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Articles 451 - 480 of 2456

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

An Analysis Of Environmental Factors Influencing Spatial Clustering Of Salish Sea Clam Species, James Mcardle Apr 2022

An Analysis Of Environmental Factors Influencing Spatial Clustering Of Salish Sea Clam Species, James Mcardle

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Mapping bivalve biomass through the use of GIS can be a valuable tool for managers of commercially and recreationally-important clam species. The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has been conducting intertidal clam surveys on reservation beaches since the early 2000s with the goal of managing their bivalve fisheries sustainably. These data, however, can also be used to investigate how environmental factors may influence spatial clustering of target species. We mapped biomass data of Leukoma staminea, Saxidomus gigantea, Clinocardium nuttallii, and Tresus sp. on a culturally-valuable beach located on the reservation. Statistically significant clusters of biomass polygons were identified using a Getis-Ord …

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Surveillance For Antibiotic-Resistant E. Coli In The Salish Sea Ecosystem, Alexandria Vingino Apr 2022

Surveillance For Antibiotic-Resistant E. Coli In The Salish Sea Ecosystem, Alexandria Vingino

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The anthropogenic use of antibiotics in clinical, agricultural, and community settings has contributed to the spread of antibiotic-resistant bacteria throughout the world. We characterized antibiotic-resistant E. coli in water and wildlife samples from throughout the Puget Sound, WA, USA. E. coli were isolated from marine water samples obtained in four quadrants of Puget Sound and select locations near beaches, freshwater samples from streams near marine beaches, and fecal samples from harbor porpoises (Phocoena phocoena), harbor seals (Phoca vitulina), river otters (Lontra canadensis), and English sole (Parophrys vetulus). A total of 305 E. coli isolates were assessed for phenotypic and genotypic …

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2021-2022 Preventing Non-Point Source Pollution: On-Site Sewage Program During The Time Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Corrina Marote Apr 2022

2021-2022 Preventing Non-Point Source Pollution: On-Site Sewage Program During The Time Of The Covid-19 Pandemic, Corrina Marote

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

2021-2022 Preventing Non-Point Source Pollution: On-site Sewage Program During the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic 2021-2022 Preventing Non-Point Source Pollution: On-site Sewage Program During the Time of the COVID-19 Pandemic Skagit County Public Health has required permits for on-site sewage systems (OSS) since 1958 and established an operations and maintenance (O&M) program in 2000. The O&M program goal was to identify sources of non-point pollution from OSS that closed a commercial shellfish harvest area the northern Puget Sound. Efforts in this area allowed the bay to reopen. With 4 dedicated employees, the OSS program was robust until March 2020 when …

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Forecasting Central Salish Sea Dungeness Crab Populations: A Study In Patience, Sarah Grossman Apr 2022

Forecasting Central Salish Sea Dungeness Crab Populations: A Study In Patience, Sarah Grossman

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) are an important species in the Salish Sea because they not only supply a lucrative commercial fishery, but they also fill a critical ecological role in marine food webs. Although we have a relatively good understanding of M. magister larval dynamics and the relationships between larval supply and subsequent fisheries landing on the outer coast, fundamental gaps still exist with regard to our knowledge of their early life stages within the Salish Sea. Most notably, how physical drivers influence the annual patterns in larval supply and in turn how larval supply contributes to subsequent fisheries landings. …

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Managing Floodplains Collaboratively: Cross-Border Learning On Fish, Farms, And Floods, Lina Azeez, Dan Straker, Gillian Fuss, Kari Quaas, Beth Ledoux, David Roberts, Lindsey Desmul Apr 2022

Managing Floodplains Collaboratively: Cross-Border Learning On Fish, Farms, And Floods, Lina Azeez, Dan Straker, Gillian Fuss, Kari Quaas, Beth Ledoux, David Roberts, Lindsey Desmul

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Taking a more collaborative and integrated approach to floodplain management has made a big splash in Washington State in recent years. As governments plan for an uncertain future and climate adaptation moves to the forefront, cities and communities situated in floodplains are having to consider the looming threat of flooding from unpredictable water flows. Balancing the needs of ecosystems, agriculture and flood risk. The communities of large floodplains like the lower mainland along the Fraser River in British Columbia, the Snohomish/Skykomish Rivers in Snohomish County and the Snoqualmie River in King County of Washington State are taking steps to manage …

