SSAMN Stream

Wolf eels are a marine species we have here in the Salish Sea. With their large heads and menacing teeth, they look scary but are they really? Are they even eels at all? You’ll find out all about this misunderstood species on this episode as Robert Pacunski, Research Scientist with WDFW, joins us to talk about them and shares with us interesting and surprising details about their lives. This is an episode you definitely can sink your teeth into! 

Nudibranchs are truly amazing and beautiful marine invertebrates! These sea slugs of the Salish Sea come in a variety of sizes, colors, patterns, and body forms. While you can commonly discover them tide-pooling along rocky beaches, you can also find them underneath floating docks and when diving. On this episode, Luan Roberts, a citizen scientist and naturalist, shares with us the fascinating world of these creatures and her dock fouling adventures around the Puget Sound area. As Luan will show us, we all can make important contributions to science through our observations of the natural world. 

Here in the Salish Sea, eelgrass beds are an essential part of the ecosystem. On this episode, we have two special guests: Tina Whitman, Senior Staff Scientist at Friends of the San Juans, in San Juan County, WA, and Fiona Beaty, Regional Coordinator at Seachange Marine Conservation Society, in BC, Canada, who will share details about the importance of eelgrass beds and the eelgrass bed restoration work their organizations are doing. Together, they will give us a great snapshot of restoration approaches being taken on both the American and Canadian sides of the Salish Sea, their partners, and how you can get involved! 

Forage fish, or small schooling fish species that serve as important prey for larger fish, marine mammals, and sea birds are vitally important to supporting a thriving marine ecosystem. On this episode, Phillip Dionne, Washington State Forage Fish Research and Management Lead at WDFW, discusses forage fish research WDFW is involved in the southern Salish Sea, including annual macrovegetation ("rake") surveys for herring eggs and beach spawn surveys for smelt and sand lance eggs. We’ll also discuss how citizen scientists are a big part of the beach spawn survey effort.

On this episode, Dr. Scott Pearson, Research Scientist with WDFW, shares with us about the important long-term work WDFW is undertaking to monitor population abundance and trends of different seabird species that breed locally or over-winter in the Puget Sound, San Juan Archipelago, Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Washington Coast. Marbled murrelets, tufted puffins, and rhinoceros auklets are just some of the amazing birds you will hear about. Listen in to find out more about the life history and ecology of these birds, how WDFW is conducting surveys of their populations, the status of these populations and threats they face, as well as what you can do to help!

Fraser River Chinook salmon are a very important food source for our beloved North Pacific orcas but sadly these salmon are struggling to survive. On this episode, we find out about some of the actions being taken to help them. Raincoast Conservation Foundation (RCF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to protecting the lands, waters and wildlife of coastal British Columbia. While their team is involved in a wide array of conservation projects, we chat with Dave Scott, RCF’s Research and Restoration Coordinator for the Lower Fraser Salmon Program,  about programs they are specifically undertaking to increase and protect salmon. We hope this episode leaves you inspired, and more knowledgeable, about supporting Pacific salmon recovery! 

January 2022 marks the 20th anniversary of when a lone, orphaned Northern Resident orca calf, Springer, was first seen in Puget Sound, WA, and an extraordinary journey began to rescue her and reunite her with her family in Canadian Waters. To commemorate this anniversary, this very special podcast episode features interviews with several individuals involved in the events as they share their memories and perspectives on Springer's story and lessons learned. We are joined by Lynne Barre, NOAA's Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery Coordinator; Donna Sandstrom, Founder, The Whale Trail and Author, Orca Rescue!  the True Story of an Orphaned Orca Named Springer ; Kari Koski, former Soundwatch Coordinator for The Whale Museum; and Mark Sears, Puget Sound Orca Researcher.  Also, please note the following correction: in this episode, "Friends of the Earth" should be "Earth Island Institute."

What better way to start out a new year than with whales! On this episode, Jared Towers, a cetacean research technician with Fisheries and Oceans Canada, joins us for a fascinating in-depth conversation about the Northern Resident killer whales (NRKWs). NRKWs are a population of killer whales (also known as orcas) that eat fish and reside in waters around, and above, northern Vancouver Island. We’ll get the scoop on the culture of these whales; population dynamics, status, and threats; as well as research and conservation efforts. Additionally, differences and interactions will be delved into between this population and the similar, but distinctly different, population of Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs).

Happy Holidays! Tis the season to be merry with friends and family! In that spirit, on this episode, I interview my fellow co-worker at The Whale Museum, Alyssa Scott, Stranding Network Coordinator/Acoustician, about the San Juan County Marine Mammal Stranding Network (SJCMMSN). Follow along as we explore the ins and outs of marine mammal rescue, stranding call response, her involvement with the latest research efforts and trainings, surprising things stranded marine mammals have revealed about themselves and our local ecosystem, as well as how you can get involved in marine mammal rescue.