2014 Salish Sea Science Prize Awarded

Scientists and conservationists honored for removing derelict gear from Salish Sea and documenting the positive impact

Local marine foundation that scientifically documented the devastating impact of derelict fishing gear on wildlife and removed it from our waters, is honored with the SeaDoc Society’s prestigious Salish Sea Science Award

Derelict fishing gear, including fishing nets and crab pots accidentally lost, persists for decades under the ocean where it continues to kill marine invertebrates, fish, birds and mammals. Hundreds of commercially important and threatened or endangered species have been entangled and entrapped by this gear, resulting in substantial economic and ecological impacts in the Salish Sea.

Today at the 2014 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in Seattle, where close to 1,000 scientists and conservationists convened to discuss recovery of the Salish Sea, the Northwest Straits Foundation was awarded the SeaDoc Society’s prestigious Salish Sea Science Prize in recognition of their research documenting the effects of derelict fishing gear on species ranging from Dungeness crabs and salmon to marine birds and mammals. Not only did this group scientifically document the negative impact of this gear, but they have been able to remove more than 4,700 derelict fishing nets and more than 3,000 derelict crab pots, restoring over 670 acres of marine habitat important to rockfish and other marine species.

The Northwest Straits Foundation began their work removing derelict gear in 2002 and since its inception has collected rigorous data that has been used to scientifically quantify the impact of derelict fishing gear. This permitted publication of a 2012 paper by Antonelis et al. demonstrating the importance of escape cord for reducing Dungeness crab mortality, spurring Marine Resource Committees to increase efforts to educate recreational crabbers about this. It also resulted in a 2010 manuscript in the journal Marine Pollution Bulletin by Good et al. demonstrating the impact of lost nets on marine species with the documentation that lost gill nets had entangled and/or killed at least 106 species of marine fauna including 65 species of marine invertebrates, 22 species of marine fishes, 15 species of marine birds and 4 species of marine mammals. Scientific documentation of drop out and decomposition rates, published in the same journal that same year by Gilardi et al., showed that these were gross underestimations as they did not account for the short life of carcasses in a net and the sometimes decades of killing that many of these nets had done prior to removal. Moreover, that same work documented a cost-benefit ratio for net removal at 1:14.5, demonstrating that ecological restoration also is cost-effective.

When asked about the scientific merit of their work,Joan Drinkwin of the Northwest Straits Foundation responded, “Our derelict fishing gear program was created with an intentional focus on collecting high quality scientific data to understand the impacts of derelict fishing gear on species and habitats of Puget Sound. By effectively communicating what we’ve found, we have been able to garner support for removing derelict fishing gear from our marine waters and are now very close to eliminating derelict fishing nets from waters less than 105 feet deep.”

Recognizing the impacts of derelict fishing gear on multiple marine species, both NOAA and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife have moved to ensure that newly lost nets do not become derelict and cause continued harm to species. NOAA has required tribal fisheries in Puget Sound to report all lost nets every season. In 2013, the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission enacted mandatory reporting by non-tribal commercial fishermen of all nets lost. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife also assists with the maintenance of a 24-hour reporting hotline and online reporting system. These management actions, coupled with the Northwest Straits Foundation’s continued outreach to tribal and non-tribal fishermen, have resulted in increased reporting of newly lost nets in 2013 and consequently fewer lost nets becoming derelict.

The SeaDoc Society's Salish Sea Science Prize comes with a prestigious $2,000 no-strings-attached prize. It is the only award of its kind and is bestowed biennially to recognize a scientist or group of scientists whose work has resulted in the demonstrated improved health of fish and wildlife populations in the Salish Sea. It is given in recognition of, and to honor the spirit of the late Stephanie Wagner, who loved the region and its wildlife.

Gaydos closed his commendations for the work of the Northwest Strait Foundation by saying that their work on documenting impact and removing derelict gear “serves as an example to the world how science is a crucial foundation for designing healthy ecosystems and drives ecosystem recovery.”

The SeaDoc Society funds and conducts marine science and uses science to improve management and conservation in the Salish Sea. It is a program of the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center, a center of excellence at the UC Davis School of Veterinary Medicine.

Click an image to see a full-size version for online or print use. Please credit Northwest Straits Initiative.

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For more information on the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative, visit their website.

How large is the Salish Sea's smelt population, and why does it matter?

