Integrating Watershed-Scale And River-Reach Protection And Restoration Planning To Promote Climate Resilience In The South Fork Nooksack River (Sfnr),
2018
Nooksack Indian Tribe, United States
Integrating Watershed-Scale And River-Reach Protection And Restoration Planning To Promote Climate Resilience In The South Fork Nooksack River (Sfnr), Oliver Grah, Susan Dickerson-Lange
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The Nooksack Indian Tribe reservation is located at the foot of the North Cascades Mountains, approximately 13 miles east of Bellingham, WA and the Salish Sea. The Tribe relies on a harvestable surplus of Pacific salmon in the Nooksack River for cultural, subsistence, and commercial purposes. Today, Pacific salmon runs are less than 10 percent of the runs in the late 1800’s. Causes of the declines are complex; however, it is well understood that the legacy of commercial forestry, agriculture, and development has increased sediment loading and water temperature. Climate impacts will cumulatively add to the legacy impacts, which are …
Spatial Comparison Of Pbts In Marine Fish And Invertebrates From King County Waters,
2018
King County, United States
Spatial Comparison Of Pbts In Marine Fish And Invertebrates From King County Waters, Rory O'Rourke, Jenée Colton, Debra Williston
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
In 2014, King County initiated a long-term monitoring program of marine tissue contaminants. The program monitors important prey of marine mammals and species collected for human consumption: Dungeness and Red rock crab, English sole, market squid, and rockfish (brown, copper, and quillback). Sampling locations include Elliott Bay and central Puget Sound sites within King County waters. Generally, PCB concentrations in all species were higher in Elliott Bay compared to other King County locations. With a few exceptions, PBDE concentrations in all species generally exhibited less of a distinct geographical pattern than was observed for PCBs. Contaminant data for Puget Sound …
Differentiation Of Pseudo-Nitzschia Species (Baccillariophyceae) In Seawater Samples From The Salish Sea Using The Compound Microscope,
2018
Microthalassia Consultants, Inc., Canada
Differentiation Of Pseudo-Nitzschia Species (Baccillariophyceae) In Seawater Samples From The Salish Sea Using The Compound Microscope, Nicola Haigh, Devan Johnson, Tamara Brown
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Taxonomic analysis using the compound microscope remains an efficient and commonly used method of monitoring phytoplankton in seawater samples. Certain diatoms in the Pseudo-nitzschia genus produce the toxin domoic acid, and thereby cause amnesic shellfish poisoning or domoic acid poisoning. Because differentiation between Pseudo-nitzschia species using the compound microscope is challenging, often routine sample analysis in the past has only noted these algae to genus level. This makes it difficult to assess if there is a range shift in the more toxic species, such as Pseudo-nitzschia australis, that may be linked to alterations in environmental conditions in the Salish Sea …
Managing Disposal At Sea In The Salish Sea To Protect Southern Resident Killer Whale Habitat,
2018
Environment and Climate Change Canada, Canada
Managing Disposal At Sea In The Salish Sea To Protect Southern Resident Killer Whale Habitat, Rebecca Seifert, Adam La Rusic
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) population is listed as Endangered under Canada’s Species at Risk Act. As part of its Ocean Protection Plan, Canada is taking action to protect SRKW and their defined Critical Habitat in the Salish Sea. Identified threats to SRKW include noise from vessels, availability of prey, and contaminants. Through the Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA), Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) assesses and permits the disposal of waste at sea, including disposal at a designated site in SRKW habitat. As well, ECCC conducts regular, required monitoring at disposal sites. The monitoring program holds several years …
How Effective Creosote-Treated Piling Removal Can Help Save A Cornerstone Species,
2018
Washington State Dept. of Ecology, United States
How Effective Creosote-Treated Piling Removal Can Help Save A Cornerstone Species, Celina Abercrombie
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
