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Articles 1021 - 1050 of 2456

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Increases In Synchrony Among Central Coast Salmon Populations In British Columbia Over The Last 60 Years, Eric Hertz, Brendan Connors, Katrina Connors, John Reynolds Apr 2018

Increases In Synchrony Among Central Coast Salmon Populations In British Columbia Over The Last 60 Years, Eric Hertz, Brendan Connors, Katrina Connors, John Reynolds

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Understanding the dynamics of salmon populations is important for conservation and management, but the factors driving spatial and temporal variation in many salmon populations remain poorly understood. Understanding these patterns is important for many coastal First Nations, who play an important role in the monitoring and management of salmon in their traditional territories. Using data from 200 unique spawning locations on the Central Coast of British Columbia, we quantified patterns in abundance and coherence of salmon over space and time to measure the extent to which portfolio effects stabilize variation in stocks. We found strong declines in Sockeye Salmon abundance …

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Changes In Hatchery Subsidies Of Chinook Salmon In The Salish Sea: Implications For Predators, Fisheries, And Conservation, Benjamin Nelson, Eric John Ward, Ole Shelton, Joseph H. Anderson Apr 2018

Changes In Hatchery Subsidies Of Chinook Salmon In The Salish Sea: Implications For Predators, Fisheries, And Conservation, Benjamin Nelson, Eric John Ward, Ole Shelton, Joseph H. Anderson

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Historically, salmon hatcheries were designed to increase fishery production and to recover depleted native populations. As demands of human protein consumption increase and wild populations continue to decline due to anthropogenic impacts like climate change and habitat loss, hatcheries and stocking programs will be called on to provide food security and to supplement threatened populations. Since 1950 over 3.7 billion Chinook salmon have been released into the Salish Sea and its tributaries in Washington State and southern British Columbia. However, relatively little research has been conducted that considers the impact of hatchery subsidies on estuarine and nearshore marine ecosystems in …

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Public Outreach: Growing And Adapting With Changing Times, Meagan Harris, Kate Kimber, Erika Douglas, Aneka Sweeney Apr 2018

Public Outreach: Growing And Adapting With Changing Times, Meagan Harris, Kate Kimber, Erika Douglas, Aneka Sweeney

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Drayton Harbor’s 2016 reopening of 810 acres of commercial, tribal, and recreational shellfish harvesting area marked a significant achievement in the efforts to improve water quality and allow year-round harvest of the productive shellfish growing area. Public outreach over the past 20 years played a critical role in engaging the local community and encouraging on-the-ground actions to reduce pollution throughout the watershed. Bacteria pollution is a complex issue requiring diverse solutions; no single fix exists. In the Drayton Harbor watershed, a variety of organizations, agencies, and community members participated in developing and carrying out a robust and diverse outreach strategy …

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Population, Community And Food Web Impacts Of Hypoxia : A Synthesis Of Findings From Hood Canal, Timothy Essington Apr 2018

Population, Community And Food Web Impacts Of Hypoxia : A Synthesis Of Findings From Hood Canal, Timothy Essington

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Hypoxia is a regular, yet increasingly prevalent feature of southern regions of Hood Canal, WA. While occasional fish kill events garner much public attention, these events are rare and may therefore may not be as important as effects from non-lethal levels of dissolved oxygen. Low levels (near 2 mg / l ) are common and species have a range of responses Here I use results from multiple investigations to illustrate the nature and magnitude of effects. On a population level, long lived sessile species like geoduck clams show clear evidence of substantial impacts from hypoxia. In addition, several sessile invertebrate …

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Bull Kelp Bed Surveys In Island County, Washington Usa, Linda Rhodes, Vernon W. Brisley, Gregg Ridder, Debra Paros, Paulette Brunner, Barbara Brock, Barbara Bennett, Anna Toledo Apr 2018

Bull Kelp Bed Surveys In Island County, Washington Usa, Linda Rhodes, Vernon W. Brisley, Gregg Ridder, Debra Paros, Paulette Brunner, Barbara Brock, Barbara Bennett, Anna Toledo

