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?

Beavers are truly nature’s "engineers." They create habitat for many species, including salmon. Did you know researchers have discovered beaver populations living in the tidal marshes of the Salish Sea, an environment long considered unsuitable for them? Restoring beaver populations is being explored as a key strategy for aiding salmon recovery efforts regionally. However, there is concern over recent discoveries of dead beavers washing up on local beaches in the San Juan Islands, prompting investigations into potential causes like disease or toxins. On this episode, my co-worker who is TWM's Field Operations Coordinator, Erin Casellas, joins us to tell us all about beavers and the latest scoop on dead beavers that have washed up which TWM's marine mammal stranding network staff responded to.  

In the spirit of Halloween, we are leaving a bit of mystery in regards to this episode. You will have to tune in to find out what creature we are going to be discussing. Hint - it is the answer to this riddle: what is translucent, drifts or floats, has no bones, has a flowing shape which can sometimes morph, & can sometimes glow in the dark? While not a ghost, this specter of the Salish Sea is very common and recently, University of Washington graduate student, Haila Schultz, was involved in very cool research looking at how it's abundance and voracious appetite might be impacting salmon. 

You may have heard the buzz about macroalgae aquaculture. To name a few of the benefits, kelp and other seaweeds can be grown for food, animal feed, organic fertilizer, biofuels and other sustainable products. In Washington State, kelp aquaculture grew out of ocean acidification (OA) research. Besides all these commercial services to humans, kelp forests provide productive habitat which supports a wide variety of fish, invertebrates, and marine mammals, forming the basis for a rich ecosystem. Did you know there are two kelp farms in WA state waters? Dr. Meg Chadsey, a Carbon Specialist and PMEL Liaison with Washington Sea Grant, joins us on this episode to tell us more about this really promising type of farming and what it takes to make "kelping the sea" happen! 

Harbor porpoises are very common in the Salish Sea but hard to study. Pacific Mammal Research (PacMam) is a research organization taking on this task as they use identification methods to investigate the behavior, ecology, and conservation of these marine mammals. On this episode, Dr. Cindy Elliser, Founder of PacMam, shares with us intriguing insights they are learning about these animals through their work, such as their longevity, site fidelity (including remaining or returning to their birthplaces), & social dynamics. 

Bowhead whales are known to live really long. - maybe even around 200 years! But, what is less known is how long right whales can live for. Right whales and bowhead whales belong to the same family, Balaenidae, and are actually considered each other's closest relatives among living baleen whales. While rare, North Pacific right whales can be spotted off of Washington State waters. On this episode, Dr. Greg Breed, a professor at University of Alaska Fairbanks, talks with us about some amazing longevity research on bowhead whales, Southern and North Atlantic right whales, and implications for North Pacific right whales.