SSAMN Stream

Forage fish (small schooling fish) are very important to the Salish Sea Ecosystem. Because they are so important, there is high interest in knowing, and monitoring, the health of these populations.  However, studying their populations, and understanding changes to them, can be very challenging. One way to go about this is to instead study the diet of generalist predators, in which their diet can be correlated to the abundance of different prey (and hence can be used to detect changes in the prey species). University of Victoria graduate student, Wesley Greentree, joins us on this episode to explain how his latest research involving examining British Columbia Chinook salmon stomach contents is helping to assess forage fish populations. 

Since the population of Southern Resident killer whales is endangered, monitoring & tracking (non-invasively) their presence in, and around, the Salish Sea is important to help scientists and agencies measure threats like declining Chinook salmon, vessel noise pollution, and toxic pollutants to guide immediate conservation actions. One way this has been done is by listening for them through the use of hydrophones (underwater microphones). However, there can be other ways to listen to them. On this episode, University of Washington Graduate Student, Samantha Juber, shares with us about an intriguing new project being undertaken in the Salish Sea which relies on distributed acoustic sensing technology (i.e. underwater fiber optic cables) to "hear" and detect the whales. We are definitely all "ears" to hear about this! 

"Here there be monsters" isn't a phrase typically applied to the Salish Sea. Did you know, though, that millions of years ago an eight foot long salmon with 2 inch long spiked teeth jutting out of it once called these waters home? It is called the spiked-toothed salmon (Oncorhynchus rastrosus). How about our own local version of the Loch Ness monster -a 40-foot-long Plesiosaur species (Traskasaura sandrae)? Today's episode features a riveting discussion with Dr. Brian Sidlauskas, Professor, and Curator of the Royal D. Suttkus Fish Collection, at Tulane University, and Dr. F. Robin O’Keefe, Professor in the Department of Biological Science at Marshall University, about prehistoric marine animals that once roamed the waters that would become the Salish Sea. We're digging deep into the world of fossils to uncover the truth!

Did you know fish can make noise? There are actually a surprisingly large number of Salish Sea fish species that vocalize! On this episode, University of Victoria graduate student, Mackenzie Woods, joins us to talk to us about fish noises, in general, as well as her research into fish songs & the plainfin midshipman fish, a type of bottom-dwelling batrachoid toadfish. This episode will have you singing scales! 

Drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), are aircraft operated remotely or autonomously without a human pilot on board. In more recent years, their use in research has skyrocketed. How have drones changed how research, and what kind of research, is being conducted on whales? What have we been able to learn from whales from drones that was previously hidden from human eyes? On this episode, Dr. Holly Fearnbach, Marine Mammal Research Director at SR3 (SeaLife Response Rehabilitation and Research), discusses with us the ways drones have been, and are currently being, used in whale research. We will also discuss their limitations and benefits and potential future applications as this technology rapidly advances. 

Sea stars are important Pacific Northwest predators, maintaining ecosystem balance. Unfortunately, a devastating disease, Sea Star Wasting Disease (SSWD), struck these marine invertebrates. SSWD started as a massive outbreak in 2013. While it actually was first detected along the Washington coast, it rapidly spread from Alaska down to Mexico, causing sea stars to disintegrate and decimating many populations. While the outbreak peaked around 2014, it continues to affect sea stars. After years of research, though, scientists finally have an answer as to what is causing this disease. Grace Crandall, a PhD student at the University of Washington, joins us on this episode to talk about the culprit as well as implications to, and status of, local sea star populations. 

Bald eagles are very abundant in the Salish Sea. They are important avian predators of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. Eagles, along with other birds of prey, have a long and well-known history with contaminants, like DDT. When Canadian scientists wanted to know the sources and potential impacts of contaminants on endangered Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs), they surprisingly turned to bald eagles for some answers. On this episode, Dr. John Elliott, a retired researcher with Environment and Climate Change Canada, and Robert Kesic, a wildlife biologist & toxicologist with Environment and Climate Change Canada and now PhD candidate, join us to talk about a recent study they did looking at PBDEs (polybrominated diphenyl ethers) or flame retardants in bald eagles, and the connection to SRKWs.

Bioluminescent, or "glowing," waters can be seen in the Salish Sea. In fact, there are several local companies that offer bioluminescence kayak tours. The science behind bioluminescent waters is really interesting and surprisingly complex. Amazingly, there has not actually been much research into bioluminescence in the Salish Sea. So, what is responsible for this hauntingly beautiful phenomenon? Where, and when, can you see it? What can be learned from studying this phenomenon? Lucy Greeley, a former Western Washington University undergraduate student and environmental science intern at the Bellingham Bay Community Boating Center, answers these questions and more on this episode. We promise this episode will be absolutely illuminating! 

Killer whales are very intelligent, social, and globally distributed apex predators that sometime interact with commercial fisheries. Although not always, these interactions can result in negative impacts to the whales and the fishing industries. Given this species’ ecological diversity, geographic variability, and frequent encounters with fisheries, a global, comprehensive review of commercial fishery interactions with killer whales was undertaken by University of Alaska Fairbanks graduate student, Emma Luck, to understand overarching patterns and the potential for mitigating harmful impacts. Emma joins us on this episode to help us better understand these examples of human-wildlife conflict in marine ecosystems.  

It's no secret the Pacific Northwest is prone to earthquakes and landslides. While thinking about the risk of these events in the Salish Sea, though, what about tsunamis? Tsunamis are a series of waves (potentially up to hundreds of feet in size) caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. When they happen, they can be absolutely catastrophic. Tsunamis certainly have occurred before in the Salish Sea (yes, it's true!). On this fascinating episode, Dr. Carrie Garrison-Laney, a Coastal Hazards Specialist at Washington Sea Grant, discusses local tsunami events; their causes, frequency, and danger; but also steps being taken to save lives and how we can be better prepared. Will we be ready for the next one?