"Can you imagine making your family’s budget without knowing how much is available to spend? That is essentially what’s happening with smelt."

Joe Gaydos of the SeaDoc Society and Ginny Broadhurst of the Northwest Straits Commission recently wrote a joint statement calling for increased investment in the study of the small schooling fishes that form a foundation for the food web of the Salish Sea:

On April 11th the Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission will hear from the public about a proposed rule change regarding fishing for surf smelt. Smelt are small fish – the type you might use as bait to catch larger fish. We’re used to arguing about salmon, the “catch,” not the bait, so this is a novel concept to many. But smelt, along with herring, sand lance, eulachon and other small schooling fish, are food for iconic larger fish like salmon and lingcod, amazing diving birds such as puffins and murres, and marine mammals including harbor porpoise, so talking about the bait is important.

This proposed rule addresses smelt, one of the only two baitfish species that are harvested both commercially and recreationally. Naturally this is sparking controversy among user groups. Commercial and recreational fishermen believe the smelt are doing fine and want to keep harvesting them while a cadre of bird watchers see these small fish as the key to recovering many marine bird species in decline and are looking for stronger protection. The problem is not the controversy, but that we haven’t made the commitment necessary to have the data we need to have a meaningful conversation about smelt.

We applaud the Fish and Wildlife Commission’s attention to this small fish. Our concern is the continued lack of investment in gathering information needed to intelligently manage our valuable marine resources, in this case smelt. Can you imagine making your family’s budget without knowing how much is available to spend? That is essentially what’s happening with smelt. We are making an important decision about possibly curtailing commercial and recreational harvest without really knowing how large the smelt population is, which makes it awfully hard to know how much we can sustainably harvest.

For years the SeaDoc Society, the Northwest Straits Commission, and a suite of others, have worked with limited budgets to study and draw needed attention to these small, energy-rich fish that feed larger species. But this might be like having a bake sale to fund a war. We spend billions of dollars gathering information for national security or tracking economic indicators. In contrast, we have consistently underfunded the intelligence gathering needed to understand the important foundations of our ecosystem. The Salish Sea is an important economic driver for our region. It provides food for our tables, as well as recreation, jobs, and a quality of life that attracts top businesses to the region. As citizens of Washington, we should demand more attention to important baitfish populations.

Smelt feed on plankton and they become an energy-rich source of food for people, fish and birds. The so-called “bottom of the food web” is critical to the rest of the food web and warrants our attention. It is time to provide the financial resources that the state and tribes need to better understand how we can safely both harvest them and leave enough for the fish and wildlife. It is time to work with our Canadian neighbors to fund and develop a comprehensive and meaningful plan for baitfish restoration and protection throughout the Salish Sea. Let’s act like the health of the Salish Sea ecosystem and our economy depend upon these unsung heroes, because they do.

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Banner photo: Juvenile sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus) (top) and surf smelt (Hypomesus pretiosus) (bottom) collected on Bainbridge Island, Washington. Scale is in inches. USGS photograph by David Ayers. Courtesy EarthFix photo stream on Flickr.

How to better communicate as a scientist

Why does good communication matter when it comes to science? In a recent article for The Wildlife Professional, a journal published by The Wildlife Society, Joe Gaydos discussed the imperative for scientists to become better communicators.

"[Wildlife scientists] are thinkers motivated by questions and answers and a dedication to managing resources for long-term sustainability and the good of the whole. ...But we are living in an age where most people get their information from places other than where scientists publish. Consequently our information is often not read, heard, used, or even believed." (emphasis added)

Gaydos reviews two books that have informed his own approach to science communication, Don't be Such a Scientist by Randy Olson and Escape from the Ivory Tower by Nancy Baron.

Olson's book showcases specific communication failures (but with a light touch) and provides advice on speaking naturally and persuasively. Baron's book is more of a how-to manual, with detailed advice on crafting clear messages and speaking with policymakers.

Gaydos writes, "...wildlife biologists have an obligation to speak for our science so it is available and accessible to those who need to use it to make important decisions.... It's time we all step out of our comfort zone, put our best foot forward, and become part of the discussion."

Read the article.

Video: Robyn du Pre on derelict gear removal

On Tuesday, February 11, 2014, Robyn du Pre of the Northwest Straits Foundation came to Orcas to talk about how the local effort to remove lost fishing nets and crabbing gear has strengthened our local economy and helped recover marine wildlife populations.

