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Director’s Corner
Director’s Corner
Director’s Corner
April 2009
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| Quite often, it is only after a crisis, be it environmental or economic, that we are able to reflect on what we did that was useful and what we could have done better. So, during times between crises, we need to prepare ourselves to properly deal with the next turbulent crisis by using what we learned from the last one. In addition, being scientifically adept and adaptive to emerging needs can better prepare us to address unpredictable crises in the future. |
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| The lessons learned from the Exxon Valdez oil spill (EVOS) 20 years ago helped us to better prepare for responding to ecosystem impacts of subsequent oil spills. For example, we gained a much better perspective on asking the right questions with regard to experimental design, sampling protocols and analytical schemes as a result of our experience with the EVOS. In addition, the EVOS provided a unique opportunity to validate our earlier laboratory research findings on how certain chemicals are taken up, converted and distributed within marine organisms, and the potential impact on the inhabitants of that ecosystem. Decades later, the knowledge and techniques we developed are still applicable, and have allowed us to provide on-the-ground assistance for other oil spills, and to quickly and reliably address seafood safety concerns in the Gulf of Mexico following Hurricane Katrina |
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| Sometimes, a crisis arises in a different manner, causing economic hardship as well. Harmful algal blooms (HABs) cause unforeseen closures of shellfish harvesting. Coastal communities that rely on this type of tourist activity can be devastated. But because of collaborative research with many partners we are now beginning to have the systematic monitoring needed to begin to forecast HAB events in the Pacific Northwest. |
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| Even greater are economic impacts due to a failed fishery. The recent collapse of salmon fisheries in the Sacramento River watershed area in particular and significant declines in other stocks along the West Coast impacted not only coastal communities but affected the fishing industry and consumers. Developing predictive capabilities for extreme events like this is a prudent step in crisis management. While we cannot avert climate events that decrease productivity, we can take concrete steps to improve our capacity to anticipate future returns of valuable resources. To this end, Center scientists have built—and continue to refine—the monitoring and analytical tools for forecasting salmon returns one to two years prior to their return. This research linking a combination of indices for ocean conditions at various scales to returns of adult salmon has garnered regional interest and attention inside and outside the agency. |
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| In a recent interview, I discussed why it is important to monitor conditions in the ocean when young salmon first enter saltwater, and what we can do to prepare for large or small numbers of adult fish returning. |
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| Listen to excerpts from the interview. Indicators (mp3), Fishing Crisis (mp3) |
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| View Dr. Usha Varanasi's biography |
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last modified
04/03/2009
Web site owner: Northwest Fisheries Science Center
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