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Although bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) is a prevalent nearshore habitat throughout the Salish Sea, its distribution and seasonal bed area dynamics are poorly characterized. Island County contains bull kelp beds that are positioned in dramatically different oceanographic situations. The western part of the County is fully exposed to marine conditions of the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Admiralty Inlet, while the eastern part is exposed to the strong freshwater influence of the largest rivers in Puget Sound. Each part contains bull kelp beds, providing an opportunity to compare their seasonal dynamics. Since 2015, the Island County Marine Resources Committee …

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Assessment Of Floodplain Condition Across Puget Sound: An Emerging Tool For Tracking Investments And Communicating Status, Jennifer Burke, Colin Hume, Ilon Logan, Scott Mckinney Apr 2018

Assessment Of Floodplain Condition Across Puget Sound: An Emerging Tool For Tracking Investments And Communicating Status, Jennifer Burke, Colin Hume, Ilon Logan, Scott Mckinney

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Floodplains are some of the most economically and ecologically vital lands of Puget Sound but also some of the most impaired as well. Investments at the local and regional level aim to improve aquatic and terrestrial habitat, reduce flood risk, and protect economically important lands. However, the condition and status of Puget Sound floodplains is poorly quantified in a consistent manner across the 17 major watersheds, hindering strategic investments and planning. The Puget Sound Partnership and Washington Department of Ecology are developing an assessment of floodplain condition and status for a Sound-wide watershed-scale floodplain monitoring effort using spatial data and …

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Samish Indian Nation Department Of Natural Resources' Efforts To Remove Marine Debris And Creosote Using Gis In The San Juan Archipelago, Washington State, Casey Palmer-Mcgee Apr 2018

Samish Indian Nation Department Of Natural Resources' Efforts To Remove Marine Debris And Creosote Using Gis In The San Juan Archipelago, Washington State, Casey Palmer-Mcgee

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Samish people have been stewards of the environment in the San Juan Archipelago for hundreds of generations. As a Coast Salish Tribe, Samish culture and traditions are intimately tied to resources and places in the Salish Sea. Every beach in Samish Traditional Territory has seen footprints of the ancestors. Honoring traditional ways while preserving cultural use materials and foods for future generations is a cornerstone that guides the work of Samish DNR. In the past 4 years, Samish DNR in partnership with Washington DNR, Washington Conservation Corps, Veterans Conservation Corps, and Earthcorps, have removed over 580,000 pounds of creosote and …

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Nitrogen Inventory In The Nooksack-Fraser Transboundary Watershed, Jiajia Lin, Jana Compton, Jill Baron, Chris Clark, Donna Schwede, Shabtai Bittman, David Hooper, Barb Carey, Peter Homann, Hanna Winter, Peter Kiffney, Nichole Embertson, Heather Mackay, Robert Black, Gary Bahr Apr 2018

Nitrogen Inventory In The Nooksack-Fraser Transboundary Watershed, Jiajia Lin, Jana Compton, Jill Baron, Chris Clark, Donna Schwede, Shabtai Bittman, David Hooper, Barb Carey, Peter Homann, Hanna Winter, Peter Kiffney, Nichole Embertson, Heather Mackay, Robert Black, Gary Bahr

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Nooksack-Fraser transboundary area (2639 km2) is home to communities with a strong base in farming, fisheries and outdoor recreation. Water quality issues impact parts of this area, where sewage effluent and animal waste are potential sources of both fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) and nitrogen (N) in the environment. Excessive nitrogen loading can lead to eutrophication in coastal areas, and nitrate contamination of groundwater. The Nooksack-Fraser Transboundary Nitrogen (NFT-N) project was developed to determine the sources and fates of N in the watershed using data on energy use, transportation, fertilization, wastewater treatment plants, livestock operations, wildlife and more. This project …

