Regional Researchers Mount Three-Year Effort To Study Impacts Of Climate Change Off Washington’s Coast; ‘A Sentinel Site’
May 18th, 2023
A team of Oregon State University researchers is leading a three-year effort to learn more about climate fluctuations in Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary using more than 20 years of oceanographic data.
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First-Ever A.I. Algorithm Correctly Estimates Coastal Fish Stocks; Could Save Millions, Bridge Global Data, Sustainability Divide
May 18th, 2023
For the first time, a newly published artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm is allowing researchers to quickly and accurately estimate coastal fish stocks without ever entering the water. This breakthrough could save millions of dollars in annual research and monitoring costs while bringing data access to least-developed countries about the sustainability of their fish stocks.
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New Mapping Research Reveals Hotspots For 41 Infectious Agents In Wild Pacific Salmon Along British Columbia Coast
April 26th, 2023
A new study assesses the marine distribution of dozens of infectious agents in wild Pacific salmon in the marine environment. The novel study reveals where salmon populations have experienced infection “hotspots,” some featuring potentially detrimental pathogens.
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Mimicking Natural Spring Runoff: Researchers Tagging Juvenile Sacramento River Salmon To Measure Survival Benefits Of ‘Pulse Flows’
April 26th, 2023
Researchers from NOAA Fisheries and University of California Santa Cruz are tagging several groups of juvenile salmon in the Sacramento River system to help measure the benefits from the river’s first “pulse flow.” A pulse flow is a rapid increase and decrease in dam released water designed to resemble natural spring runoff.
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Study Documents Wide-Ranging Declines Of North American Wild Chinook; Reforms Should Include Fisheries Management Of Mixed-Stock Ocean Fisheries
April 20th, 2023
A new study offers a comprehensive look at the state of North American wild Chinook salmon. Researchers say findings hold new insights for fisheries managers looking to address wide-ranging declines among Chinook stocks.
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Tribes, Corps Studying Impacts Of Sediment Buildup (Deltas) At Mouths Of Columbia River Tribs; Impacts Temps, Predation, Salmon Survival
April 14th, 2023
The amount of sediment carried by Columbia River waters to the Pacific Ocean has declined by about half since Bonneville Dam was built in 1935. Much of the sediment no longer moved by the river has found a home at the mouths of tributaries, creating shallow sediment fans or deltas where warm water and predators impact juvenile salmon and steelhead, some listed under the federal Endangered Species Act.
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Migratory Birds Can Partially Offset Climate Change, But Such Compensation Comes With Cost
April 14th, 2023
Deteriorating habitat conditions caused by climate change are wreaking havoc with the timing of bird migration.
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Study Examines Ways To Dredge Columbia River Mouth For Navigation While Maintaining Healthy Nearshore Habitats, Limit Sediment Lost At Sea
April 7th, 2023
The Columbia River carries a lot of sediment from the interior. As North America's largest river by volume flowing into the Pacific Ocean, every year the Columbia transports an estimated 5 million tons of sediment downstream.
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Why Are Southern Resident Killer Whales Not Recovering? Ground-Breaking Study Shows Inbreeding Major Contributor To Decline Of Endangered Orcas
March 22nd, 2023
The small size and isolation of the endangered population of Southern Resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest have led to high levels of inbreeding. This inbreeding has contributed to their decline, which has continued as surrounding killer whale populations expand, according to research published in Nature Ecology and Evolution.