New Technologies Make Surveys More Efficient
November 16, 2018 —
Wrapping up nearly 5 months of research this week, a landmark study combined new onboard survey technologies with the capabilities of a small fleet of saildrones. Simultaneous observations of krill, fish, marine mammals, and seabirds from Vancouver Island to Southern California will help us better understand the impacts of predators on fish populations. One saildrone remains at sea, exploring shallow coastal waters that large research ships can't safely navigate.
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Why Salmon Need Side Channels
November 13, 2018 —
New research shows that one of the best ways to recover threatened Chinook salmon may be to restore the winding side channels that once gave young fish essential rearing habitat and refuge from high winter flows. Using fine-scale river maps and salmon population data, researchers created models showing that more complex rivers (those with side channels as well as deep pools, log jams, and other protective features) helped stabilize salmon numbers.
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Marine Science Internships for Veterans
November 9, 2018 —
Two veterans will mark this Veterans' Day as part of research teams at NOAA Fisheries' Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC), one focused on the ecological response to dam removal and the other on the effects of ocean acidification. NWFSC's internship program for veterans, known as the Washington Veterans Corps Fisheries Program, offers veterans a foothold toward a career in marine science, while also supplementing the Science Center's research staff.
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Witch's Hat
October 31, 2018 —
This new underwater feature was discovered a few days before Halloween off the West Coast in an area called La Cruz Canyon. The image was taken from an ROV during a research cruise aboard the NOAA ship Bell M. Shimada to study deep sea corals and sponges. The "witch's hat" is a lava-like solidified asphalt mound formed below the sea surface. Such features form when heavy hydrocarbons are released at the sea floor, creating flow features like lava flows.