Research

Aquatic Ecosystems

Current Research

Current research at the Climate Impacts Group (CIG) on PNW marine/aquatic ecosystems and climate includes:

Climate Impacts on Salmon

• Understanding and predicting Oregon coastal coho salmon freshwater survival. In parallel to our completed study in the ocean environment (Logerwell et al. 2003), we are currently identifying the physical climate processes that affect freshwater productivity of Oregon coastal coho salmon. When complete, this work will be combined with our marine survival findings to develop a full life cycle/climate model for Oregon coastal coho.
• Retrospective analysis of coho smolt-to-adult survival rates for Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife index stocks of Puget Sound and coastal coho salmon. This study aims to identify and better understand the role of environmental change in changing coho return rates. The research will ultimately contribute the development of empirical models that can use environmental data to skillfully estimate coho marine survival rates prior to the time that harvest management decisions are made.
• Modeling climate change and land use impacts on salmon recovery in the Snohomish River basin. This study, conducted in partnership with NOAA and the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Washington, evaluates the effects of future climate change and changes in large-scale land use on Chinook salmon in the Snohomish River basin.

Climate Impacts on PNW Coastal Marine Ecosystems

• Climate impacts on the PNW coastal marine ecosystem, its multifaceted fisheries (e.g., groundfish, salmon, crustaceans, highly migratory coastal pelagic species) and their assessment and management. We are (1) examining how the relationship between climate and ocean habitat for Pacific sardine and Pacific hake affect the population dynamics of these species in order to (2) assess how an awareness of this relationship could affect management of these fisheries in the California Current Ecosystem.

Climate Impacts on Stellar Sea Lion Stocks

• Contribution of climate and natural ecosystem changes to declines in western Stellar Sea Lion stocks. This is a retrospective study of climate/fishery/Stellar Sea Lion data.

Related Work

Aquatic ecosystem research at the CIG benefits from externally funded, climate-related research projects and programs that key CIG research personnel conduct or are otherwise affiliated with, including the following:

• Towards a Fisheries Ecosystem Plan for the Northern California Current. This project is designed to:
  1. quantitatively investigate the large-scale structure and dynamics of the Northern California Current Ecosystem (NCCE),
  2. determine the impacts of climate and fishing on NCCE trophic structure and dynamics,
  3. provide a first attempt at designing significant qualitative and quantitative aspects of a regional Fisheries Ecosystem Plan as recommended by the National Marine Fisheries Service Ecosystem Principles and Advisory Panel, and
  4. convey models and findings to fisheries managers and policy makers through comprehensible dynamic computer visualizations.
  This research is funded by Washington Sea Grant. Contact: Bob Francis.