heating using data from energy prices, temperature, appliance efficiency, building efficiency and marginal emissions data from 2019 as well as modeled data of …
The Effects Of Ocean Acidification And Temperature Rise On The Thermal Tolerance And Critical Thermal Limit Of Pacific Herring (Clupea Pallasii), Nicole R. Singh
The Effects Of Ocean Acidification And Temperature Rise On The Thermal Tolerance And Critical Thermal Limit Of Pacific Herring (Clupea Pallasii), Nicole R. Singh
WWU Graduate School Collection
Anthropogenic climate change, including the interactive effects of ocean acidification and temperature rise, is projected to affect marine ecosystems by challenging the environmental tolerance limits of individual species. Such impacts have been documented in a handful of marine fishes, including major physiological effects experienced in early-life stages of Pacific herring, an important forage and commercial fish species widely distributed in coastal systems across the North Pacific. In this study, we investigated the effects of temperatures between 10- 16°C and two pCO2 levels (ambient and high pCO2) on hatching and survival of Pacific herring. Survival after acute temperature exposure was assessed …
Glacier Peak And The Chocolate Factory: Recurring Debris Flows From The Eastern Flank Of Glacier Peak Stratovolcano, North Cascades, Washington State, Usa, Edward M. Fordham
Glacier Peak And The Chocolate Factory: Recurring Debris Flows From The Eastern Flank Of Glacier Peak Stratovolcano, North Cascades, Washington State, Usa, Edward M. Fordham
WWU Graduate School Collection
Alpine mass wasting events can have wide ranging impacts that extend past their headwater origins reaching down to lowland population centers. The Suiattle River, which drains the eastern flank of Glacier Peak in the North Cascades of Washington State, is a dominant contributor of suspended sediment in the region. Normalized for drainage area, the Suiattle River supplies more suspended sediment than nearly any other river in the region and more than twice as much as the White Chuck River, which drains the western flank of the volcano. Despite its known importance to the regional sediment budget, the specific geomorphic drivers …
Using Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay-Xenopus Laevis (Fetax) To Study Metals And Temperature As Multiple Stressors In Cascades Frog (Rana Cascadae), Adam Turner (Cockrill) Crispin
Using Frog Embryo Teratogenesis Assay-Xenopus Laevis (Fetax) To Study Metals And Temperature As Multiple Stressors In Cascades Frog (Rana Cascadae), Adam Turner (Cockrill) Crispin
WWU Graduate School Collection
Amphibian populations have been declining globally since at least the 1970s. In the western United States, disappearances have resulted in significant range contractions due to habitat loss, climate change, predation by non-native species, pesticide use, and disease, most recently by the fungal pathogen, Batrachochytrium dendrobatidis. Several recent studies have addressed amphibian population declines due to climate change, yet few studies have examined the interacting effects of climate change and metal contaminants as they relate to amphibians. Risks may be especially pronounced in amphibians that reside in high-alpine aquatic ecosystems, such as the Cascades frog (Rana cascadae), which may be affected …
Vignette 12: The Blob, Nicholas Bond
Vignette 12: The Blob, Nicholas Bond
Institute Publications
A marine heat wave of unprecedented severity, areal extent and duration occurred in the Northeast Pacific Ocean during 2014-2016. This event, known as the “Blob,” had a wide variety of far- ranging effects on physical, chemical, and biological ocean properties. Because the Blob was such a massive perturbation, it represents an attractively large signal for inquiry in the Salish Sea. It represents a dress rehearsal for typical conditions in future decades due to global climate change.
Vignette 20: Fraser River Estuary In Need Of Urgent Intensive Care, Laura Kehoe, Tara G. Martin
Vignette 20: Fraser River Estuary In Need Of Urgent Intensive Care, Laura Kehoe, Tara G. Martin
Institute Publications
The Fraser River is the lifeline of the Salish Sea, influencing its stratification, circulation, and primary productivity. If we do not take strong action to conserve the Fraser River estuary, two-thirds of the species at risk in this region are predicted to have a less than 50% chance of survival. Many of the region's most iconic species could disappear. Conservation action combined with environmental governance is a pathway for a brighter future for the Fraser River and other highly contested regions.