An extensive body of scientific literature is available on the effects of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) on fish. Pacific herring are a cornerstone species of the Pacific Northwest food web. Herring populations fluctuate annually with some areas of the Puget Sound seeing increased spawning, while other areas experiencing declines. These fish spawn on seagrass, macroalgae, rocks and a variety of structures. Creosote-treated pilings are one type of spawning structure, which typically results in detrimental effects to fish eggs. With thousands of creosote pilings in our Puget Sound waters, a serious challenge exists for spawning herring. In 2017, the largest creosote-treated …
Hydrologic And Habitat Assessment In False Bay Creek Watershed, San Juan County, Washington,
2018
Water and Land Natural Resource Consulting, LLC, United States
Hydrologic And Habitat Assessment In False Bay Creek Watershed, San Juan County, Washington, Jennifer Thomas, David Hartley, Andrew Wones, Scott Rozenbaum
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Freshwater resources in the San Juan Islands in Washington state are limited, and since the late 19th century, have been modified to support agricultural use in the islands. The False Bay Watershed is the largest watershed on San Juan Island, and contains the largest percentage of agricultural lands of any watershed on the island (59% of all agricultural activity on San Juan Island occurs in this watershed). Funded by a Department of Ecology under the Watershed Planning Implementation and Flow Achievement Grant Program (PIFA), this study produced two reports to identify and prioritize the feasibility of restoring salmonid habitat within …
Mapping Eelgrass (Zostera Sp.) Habitat In Padilla Bay, Wa, Using An Unmanned Aerial System (Uas),
2018
Western Washington Univ., United States
Mapping Eelgrass (Zostera Sp.) Habitat In Padilla Bay, Wa, Using An Unmanned Aerial System (Uas), David Wallin, Sylvia Yang, Jefferson Emm, Jude K. Apple, Suzanne Shull, Heath Bohlmann
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Eelgrass (Zostera marina) monitoring and restoration is important to commercial and ecological management in the Salish Sea. In the southern Salish Sea (Puget Sound, WA), eelgrass distribution overall has not changed in acreage but local eelgrass habitats have declined whereas others have increased. Additionally, coexistence with non-native dwarf eelgrass (Z. japonica) motivates tracking the spatial patterns of change in distribution of both Zostera species on a seasonal and interannual basis. Past efforts to map eelgrass communities have involved the use of satellite imagery and imagery acquired from manned aircraft. Imagery acquired using these platforms typically has a spatial resolution ranging …
Integrated Agricultural Riparian Stewardship In The Stillaguamish And Snohomish Watersheds,
2018
Snohomish Conservation District, United States
Integrated Agricultural Riparian Stewardship In The Stillaguamish And Snohomish Watersheds, Kristin Marshall, Cindy Dittbrenner, Carrie Byron, Colin Hume
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The Stillaguamish and Snohomish River watersheds are regionally important to the health of Puget Sound and the Salish Sea and in particular for the recovery of salmon. The habitat gains needed to achieve salmon recovery in these watersheds include much of the agricultural landscape in Snohomish County, a situation that often results in conflicts between salmon recovery and agricultural communities. The Snohomish Conservation District’s National Estuary Program-funded Integrated Riparian Stewardship project is one of several efforts aimed at simultaneously achieving agricultural land preservation and salmon habitat protection and restoration in one of the fastest growing counties in the United States, …
Elwha Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration: Dam Removal And Shoreline Armor Removal,
2018
Coastal Watershed Institute
Elwha Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration: Dam Removal And Shoreline Armor Removal, Jamie Michel, Anne Shaffer, Dave Parks, Chris Byrnes
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Along the central Strait of Juan de Fuca, a century of sediment disruption associated with two large dams resulted in high rates of shoreline erosion and subsequent shoreline armor placement along the Elwha River nearshore. The Elwha River Dam Removal and Ecosystem Restoration Project, completed in 2014, was the largest intentional dam removal and ecosystem restoration project undertaken in the U.S. to date. In 2016-017, using state and federal conservation funding, Coastal Watershed Institute (CWI) purchased a 26 acre parcel adjacent to the river delta and began to restore the shoreline, floodplain and uplands at the site of a former …
Entry And Transfer Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (Pcbs) In The Pacific Sand Lance Life Cycle, Puget Sound, Washington,
2018
Geological Survey (U.S.)
