Fishes
Are Seals Causing Bottomfish Declines?
Many people have been concerned that a burgeoning harbor seal population is responsible for the declines in bottomfish like rockfish, lingcod and greenlings, but nobody has the data to show if this is true or not. If seals are eating large numbers of bottomfish, it’s important to know so we can make good decisions about where to locate bottomfish protection areas.
Recovery of Rockfish Populations
The Pacific Northwest has 26 species of rockfish that are truly “magnificent,” the translation of their Greek name Sebastes. Unlike many other fish, they give birth to live young, some species can live to be over 100 years old, most have venom glands at the base of their fin spines, and—they just look cool!
Recreational SCUBA Divers' Contributions to Science
Can private citizens really help conduct underwater research that will benefit the recovery of threatened or endangered species? Yes! For over three years, the SeaDoc Society has been training recreational SCUBA divers to help count and monitor marine fish and invertebrates in the Pacific Northwest.
Species of Concern
How do we judge the health of our marine environment?
Fish and wildlife populations are the ultimate indicators for the health of the entire Puget Sound Georgia Basin marine ecosystem. The recent biennial SeaDoc Society Species of Concern report shows that the number of species listed as threatened or endangered is increasing and unless efforts are stepped up, the “silent slow motion crisis” will continue to out pace the ability to stabilize and restore populations.
MPA-related Research
The SeaDoc Society is ensuring the health of marine wildlife populations and their ecosystems by funding critical research, providing scientific support and bringing stakeholders together. Thanks to the support of numerous private investors, the SeaDoc Society recently solicited and funded four new research projects to be conducted in 2004. Like the projects we have funded before, these studies are designed to provide useful information that will enable us to better manage our living marine resources. Last year, the SeaDoc Society reported that over 60 marine species in our region have declined enough to warrant their listing or proposed listing as threatened or endangered. The new research we are supporting this year is examining marine protected areas (MPAs) as a tool to help recover declining populations of wildlife like rockfish, herring, and scoters.
Herring Declines at Cherry Point: Finding the Real Cause
One way the Marine Ecosystem Health Program (MEHP [now the SeaDoc Society]) works to ensure the health of marine wildlife populations and their Pacific Northwest inland waters ecosystem is to fund scientific research. Research projects are carefully selected to ensure that each one provides information needed to better manage marine resources throughout the inland waters region. For this edition of the quarterly MEHP Research Update, we would like to highlight some early results from one of the projects the MEHP funded in 2002. This research project, entitled “What are the causes of developmental abnormalities in Cherry Point herring?” investigated some important aspects of herring declines in Puget Sound.