Themes from the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
Nights in the lives of the rhinoceros auklets of Protection Island
author: Eric Wagner
editor:
Aug 24, 2018
More than 70 percent of the seabird population of Puget Sound nests on a single island in the Strait of Juan de Fuca. That includes a massive colony of rhinoceros auklets that has drawn the interest of scientists and birders alike. Our writer Eric Wagner visited the island this summer and reports on a long-term study of the auklets that is revealing new information about the health of seabirds in the Salish Sea.
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For declining orcas, food is fate
author: Bob Friel
editor:
Aug 12, 2018
Recent images of a mother orca appearing to grieve for her dead calf have brought worldwide attention to the plight of Puget Sound’s endangered Southern Resident orcas. As orca numbers decline, we look at how the effects of toxic chemicals on the whales are magnified even as the residents slowly starve from a general lack of Chinook salmon, their chief source of food.
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Marine survival: New clues emerging in salmon deaths
author: Christopher Dunagan
editor: Charles Simenstad
Jul 18, 2018
An intensive research program in the U.S. and Canada is studying why so few salmon in the Salish Sea are returning home to spawn. It is uncovering a complex web of problems involving predators, prey and other factors that put salmon at risk as they migrate to the ocean. We present a four-part series on the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, including new findings presented at the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference last spring in Seattle.
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New studies on emerging threats to salmon
author: Christopher Dunagan
editor:
Jul 16, 2018
Chemicals, disease and other stressors can increase a salmon's chance of being eaten or reduce its ability to catch food. We wrap up our series on the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project with a look at some of the lesser-known, but still significant factors contributing to salmon declines in the Salish Sea.
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Removal of creosote-treated pilings may assist herring recovery
author: Megan Feddern
editor: Tessa Francis, University of Washington Puget Sound Institute
Jul 11, 2018
Researchers are analyzing the harmful effects of creosote-treated wood pilings on Pacific herring and shellfish in Puget Sound. Studies show that piling removal projects can ease the impacts, but only if carefully done.
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Could anchovies and other fish take pressure off salmon and steelhead?
author: Christopher Dunagan
editor:
Jul 09, 2018
A recent influx of anchovies into Puget Sound may have saved some steelhead from predators, but researchers seek more evidence to prove the connection. Our series on the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project continues with a look at these and other potential impacts from predators on the region's salmon and steelhead.
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Size means survival for young salmon
author: Christopher Dunagan
editor:
Jul 02, 2018
Getting bigger faster can help save juvenile Chinook salmon from a gauntlet of hungry predators ranging from birds and marine mammals to larger fish. We continue our series on the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project with a look at what helps salmon grow and prepare for life in the open ocean.
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Opening the black box: What’s killing Puget Sound’s salmon and steelhead?
author: Christopher Dunagan
editor: Charles Simenstad
Jun 25, 2018
An intensive research program in the U.S. and Canada is studying why so few salmon in the Salish Sea are returning home to spawn. They are uncovering a complex web of problems involving predators, prey and other factors that put salmon at risk as they migrate to the ocean. We begin a four-part series on the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, including new findings presented at the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference last spring in Seattle.
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New book helps kids discover the Salish Sea
author: Jeff Rice
editor:
Jun 08, 2018
Kids around the region are learning about the Salish Sea thanks to a new book that is being offered — in many cases free of cost — to Washington schools and libraries. Explore the Salish Sea by Joe Gaydos and Audrey Benedict inspires the next generation to appreciate and perhaps someday protect the environment close at hand.
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Despite WA ban on farmed salmon, BC impacts may flow across border
author: Eric Wagner
editor:
Jun 07, 2018
A high-profile salmon escape led to a ban on salmon farms in Washington earlier this year. But just across the border, scientists say salmon farms in British Columbia expose migrating fish from Puget Sound to potential maladies like parasites, bacteria and dangerous viruses. They say simply getting rid of salmon farms in Washington does not put the potential impacts to rest.
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Stormwater mimics oil spill's effect on Pacific herring
author: Katie Keil
editor: Tessa Francis, University of Washington Puget Sound Institute
May 21, 2018
Pacific herring exposed to stormwater in Puget Sound show some of the same effects as fish exposed to major oil spills. Symptoms include heart and developmental problems.
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Diving deeper to understand eelgrass wasting disease
author: Robin McLachlan
editor: Charles Simenstad
May 18, 2018
New studies show that eelgrass wasting disease is more common in warmer waters, leading to concerns over the future effects of climate change on eelgrass populations in Puget Sound. We continue our series on science findings from the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference.
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Where did the Puget Sound green crabs come from? We’re still not sure
author: Yaamini Venkataraman
editor:
May 15, 2018
Genetic testing shows that invasive European green crabs in Puget Sound likely did not come from the Sooke Basin in British Columbia as previously thought. New findings on the crab's origins were presented at the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in Seattle.
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Bay mussels in Puget Sound show traces of oxycodone
author: Jeff Rice
editor:
May 11, 2018
State agencies tracking pollution levels in Puget Sound have discovered traces of oxycodone in the tissues of native bay mussels (Mytilus trossulus) from Seattle and Bremerton area harbors. The findings were presented at the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in Seattle.
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Kelp continues steady decline in Puget Sound
author: Christopher Dunagan
editor: Charles Simenstad
May 01, 2018
Scientists are trying to learn how to restore Puget Sound’s diminishing kelp forests in an effort to stave off habitat loss for rockfish and other threatened species. We report on new findings presented at the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in Seattle.
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Future of orcas takes center stage at Salish Sea conference
author: Christopher Dunagan
editor:
Apr 04, 2018
Gov. Jay Inslee joined former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to open three days of science talks at the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in Seattle. The conference includes about 700 scientific presentations on topics ranging from orcas to habitat restoration, from climate change to toxic chemicals.
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