Entry And Transfer Of Polychlorinated Biphenyls (Pcbs) In The Pacific Sand Lance Life Cycle, Puget Sound, Washington, Theresa Liedtke, Kathy Conn, Rick Dinicola, Renee Takesue
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Forage fish are an important component in marine food webs as a food source for birds, fishes, and marine mammals. In Puget Sound, Washington, populations of forage fish appear to be in decline, or have unknown stock status. Basic life history details of forage fish that are not commercially targeted, such as Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes personatus), are not well understood, and potential stressors such as contaminants are even less so. Juvenile and adult sand lance collected in 2014 in North Sound (Clayton beach near Bellingham, Washington) and a historically-contaminated urban area (Eagle Harbor) were analyzed for more than 200 …
Interannual Variation Of The Toxic Raphidophyte Heterosigma Akashiwo In Departure Bay (Nanaimo): Data From The Harmful Algae Monitoring Program 2001-2017,
2018
Microthalassia Consultants Inc., Canada
Interannual Variation Of The Toxic Raphidophyte Heterosigma Akashiwo In Departure Bay (Nanaimo): Data From The Harmful Algae Monitoring Program 2001-2017, Tamara Brown, Nicola Haigh, Devan Johnson
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Heterosigma akashiwo is the most significant fish-killing algae species in British Columbia, and the Salish Sea historically has the most intense and prolonged H. akashiwo blooms in BC. There is strong interannual variation of H. akashiwo blooms in the Salish Sea that has been linked to decreased salinity from the Fraser River plume. Here we present data from weekly phytoplankton and environmental monitoring at Departure Bay by the Harmful Algae Monitoring Program (HAMP) from 2001 to 2017. Concentrations of H. akashiwo in Departure Bay are compared with Fraser River discharge, salinity, and temperature. Densest H. akashiwo blooms typically appear in …
Using A Bioenergetic Model To Set Waterfowl Habitat Objectives For The Fraser River Delta,
2018
Ducks Unlimited Canada, Canada
Using A Bioenergetic Model To Set Waterfowl Habitat Objectives For The Fraser River Delta, Bruce Harrison, Dan Buffett, Mark Petrie, Matthew Christensen
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The Fraser River Estuary is a major link in a chain of Pacific coastal habitats that support migrating and wintering waterfowl, and many birds converge here during northward and southward travels. Between 800,000 and 2.3 million waterfowl use the estuary from September through April, including significant populations of American wigeon, mallard, northern pintail, surf scoter, snow goose and brant. Waterfowl mainly use agricultural lands, freshwater and brackish wetlands, and intertidal habitats such as eelgrass beds, all of which continue to be lost or degraded by population growth and urban sprawl. We used a bioenergetic model (TRUEMET) to explicitly link waterfowl …
Using A Watershed Approach To Identify Protection And Restoration Actions In The Blackjack Creek Watershed, Kitsap County, Washington,
2018
Suquamish Tribe, United States
Using A Watershed Approach To Identify Protection And Restoration Actions In The Blackjack Creek Watershed, Kitsap County, Washington, Steve Todd, Ilon Logan
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The Blackjack Creek watershed, 12.3 square miles in eastern Kitsap County, is among the largest and most productive salmon watersheds in the south Kitsap subregion. The watershed supports genetically-distinct summer and late fall runs of chum salmon, and coho and Chinook, as well as steelhead and cutthroat trout. Historic and current land uses in many parts of the Blackjack Creek watershed have substantially altered processes that drive ecosystem functions. The Suquamish Tribe conducted a watershed assessment to identify critical ecosystem components and key ecological attributes (KEAs), their current status, and human-caused pressures on KEAs. The goal was to build a …
Is Silence Golden? The Recovery Rationale For Yielding—And Enforcing—The Maritime Right-Of-Way To Southern Resident Killer Whales And Their Access To Prey,
2018
Puget Sound Partnership, United States
Is Silence Golden? The Recovery Rationale For Yielding—And Enforcing—The Maritime Right-Of-Way To Southern Resident Killer Whales And Their Access To Prey, Todd Hass
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Prey availability is recognized as one of three major limiting factors in the recovery of Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKWs) by the US and Canada. In terms of inter-related, cumulative effects the most recent population viability analysis (Lacy et al. 2017) suggests that improving access to those prey—by reducing (1) the masking effects of vessel noise on echolocation and intra-pod communication, and (2) the physical interference caused by nearby vessels on the water—could magnify the benefits of modest gains in the abundance of the residents’ primary prey, Chinook salmon. The transboundary SRKW Symposium in October 2017 highlighted emerging studies on …
Can Sport Scuba Divers Provide Reliable Data For Rockfish Conservation?,
2018
Univ. of Victoria, Canada
Can Sport Scuba Divers Provide Reliable Data For Rockfish Conservation?, Stefania Gorgopa, John Volpe
