Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Physical Sciences and Mathematics Commons™

Open Access. Powered by Scholars. Published by Universities.®

Western Washington University

Discipline
Keyword
Publication Year
Publication
Publication Type
File Type

Articles 991 - 1020 of 2456

Full-Text Articles in Physical Sciences and Mathematics

Effects Of Warm Ocean Temperatures On Bull Kelp Forests In The Salish Sea, Braeden Schiltroth, Sherryl Bisgrove, Bill Heath Apr 2018

Effects Of Warm Ocean Temperatures On Bull Kelp Forests In The Salish Sea, Braeden Schiltroth, Sherryl Bisgrove, Bill Heath

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Kelp beds are marine sanctuaries, providing some of the most productive ecosystems on the planet and serving as critical habitat and refuge for many species, including juvenile salmon. Rising ocean temperature associated with climate change is a major stressor contributing to declines of kelp forests worldwide. In the Salish Sea, we identified bull kelp (Nereocystis leutkeana) populations growing under two different temperature regimes. Since 2011, kelp growing in the central Strait of Georgia has been exposed to sea surface temperatures (SSTs) of 15-21 °C in the summer months, which is 5-6 °C warmer than temperatures in the Strait of Juan …

Go to article

Using Passive Acoustics To Monitor Galiano Glass Sponge Reef, Amalis Riera, Stephanie Archer, William Halliday, Xavier Mouy, Matthew Pine, Anya Dunham, Francis Juanes Apr 2018

Using Passive Acoustics To Monitor Galiano Glass Sponge Reef, Amalis Riera, Stephanie Archer, William Halliday, Xavier Mouy, Matthew Pine, Anya Dunham, Francis Juanes

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Structured biogenic habitats are biodiversity hotspots that host a wide range of soniferous species. Glass Sponge Reefs (GSRs) are rare and sensitive systems that have only been documented in shelf habitats in the Northeast Pacific from Portland Canal to the Strait of Georgia, British Columbia, Canada. Galiano Reef is a GSR located in the Salish Sea, in the Outer Gulf Islands Sponge Reef fishing closure, British Columbia, Canada. Little is known about the soundscapes of these deep-water systems and the potential impacts of anthropogenic noise on them. Here we describe the biophony and the anthropophony on and outside of Galiano …

Go to article

Quantifying Marine Vessel Traffic From Aerial Surveys In The Salish Sea, Norma Serra-Sogas, Patrick O'Hara, Rosaline Canessa, Lauren Mcwhinnie Apr 2018

Quantifying Marine Vessel Traffic From Aerial Surveys In The Salish Sea, Norma Serra-Sogas, Patrick O'Hara, Rosaline Canessa, Lauren Mcwhinnie

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

There are a number of potential impacts associated with vessel traffic on marine ecosystems, including noise and oil pollution, ship-strikes, and fishing and fisheries bycatch. To assess these impacts, many studies employ marine traffic data collected using Automatic Identification Systems (AIS) onboard vessels. However, AIS only captures a fraction of the actual marine traffic because it omits many of the smaller vessels, which are not legally required to carry AIS. Without this information, the assessment of vessel-associated impacts based on AIS is inherently flawed, and underestimated. The NEMES (Noise Exposure to the Marine Environment from Ships) project is particularly interested …

Go to article

Puget Sound Habitat Status And Trends Monitoring Program: Nearshore And Large River Delta Geospatial Data And Habitat Status And Trends Monitoring Metrics, Jason E. Hall, Alex Stefankiv, Britta Timpane-Padgham, Martin Liermann, T. J. (Tim J.) Beechie, George R. Pess Apr 2018

Puget Sound Habitat Status And Trends Monitoring Program: Nearshore And Large River Delta Geospatial Data And Habitat Status And Trends Monitoring Metrics, Jason E. Hall, Alex Stefankiv, Britta Timpane-Padgham, Martin Liermann, T. J. (Tim J.) Beechie, George R. Pess

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Puget Sound Habitat Status and Trends Monitoring (PSHSTM) program was developed to provide consistent salmon habitat status and trends data to support status reviews of Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed salmon populations across Puget Sound’s major population groups. Our approach primarily relies on readily available and regularly updated aerial imagery to consistently map key habitat features at a regional scale. We have developed a census-based approach to map key habitat features throughout the nearshore, large river delta, large river, and floodplain environments across Puget Sound. This presentation will focus on our mapping efforts in Puget Sound’s nearshore and large …