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Prioritizing Contaminants Of Concern In The Fraser River Watershed: A Risk-Based Evaluation For Outmigrating Juveniles And Returning Adult Salmon, Dr. Tanya Brown Apr 2022

Prioritizing Contaminants Of Concern In The Fraser River Watershed: A Risk-Based Evaluation For Outmigrating Juveniles And Returning Adult Salmon, Dr. Tanya Brown

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Fraser River watershed is home to 54 unique spawning populations of salmon, including 19 Chinook (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) populations. Fraser Chinook provide 80-90% of the food source consumed by Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW, Orcinus orca) in the spring and summer. Over 90% (15/16) Fraser Chinook populations are at risk. Extensive forestry, agricultural, industrial and urban activities take place in the Fraser Valley that expose early life stages of emigrating salmon and returning adult salmon to a mix of legacy and emerging contaminants. Many of which, can elicit adverse health effects in vertebrates, including endocrine disruption and reproductive effects. However, …

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Working Together On A Coastal Marine Strategy For British Columbia., David Angus, Taylor Mason Apr 2022

Working Together On A Coastal Marine Strategy For British Columbia., David Angus, Taylor Mason

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

On the coast of British Columbia (BC), the effects of climate change, pollution, seafood production, coastal development, and transportation on our environment and related values are increasing. In addition, historical inequities in terms of access to ocean resources, the distribution of power and benefits, and exposure to harms persist and in some cases are exacerbated by business-as-usual approaches to marine management. Ensuring sustainable and equitable development of our marine economy in BC is possible with better, more complete ocean governance and strategies that reflect current and future values and pressures. As one of only a few maritime jurisdictions in North …

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Assessing The Viability Of Mapping Bull Kelp In Puget Sound Using Aerial Imaging Platforms, Tyler Cowdrey Apr 2022

Assessing The Viability Of Mapping Bull Kelp In Puget Sound Using Aerial Imaging Platforms, Tyler Cowdrey

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) is an important primary producer that plays a foundational role in the marine nearshore ecosystems of Puget Sound. Evidence of significant declines in bull kelp forests in this region has motivated efforts to establish region-wide long-term monitoring programs for this critical species. As part of this drive, the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has been testing a series of aerial imaging platforms to detect and map the distribution of bull kelp to complement existing monitoring protocols. In 2020, DNR began surveying floating bull kelp canopies in Puget Sound using RGB and multispectral Unmanned Aerial …

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Contaminant Reveal Spatial Segregation Of Chinook Salmon That Reside In Puget Sound: Implications For Salmon Health And The People And Whales That Eat Them, Sandra O'Neill Apr 2022

Contaminant Reveal Spatial Segregation Of Chinook Salmon That Reside In Puget Sound: Implications For Salmon Health And The People And Whales That Eat Them, Sandra O'Neill

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Adult salmon accumulate most of their final body mass, and also most of their burdens of persistent organic pollutants (POPs), while feeding in marine habitats. Most Puget Sound Chinook salmon migrate to the ocean to feed and grow but a large fraction resides and feeds within the Salish Sea. These “residents” accumulate higher levels of POPs from the pelagic food web than do conspecifics feeding along the coast, exposing people and whales consuming resident fish to higher contaminant concentrations. We measured POPs in fish collected throughout Puget Sound marine basins in the fall and winter of 2016 and 2017 and …

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Transboundary Indigenous Oil Spill Risk And Eco-Cultural Resources, Councilman Chad Bowechop, Natalie Lowell, Carol Reamer Apr 2022

Transboundary Indigenous Oil Spill Risk And Eco-Cultural Resources, Councilman Chad Bowechop, Natalie Lowell, Carol Reamer

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Strait of Juan de Fuca experiences high oil spill risk due to dense vessel traffic in the region. An oil spill in the region would cross the Canada-U.S. border, affecting Tribes, First Nations, states, and provinces. Due to the relative remoteness of these areas, Tribes and First Nations may be the first on the scene in the event of an incident. However, regulatory differences associated with the Canada-U.S. border and federal planning and response structures that were not built with indigenous governments in mind can impact effective prevention, preparedness, and response to oil spills, with particular consequences for Indigenous …