Over the last decade, the Northwest Straits Initiative has removed 4,605 nets from shallow waters in the Salish Sea, saving the lives of more than 3.5 million marine animals that would have otherwise been entrapped and killed by these nets each year.

And guess what, it's cost-effective. A joint Northwest Straits - SeaDoc Society study revealed that while removing a net cost $1,358, every net removed saves $1,965 each year in Dungeness crab alone, not to mention the salmon, lingcod, birds, and mammals that would have been killed by that net.

Video: John Calambokidis on Harbor Porpoise and other cetaceans in the Salish Sea

Although the harbor porpoise is the most abundant and widely dispersed cetacean species in the Salish Sea, its probably one of the least well known. Believe it or not, we still know very little about their habitat preferences in the Salish Sea, if the population is increasing, decreasing or stable, how they are related to harbor porpoise outside of the Salish Sea, and even when and where they have their young.

We do know that Harbor porpoise are among the smallest of the cetaceans, reaching an average size of about 5 feet and 120 pounds. They can dive deep, more than 655 feet, but usually stay near the surface, coming up regularly to breathe with a distinctive puffing noise that resembles a sneeze.

On January 14th, 2014, John Calambokidis, a Senior Research Biologist at Cascadia Research Collective, shed new light on harbor porpoise in the Salish Sea. Calambokidis is a well-respected marine mammal biologist and has authored two books on marine mammals as well as more than 150 scientific publications. His work has been covered by the Discovery Channel and National Geographic TV specials.

The 2013-14 Marine Science Lecture Series is designed to inspire the general public and to highlight the amazing fish and wildlife of our region. Lectures are free.

The Lecture Series is presented by program partners The SeaDoc Society and YMCA Camp Orkila. It has been made possible through generous sponsorship by Tom Averna (Deer Harbor Charters), Barbara Brown, Audrey and Dean Stupke and West Sound Marina. Co- sponsors Barbara Bentley and Glenn Prestwich, Emmanuel Episcopal and Bill Patterson (Chimayo/Sazio).

Video: Julie Stein on archaeology and early coastal settlement patterns

From the press release:

Have you ever wondered how people lived in the San Juan Islands thousands of years ago? What resources did they depend upon? Did they always eat salmon? What about elk? Where did they live?

Dr. Julie Stein, author of “Exploring Coast Salish Prehistory,” will share the stories that archaeology tells about life in the San Juan Islands before recorded history. A professor of Anthropology at the University of Washington and the director of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture, Dr. Stein has made her career studying adaptations of coastal prehistoric peoples, particularly in the Northwest Coast.

Dr. Stein has identified important cultural sites in the San Juan Islands, has made discoveries about summer and winter village sites, and has studied tools found at the sites to deduce what early residents ate and how they engaged in art and fishing. Come learn how archaeologists learn about the people who first inhabited our region. The lecture is free to the public.

The Lecture Series is presented by program partners The SeaDoc Society and YMCA Camp Orkila. It has been made possible through generous sponsorship by Tom Averna (Deer Harbor Charters), Barbara Brown, Audrey and Dean Stupke and West Sound Marina as well as co-sponsorship by Barbara Bentley and Glenn Prestwich and Bill Patterson (Chimayo/Sazio).

The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest

Update March 2016

Thanks to the incredible support of our donors and of the many people in the region who love the ocean, SeaDoc's The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest has sold fantastically well in its first year in print.The book spent 10 weeks on the Pacific Northwest Booksellers Association nonfiction bestseller list. It was also the #1 bestseller at our local Orcas Island bookshop, Darvill’s Books. (It sold 582 copies last year, more than double the number of copies sold of the second place book.)

The book has fulfilled our vision to help thousands of people see the beauty of the Salish Sea and join in efforts to protect and care for it.

Thank you to all of the people who helped underwrite the book and to everyone who bought a copy. And if you don’t have a copy, you can find one at your local bookstore or anywhere books are sold.

The Salish Sea region is an ecological jewel straddling the western border between Canada and the United States, connected to the Pacific Ocean primarily through the Strait of Juan de Fuca. There, lush and mossy old-growth forests meet waters with dazzlingly-colored anemones and majestic orcas.

