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Other Projects - Watershed Program
Other Projects
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Hydrologic Regime and the Conservation of Salmon Life History Diversity |
| Project Title: |
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Correlation of spawning timing and hydrologic regime in Puget Sound Chinook: implications for maintaining life history diversity in an ESU. |
| Team: |
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Ecosystem Processes |
| Investigators: |
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Tim Beechie, Mary Ruckelshaus (Conservation Biology Division) and Aimee Fullerton |
| Collaborators: |
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Eric Buhle (University of Washington) and Lisa Holsinger (USDA Forest Service) |
| Description: |
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Spawning timing of Puget Sound Chinook salmon is generally earlier in snowmelt dominated stream systems and later in rainfall dominated systems, suggesting that recovery goals for preserving life history diversity should consider how environmental variables might control the spatial arrangement of populations in a viable ESU. |
| Support: |
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NOAA Fisheries |
| Project Status: |
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Completed and published |
| Relevant Publications: |
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Beechie, T. J., E. Buhle, M. H. Ruckelshaus, A. H. Fullerton, L. Holsinger. 2006. Hydrologic regime and the conservation of salmon life history diversity. Biological Conservation 130(4):360-372. |
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Evaluation of Spawning Habitat Limitations on Chinook Salmon |
| Project Title: |
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Estimating historical and current Chinook spawning and rearing capacity in Puget Sound watersheds. |
| Team: |
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Ecosystem Processes |
| Investigators: |
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Tim Beechie, Correigh Greene |
| Collaborators: |
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Lisa Holsinger (USDA Forest Service), Eric Beamer (Skagit River System Cooperative) |
| Description: |
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Setting population recovery goals for salmon should consider how much of the historically available habitat has been lost to various land uses in order to help set abundance goals that are achievable. This project develops methods for estimating historical and current availability of spawning habitats for six populations of Puget Sound Chinook salmon. |
| Support: |
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NOAA Fisheries |
| Project Status: |
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Completed, one manuscript in press |
| Relevant Publications: |
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Beechie, T.J., C.M. Greene., L. Holsinger, and E. Beamer. In Press. Incorporating parameter uncertainty into evaluations of spawning habitat limitations on Chinook salmon populations. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences. |
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Effects of Estuary Habitat Modification on Salmon Growth |
| Project Title: |
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Using otoliths to detect growth variation among Puget Sound estuaries |
| Team: |
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Ecosystem Processes |
| Investigators: |
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Bill Mowitt, Casey Rice, and Correigh Greene |
| Collaborators: |
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Kim Larsen (U.S. Geological Survey) |
| Description: |
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This project seeks to utilize the fish's ear-bones or otoliths to learn how juvenile Chinook salmon grow in different estuarine environments. Much like the rings of a tree, growth rings are laid down daily in juvenile salmon's otoliths. By comparing increment width, the otolith team can learn about how individual growth changes in different environments. We have an excellent sample of juvenile Chinook captured from estuaries throughout Puget Sound in 2003, and we are comparing growth rates and estuarine use across several different estuary watershed types (e.g. highly-urbanized, agricultural, ’natural’). |
| Support: |
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NOAA Fisheries |
| Project Status: |
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Data collection and analyses ongoing |
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Biological Consequences of Human Activity in Nearshore Puget Sound |
| Project Title: |
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Biological Consequences of Human Activity in Nearshore Puget Sound |
| Team: |
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Ecosystem Processes |
| Investigators: |
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Casey Rice and Correigh Greene |
| Collaborators: |
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Kris Kloehn (Frank Orth), James Karr (University of Washington), and Eric Beamer (Skagit River System Cooperative) |
| Description: |
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While significant portions of Puget Sound biota continue to decline, and pressure placed on the ecosystem by society continues to increase, major gaps exist in our understanding of natural ecosystem structure and function in Puget Sound, and the biological consequences of human activity. By drawing from several distinct research projects we illustrate the importance of considering landscape, ecosystem, and human influence contexts in improving biological assessment and monitoring in Puget Sound. First, anthropogenic shoreline modification is associated with local changes in beach microclimate and increased embryo mortality in summer spawning surf smelt (Hypomesus pretiosus). Second, data from surface trawl sampling throughout much of Puget Sound are being used to document local and landscape – scale contrasts in estuarine habitat use by hatchery versus wild juvenile Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), and differences in macrofaunal (fish and gelatinous zooplankton) assemblage composition. Third, existing data from aerial surveys of marine birds and waterfowl over thirteen years are being used to relate changes in bird assemblage composition to adjacent land cover and shoreline structure throughout Puget Sound. Results from these studies help document natural conditions and anthropogenic alterations of the Puget Sound ecosystem, but also suggest methods and hypotheses for future research, assessment, and monitoring. |
| Support: |
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NOAA Fisheries, Seattle City Light, US Army Corps of engineers, and Skagit River System Cooperative |
| Project Status: |
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Analysis ongoing; one manuscript in press, several more in preparation |
Watershed Home
last modified
12/14/2010
Web site owner: Northwest Fisheries Science Center
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