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Rockfish are a long-lived group of fishes susceptible to overfishing. Rockfish conservation initiatives are currently hindered by a lack of fine scale population data. However, the abundance of recreational divers represents an untapped resource, ready to be deployed as citizen scientists in the Salish Sea. A potential issue is that the reliability of citizen scientist-generated SCUBA data is not known, particularly when those data are collected across gradients of diver competencies and diving conditions. To evaluate the reliability of citizen science data, pairs of divers of varying levels of experience identified and enumerated the number of individual finfish along predetermined …
Empowering Coastal Engineers And Scientists With Unmanned Systems,
2018
NewFields, United States
Empowering Coastal Engineers And Scientists With Unmanned Systems, Preston Martin
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The increasing availability of commercial off-the-shelf unmanned systems is placing powerful data acquisition tools within reach of scientists and engineers engaged in coastal management, restoration, and remediation. Two diverse use cases are presented here which showcase the effectiveness of combined mapping by Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) and Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) to generate orthomosaic imagery and 3D digital surface models of subaqueous/subaerial terrain in low-lying and intertidal settings. These examples include combined UAS structure from motion (SfM) photogrammetry and USV single-beam sonar bathymetry: (1) to inform remedial design alternatives at an intertidal mudflat cleanup site in Class B airspace; and …
Persistent Bioaccumulatives In Freshwater Fish Of The Lake Washington Watershed,
2018
King County, United States
Persistent Bioaccumulatives In Freshwater Fish Of The Lake Washington Watershed, Jenee Colton, Rory O'Rourke, Richard Jack
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
In 2013, King County initiated a long-term monitoring program of freshwater tissue contaminants in three major lakes (Lakes Sammamish, Washington, and Union) and two major rivers (Green and Cedar rivers). Tissue samples are collected from each waterbody every 5 years. Fillet and whole-body fish and invertebrate tissue chemistry data from this program are used to track changes over time associated with management actions, evaluate the risk of adverse effects to aquatic life, and inform human health risk evaluations of fish consumption. The first round of tissue monitoring from all three major lakes was completed in 2017. Species collected spanned a …
Protection And Restoration Of Skokomish River Valley Riparian Areas,
2018
Mason Conservation District, United States
Protection And Restoration Of Skokomish River Valley Riparian Areas, Mitch Redfern
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The Skokomish River ecosystem, including critical salmon habitat, in the Skokomish Valley has been degrading for many years. For this reason, Mason County and the Skokomish Tribe requested the United States Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) carry out a General Investigation of the Skokomish ecosystem. This investigation, completed in April 2015, determined the Skokomish ecosystem will continue to degrade unless restoration actions are taken, and that it is in the national interest for the USACE to develop and implement five ecosystem restoration projects. It is the responsibility of local partners to secure all real estate necessary for the implementation of …
Foraging Opportunity: A Method Of Monitoring Shorebird Migration And Overwintering Sites In A Changing Environment,
2018
Hemmera, Canada
Foraging Opportunity: A Method Of Monitoring Shorebird Migration And Overwintering Sites In A Changing Environment, James Rourke, Wendell Challenger, Ron Ydenberg
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Roberts Bank within the Fraser River estuary, BC contains important migratory stopover and overwintering habitat for shorebirds such as the western sandpiper (Calidris mauri) and the Pacific dunlin (Calidris alpina pacifica). Shorebirds are especially abundant during northward migration, with single-day counts numbering into the hundreds of thousands of birds. Previous research and ecological theory have demonstrated that site usage by shorebirds is influenced by numerous factors, including prey availability and predation risk. We developed a concept termed “foraging opportunity” that quantifies shorebird food availability (biofilm, meiofauna, and macrofauna) in relation to predation danger from hunting falcons. Foraging opportunity was determined …
Southern Resident Killer Whale Srkw Females And The Tragedy Of The Commons,
2018
Center for Whale Research
Southern Resident Killer Whale Srkw Females And The Tragedy Of The Commons, Kenneth C. Balcomb
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The Endangered population of Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) in the Pacific Northwest is an obligate predator upon fish, with an apparent dependence upon mature Chinook salmon (Onchorhynchus tsawytscha) populations that are also Endangered throughout most of the foraging range of these whales. The whales coevolved with the salmon in a classic predator-prey scenario in which both flourished for the past 15,000 years since the submergence of Beringia allowed the whales to colonize the eastern North Pacific from North Atlantic ancestral populations. The salmon were already in the North Pacific for at least 500,000 years prior, and Chinook salmon …