SeaDoc's new book, The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest by Audrey DeLella Benedict and Joseph K. Gaydos (Sasquatch Books; $24.95; March 2015), combines a scientist's inquiring mind, dramatic color photographs, and a lively narrative of compelling stories. This is the first book of its kind to describe the Salish Sea, whose name was not even officially recognized until 2008. One of the world’s largest inland seas, the Salish Sea contains 6,535 square miles of sea surface area and 4,642 miles of coastline. Fashioned by the violent volcanism of the Pacific Rim of Fire, plate tectonics, and the sculptural magic wrought by Ice Age glaciers, the Salish Sea is a unique ecosystem home to thousands of different species of mammals, birds, fish, reptiles, and macro-invertebrates.

Amongst breathtaking color photography, The Salish Sea takes a look at the region’s geology, fauna, and history, and ends with hope for the protection of its future. The reader is left with a sense of wonder for this intricate marine ecosystem and the life that it sustains.

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Video by Colin Sternagel of Joe Gaydos giving a book talk

About the authors

Audrey DeLella Benedict is a biologist, a writer, and a passionate advocate for the conservation of the global ocean and Arctic and alpine environments the world over. She is founder and director of Cloud Ridge Naturalists, a nonprofit natural history educational organization now in its fourth decade. She is currently a member of the board of the SeaDoc Society and served for nearly a decade as a trustee for the Colorado chapter of The Nature Conservancy, from which she received the prestigious One Conservancy Award in 2003 for her work in Ecuador. Audrey splits her time between her home at 9,000 feet along the Colorado Front Range and her off-grid cottage on San Juan's Frost Island.

Joseph K. Gaydos is Chief Scientist for the SeaDoc Society, a marine science and conservation program focused on the Salish Sea. He is a licensed wildlife veterinarian and has a PhD in wildlife health. For over a decade he has been studying the fish and wildlife of the Salish Sea.

Interviews with the authors

• The Encyclopedia of Puget Sound interviewed Joe Gaydos and Audrey Benedict about the book. You can read the interview here.
• Joe was interviewed on KEXP's Sustainability Segment. Listen here or on iTunes. "The longer you look at a tidepool, the more you see."
• Joe was interviewed by KSER Radio in Everett for their Sound Living segment and by KTPZ in Port Townsend in their Nature Now segment.
• On June 1, Joe was interviewed by Terry Moore of CFAX in Vancouver, BC. The interview is on SoundCloud and begins about 36 minutes in. Listen.
• Also in Canada, Joe and Audrey were interviewed by CBC Radio The Early Edition with Rick Cluff, on CJSF Radio Endeavors, by Joseph Planta on The Commentary.ca, and were on live television on the Global News Noon News Hour with hosts Lynn Colliar and Jay Durant.
• The Vancouver Sun did a nice interview with Joe and Audrey in conjunction with their trip to Canada for World Oceans Day.

Book events

Authors Audrey Benedict and Joe Gaydos appeared across the region during April and May. Watch the video above to see the talk given at Third Place Books in the Seattle area, or watch the joint celebration of World Oceans Day hosted by the Georgia Strait Alliance and the Vancouver Aquarium.

Video of event at Vancouver Aquarium:

(Kevin Campion's film about the Salish Sea starts about 20 minutes in. Joe and Audrey's talk starts about 57 minutes in.)

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Where to buy

The book is available at local independent bookstores and online. ISBN 978-1570619854.

Book reviews

SEA-media.org writes, "In just 148 pages, Benedict and Gaydos have captured the essence of the Salish Sea."

Readers learn about its nature and biology, geology and chemistry, animals, plants, and microorganisms. They learn of its Coast Salish past and its fishing, industrial, recreational, city and town present, and they learn of peoples’ place in its ecosystem. As beauty and perspective and appreciation flow off the pages into the minds of readers, a key objective of the authors is achieved: to connect people with their home.

The Vancouver Sun praised the book for being a "Richly-illustrated book [that] provides insight into the wonders of area."

The Salish Sea is a feast for the eyes, a high-quality publishing effort rich in glossy colour photos and fascinating biological information that is likely to surprise even someone well-versed in our marine waters.

Seattle Magazine featured the book in their March 2015 issue:

The new book The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest (Sasquatch Books, $24.95) looks at these local waters through a scientific lens, illustrating the region’s unique geology (thanks to glaciers, plate tectonics and volcanoes) and vibrant marine ecology. Written by biologist Audrey DeLella Benedict with Joseph K. Gaydos, chief scientist for the SeaDoc Society (an Orcas Island–based conservation group focused on the Salish Sea), the book pairs bright, bold, photographs with fascinating facts about local sea creatures. (Did you know that the Salish Sea is home to the world’s largest species of barnacle, octopus and burrowing clam?)