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Using Dtags To Understand Sound Use, Behavior, And Vessel And Associated Noise Effects In Southern Resident Killer Whales, Marla M. Holt, Brad Hanson, Candice K. Emmons, Deborah A. Giles, Jeff Hogan, Jennifer Tennessen Apr 2018

Using Dtags To Understand Sound Use, Behavior, And Vessel And Associated Noise Effects In Southern Resident Killer Whales, Marla M. Holt, Brad Hanson, Candice K. Emmons, Deborah A. Giles, Jeff Hogan, Jennifer Tennessen

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Prey availability and disturbance from vessels and noise are identified threats to the recovery of endangered Southern Resident killer whales. Vessels and noise can mask echolocation signals used to capture fish prey and/or disrupt foraging behavior with implications for energy acquisition. In the U.S., vessel regulations have been implemented since 2011 to protect killer whales from vessel disturbance, particularly given the extent of whale-watching activities in the Salish Sea. We utilized suction cup-attached digital acoustic recording tags (DTAGs), consisting of hydrophones and movement sensors, to measure received noise levels, understanding killer whale use of sound, and determine effects of vessels …

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Impact Of Septic Systems In Drayton Harbor Water Quality, Jennifer Hayden Apr 2018

Impact Of Septic Systems In Drayton Harbor Water Quality, Jennifer Hayden

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Septic systems are personal wastewater treatment systems for rural properties. Over 3,000 septic systems exist in the Drayton Harbor watershed. Septic systems that are not maintained properly can create problems for homeowners, negatively impact water quality, and pose a public health threat. Whatcom County Health Department (WCHD) began implementing a septic system operation and maintenance (O&M) program in 2008 in the Drayton Harbor watershed when most of Drayton Harbor was classified as Prohibited for shellfish harvesting due to elevated fecal coliform bacteria levels. The local health officer’s designation of Drayton Harbor as a Marine Recovery Area in 2008 allowed WCHD …

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Nearshore Habitat Use By Hood Canal Summer Run Chum Salmon In Hood Canal And The Strait Of Juan De Fuca, Micah Wait, James Fletcher, Adrian Tuohy Apr 2018

Nearshore Habitat Use By Hood Canal Summer Run Chum Salmon In Hood Canal And The Strait Of Juan De Fuca, Micah Wait, James Fletcher, Adrian Tuohy

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

In 2016 and 2017 Wild Fish Conservancy collected data as part of a 3-year assessment of marine nearshore outmigration patterns for juvenile Hood Canal summer run chum (Oncorhynchus keta). The goal of the assessment is to provide a scientific basis for the selection and prioritization of future nearshore habitat restoration and protection projects throughout the Hood Canal summer chum Evolutionarily Significant Unit. Data was collected at 46 sites, which were sampled weekly with beach seines from late December through May; sites are throughout the Hood Canal, Admiralty Inlet, and the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca. At each site water …

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Long-Term Monitoring In Central Puget Sound: Are Local Climate Anomalies Impacting Phytoplankton Populations?, Gabriela Hannach, Lyndsey M. Swanson, Kimberle Stark Apr 2018

Long-Term Monitoring In Central Puget Sound: Are Local Climate Anomalies Impacting Phytoplankton Populations?, Gabriela Hannach, Lyndsey M. Swanson, Kimberle Stark

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Puget Sound is a large and productive estuarine system at the southern end of the Salish Sea. King County’s comprehensive, long-term marine monitoring program tracks water quality in Puget Sound’s Central Basin through year-round collection of data for a suite of physical, chemical and biological parameters. Phytoplankton monitoring began with traditional microscopy methods in 2008, and expanded to include a particle imaging system in 2014. These data are critical to assess how changes from climate, physical conditions and other stressors linked to anthropogenic activity from the region’s growing population may impact the Sound’s biodiversity and trophic structure. Currently, twice-monthly surface …

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The Community Engagement Process: Inclusivity, Integration Across Cultures And Fostering Boundary Permeability, Don Castleden Apr 2018