Go to article

Research Into The Cause Of Brackish Marsh Recession In The Fraser River Estuary, Brent Gurd, Sean Boyd, Eric Balke, Richard Marijnissen, Brad Mason, Kathleen Moore Apr 2018

Research Into The Cause Of Brackish Marsh Recession In The Fraser River Estuary, Brent Gurd, Sean Boyd, Eric Balke, Richard Marijnissen, Brad Mason, Kathleen Moore

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

At least 160 ha (30%) of the brackish marsh on Sturgeon Bank in the Fraser River estuary have disappeared since 1989. A collaborative effort between the provincial and federal governments and industry aims to determine the cause(s) of the recession to inform future restoration efforts. Three adjacent low-elevation brackish marshes along the delta front have also receded to varying degrees. River training structures and regular dredging of the Fraser River divert sediments and fresh water, and thus alter sediment and salinity patterns along the delta front. Lesser snow geese (Anser c. caerulescens) preferentially grub bulrush, and the Fraser-Skagit population has …

Go to article

Genetic Structure Of The Bull-Kelp Nereocystis Luetkeana In The Salish Sea, Lily Gierke, Bobby San Miguel, Tom Mumford, Filipe Alberto Apr 2018

Genetic Structure Of The Bull-Kelp Nereocystis Luetkeana In The Salish Sea, Lily Gierke, Bobby San Miguel, Tom Mumford, Filipe Alberto

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Despite its vast geographic range and important role in coastal ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest, the bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana, has historically not been as widely studied as its globally distributed sister kelp, Macrocystis pyrifera. To date, there have been no published studies on the population genetic structure of Nereocystis luetkeana. We developed 10 polymorphic microsatellite markers with 454 sequencing and used them to genotype a total of over 1000 samples distributed from over 32 sites within the Salish Sea. Anthropogenic impact in the Salish Sea has been associated with decreasing kelp cover in areas close to large urban centers. …

Go to article

City Habitats: Thriving People, Thriving Nature And Solving Stormwater Collaboratively As A Region, Aaron Clark, Chirstin Hilton, Jessie Israel, Hannah Kett, Danielle Shaw, Sean Watts, Pam Emerson Apr 2018

City Habitats: Thriving People, Thriving Nature And Solving Stormwater Collaboratively As A Region, Aaron Clark, Chirstin Hilton, Jessie Israel, Hannah Kett, Danielle Shaw, Sean Watts, Pam Emerson

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The City Habitats Network connects over 100 partner organizations and entities involved in the work or urban ecosystem restoration with a particular interest in green infrastructure and stormwater. By focusing on coordination of partners, collaborative approaches, and meeting communities where they are, City Habitats is accelerating and amplifying efforts from across the Salish Sea and turning the tide on polluted stormwater. This presentation will highlight the overall strategies of City Habitats and examples of our collective impacts across regional and economic sector lines. As a coalition of partners involved in urban restoration, City Habitats is intentionally centering racial and social …

Go to article

The Beach Strategies Geodatabase, Alison Lubeck, Branden Rishel, Andrea Maclennan, Jim Johannessen Apr 2018

The Beach Strategies Geodatabase, Alison Lubeck, Branden Rishel, Andrea Maclennan, Jim Johannessen

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

This oral presentation will highlight methods, results, and utility of the Beach Strategies geospatial database, recently completed by Coastal Geologic Services as part of the ESRP Learning Program. Making nearshore geospatial data accessible and reliable for use by professionals presents unique challenges. Many coastal datasets in the Puget Sound region of the Salish Sea were mapped by many different scientists over many years, some using inconsistent or outdated methods. Improved remote and field-based mapping methods used in the project have greatly expanded the resolution and reliability of data from previous records. This geodatabase has immense value and implications for nearshore …

Go to article

Skokomish Estuary Restoration Monitoring, Lisa Belleveau Apr 2018

Skokomish Estuary Restoration Monitoring, Lisa Belleveau

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

In 2007 the Skokomish Tribe began breaking ground with a phased estuary restoration project. Since then almost 1000 acres have been reintroduced to tidal influence, which was restricted for hundreds of years. The objectives of this project are to restore salmon habitat to help revive the salmon population. In order to measure the success of the project at attaining these goals a monitoring plan was created. With funds provided by the Environmental Protection Agency the Tribe has been conducting estuary monitoring since 2011. Monitoring includes vegetation paired with pore-water salinity and sediment changes; tidal channel depth, temperature, and salinity; as …