Cascadia Weekly writes:

With every page studded with stunning photographs, this book is perfect for simply curling up and looking at the pictures. Bonus that the informative text by Audrey DeLella Benedict is parsed out in easy-to-ingest sections, science made interesting and relevant. Zoology, botany, past and present geology, anthropology, and issues related to the region’s economy are covered, with the emphasis always on species interdependency and teaching about the importance of keeping this ecosystem healthy for all its inhabitants.

The Bellingham Herald says:

I’ve saved the best for last – the book’s inclusion of nearly 200 color images from more than four dozen photographers, including Art Wolfe and neurologist/underwater photographer Marc Chamberlain. These enhance and inform the text more eloquently than I can describe – they are stunning illustrations of the magical place we call home.

The Islands' Sounder says:

From the icy summit of Mount Baker to mudflats of Fidalgo Bay to giant basking sharks of the deep to the alien-esque egg-yolk jellyfish, “The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest” reveals a vast world that is hard to comprehend.

Christian Martin writes in Cascadia Weekly,

"Through maps, charts, satellite imagery, nature photography and writing, Benedict and Gaydos concoct an engaging presentation of the natural history of our “jewel of the Pacific Northwest.” Their mantra of “know, connect, protect and restore” is a hopeful way forward in to a challenging future.

Sharon Wooton wrote in the Everett Herald,

The book offers the bizarre and beautiful, alien shapes and streamlined bodies, the invisible and obvious, swimmers and flyers and floaters, endangered and countless, mud flats and forests, orcas and dying sea stars.

The High Country News writes,

Dozens of gorgeous color photographs reveal its intricate beauty, and the book ends with a ringing call to action and a vision for protecting the region. This volume itself is a step toward that goal: All the royalties from its sale will be donated to the Puget Sound-based marine conservation center, the SeaDoc Society.

Photographer Max Waugh writes,

[The book is] an eye-opener for those who think the cold waters of the Pacific Northwest don't house the same level of biodiversity as more well-known areas of the globe... From cover to cover, the volume is filled with bold, bright images showing off the amazing scenery and rich biodiversity of the region.

How to keep killer whales out of oil spills (Exxon Valdez anniversary)

Photo Credit: kckellner via Compfightcc

Imagine if you woke up one day and parts of your town were coated in a hard-to-see but highly-toxic chemical. How would you know what to areas to avoid, where to find safety, or even which grocery stores had non-contaminated food? For humans the answer is signs, police tape, announcements on the radio, and breathless disaster reporting on the television.

But for marine mammals the techniques are a little different.

25 years ago today, the Exxon Valdez spilled tens of millions of gallons of oil into Alaska's Prince William Sound.

Back before the Exxon Valdez oil spill, people thought killer whales would know better than to swim into an oil spill.

Turns out they were wrong. Many individuals in the two pods of orcas that use Prince William Sound, pods AB and AT1, had direct contact with the spilled oil. The pods suffered large population losses in the years following the spill. Twenty-five years later the AB pod has started to recover, but scientists think the AT1 pod, with only 7 members left, will soon go extinct.

So how do you keep killer whales out of oil spills?

This was a question SeaDoc sought to answer back in 2007. We partnered with NOAA to bring together a group of killer whale experts and spill response professionals to discuss how the Salish Sea's resident and transient killer whales could be protected. Even though 18 years had passed since the Exxon Valdez event, the Northwest Area Contingency Plan did not include a plan for dealing with killer whales.

Over two days, the workshop participants discussed the effects of oil on cetaceans, killer whale mortality from the Exxon Valdez event, permit issues, risk assessments, response coordination, availability of equipment, pre- and post-event monitoring, and techniques for hazing animals to keep them away from oiled areas.

The result is a much higher level of preparedness to save whales' lives in the event of a catastrophic spill. The response plan for killer whales has been incorporated into the current Northwest Area Contingency Plan. Responders will have techniques and equipment ready to use. Of course, it's an open question how effective these techniques will be in any particular spill. It will depend a lot where the spill takes place and how close any killer whales are. But the planned out strategy will certainly be more effective that ad-hoc tactics pulled together in the middle of a crisis.