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Community Monitoring And Stewardship In Urban Watersheds, Anna Bachmann, Hannah Park, Sharlene Pioquinto, Eric Adman, Ry Yahn, Michelle Carranza Valasco, Kirsten Mcdade, Gary Olson Apr 2022

Community Monitoring And Stewardship In Urban Watersheds, Anna Bachmann, Hannah Park, Sharlene Pioquinto, Eric Adman, Ry Yahn, Michelle Carranza Valasco, Kirsten Mcdade, Gary Olson

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Throughout the Salish Sea there are watersheds that have historically supported large runs of salmon and provided clean water to Puget Sound but as some areas have become urbanized, their waterways have suffered from stormwater run-off, industrial pollution, and degraded ecosystems. Some are rivers and streams that flow through communities most impacted by pollution and environmental injustice concerns. In some parts of the Salish Sea, community-based stewardship groups are leading efforts at urban stream renewal, restoration, and monitoring. This session will highlight several groups working to protect waterways in Puget Sound and discuss the challenges, benefits, and impact of taking …

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A Moral Debt: History, Science, And Our Obligation To Southern Resident Killer Whales, Dr. Jason Colby Apr 2022

A Moral Debt: History, Science, And Our Obligation To Southern Resident Killer Whales, Dr. Jason Colby

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

A Moral Debt: History, Science, and Our Obligation to Southern Resident Killer Whales Today, there is no more prominent symbol of the transnational Pacific Northwest, and particularly the Salish Sea, than orcas. Scientists, policymakers, and journalists regularly comment on the plight of the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales in particular. Yet few explore the transformative role this population has played in regional (and global) environmental values, as well as their broader impact on the scientific study of whales. Southern Residents are the most influential cetacean population in human history, but they have paid a steep price for our change and …

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Assessing Sources Of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether (Pbde) Flame Retardants Impacting Juvenile Chinook Salmon In The Snohomish River Watershed, Alex Gipe Apr 2022

Assessing Sources Of Polybrominated Diphenyl Ether (Pbde) Flame Retardants Impacting Juvenile Chinook Salmon In The Snohomish River Watershed, Alex Gipe

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

A 2016 study by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) found wild juvenile Chinook salmon in the Snohomish River had tissue concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants high enough to produce sublethal effects. Juvenile Chinook salmon accumulate toxicants from streams in urban and developing environments that receive stormwater and wastewater discharges. In 2019, the Washington Department of Ecology, in partnership with WDFW, conducted a source assessment to determine sources of PBDEs in the Snohomish River watershed. Passive water samplers (semi-permeable membrane devices) were deployed throughout the Snohomish, Skykomish, and Snoqualmie Rivers during high and low flow …

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The Time For Reparations From Washington State Is Now! As Non-Human Persons, Orcas Deserve Justice, Dr. Alexandrea Safiq Apr 2022

The Time For Reparations From Washington State Is Now! As Non-Human Persons, Orcas Deserve Justice, Dr. Alexandrea Safiq

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Conservation biology: a multi-disciplinary science aimed at understanding biodiversity loss with an orientation towards facilitating the protection of species, communities, and ecosystems. Unlike other scientific disciplines, conservation biologists fall into a unique category of socio-ecological influencers (i.e., environmentalists) because the protection of biodiversity, within the context of the Anthropocene, means protecting species from the historically unsustainable exploitation of nature by humans. A shift from domination of nature to an ecosophy based on mutualism has begun. As a result, nature is becoming more frequently viewed as possessing non-human personhood. Given this paradigm shift in western culture to acknowledge what indigenous cultures …

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Tourist Preferences For Southern Resident Killer Whale Whale Watching And Rule Changes In The Salish Sea, Abby Schamp Apr 2022

Tourist Preferences For Southern Resident Killer Whale Whale Watching And Rule Changes In The Salish Sea, Abby Schamp

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Wildlife tours often view protected species that are subject to additional conservation measures, such as Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) in the Salish Sea, Washington. Discrete Choice Experiment willingness-to-pay estimates for whale watching tour attributes that view SRKW were obtained from a survey of 1,442 potential whale watchers. Tourist responses to conservation measures and regulations were assessed by estimating demand after tour attribute changes and respondent exposure to information about new rules. Whale watchers did not report a reduced likelihood of going whale watching after learning about new rules, though they did have increased concern about the impact of whale …