Go to article

Survival Of The Lower Fraser And People Of The River, Murray Ned, Ken Malloway, Sally Hope, Janson Wong, Dalton Silver Apr 2018

Survival Of The Lower Fraser And People Of The River, Murray Ned, Ken Malloway, Sally Hope, Janson Wong, Dalton Silver

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Fish, fish habitat and fisheries are deeply important to Lower Fraser First Nations. Since time immemorial, Lower Fraser First Nations have relied on the once abundant fisheries and thriving habitats within their territories to support their way of life, including their spiritual, social, cultural and economic well-being. Yet the Lower Fraser River watershed is also subject to immense anthropogenic pressure due to urban developments, navigation, industrial activities, agriculture, etc. The Fraser River and the hundreds of tributaries, streams, marshes, bogs, swamps, sloughs and lakes within its watershed is at its brink due to escalating cumulative pressures and a re-affirmed legal …

Go to article

Washington State Ferries: Update On Ferry Vessel Noise In The Salish Sea, Richard Huey, Leslie James, Greg Peterson Apr 2018

Washington State Ferries: Update On Ferry Vessel Noise In The Salish Sea, Richard Huey, Leslie James, Greg Peterson

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Protecting the Salish Sea environment, the Southern Resident Killer Whales and other marine mammals is part of the mission of Washington State Ferries (WSF), and British Columbia Ferries (BCF). This presentation provides an update on underwater noise data analysis of WSF and BCF ferry vessels, plans for further data collection and potential noise mitigation strategies. WSF and BCF are members of the Port of Vancouver Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation Program (ECHO).

Go to article

The 2011 Climate Regime Shift: Seabed Taxon Monitoring Identifies Regimes, Jeff Marliave, Donna Gibbs, Laura Borden Apr 2018

The 2011 Climate Regime Shift: Seabed Taxon Monitoring Identifies Regimes, Jeff Marliave, Donna Gibbs, Laura Borden

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Monitoring of biodiversity may sometimes reflect human impacts on ecosystems, but analysis of biodiversity needs to account for naturally occurring trends as well. Biodiversity may provide more accurate definition of climate regime shifts than do physical oceanographic data, Using search programs for a long-term SCUBA taxonomic database (3865 dives) for Strait of Georgia seabed sites, 1,077 taxa were screened to select 171 rare or highly abundant taxa and to present the data according to climate regime categories. Ocean Niño Index climate regime shifts are defined here as the year of the end of the first La Niña closely paired with …

Go to article

Guidelines For Mapping Sea Level Rise And Uncertainty, Robert Norheim, Guillaume Mauger Apr 2018

Guidelines For Mapping Sea Level Rise And Uncertainty, Robert Norheim, Guillaume Mauger

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Sea level rise (SLR) due to anthropogenic global warming will affect coastlines throughout the Salish Sea, but will have particular impacts in places such as estuaries and cities, where there is significant built environment close to sea level (e.g., Tacoma Tideflats/Port of Tacoma). Projections for SLR in the Salish Sea range from 6” to 6’ by the year 2100, with a mean projection of 2’. This uncertainty is challenging for planners and managers who wish to incorporate SLR projections into their planning processes. A team of researchers at the UW Climate Impacts Group (CIG), Washington Sea Grant (WSG), University of …

Go to article

Pacific Salmon In Puget Sound: Abundance, Survival And Body Size (1970-2015), James P. Losee, Aaron Dufault, Neala Kendall Apr 2018

Pacific Salmon In Puget Sound: Abundance, Survival And Body Size (1970-2015), James P. Losee, Aaron Dufault, Neala Kendall

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Pacific salmon and trout (Oncorhynchus spp.) inhabiting Puget Sound marine waters have experienced both recent and long-term variability in abundance while supporting robust commercial, tribal, and sport fisheries. In recent years, numerous species-specific status reports have been completed, though formal comparisons among all five species of salmon and steelhead trout are not available. We compared spatial and temporal patterns of abundance, survival, productivity, and body size between hatchery-origin and naturally-produced adult salmon and steelhead trout returning to marine waters of Puget Sound, Washington, USA. Stock-specific total run size (of fish at the entrance to Puget Sound) was calculated for pink …

Go to article

Long-Term Changes In Salish Sea Kelp Forests And The Benthos: Evidence Of Response To Chemical Contaminants, Nutrient Loading, And Climate Change Pressures., Margaret Dutch, Christopher Krembs, Jude K. Apple, Christopher Harley Apr 2018

Long-Term Changes In Salish Sea Kelp Forests And The Benthos: Evidence Of Response To Chemical Contaminants, Nutrient Loading, And Climate Change Pressures., Margaret Dutch, Christopher Krembs, Jude K. Apple, Christopher Harley

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

No abstract provided.

