Researchers Use Models To Estimate Where West Coast Salmon Habitat Will Remain Favorable With Warming Climate
September 15th, 2023
With climate change, some spawning habitat in British Columbia could actually expand, peaking in area around 2060, according to a recent study that looked at current stream habitat and projected future favorable spawning habitat as the climate warms.
UW Researchers Find That Fall Snow Levels (December) In Oregon, Washington Can Predict Total Snowfall An Area Will Get
September 15th, 2023
Researchers who study water resources want to know how much snow an area will get in a season. The total snowpack gives scientists a better idea of how much water will be available for hydropower, irrigation and drinking later in the year.
New Research Shows Surprising Resilience Of Fisheries To Marine Heat Waves; 248 Heat Waves 1993-2019 Analyzed
September 7th, 2023
New research has found that marine heat waves – prolonged periods of unusually warm ocean temperatures – haven’t had a lasting effect on the fish communities that feed most of the world.
UW Study Quantifies Fossil Fuel Emissions Causing Polar Bear Declines; Method Can Be Used For Other Species Impacted By Global Warming
September 7th, 2023
New research from the University of Washington and Polar Bears International in Bozeman, Montana, quantifies the relationship between greenhouse gas emissions and the survival of polar bear populations.
Climate Change Will Make Fishing For West Coast Groundfish More Difficult As Species Redistribute; Vessels Will Have To Travel Farther, Fish Deeper
August 23rd, 2023
Shifting ocean conditions associated with climate change will likely send high-value sablefish into deeper waters off the West Coast, new research shows. That could make the fish tougher to catch and force fishing crews to follow them or shift to other, more accessible species.
Construction Work On First Permitted Wave Energy Test Facility Off Oregon Coast Will Be Visible This Month
August 10th, 2023
The next step in Oregon State University’s construction of a wave energy testing facility off the Oregon Coast is visible to residents and visitors to the area this month.
Citing Sockeye-Killing Warm Water, Groups To File Lawsuit Pushing For Breaching Of Lower Snake Dams
July 27th, 2023
Four conservation groups notified the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers that they intend to sue the agency over the heat pollution created by the four lower Snake River dams. The groups allege the dams overheat the river’s water and those conditions are killing or injuring Snake River sockeye salmon listed as endangered under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Study Tracks Decades Of Juvenile Salmon Migration Timing For 66 West Coast Populations; Climate Change Impacts Vary
July 27th, 2023
Climate change has led to earlier spring blooms for wildflowers and ocean plankton but the impacts on salmon migration are more complicated, according to new research.
Droughts In Western States Driving Up Emissions When Utilities Forced To Switch From Hydro To Fossil Fuels, Has Cost Billions Past 20 Years
July 27th, 2023
When drought-stricken rivers and reservoirs run low across the American West, hydropower dries up and utilities fire up hundreds of power plants that burn coal, oil, or natural gas to keep up with demand for electricity. The timing couldn’t be worse, as accompanying heat waves drive up energy use, often to power air conditioners.