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Juvenile Chinook Salmon Accumulate Harmful Levels Of Toxic Contaminants While Undergoing Their Seaward Migration, Andrea Carey Apr 2022

Juvenile Chinook Salmon Accumulate Harmful Levels Of Toxic Contaminants While Undergoing Their Seaward Migration, Andrea Carey

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Puget Sound Chinook salmon are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) and habitat degradation and loss, overfishing, climate change and contaminant exposure are factors contributing to their decline. Juvenile Chinook salmon rear and feed for extended periods in estuary and nearshore habitats, potentially exposing them to contaminants that accumulate disproportionately there. Exposure to toxic contaminants can lead to reduced growth, a weakened immune response, reproductive impairment, and may ultimately reduce their survival. To assess the status of contaminant exposure in estuarine habitats used by seaward migrating juvenile Chinook salmon, fish were collected from the estuary habitat of …

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Spatial-Temporal Changes In Kelp Extent In The Gulf Islands And Southern Vancouver Island: A Remote Sensing Approach, Alejandra Mora-Soto Apr 2022

Spatial-Temporal Changes In Kelp Extent In The Gulf Islands And Southern Vancouver Island: A Remote Sensing Approach, Alejandra Mora-Soto

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Local studies across the Salish Sea show variable patterns of kelp change, ranging from total losses to resilient populations as a result of processes that operate on different scales. Here, we present a high-resolution satellite imagery approach to defining changes in kelp extent from 2005 to 2019 for the Gulf Islands and Southern Vancouver Island. We further related these changes to sea surface temperature (SST) from the Landsat thermal sensor and the number of weeks under high SST from lighthouse data. The analysis showed that (i) semi-exposed kelp areas such as Race Rocks, were characterized by strong tidal currents, high …

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Oceanreports Tool Brings Ocean And Coastal Planning Data To Your Fingertips, Thomas Moore Apr 2022

Oceanreports Tool Brings Ocean And Coastal Planning Data To Your Fingertips, Thomas Moore

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

OceanReports is the most comprehensive web-based spatial assessment tool for the ocean and coasts in the U.S., designed to improve decision-making and increase transparency for users. It was developed by a partnership of the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM), the NOAA National Centers for Coastal Ocean Science (NCCOS), and the NOAA Office for Coastal Management (OCM). The tool contains approximately 100 distinct data layers and is capable of analyzing energy and minerals, natural resources (including species and habitats), transportation and infrastructure, oceanographic and biophysical conditions, and the local ocean economy for any area of the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone. …

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Strategies For Identifying And Mitigating Predation On Salmon In Washington’S “Estuaries Of Concern”, Dr. Casey Clark Apr 2022

Strategies For Identifying And Mitigating Predation On Salmon In Washington’S “Estuaries Of Concern”, Dr. Casey Clark

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Reduced salmon run sizes, fishery closures, and rebounding predator populations have made predation on salmonids by seals, sea lions, and birds a focal point for discussions of salmon conservation and management in the Salish Sea. Predation on threatened and endangered Chinook salmon has been of particular concern and was highlighted by the Southern Resident Orca Task Force as an important subject for further research. Rivers and estuaries are a good place to focus this work, due to elevated predation that can occur at biological pinch points in these systems (e.g., Bonneville Dam, Ballard Locks) and the opportunity to target management …

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Meeting At The Crossroads: Environmental Justice And Large Carnivore Conservation, Alex Mcinturff Apr 2022

Meeting At The Crossroads: Environmental Justice And Large Carnivore Conservation, Alex Mcinturff

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

As global environmental changes continue to accelerate, research and practice in the field of conservation biology may be essential to help forestall precipitous declines in the earth’s ability to sustain a diversity of life. However, many conservation programs have faced scrutiny for the social injustices they create, especially within the paradigm of demarcating protected areas. Currently, a new conservation paradigm emphasizing human-wildlife coexistence is emerging, and with it, an opportunity to ensure that justice for both human and beyond-human groups is given consideration. Recovery programs for large carnivore species, like orcas, are a practice emblematic of this new conservation paradigm, …