Go to article

Developing A Nearshore Geospatial Framework For Recovery Assessment And Planning, Jennifer Burke, Stacy Vynne Apr 2018

Developing A Nearshore Geospatial Framework For Recovery Assessment And Planning, Jennifer Burke, Stacy Vynne

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

As part of the Beach Strategies project developed by the Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP), Puget Sound Partnership, ESRP, and Coastal Geologic Services (CGS) developed a geospatial framework to integrate nearshore data for analyses. The Beach Strategies project developed a geodatabase to inform restoration and protection planning. The Nearshore Geospatial Framework was designed as a companion structure to the Beach Strategies data to facilitate consistent and scalable units of analysis across the region-wide dataset. The framework is a series of consistent polygons with variable characteristics in both aquatic and inland areas of the nearshore. The polygon structures include variable …

Go to article

Kelp Forest Dynamics: Links To Climate And Long Term Trends, Helen Berry, Cathy Pfister, Tom Mumford Apr 2018

Kelp Forest Dynamics: Links To Climate And Long Term Trends, Helen Berry, Cathy Pfister, Tom Mumford

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Kelp forests are foundation species in the Salish Sea, and their dynamics are key to the fate of many other species. Research in other regions has shown that kelp abundance is driven in part by climate and can be impacted by human activities (for example, pollution and altered competition among species). While downward trends in kelp abundance have been of concern globally, trends are often locally distinct. We combined long term monitoring datasets and historical records to explore whether bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana) and giant kelp (Macrocystis pyrifera) dynamics in the Salish Sea region: 1) correlate with climate conditions, and …

Go to article

Is Stormwater Harming Our Streams? Long-Term Monitoring Of Metals In Stream Stormflow, Daniel Nidzgorski, James M. Grassley, Debora Lester, Debra Bouchard Apr 2018

Is Stormwater Harming Our Streams? Long-Term Monitoring Of Metals In Stream Stormflow, Daniel Nidzgorski, James M. Grassley, Debora Lester, Debra Bouchard

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Water-quality problems in urban and suburban streams are commonly blamed on stormwater pollution -- but actual stormflow pollutant data are much more limited. We analyzed 18 years (1993-2010) of stormflow metals concentrations from 33 stream stations across King County. We tested for long-term trends, compared stormflow and baseflow concentrations, and assessed aquatic and human-health toxicity. Five metals had long-term trends, all beneficial. Lead, nickel, and zinc concentrations have decreased over time. Calcium and magnesium concentrations have increased, which can reduce the adverse effects of toxic metals. In comparison to baseflow, 13 metals had discernably higher concentrations in stormflow (during 2001-2003 …

Go to article

The Microbiome Of The Canopy-Forming Kelps, Nereocystis And Macrocystis, From The Outer Olympic Coast To The Puget Sound, Brooke L. Weigel, Catherine A. Pfister Apr 2018

The Microbiome Of The Canopy-Forming Kelps, Nereocystis And Macrocystis, From The Outer Olympic Coast To The Puget Sound, Brooke L. Weigel, Catherine A. Pfister

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Canopy-forming kelps create vast underwater forests that are among the most productive marine ecosystems. In addition to providing vital habitat for macroscopic organisms, kelps also host an abundant microbial community in their surface mucus layer. In the Salish Sea, two canopy-forming kelps with contrasting life histories co-occur; Macrocystis pyrifera, a perennial species, and Nereocystis luetkeana, an annual species. Kelp-associated microbial communities were sampled along a spatial gradient, including sites from the outer Olympic Coast, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget Sound. We characterized the microbial communities associated with each kelp species and the surrounding seawater using next-generation Illumina sequencing …

Go to article

Fish Passage At Intertidal Obstructions: Approaches In Washington State, Padraic Smith Apr 2018

Fish Passage At Intertidal Obstructions: Approaches In Washington State, Padraic Smith