Vignette 16: Vulnerability And Climate Change Adaptation, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe
Vignette 16: Vulnerability And Climate Change Adaptation, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe
Institute Publications
The 2013 Jamestown Climate Vulnerability Assessment and Adaptation Plan provides an assessment of vulnerabilities of tribal resources to the negative impacts of climate change. The plan also identifies adaptation measures that the tribe is working to complete. Sea level rise, ocean acidification and climate models show potential for increased risks to critical habitats, tribal infrastructure and tribal health. As one of the first tribes in western Washington to complete a climate adaptation plan and vulnerability assessment, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe has identified and prioritized areas where changing climate conditions will leave tribal resources, infrastructure, economy and health most vulnerable, Climate …
Vignette 02: Lower Trophic Levels In The Salish Sea, Ian Perry
Vignette 02: Lower Trophic Levels In The Salish Sea, Ian Perry
Institute Publications
Plankton form the base of the pelagic marine food web in the Salish Sea, and are eaten by fishes, marine mammals, and seabirds. Plankton include microscopic plants (phytoplankton) and very small animals (zooplankton). This vignette presents an overview of monitoring observations of phytoplankton and zooplankton distribution and biomass in the Strait of Georgia. Climate change may lead to unusual and unexpected patterns of phytoplankton and zooplankton in the future.
Vignette 23: Indigenous Management Systems Can Promote More Sustainable Salmon Fisheries In The Salish Sea, William I. Atlas, Natalie C. Ban, Jonathan W. Moore, Adrian M. Tuohy, Spencer Greening, Andrea J. Reid, Nicole Morven, Elroy White, William G. Housty, Jess A. Housty, Christina N. Service, Larry Greba, Sam Harrison, Katherine Ir Butts, Elissa Sweeney-Bergen, Donna Macintyre, Matthew R. Sloat, Katrina Connors
Vignette 23: Indigenous Management Systems Can Promote More Sustainable Salmon Fisheries In The Salish Sea, William I. Atlas, Natalie C. Ban, Jonathan W. Moore, Adrian M. Tuohy, Spencer Greening, Andrea J. Reid, Nicole Morven, Elroy White, William G. Housty, Jess A. Housty, Christina N. Service, Larry Greba, Sam Harrison, Katherine Ir Butts, Elissa Sweeney-Bergen, Donna Macintyre, Matthew R. Sloat, Katrina Connors
Institute Publications
Indigenous peoples of the Northern Pacific Rim have harvested salmon for more than 10,000 years, and Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) form the foundation of social-ecological systems encompassing communities from California to Kamchatka and Northern Japan. Through continuous placed-based interdependence with salmon, Indigenous societies formed deliberate and well-honed systems of salmon management. These systems promoted the sustained productivity of salmon fisheries. In Canada and the United States, Indigenous sovereignty and resource stewardship were forcibly disrupted by colonial government authority. Despite the destructive impacts of colonization, Indigenous culture and knowledge are resurgent in Canada and the United States. Indigenous fishing technologies and …
Vignette 21: How Ecological Time-Series Inform Response To Stressors, Jackson W.F. Chu
Vignette 21: How Ecological Time-Series Inform Response To Stressors, Jackson W.F. Chu
Institute Publications
An important part of biodiversity monitoring includes assessing the differences in vulnerability across parts of an ecosystem. Hypoxia is one of the big three climate- related stressors causing biodiversity loss in the oceans. As the ocean warms, its capacity to hold oxygen becomes reduced. At the same time, concurrent shifts in circulation result in changes to how oxygen gets transported from the surface (where oxygen dissolves into the ocean) to the seafloor and from offshore to inshore areas. When a habitat experiences a substantial drop in oxygen, below the point needed to sustain everyday life, animals respond by migrating away, …
Vignette 17: Salish Sea Jellyfish, Correigh Greene
Vignette 17: Salish Sea Jellyfish, Correigh Greene
Institute Publications
The Salish Sea is home to a diverse community of gelatinous zooplankton (or "jellies"). In their adult forms, jellies comprise a relatively large proportion of biomass in the Salish Sea. Questions regarding jellyfish abundance and climate variation in the Salish Sea have been difficult to address, in part because of a lack of consistent monitoring. Research presented in this vignette suggests that jellyfish are sensitive to climate signals like marine water temperatures, but do not appear to be systematically increasing in abundance over time. Due to advances in modeling, we may gain a better perspective on the roles jellies play …