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Leaders And Laggards: Dumping From Vessels In The Salish Sea, Why It's Concerning, And Who Is Leading And Lagging In Preventing It., Anna Barford, Evan Dobrowski, Elise Georgeff, Verner Wilson Apr 2022

Leaders And Laggards: Dumping From Vessels In The Salish Sea, Why It's Concerning, And Who Is Leading And Lagging In Preventing It., Anna Barford, Evan Dobrowski, Elise Georgeff, Verner Wilson

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Shipping and Large Vessel Traffic doesn’t just pose a risk to ecosystems when something catastrophic happens, but normal operations are creating pollution that is harmful to marine life, including Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW). While some jurisdictions in the Salish Sea are tackling this head on, working in collaboration with industry, and prioritising pollution prevention, others are allowing themselves to become a relative dumping ground. In this panel a group of experts including researchers, campaigners, and government officials will discuss and share some of the most concerning aspects of 3 voluminous waste streams, as well as examples of jurisdictions leading …

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Roadway Runoff Exposure Disrupts The Blood-Brain Barrier In Juvenile Coho Salmon, Stephanie Blair, Clyde Barlow, Jenifer Mcintyre Apr 2022

Roadway Runoff Exposure Disrupts The Blood-Brain Barrier In Juvenile Coho Salmon, Stephanie Blair, Clyde Barlow, Jenifer Mcintyre

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) are highly sensitive to urban runoff exposure and are an important ecological indicator for emerging contaminants. Recurrent die-offs of adult prespawn coho salmon in urban streams are attributed to the newly discovered tire chemical 6PPD-quinone. Juvenile coho salmon lethally exposed to roadway runoff and 6PPD-quinone demonstrate a similar progression of behavioral symptoms. In previous studies, we demonstrated that juvenile coho exposed to roadway runoff show blood-brain barrier disruption concurrent with severe rises in hematocrit. This suggests that cause of death may be due to loss of neuronal function following increased permeability of cerebral vessels and plasma …

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Lessons Learned From Intensively Monitored Watersheds (Imws) Of The Pacific Northwest: Management Applications, Considerations, And Adaptive Management, Keith Dublanica, Robert Bilby Apr 2022

Lessons Learned From Intensively Monitored Watersheds (Imws) Of The Pacific Northwest: Management Applications, Considerations, And Adaptive Management, Keith Dublanica, Robert Bilby

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB), the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC), and the Pacific Northwest Monitoring Partnership (PNAMP) have collaborated on an overall assessment of twelve of the sixteen intensively monitored watersheds (IMWs) in the Pacific Northwest. These areas, located in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and California were specifically chosen for watershed restoration treatments following a limiting factors analysis affecting varied salmonid life histories. All are utilizing validation monitoring in order to test the specific hypothesis crafted for each, while addressing salmonid productivity following treatment implementation. Five of these IMWs are located in the Columbia River basin. …

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Trends And Status Of Harbor Seals In Washington State (1978-2019) With Management Applications, Dr. Scott Pearson Apr 2022

Trends And Status Of Harbor Seals In Washington State (1978-2019) With Management Applications, Dr. Scott Pearson

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina richardsi) numbers were severely reduced in Washington by a federally-financed control program in the first half of the twentieth century. Seal numbers rebounded after the cessation of bounties and the establishment of legal protections under the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972 (MMPA). As seal and sea lion populations recover, updated stock estimates are critical for determining their status under the MMPA, assessing management options under the Act, and for modelling exercises designed to evaluate the role of pinnipeds in marine ecosystems. To estimate population size and abundance trends in Washington State, we conducted aerial surveys …

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Harbor Seal Consumption Of Steelhead Upon Marine Entry, Megan Moore Apr 2022

Harbor Seal Consumption Of Steelhead Upon Marine Entry, Megan Moore

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Predation by harbor seals may be threatening the recovery of ESA-listed steelhead. After freshwater rearing, steelhead smolts experience high mortality during their rapid migration from river mouth to the Pacific Ocean. Previous work indicates that harbor seal predation is a primary source of early marine mortality in the Salish Sea, but the level of impact exerted by harbor seals on steelhead has not been quantitatively assessed. We calculated the percentage of Nisqually River steelhead migrants consumed by harbor seals in 2016, 2017, and 2018 from estimates of (1) the proportion of harbor seal diet comprised of steelhead, (2) the number …