The Community Engagement Process: Inclusivity, Integration Across Cultures And Fostering Boundary Permeability, Don Castleden

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

This presentation reflects on the process that emerged when a small ENGO on the east coast of Vancouver Island experienced significant funding cuts to its programs and struggled to redefine its purpose. This changed when the Board became aware of community concerns regarding the local estuary which had been severely compromised by industry and commerce over the past century. Debate was occurring in the local media concerning plans to develop a gas station along a road that ran through the estuary; regarding a new ‘for sale’ sign on a decommissioned former sawmill site in the estuary; and ongoing seal predation …

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Monitoring Salish Sea Bull Kelp (Nereocystis Luetkeana) Via Kayak Surveys, Suzanne Shull, Lucas Hart, Helen Berry Apr 2018

Monitoring Salish Sea Bull Kelp (Nereocystis Luetkeana) Via Kayak Surveys, Suzanne Shull, Lucas Hart, Helen Berry

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Conspicuous declines in the abundance of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana), the most common canopy-forming species in Puget Sound, have been observed in many areas. Despite these observations, little information on abundance, or temporal changes in kelp distribution have been scientifically documented. To document and increase attention to changes in kelp populations around the region, the Northwest Straits Initiative formed a Salish Sea International Kelp Alliance and developed a scientifically-driven monitoring protocol. Citizen scientists of the Northwest Straits Marine Resources Committees then applied the protocol to delineate kelp beds via kayak over the summers of 2015-2107. The protocol has now been …

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Accelerating Watershed Protection In The Central Puget Sound Region, Maria Sandercock Apr 2018

Accelerating Watershed Protection In The Central Puget Sound Region, Maria Sandercock

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

In the last five years, 324,000 people have moved to the central Puget Sound region. While helping to fuel economic growth in the area, this rapid growth also threatens the natural wealth that the region is known for. Legacy stormwater issues and hardening watersheds in the region are harming our aquatic systems and Puget Sound. The Puget Sound Regional Council, whose member jurisdictions include the four counties and 82 cities in central Puget Sound, is developing a regional open space conservation plan with the goal of accelerating conservation of the open spaces that support watershed processes and a high quality …

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Monitoring And Enforcement Of Laws And Policies In Canada: The Bad, The Ugly And How We Can Get To Good, Christianne Wilhelmson Apr 2018

Monitoring And Enforcement Of Laws And Policies In Canada: The Bad, The Ugly And How We Can Get To Good, Christianne Wilhelmson

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The creation of strong environmental laws in BC and Canada has improved over the years, however the implementation of these laws is often undermined and their effectiveness to protect ecosystems and communities suffers. The reasons are many but often it’s a question of underfunding of the monitoring and enforcement mechanisms that are necessary to ensure compliance. Other reasons, in particular for regulations that apply to marine and freshwater systems, is the lack of clarity around jurisdictional responsibility and accountability. The confusion around roles, exacerbated by poor communication, results in poor monitoring and response, and laws that are paper dragons only. …

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Interannual Variation In Early Marine Survival Patterns Of Puget Sound Steelhead Smolts Indicates Shifting Predation Pressures, Barry A. Berejikian, Megan Moore, Steve Jeffries Apr 2018

Interannual Variation In Early Marine Survival Patterns Of Puget Sound Steelhead Smolts Indicates Shifting Predation Pressures, Barry A. Berejikian, Megan Moore, Steve Jeffries

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Marine survival of steelhead smolts during their two week migration from river mouths to the Strait of Juan de Fuca has been estimated at 20% or less for several populations originating in Puget Sound. Low survival rates likely reduce overall smolt-to-adult return rates and limit recovery of Puget Sound steelhead populations. Harbor seals are generalist predators known to eat juvenile salmon in the Salish Sea. Harbor seals were captured in 2014 (12 seals) and 2016 (16 seals) and outfitted with acoustic telemetry receivers and GPS tags to quantify likely predation events and estimate foraging area overlap with acoustically tagged steelhead …

