Inter-agency cooperation
Surf Scoter Declines
Hunting May be Responsible for Scoter Declines
The Salish Sea is home to some of North America’s most amazing bird life including one of the world’s largest wintering populations of scoters.
Unfortunately in Puget Sound scoters have declined by over 50% in the last 25 years representing the largest loss of marine bird biomass in Puget Sound. Scientists are trying to learn why scoters are declining precipitously and there is concern that among other problems, hunting could be impacting scoter populations.
A SeaDoc Society-funded study evaluating the impact of hunting on scoter populations found that wintering scoters have high site fidelity and that in four counties (Island, Mason, Skagit and Thurston) scoter harvest levels exceed what is believed to be sustainable. This means that hunting could definitely be impacting the long-term health of these birds in these counties.
These findings were presented to the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission last fall and the state is now evaluating what the hunting impact is on the state level and if harvest regulations need to be changed.
Private donations from citizens like you enable the SeaDoc Society to gather and share the information needed to protect and restore the marine fish and wildlife and Salish Sea ecosystem.
Find the PDF version here.
Sea Otter Research
The SeaDoc Society is improving the health of marine wildlife populations and the ecosystem upon which they depend by funding critical research, providing scientific support, and bringing stakeholders together. Like many SeaDoc Society-funded research projects, a recently completed project on sea otters is providing new information that is being used to better manage living marine resources.
Eelgrass Declines
The MEHP [the SeaDoc Society's former name] ensures the health of our marine wildlife and the ecosystem upon which they depend by funding applied scientific research, providing scientific support and translation, and bringing stakeholders together to solve problems. This summer, the Puget Sound region was faced with an emerging ecosystem health issue that needed a rapid and coordinated response if it was to be addressed in a timely and efficient manner.
River Otter Research
This has been a very busy and productive summer for the Marine Ecosystem Health Program (MEHP [now the SeaDoc Society]). Not only did we convene the First Biennial MEHP Science Symposium in September, but we also launched an exciting new wildlife health research project which we’d like to tell you a bit about. Joe is leading a long-term study of the health of river otters within the inland waters of Washington and British Columbia.