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The Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program, Katrina Radach Apr 2022

The Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program, Katrina Radach

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Consistent information on ecosystem health is critical to inform actions that will ensure the long-term health the Salish Sea’s ecological functions and the human communities that depend upon them. Dedicated scientists and practitioners serve as the region’s eyes and ears to assess ecosystem status and trends, progress toward recovery, and effectiveness of recovery actions. The Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) facilitates connections among this network, helping them collaboratively answer questions critical to ecosystem recovery, set future monitoring priorities, and share their scientific findings. Many organizations conduct research and monitoring throughout the Salish Sea. PSEMP’s strength is in its network …

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Lessons Learned About Understory Kelp From 11 Years Of Sub-Tidal Monitoring During Elwha Dam Removal, A Marine Heat Wave, And Sea Star Wasting, Stephen Rubin Apr 2022

Lessons Learned About Understory Kelp From 11 Years Of Sub-Tidal Monitoring During Elwha Dam Removal, A Marine Heat Wave, And Sea Star Wasting, Stephen Rubin

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Understory kelp provide most of the kelp diversity and abundance in the Salish Sea, create three-dimensional habitat, and are major primary producers. Yet much less is known about their dynamics and current status than for canopy kelp. We surveyed benthic macroalgae (including 11 kelp species), invertebrates and fish annually, 2011-2021, at 15 sites in the central Strait of Juan de Fuca. Our original goal was to evaluate responses to Elwha River dam removal, which occurred during 2012-2014, but our time series also coincided with a marine heat wave in 2014, and sea star wasting disease (SSWD) which starting in 2014 …

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Sense Of Place And Southern Resident Killer Whales In The Salish Sea Region, Dr. David Trimbach Apr 2022

Sense Of Place And Southern Resident Killer Whales In The Salish Sea Region, Dr. David Trimbach

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Southern Resident Killer Whales (SRKW) are widely recognized as a charismatic species and symbol of the Salish Sea region, if not greater Pacific Northwest. SRKW have a long history in the region, which has evolved in tandem with the diverse human communities who have called this place home. SRKW-human relationships have been complex and subject to change, often dramatic change. This presentation seeks to partly untangle this relationship by examining sense of place and SRKW in the region. By bringing together findings from multiple complementary studies, including a recent national study on state designated species and place meanings, this presentation …

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Evaluation Tools To Assess Recovery Progress And The Adaptation Of Future Efforts., Elene Trujillo, Dr. Annelise Del Rio, Dr. Chanda Littles, Kirsten Feifel, Jay Krienitz, Dr. Letitia (Tish) Conway-Cranos Apr 2022

Evaluation Tools To Assess Recovery Progress And The Adaptation Of Future Efforts., Elene Trujillo, Dr. Annelise Del Rio, Dr. Chanda Littles, Kirsten Feifel, Jay Krienitz, Dr. Letitia (Tish) Conway-Cranos

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Ecosystem recovery programs have a fundamental need for scientific evaluation. Evaluation outcomes are used to understand recovery progress, predict changes with changing climate conditions and dynamic socioeconomic systems, and provides the needed information for a sustainable and adaptable recovery effort. In the Puget Sound, ecosystem recovery is progressing, albeit more slowly than hoped, despite substantial investments made. Many monitored ecosystem indicators are not meeting recovery targets and salmon populations in the region show few signs of recovery. There is continued need for scientific evidence to improve clarity around critical decisions and ensure investments are effective and targeted to accomplish the …

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Central Puget Sound Phytoplankton And Nutrient Dynamics, Kimberle Stark Apr 2022

Central Puget Sound Phytoplankton And Nutrient Dynamics, Kimberle Stark

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Puget Sound is a large, geographically complex, and highly productive estuarine system. The Central Basin is the largest of the four deep basins comprising Puget Sound. Primary producers (phytoplankton) serve key ecosystem functions as their abundances and taxonomic composition can impact higher trophic levels. Several factors can influence phytoplankton dynamics, including nutrient availability, water column mixing, climate, and grazing by zooplankton. In this system, coastal upwelling contributes the largest amount of nutrients. Localized watershed and anthropogenic sources also contribute nutrients to the system. King County (Seattle, WA) implements a long-term monitoring program with physical, chemical, and biological components designed to …

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