SeaDoc's work on killer whales and oil spills is a good example of how we bring people together to solve tough issues, especially issues that involve both sides of the international border that splits the Salish Sea.

Interested in learning more? Read the meeting notes from the 2007 workshop.

Also, see NOAA's page on oil spill response and killer whales, and a 3/24/2014 report from KUOW's Ashley Ahearn: EarthFix Conversation: 25 Years Later, Scientists Remember The Exxon Valdez.

Video: a Harbor Porpoise says hello

Harbor Porpoises are the smallest cetacean (whale or dolphin) in the Salish Sea. They're also the only year-round cetacean residents. Even the "Southern Resident" population of killer whales spends much of the year outside of the Puget Sound / Georgia Basin area. Because they're here year-round, studying them reveals information about what toxins and diseases are in the water. Usually we don't see much of harbor porpoises—they have only a short fin that hardly breaks the water when they breathe—but viewed from underwater you can see how curious and intelligent they are.

This video was filmed during the SeaDoc Society's March 2014 board meeting and retreat, which took place at the Vancouver Aquarium.

How to participate in the Surf Smelt rulemaking process

Quick facts

The Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission is taking comments on smelt fishing rules until April 11, 2014

SeaDoc has prepared a fact sheet about smelt in the Salish Sea.

We encourage you to use the available data on smelt to form an opinion about smelt fishing and to share your conclusions with the Commission.

SeaDoc is focused on identifying problems in the marine ecosystem and then using science to help find solutions.

Recently we were able to provide some important data on some very important fish: Surf Smelt. Now these data on the recreational harvest of smelt, along with other information, are being used by the general public and fisheries managers to make an important decision about Surf Smelt harvest in Washington.

Surf Smelt are one of 10 species of small schooling fishes that are critical for turning energy from plankton into fat and energy to feed larger fish (like salmon and lingcod), marine birds, and marine mammals.

Also, they are one of the few forage fish species for which there is a commercial and recreational fishery in Washington. Last year we funded a project to look at how many pounds of smelt are being harvested in the recreational fishery. It turns out, more than managers expected.

Now the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is looking to the public to decide if they should reduce the commercial or the recreational smelt fisheries (or both). The decision is not a scientific one, but it does use science. This is an opportunity for members of the public to help decide if they are comfortable with the current harvest, or if they are worried that the current harvest level is taking too many smelt away from the bigger fish they care more about, or from marine birds they like to watch.  Specifically, the Fish and Wildlife Commission is considering three options.

1. Leave things exactly as they are.
2. Reduce both commercial and recreational harvests.
3. Eliminate the commercial harvest and reduce the recreational harvest.

One of SeaDoc's primary goals is to make sure science gets off the shelf and gets used by decision makers and the public in making policy. We've done the science. Now it's time for it to get used.

SeaDoc is NOT an advocacy organization. We're not going to tell you what you should say in your comments, but we do want to encourage you use the available data to figure out your position and make your voice heard.

Check out our fact sheet on Surf Smelt in the Salish Sea. Use it to learn more about this important species and to learn how easy it is for you to be a part of this rule making process. Please share it with other people who are interested in the ecological and economic health of the Salish Sea.

Commenting is easy. You can do it online at the WDFW website. It can be as quick as filling out your name and choosing a preferred option, or you can include a comment of up to 1,000 characters. If you're interested in attending a public meeting and giving 3 minutes of in-person testimony, read our hints in the fact sheet.

Learn more about our smelt fishing study here.

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Photos courtesy of J. Gaydos.

Eelgrass disease study investigates vulnerability to Labyrinthula

Eelgrass (Zostera marina) plays a key role in the health of the Salish Sea ecosystem. It stabilizes sediments, reduces the impact of wave action, provides habitat, and is an important nursery and foraging area for multiple species, some of which are endangered. SeaDoc's involvement in eelgrass issues goes back to 2003, when we convened a meeting of eelgrass experts, resource managers, and land-use specialists to analyze the sudden disappearance of 35 acres of eelgrass in San Juan Island's Westcott Bay.

Eelgrass can be damaged by pollutants, by shading from docks and structures, and by physical damage from improper anchoring or badly placed moorings. It's also susceptible to disease, particularly from a slime mold-like organism called Labyrinthula zosterae. And it’s no small threat. This disease wiped out 90% of the eelgrass along the Atlantic coasts of North America and Europe in the 1930s.