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Washington State has an active fish passage barrier correction program, with millions of dollars spent annually on fish passage barrier remediation. Tidal water crossing structures, including culverts, bridges, tidegates and control structures pose a unique problem for assessment and design for fish passage and estuarine habitat connectivity. Current fish passage criteria was developed primarily to allow adult salmon access to upstream spawning habitat and is based on adult fish swimming capabilities during the flow range expected during the period of migration. The hydrology of freshwater systems includes flooding periods that are infrequent and unpredictable. Tidal hydrology, on the other hand, …

Go to article

Understanding And Managing Underwater Noise: Results From The Haro Strait Vessel Slowdown Trial, Krista Trounce Apr 2018

Understanding And Managing Underwater Noise: Results From The Haro Strait Vessel Slowdown Trial, Krista Trounce

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Enhancing Cetacean Habitat and Observation (ECHO) Program is a Vancouver Fraser Port Authority-led initiative aimed at better understanding and managing the impact of shipping activities on at-risk whales throughout the southern coast of BC. Between August 7 and October 6, 2017, the ECHO Program managed a voluntary vessel slowdown trial in Haro Strait, located between Vancouver Island in British Columbia and San Juan Island in Washington State. Haro Strait is an important summer feeding area for southern resident killer whales, and a busy international shipping route. Through extensive consultation and collaboration with the Pacific Pilotage Authority, BC Coast Pilots, …

Go to article

Successes And Lessons Learned: Supporting Organizations' Capacity To Protect And Restore Puget Sound, Taylor Biaggi Apr 2018

Successes And Lessons Learned: Supporting Organizations' Capacity To Protect And Restore Puget Sound, Taylor Biaggi

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

The Puget Sound “Management Conference” is the fundamental governance structure for Puget Sound restoration and protection, formally and informally engaging scores of entities at all levels of government, the private sector, tribal governments, and non-governmental organizations. Each participating organization must secure resources to enable its engagement in this regional effort. EPA and others have provided targeted capacity support to some of these participating entities. EPA has over seven years of experience with various forms of Puget Sound capacity support. Our presentation will share highlights and lessons learned from this experience. Our presentation will include themes and findings from extensive discussions …

Go to article

Prioritizing Management Actions For The Fraser River Estuary, Laura Kehoe, Jessie Lund, Julia Baum, Lia Chalifour, Tara Martin Apr 2018

Prioritizing Management Actions For The Fraser River Estuary, Laura Kehoe, Jessie Lund, Julia Baum, Lia Chalifour, Tara Martin

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Conservation research has predominantly focused on identifying where and why species or habitats are under threat. While this is a crucial first step, it does not tell us how to optimize the allocation of resources in order to conserve threatened biodiversity. The time is ripe to focus on identifying the key management actions needed to respond to multiple threats and emerging risks. Using state-of-the-art techniques in conservation decision science, priority threat management assessment, and expert elicitation, we seek to identify the most ecologically effective and at the same time, least costly management actions needed to ensure the long-term persistence of …

Go to article

Potential Interactions Of Sea Level Rise And Sedimentation In The Lower Puyallup River, Jeff Parsons Apr 2018

Potential Interactions Of Sea Level Rise And Sedimentation In The Lower Puyallup River, Jeff Parsons

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Sea level rise and sedimentation have both been documented to contribute to future flooding in the densely developed Lower Puyallup River valley. However, their impacts have only been analyzed in isolation. In the Lower Puyallup River, these processes will interact. As sea level rises, the salt wedge, which is often flushed from leveed river channel, will be increasingly located in the leveed river channel, exacerbating sedimentation issues. Since the reach is no longer dredged, this sedimentation will decrease conveyance and increase the risk of the flooding over time. The interactions of the salt wedge and sedimentation will be nonlinear and …

Go to article

The Center For Creative Conservation: Fostering Novel Collaborations For Regional Sustainability, Sara J. Breslow, Joshua Lawler, Julian Olden, Spencer Wood Apr 2018

The Center For Creative Conservation: Fostering Novel Collaborations For Regional Sustainability, Sara J. Breslow, Joshua Lawler, Julian Olden, Spencer Wood

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Broad environmental and social forces are affecting our regional ecosystems and impacting the communities who depend on them in diverse ways. Addressing these complex social-ecological challenges necessitates growth in the collective wisdom of society. The Center for Creative Conservation at the University of Washington is addressing this need by promoting innovative solutions to complex environmental problems through fostering collaborations across broadly diverse disciplines, sectors, and communities. We strive to learn and apply best practices of transdisciplinarity, meaning authentically engaging different modes of knowing toward novel and integrated ideas, methods, and applications. For example, we convene medical researchers with ecologists, urban …