Vignette 08: Connection To Place: Indigenous Leadership In Səlilwət (Burrard Inlet), Tsleil-Waututh Nation’S Treaty Lands And Resources Department
Vignette 08: Connection To Place: Indigenous Leadership In Səlilwət (Burrard Inlet), Tsleil-Waututh Nation’S Treaty Lands And Resources Department
Institute Publications
Since time out of mind, Tsleil-Waututh have used and occupied Burrard Inlet and surrounding watersheds. Generations of Tsleil-Waututh people were brought up with the teaching, “When the tide went out, the table was set.” About 90% of our diet was once derived from Burrard Inlet and the Fraser River, but today the Inlet is unable to support our needs. Cumulative effects of colonial settlement and development have eroded the ecological health, integrity, and diversity of the Inlet. Tsleil-Waututh Nation (TWN) has a goal to restore the health of the Inlet so that we, and future generations of Tsleil-Waututh People, can …
Vignette 04: Olympia Oysters, Jodie Toft, Betsy Peabody
Vignette 04: Olympia Oysters, Jodie Toft, Betsy Peabody
Institute Publications
Olympia oysters (Ostrea lurida) are our only native oyster species here in the Salish Sea. Olympia oysters once covered an estimated 13-26% of the intertidal area in Puget Sound, mostly near the heads of inlets. A combination of overharvest, pollution, and habitat loss reduced the current population to less than 4% of historic numbers, though sparse numbers of Olympia oysters can still be found throughout most of their historic distribution. Looking to the future, as our region’s marine waters experience effects of climate change and ocean acidification (OA), native species such as the Olympia oyster may prove to …
Vignette 14: Eelgrass Wasting Disease, Olivia Graham, Morgan Eisenlord, Drew Harvell
Vignette 14: Eelgrass Wasting Disease, Olivia Graham, Morgan Eisenlord, Drew Harvell
Institute Publications
Rising seawater temperatures can increase the risk of disease outbreaks in many taxa. Pathogens are potentially the ultimate keystone species in that their small biomass can have massive impacts that ripple through ecosystems. Disease outbreaks can be particularly damaging when they affect ecosystem engineers, such as seagrasses. Outbreaks of wasting disease in seagrasses are one of a myriad of stressors associated with declining temperate and tropical seagrass meadows around the globe. Levels of eelgrass wasting disease are high in the San Juan Islands and Puget Sound. These increasing levels of disease are a threat to sustainability of eelgrass meadows, our …
Section 7: The Future Of The Salish Sea? A Call To Action, Ginny Broadhurst, Natalie Baloy, Kathryn L. Sobocinski
Section 7: The Future Of The Salish Sea? A Call To Action, Ginny Broadhurst, Natalie Baloy, Kathryn L. Sobocinski
Institute Publications
Section 7 provides perspective from the Salish Sea Institute, acknowledging that science alone will not resolve continuing problems or emerging issues. Stronger policies along with education, leadership, and collaboration are needed.
Vignette 13: The Salish Sea Model, Tarang Khangaonkar P.E.
Vignette 13: The Salish Sea Model, Tarang Khangaonkar P.E.
Institute Publications
Given numerous concerns related to the health of the ecosystem and the possibility of anthropogenic impacts—from population growth to climate impacts, such as sea level rise—scientists, engineers, and planners seek an improved basic understanding of the biophysical behavior of the Salish Sea. The Salish Sea Model (SSM) development was motivated by this urgent need for a comprehensive predictive model that could diagnose water quality issues and concerns and serve as a planning tool in support of Puget Sound restoration efforts. The SSM was developed by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in collaboration with the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology) …
Section 4: Climate Change: A Global Problem With Local Impacts, Kathryn L. Sobocinski
Section 4: Climate Change: A Global Problem With Local Impacts, Kathryn L. Sobocinski
Institute Publications
Section 4 shifts from the local impacts of urbanization to the locally realized impacts of global climate change, including ocean acidification and sea level rise, followed by evidence of climate change in the ecosystem, ranging from phytoplankton and kelp, to wetlands, salmon, and marine birds.