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The Nooksack River Transboundary Water Quality Task Group, Sheldon Reddekopp Apr 2018

The Nooksack River Transboundary Water Quality Task Group, Sheldon Reddekopp

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

High levels of fecal coliform bacteria (FCB) originating from non-point sources in the Nooksack drainage contribute to seasonal closures of Portage Bay shellfish beds. The sovereign Lummi Nation relies on the Portage Bay shellfish beds for ceremonial, subsistence, and commercial harvest. Lummi Nation’s shellfish harvest rights are secured through a treaty with the United States (US) government. Washington State Governor Inslee has made achieving year-round approved shellfish harvest in Portage Bay a priority issue. The BC/WA Environmental Cooperation Council (ECC) is led by Director Bellon for Washington and Deputy Minister Zacharias for British Columbia. Within the ECC structure, representatives from …

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Juvenile Salmon Density On Marsh Surfaces Versus Within Tidal Channels, W. Gregory Hood, Eric M. Beamer, Rich Henderson Apr 2018

Juvenile Salmon Density On Marsh Surfaces Versus Within Tidal Channels, W. Gregory Hood, Eric M. Beamer, Rich Henderson

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Use of tidal marsh surfaces by juvenile salmon in Pacific Northwest estuaries has generally been ignored by ecologists, engineers and planners involved in salmon habitat restoration. In contrast, fish use of marsh plains has been documented in many other parts of the world. Are Pacific Northwest marshes an exception to the pattern of fish use that is so common elsewhere? For three consecutive years, fish were sampled bi-monthly in tidal channels and on tidal marsh plains of the Skagit Delta to answer this question. Juvenile Chinook and chum salmon, as well as sticklebacks were the most consistently caught and abundant …

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Groundwater Availability For Summer Low Flows: Co-Production And Shared Application Of Hydrogeologic Tools And Information, Rick Dinicola, Lonna Frans, Wendy Welch Apr 2018

Groundwater Availability For Summer Low Flows: Co-Production And Shared Application Of Hydrogeologic Tools And Information, Rick Dinicola, Lonna Frans, Wendy Welch

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Groundwater discharge to streams and rivers in Puget Sound basin is the primary source of water for sustaining summer low flows and associated aquatic habitat. The science underlying how human and environmental stressors can affect low flows can be difficult for scientists and stakeholders to grasp, largely because it requires understanding the mechanics of groundwater recharge and discharge processes combined with the subtleties of estimating cumulative rates of groundwater extraction and use in subbasins. USGS has initiated a Near-Term Action (NTA) for the 2016 Action Agenda that will better inform our understanding of the effects of current and future stressors …

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Efforts Of Washington And British Columbia Agricultural Producers To Address Fecal Coliform Bacteria Pollution In The Lower Nooksack Watershed, Geoff Hughes-Games, Rich Appel, Mark Raymond Apr 2018

Efforts Of Washington And British Columbia Agricultural Producers To Address Fecal Coliform Bacteria Pollution In The Lower Nooksack Watershed, Geoff Hughes-Games, Rich Appel, Mark Raymond

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Since the late 1990s several efforts have been initiated to reduce fecal coliform pollution in the Nooksack River and shellfish harvest areas in Portage Bay. Agriculture has historically been a significant contributor of fecal coliforms, however other sources include human waste from septic systems, pets, and wildlife. To protect the watershed and preserve the shellfish harvest areas the agriculture sector, particularly the dairy sector, has committed great amounts of labor and resources to adopt nutrient management planning and improve manure storage and handling practices. These changes on-farm have resulted from both voluntary initiatives as well as from implementation of new …

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A Multiple-Methods Vertical Land Movement Analysis And Its Integration Into Probabilistic Sea Level Rise Projections For Coastal Washington, Ian Miller, Tyler Newton, Ray Weldon, David Schmidt, Guillaume Mauger, Eric Grossman Apr 2018