We know that the organism is found in the Salish Sea, but the mere presence of a pathogen does not always mean disease. So what are the other factors? A recent publication by Maya Groner and numerous colleagues (supported in part by SeaDoc) used field surveys and experimental manipulations to find out how the age of eelgrass leaves impacts disease prevalence.

The upshot: mature beds and shallow eelgrass beds could be especially susceptible to outbreaks of wasting disease.

View the publication here.

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Banner photo from NOAA Photo Library via Flickr.

SeaDoc Science Advisor Peter Ross leads a new ocean pollution initiative

Photo: Neil Fisher and Vancouver Aquarium

The Vancouver Aquarium announced in February the launch of its new Ocean Pollution Science Program. The program will conduct critically important research on the sources and consequences of ocean pollution. Dr. Peter Ross, a scientist with 25 years of experience in marine pollution research, will lead the program. Dr. Ross is also a long-time SeaDoc Society Science Advisor. In that capacity he has helped shape SeaDoc's research agenda and our transboundary initiatives with Canadian scientists.

"Threats to ocean health include urban and industrial effluents, runoff from forestry and agriculture, oil and gas shipping and exploration, plastics and debris, and climate change," says Dr. Ross. "Understanding the nature and extent of these threats provide a crucial basis for policies and practices that will protect ocean health for future generations. Vancouver Aquarium's Ocean Pollution Science Program will conduct international-caliber scientific research on ocean pollution—and provide comprehensive and authoritative information for individuals, communities and countries." The Program will help inform partners and stakeholders in the science, government and private sectors on the health of our oceans.

"This is an area of study that must not be overlooked," says Dr. Ross. "By launching this program, we're meeting immediate scientific, conservation and education needs. The Aquarium is stepping up to the plate on an issue that is often vexing and complex but also worthy of dedicated research."

For more, visit the Ocean Pollution Science Program's web page at the Vancouver Aquarium site.

What killed orca L112?

Joe Gaydos conducting the necropsy by Sandy Buckley

What killed the 3-year-old killer whale that washed up in Southern Washington a couple of years ago? Joe Gaydos was one of 15 investigators who studied the whale to try to understand what happened to it. Their report was published February 25, 2014.

Joe was quoted in the Associated Press article about the report:

"This whale was killed from a blunt-force trauma, but [despite] every effort possible, we couldn't tell if it came from another ship or whale," said Joseph Gaydos, a co-author of the report and wildlife veterinarian with SeaDoc Society, a program of the Wildlife Health Center at the University of California, Davis' School of Veterinary Medicine. "The evidence doesn't support that it was a sonar episode or explosion."

See the full article by Phuong Le at the Seattle Times.

L112 Stranding Final Report

The Southern Resident Killer Whales Recovery Plan makes responding to standings of killer whales a priority. The Northwest Marine Mammal Stranding Network has nearly completed its investigation of the stranding involving southern resident L112 (Sooke) on Long Beach, Washington, February 11, 2012. Based on findings from the gross examination and the absence of conclusive histopathology or ancillary test results The Network team found that blunt force trauma was the primary consideration for the acute death of the animal. Weather and sea surface data for coastal Oregon and Washington, and drift patterns for the Columbia River plume suggested that L112 had likely been carried for some days in the Columbia River eddies or drifted from the south before being cast on Long Beach. Sonar and small underwater explosive activities were confirmed by the Royal Canadian Navy on February 4, 5, and 6, 2012 in Canadian waters off Vancouver Island and in the Strait of Juan de Fuca but no marine mammals were observed during the activities. The activities occurred too far to the north and downwind of the stranding location to be a consideration in the stranding.

You can find the final draft of the report and background documents at the NOAA website.

Salish Sea Ecosystem Map

The Salish Sea is a 17,000 sq. km. ecosystem consisting of the Puget Sound Basin (in the US) and the Georgia Basin (in Canada). Efforts to heal the Salish Sea depend upon good cross-border collaboration. Map: N. Maher

This image is available for download as a 5.8MB PDF.

Video: Gary Greene on Exploring the Salish Seafloor

You don’t go looking for lions on the Arctic tundra or for grizzly bears in the tropical rainforest – that is if you hope to find them. The topside world presents a wide variety of biomes inhabited by plants and animals adapted to survive in each special place. Our underwater world is no different. However, for people working to recover the Salish Sea, it’s been harder to protect threatened marine creatures and their critical underwater habitats simply because it’s so difficult to find them.