Section 3: Urbanization And Human Impacts To The Seascape, Kathryn L. Sobocinski
Section 3: Urbanization And Human Impacts To The Seascape, Kathryn L. Sobocinski
Institute Publications
Section 3 turns to an in-depth discussion of stressors and impacts to the ecosystem from population growth and urbanization, such as increases in impervious surfaces, hardening of shorelines, and the problems caused by a myriad of marine contaminants.
Section 2: Context, Kathryn L. Sobocinski
Section 2: Context, Kathryn L. Sobocinski
Institute Publications
Section 2 sets a foundation for understanding the Salish Sea ecosystem by describing its fundamental biophysical processes and structure, including estuarine circulation, ecological productivity, and an overview of several important biogenic habitats.
Section 6: Opportunities For Improving Assessment And Understanding Of The Salish Sea, Kathryn L. Sobocinski
Section 6: Opportunities For Improving Assessment And Understanding Of The Salish Sea, Kathryn L. Sobocinski
Institute Publications
Section 6 offers a list of science-based needs and opportunities brought to light by the report and various existing efforts within the Salish Sea science community, representing opportunities for greater collaboration across geographic and jurisdictional boundaries.
Section 5: Cumulative Ecosystem Effects, Kathryn L. Sobocinski, Jennifer Boldt, Todd Sandell, Jaclyn Cleary, Michael Schmidt, Isobel Pearsall, Iris Kemp, Brian Riddell, Lynda V. Mapes
Section 5: Cumulative Ecosystem Effects, Kathryn L. Sobocinski, Jennifer Boldt, Todd Sandell, Jaclyn Cleary, Michael Schmidt, Isobel Pearsall, Iris Kemp, Brian Riddell, Lynda V. Mapes
Institute Publications
Section 5 introduces cumulative effects and brings in brief case discussions focused on herring, salmon, and orcas. Understanding the layers of stressors the ecosystem faces is integral to gaining a full picture of declines in ecosystem function.
Vignette 15: Eelgrass Variations Ties To Sea Level Variations, Ronald Thom
Vignette 15: Eelgrass Variations Ties To Sea Level Variations, Ronald Thom
Institute Publications
This vignette shares an overview of the process and results of a long-term eelgrass monitoring effort at the mouth of Sequim Bay. Coupling these local long-term findings with research and monitoring across the Salish Sea and the globe will help better understand the longer-term effects of global warming and perhaps other human and natural-derived pressures on coastal ecosystems, and provide clues on how to make these systems more resilient to pressures.
Floodplain Response To Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 In The Southern Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, U.S.A., Eve Lalor
Floodplain Response To Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 In The Southern Bighorn Basin, Wyoming, U.S.A., Eve Lalor
WWU Graduate School Collection
Paleosols in the Willwood Formation of the Bighorn Basin, Wyoming contain a sedimentary and geochemical record of several early Eocene hyperthermal (rapid, global warming) events including the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) and the Eocene Thermal Maximum 2 (ETM2). Numerous studies of the PETM indicate environmental shifts including an overall decrease in precipitation and soil moisture, but the hydrologic response to the subsequent smaller Eocene hyperthermals remains poorly understood. In order to estimate potential precipitation changes during ETM2, I sampled floodplain paleosol horizons from Willwood Formation strata below, within, and above the stratigraphic carbon isotope excursion (CIE) that marks the ETM2. …
The Past Is The Key To The Present: Reconstructing Changes In Seasonal Precipitation Triggered By Ancient Climate Change, William Ward
The Past Is The Key To The Present: Reconstructing Changes In Seasonal Precipitation Triggered By Ancient Climate Change, William Ward
Scholars Week
Plant biomarkers have grown in use for defining paleoclimates in the geologic record, especially during major climate change events. Research utilizing these biomarkers often looks at leaf waxes within preserved organic matter in the rock record. These waxes are resilient to decomposition and thus are invaluable to paleoclimate reconstruction. Specifically, changes in the composition of hydrogen isotopes (D/H) in leaf wax lipids (n-alkanes and fatty acids) reflect changes in precipitation and can be used to model variability in the hydrologic cycle during major climate change events, such as abrupt global warming events (e.g. hyperthermals). The Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), about …