A Multiple-Methods Vertical Land Movement Analysis And Its Integration Into Probabilistic Sea Level Rise Projections For Coastal Washington, Ian Miller, Tyler Newton, Ray Weldon, David Schmidt, Guillaume Mauger, Eric Grossman

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

In order to support climate change planning and adaptation at the community scale, climate projections should ideally be down-scaled, and also provide meaningful representations of uncertainty. As part of the NOAA-funded Washington Coastal Resilience Project, our team developed new sea level projections for Washington State that feature two innovations. First, the projections include an assessment of the likelihood of occurrence of different sea level magnitudes at decadal intervals through 2150. Next, sea level is projected in a relative framework using vertical land movement information. This presentation will describe the development of the most comprehensive database of vertical land movement observations, …

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Harbour Seals Consume More Juvenile And Adult Salmon In Estuaries Than Elsewhere In The Strait Of Georgia, Sheena Majewski, Chad Nordstrom, Austen C. Thomas, Andrew W. Trites Apr 2018

Harbour Seals Consume More Juvenile And Adult Salmon In Estuaries Than Elsewhere In The Strait Of Georgia, Sheena Majewski, Chad Nordstrom, Austen C. Thomas, Andrew W. Trites

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Recent studies of harbour seal diets (2012-2014) have been used to estimate the amounts of salmon consumed by seals in the Strait of Georgia. However, these diet data have primarily come from estuary habitats, and may not be representative of all seals. We analysed 1,317 scat samples collected at an estuary (Cowichan Bay) and 7 non-estuary sites from Apr–Nov 2016 and Apr–May 2017 to compare salmon consumption inside and outside of estuaries. Using high-throughput DNA techniques, we determined seals consumed a wide range of prey (n = 238 species)—with gadids (primarily hake) and forage fish (primarily herring) dominating diets in …

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Nooksack Tribe Collaborative Teaming To Address Shellfish Harvest Closures In Drayton Harbor, Oliver Grah, Jezra Beaulieu Apr 2018

Nooksack Tribe Collaborative Teaming To Address Shellfish Harvest Closures In Drayton Harbor, Oliver Grah, Jezra Beaulieu

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Nooksack Indian Tribe reservation is located at the foot of the North Cascades Mountains, near Deming, WA, and approximately 13 miles east of Bellingham and the Salish Sea. Drayton Harbor is part of the Salish Sea and is the Tribe’s traditional shellfish gathering area. Drayton Harbor is also an important shellfish gathering and production area for commercial and recreational uses. The Harbor has been under a TMDL for fecal coliform bacteria for more than 10 years for non-compliance with state water quality standards. Although re-opened to year-round harvest in late 2016, Drayton Harbor’s shellfish have been subjected to various …

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High-Resolution Archival Tags Provide New Insights Into The Underwater Foraging And Echolocation Behavior Of Resident Killer Whales Capturing Pacific Salmon, Brianna Wright Apr 2018

High-Resolution Archival Tags Provide New Insights Into The Underwater Foraging And Echolocation Behavior Of Resident Killer Whales Capturing Pacific Salmon, Brianna Wright

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Dtags contain sensors for recording both high resolution animal movement and underwater sound. They provide a valuable tool for examining the foraging behavior of resident killer whales, a specialist predator that relies on echolocation to find and pursue Pacific salmon, its primary prey. We deployed Dtags on 32 northern residents off Vancouver Island, BC, and compared reconstructed whale dive paths to distributions of different salmonid prey. Foraging whales dove deeper, remained submerged longer, swam faster, increased their dive path tortuosity, and rolled their bodies more than during other activities. Foraging dive structure also reflected the deeper vertical distribution of Chinook …

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Nutrient Dynamics And Ties To Environmental Conditions And Drivers In Central Puget Sound, Stephanie Jaeger, Ben Larson, Bob Kruger, Kimberle Stark Apr 2018

Nutrient Dynamics And Ties To Environmental Conditions And Drivers In Central Puget Sound, Stephanie Jaeger, Ben Larson, Bob Kruger, Kimberle Stark