Go to article

Inspiring Farm Conservation Stewardship: Adaptations To Incentive-Based Campaigns, Aneka Sweeney Apr 2018

Inspiring Farm Conservation Stewardship: Adaptations To Incentive-Based Campaigns, Aneka Sweeney

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Traditional information-based campaigns, programs of voluntary incentive-based technical and financial assistance and regulatory compulsion have proved moderately effective in the past to abate bacterial pollution from livestock operations. These have been an industry standard for decades as the exclusive means to motivate land managers to adopt stewardship practices. These methods have failed to sustain reductions in bacteria from farms primarily because they leave 60% of the target audience unengaged. Widespread adoption of better livestock and manure management practices can reduce fecal coliform bacteria in both fresh and marine waters. However, to achieve and maintain Approved shellfish growing areas, land stewardship …

Go to article

Comparison Of Bull Kelp Coverage Survey Methods Over Time In The San Juan Archipelago, Todd Woodard, Casey Palmer-Mcgee Apr 2018

Comparison Of Bull Kelp Coverage Survey Methods Over Time In The San Juan Archipelago, Todd Woodard, Casey Palmer-Mcgee

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Bull Kelp forests are an important habitat in the Salish Sea. They provide critical habitat for a wide variety of species including newly listed rockfish. Yet little data currently exists to determine overall canopy coverage or trends in kelp coverage. In 2017, the Samish Indian Nation initiated a project to compare baseline kelp coverage with Traditional Ecological Knowledge from Tribal Fishermen and a 2006 remote sensing survey conducted by Friends of the San Juans. Using a combination of aerial photography analysis, boat based surveys and NASA satellite imagery, this project seeks to gain a unique perspective on kelp forest trends …

Go to article

Bottom-Up And Top-Down Processes Affecting Marine Survival Of Salmon In The Salish Sea, David A. Beauchamp Apr 2018

Bottom-Up And Top-Down Processes Affecting Marine Survival Of Salmon In The Salish Sea, David A. Beauchamp

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Bottom-up processes mechanistically link with top-down control of populations, and these interactions are mediated by environmental variability and human-induced changes in land and water use. Size-selective mortality can be a significant force regulating recruitment of salmon and may be imposed at different life stages and habitats for different species, stocks, or life history types. The first months of marine growth are commonly regarded as a critical period for growth and survival of salmon. For ESA-listed Puget Sound Chinook salmon, emergent bottom-up patterns include: 1) a critical growth period occurs when body mass increases 2-4 fold during the first month of …

Go to article

Simulating Eutrophication Effects In Puget Sound Using Qualitative Network Models, Christopher James Harvey, Kathryn Sobocinski Apr 2018

Simulating Eutrophication Effects In Puget Sound Using Qualitative Network Models, Christopher James Harvey, Kathryn Sobocinski

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Ecosystems are complex, dynamic networks of interacting physical, chemical, biological and social components. A stressor such as eutrophication thus can cause responses throughout the system via direct and indirect pathways and feedbacks. Ecosystem models are typically designed to account for as many critical components, functions and pathways as possible in order to reasonably simulate how a system may respond to a stressor; however, many aspects of ecosystem structure and function are poorly studied and too data-poor to represent in a quantitative, mechanistic model. Qualitative network models (QNMs) assume comparably simple (i.e., positive or negative) relationships between interacting components, and allow …

Go to article

What's Working To Restore Puget Sound? Connecting Investments, Actions, And Outcomes, Leska S. Fore, Keith Dublanica, Jennifer Johnson, Jessica Archer Apr 2018

What's Working To Restore Puget Sound? Connecting Investments, Actions, And Outcomes, Leska S. Fore, Keith Dublanica, Jennifer Johnson, Jessica Archer

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

Throughout Puget Sound, long-term funding and investment in recovery actions have resulted in measurable improvements. Results from individual projects have been reported anecdotally in terms of improved water quality, habitat condition and wildlife, and salmon populations. Yet our ability to report these positive outcomes to funding agencies has been limited. This is because information and results are scattered across databases maintained by multiple local, state, tribal, and federal agencies. Data sets are typically well curated, but not connected. We have developed a prototype of a web tool that combines information about actions and outcomes to demonstrate the value of investments …

Go to article

First Prev Next Last