Modeling The Effects Of Climate Change On Streamflow And Stream Temperature In The South Fork Of The Stillaguamish River, Katherine Mary Clarke
Modeling The Effects Of Climate Change On Streamflow And Stream Temperature In The South Fork Of The Stillaguamish River, Katherine Mary Clarke
WWU Graduate School Collection
The Stillaguamish River in northwest Washington State is an important regional water resource for local agriculture, industry, and First Nations tribes and a critical habitat for several threatened and endangered salmonid species, including the Chinook salmon. The river is currently subject to a temperature total maximum daily load, so it is important to understand how projected climate change will affect future stream temperatures and thus salmon populations. Snowpack is the main contributor to spring and summer streamflow and helps to mitigate stream temperatures as air temperatures rise through the summer in the South Fork of the Stillaguamish River. I used …
Modeling The Effects Of Climate Variability On Hydrology And Stream Temperatures In The North Fork Of The Stillaguamish River, Kyra Freeman
Modeling The Effects Of Climate Variability On Hydrology And Stream Temperatures In The North Fork Of The Stillaguamish River, Kyra Freeman
WWU Graduate School Collection
The Stillaguamish River in northwest Washington State, USA, provides water resources to local agriculture, industry and First Nations Tribes, and provides crucial habitat for several endangered species of salmonids. The watershed experiences a mild maritime climate and high relief, with rain and snowmelt dominating the streamflow. In anticipation of shifts in snowpack, streamflow, and stream temperature, I use projected global climate scenarios and numerical models to examine future climatic variability on streamflow and stream temperatures in the snow-melt dominated North Fork of the Stillaguamish River. I calibrated the physically based Distributed Hydrology Soil Vegetation Model (DHSVM) and River Basin Model …
Providing Modeling Tools On Extreme Events Of Climate Change To Puget Sound Managers, Andrea Copping, Zhaoqing Yang, Ian Miller, Jude K. Apple, Guillaume Mauger, Nathalie Voisin, Aimee Fullerton, Ning Sun, Mikaela Freeman
Providing Modeling Tools On Extreme Events Of Climate Change To Puget Sound Managers, Andrea Copping, Zhaoqing Yang, Ian Miller, Jude K. Apple, Guillaume Mauger, Nathalie Voisin, Aimee Fullerton, Ning Sun, Mikaela Freeman
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
As climate change becomes a reality for the management of Puget Sound, water resource and fisheries managers should consider incorporating predictions and outcomes of future climate drivers into their long-range plans and daily operations. Modeling tools that focus on climate impacts and predictions show that extreme events are more often responsible for large impacts than the long-term press of climate change. Working with water resource and fisheries managers in the Dungeness and Skagit watersheds, this project uses outputs of existing climate and estuarine models to define thresholds and metrics associated with extreme climate-driven events that are of importance to the …
Recent Conditions Highlight Regional Differences In Temperature, Salinity And Dissolved Oxygen Between Strait Of Juan De Fuca And Puget Sound Sites Under Anomalous 2014-2017 Climate Patterns, Julia Bos, Christopher Krembs, S. L. Albertson, Mya Keyzers, Allison Brownlee, Carol Maloy
Recent Conditions Highlight Regional Differences In Temperature, Salinity And Dissolved Oxygen Between Strait Of Juan De Fuca And Puget Sound Sites Under Anomalous 2014-2017 Climate Patterns, Julia Bos, Christopher Krembs, S. L. Albertson, Mya Keyzers, Allison Brownlee, Carol Maloy
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Understanding impacts of climate change on Salish Sea water quality is critical yet challenging due to the complexity, strength and diversity of influences on circulation and mixing. Different extreme climate conditions in recent years (2014-2017) include record warm temperatures with reduced snow pack in 2014-2015 followed by a few years of alternating summer droughts with record rainy seasons. These conditions influenced marine water temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen (DO) throughout the Salish Sea. Analyses reveal distinct differences in these key physical and chemical characteristics between Strait of Juan de Fuca sites and sites within Puget Sound basins. Extremely low DO …