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Real-time and near-continuous in-situ measurements can provide new insights into variability and patterns of a marine system that would otherwise be undetected by sampling at a lower temporal resolution. King County has a comprehensive long-term marine water quality monitoring program in the Central Basin of Puget Sound that currently includes: bi-monthly water column vertical profiles, discrete sampling, near-surface real-time moored sensors, and new quantitative phytoplankton and zooplankton components. These data can assist with identifying changes and linkages in biogeochemical and ecological processes as well as changes in climate patterns. Recently, new moored and profiling optical nitrate sensors were added to …

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Flood Modelling And Mitigation Planning In Bc's Lower Fraser River And Southcoast, Steve Litke Apr 2018

Flood Modelling And Mitigation Planning In Bc's Lower Fraser River And Southcoast, Steve Litke

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Fraser Basin Council is a nongovernment, not for profit organization that is facilitating and coordinating a collaborative process in British Columbia’s Lower Mainland to develop a regional-scale flood management strategy. This initiative is focused on flood risks associated with the Lower Fraser River as well as coastal storm surge, including the effects of climate change on these hazards. More than 50 organizations are involved, including local, First Nations, provincial and federal governments, as well as the private sector and civil society. This collaborative process aims to better understand the vulnerabilities and risks associated with these flood hazards, identify priorities …

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Prompt Data Sharing Promotes Engagement And Generates Change, Michael Isensee Apr 2018

Prompt Data Sharing Promotes Engagement And Generates Change, Michael Isensee

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Washington State Department of Agriculture’s Dairy Nutrient Management Program (DNMP) works with tribal, state, local and Canadian partners to publicly share preliminary fecal coliform monitoring data. As data becomes available it is combined into a unified and regularly updated online map: http://arcg.is/1qvHDq. The map improves transparency of agency monitoring and increases engagement with local farmers, land managers and the public by providing easy access to water quality results. Access to preliminary data within days, presented visually, allows people to more easily link recent activities and conditions to water quality results. For DNMP, the tool enables regulated dairy farmers to …

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Sound Impacts: Building An Impact Metrics Portal For Tracking Collective Positive Impacts Of Restoration And Green Infrastructure Across The Puget Sound, Aaron Clark Apr 2018

Sound Impacts: Building An Impact Metrics Portal For Tracking Collective Positive Impacts Of Restoration And Green Infrastructure Across The Puget Sound, Aaron Clark

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

SoundImpacts.org is a pilot of a regional scale, multi-user impact metrics portal. Entities engaged in restoration and positive impact environmental projects like green infrastructure (including rain gardens, tree planting, green roofs, depaving etc.) are highly dispersed, "siloed" and generally don't share data with each other and in fact rarely share the impacts of their work to their own communities beyond the funders who paid for the specific project. Sound Impacts addresses the tandem needs of 1. positive impact practitioners (e.g. NGO's, tribes, government agencies, communities) to collect and track their own impacts to better share that with their audiences and …

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A Watershed Approach To Recovering Salmon In Changing Climate Conditions, Beth Ledoux, Jessica Engel, Morgan Schniedler Ruff, Colin Wahl Apr 2018

A Watershed Approach To Recovering Salmon In Changing Climate Conditions, Beth Ledoux, Jessica Engel, Morgan Schniedler Ruff, Colin Wahl

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Snohomish Basin Forum adopted the Snohomish Basin Protection Plan in 2015 which clearly stated that the survival of our iconic salmon will be challenged by climate change. From that integrative watershed planning effort the Snohomish Basin Technical Committee investigated how locally predicted impacts of climate change affect salmon recovery in the Snohomish Basin and what key actions can be taken to ameliorate those impacts. As the basin continues to implement the Snohomish Basin Salmon Recovery Plan, it will be critical to restore and protect areas that preserve the basin’s hydrologic patterns and key habitat functions that support salmon in …

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