Beneath the surface of the Salish Sea lie a dazzling variety of habitats. We all know about kelp forests and eelgrass meadows and the riot of life they support, but did you know that we have huge “sand waves” that shelter vast schools of sand lance and provide foraging environment for birds like Tufted Puffins and Rhinoceros Auklets? Or that all of the various bottom features scientists have identified – glacial moraines, earthquake-generated rock piles, vertical ice-cut rock walls and mud-filled bays and sounds – each support their own collection of animals?

SeaDoc’s exciting new Tombolo Seafloor Mapping Laboratory is addressing real-time conservation needs by pinpointing Salish Sea habitats. When your goal is to protect important marine creatures like our threatened rockfish species, you can’t get there without a map.

Salmonella in wildlife: presentation at North American Veterinary Conference

At the 2014 North American Veterinary Conference, in Orlando, Florida, Joe Gaydos presented on Salmonella in wildlife. About 10% of the Salmonella outbreaks between 2006 and 2013 were caused by wild animals, and most of these were caused by reptiles and amphibians.

Salmonella infection can be prevalent in wild birds, and has been seen in many wild mammal species including white-tailed deer, raccoons, and river otters.

Relatively little is known about Salmonella in free-ranging marine mammals. It has been isolated from harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena), a killer whale (Orcinus orca), sea otters (Enhydra lutris nereis), northern elephant seals (mirounga angustirostris), California sea lions (Zalophus californianus), Northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus), and harbor seals (Phoca vitulina). Far more isolations have been made than actual documentation of disease. Salmonella Newport-associated septicemia has been documented in a harbor porpoise and a killer whale. Salmonella also has been isolated from marine birds such as Western gulls (Larus occidentalis). While one study found prevalence of Salmonella in 40% of California sea lion pups and 33% of northern fur seal pups on San Miguel Island, the prevalence in most marine wildlife populations is unknown but probably highly variable.

Download a copy of the paper: Salmonella in Wildlife by J. Gaydos

Photo Credit: mikebaird via Compfight cc

Joe Gaydos presents on river otter diseases at veterinary conference

At the 2014 North American Veterinary Conference, held in Orlando, Florida, Joe Gaydos presented a paper on diseases in river otters.

Diseases of River Otters, A Recovering Species. (PDF)

River otters were nearly eliminated over much of their home range, but have made comebacks. They can be found in freshwater habitats ranging from alpine lakes to rivers, streams, and swamps. From California to Alaska they sometimes occupy a nearshore marine habitat, where they play an important ecological role. They depend on fresh water for drinking.

River otters are host to various bacteria, viruses, fungi, and internal and external parasites. Some of these can cause disease in humans and domestic animals.

River otters are also sentinels to evaluate environmental contaminants including heavy metals, hydrocarbons and persistent organic pollutants.

The paper includes findings on successful anesthesia and capture methods.

Photo Credit: Chris Paul Photography via Compfight cc

Coastal cutthroat trout in the San Juan Islands

Coastal or sea-run cutthroat trout are freshwater fish that also move into the marine waters to feed and are an important recreational fishery in many parts of the Salish Sea. Many people don't think of the San Juan Islands when they think of cutthroat trout, but they were historically caught in the area. Long-standing residents recall a time when these rare fish were much more abundant. While recent work documented cutthroat trout in some streams in the San Juan archipelago, little is known about the current status of coastal cutthroat trout in this area.

Thanks to funding raised from private donors, the SeaDoc Society just awarded a grant to Long Live the Kings to analyze the abundance of coastal cutthroat trout in the San Juan Islands.

With collaborators at the Wild Fish Conservancy, Kwiáht, and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Long Live the Kings also will analyze the genetics and spawn-timing characteristics of cutthroat trout from multiple streams in the San Juan Islands to determine if there are unique stocks within each of the multiple watersheds and whether coastal cutthroat trout in the San Juans are a unique stock complex. This work will provide the basis for determining and prioritizing appropriate recovery efforts and measuring results after recovery begins.

Video of juvenile and adult coastal cutthroat trout in streams in the San Juan Islands:

Photo: J. Glasgow, Wild Fish Conservancy