Evaluating near-shore buffer zones in the San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge system relative to their function as marine protected areas (MPAs) (Osborne Project)
Funded in 2002

The San Juan Islands National Wildlife Refuge is made up of 83 islands and reefs within the San Juan Archipelago, and was established to provide protection for migratory birds. The USFWS advises ocean-going vessels to stay 200 yards offshore from nearly all of these islands and reefs. For some time now, it has been suggested that this marine "buffer zone" around the refuge should be mandated as a no-take marine protected area (MPA), but the area had never been scientifically evaluated to determine the biological contribution this could make to a regional network of MPAs.

Two years ago the SeaDoc Society funded researchers from the Whale Museum and the University of Washington to inventory the refuge for unique marine habitats and species of special interest. The research concluded that these buffer zones contain important marine resources that could make an important contribution to a regional network of marine reserves.

Thanks to this project, the USFWS is considering including near-shore marine buffer zones in its new comprehensive conservation plan for the refuge. Additionally, the Whale Museum and People for Puget Sound, two local non-governmental organizations, have used the data from this research project to petition Washington government officials to list these areas as mandatory no-take marine protected areas.

Which diseases pose a threat to the declining southern resident killer whale population? (Gaydos Project)

Last year NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) Fisheries reviewed the status of the southern resident killer whale population under the U.S. Endangered Species Act (ESA). Although it was determined that this population (recently listed as endangered by the Canadian federal government) was in danger of becoming extinct, it could not be classified as threatened or endangered under the ESA because it did not constitute a distinct population segment as required by the law. However, NOAA did decide to list the population as "depleted" and this has led to an in-depth assessment of the causes of the decline and potential ways to reverse it.

When a population is edging towards extinction, we need to know what the disease risks are. The paucity of information about the effect of disease on the southern resident killer whale population became apparent during both the U.S. and the Canadian status review processes. Last year, the SeaDoc Society teamed with researchers from the Whale Museum, the Center for Whale Research and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) to review what was known about infectious diseases in killer whales worldwide, and what risks these diseases posed to the dwindling southern resident population. The results of this research, now being published in the scientific journal Biological Conservation, are being used by managers in Washington and with the federal government to assess disease risks for this population and to plan accordingly as they develop a recovery plan for the southern residents.

Spread and impact of the introduced Japanese seaweed in native kelp forests of the San Juan Archipelago (Wooton Project)
Funded in Years 2001-03

Introduced species have the potential to radically alter the structure and function of native ecosystems and are a leading threat to biodiversity in the Georgia Basin/Puget Sound region. While it is always better to prevent the introduction of exotic species, once a species is introduced it is critical to know the impact of the species on native plants and animals and if necessary, to try and slow the spread of or eradicate the invasive species. The Japanese alga Sargassum muticum was introduced and began invading kelp forests in the San Juan Islands of Washington nearly fifty years ago, however very little was known about how this introduced alga affects native species. In 2001, 2002, and 2003, the SeaDoc Society funded a research project to assess how introduced Sargassum muticum impacted native kelp forests and what could be done if the effect was negative.

This research showed that by competing for light, Sargassum muticum displaces native algae and has a negative, indirect effect on the native green urchin, (Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis). This is an important finding and a big concern because kelps are an important source of food and provide critical habitat for a wide variety of species in nearshore ecosystems. Similarly green urchins have an influential role in structuring shallow subtidal communities in this region.

Small scale experiments showed after removing S. muticum, the native community recovered within about a year, suggesting that Sargassum-induced changes are reversible. Our experience with this seaweed indicates that complete eradication is labor intensive and difficult. But small-scale removals are possible and can be successful, particularly if focused on specific, limited target areas such as marine reserves. They need to be repeated every few years in order to stop incipient recolonization of the area.

Another focus of this research has been to study how native communities resist invasion by this species. Results suggest that native communities with all functional components intact (i.e. with high functional group diversity) will be more resistant to invasion. Because S. muticum recruitment is a space-limited, disturbance-dependent process, human activities that increase levels of disturbance in nearshore kelp communities are likely to facilitate the spread of S. muticum. What this all means is that human disturbance of nearshore algal communities should be minimized to help prevent further S. muticum spread and consequent damage to kelp and green urchins.

Identification and conservation of critical fish spawning habitat in the Northwest Straits Region (Meehan and Moulton Projects)
Funded in Year 2001
       Within the inland waters of Washington state forage fish, or more specifically surf smelt (Hypomesus pretiosus), and Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus), are preyed upon by many marine fishes, birds, and mammals and constitute an important element of the marine food chain. Unfortunately, the spawning habitat of surf smelt and sand lance is vulnerable to the cumulative effects of various types of shoreline development. If spawning habitat (specific beaches) can be identified for these species, they are immediately protected from future development under the WAC Hydraulic Code Rules for the permitting of in-water construction activities in Washington state.
    In 2001, the SeaDoc Society sponsored projects in San Juan County and Island County to identify and map forage fish spawning habitats. These projects expanded on site investigations initiated by Dan Penttilla and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. They not only mapped and protected new forage fish spawning habitat, but inspired other organizations and counties to undertake similar projects. Good ideas catch on fast and within three years, a total of nine counties had undertaken similar projects and hundreds of miles of important spawning habitat is now being protected to the benefit of these fish and all of the marine fishes, birds, and mammals that depend upon them as food.

Coastal observation and seabird survey team (Parrish Project)
Funded in Year 2001
Birds are an integral part of the Georgia Basin / Puget Sound marine ecosystem and they tell us a lot about the health of our waters. Unfortunately, 25 of these marine bird species are now listed as threatened or endangered by British Columbia, Washington state, or the U.S. or Canadian federal governments. The Coastal Observation And Seabird Survey Team (COASST) is a citizen science project dedicated to providing long-term baseline scientific data on seabird beaching in the Pacific Northwest. In 2001, the SeaDoc Society sponsored COASST to expand their important work into the San Juan Islands region and to improve the data entry capabilities of their website. COASST recruited and trained 28 volunteers at 13 sites in the San Juan Islands to create a concerted network of volunteers at a diverse array of sites in the San Juans. These people are collecting data on beach-cast birds and documenting baseline bird mortality levels as well as significant die-offs. This important data, which is now being collected in the San Juan Islands region thanks to the SeaDoc Society, alerts people to die-offs that would have otherwise likely gone unnoticed. This work also permits scientists and management agencies to understand if bird mortality events are natural or human-caused and to determine ways to minimize future human-caused mortality.

Using multibeam bathymetry to characterize rockfish habitat (Greene project)
Funded in Year 2001
Rockfish (Sebastes spp.) populations in Washington state have declined since the 1970s and one-third of the 36 species found in the inland waters region are now listed by the state as species of concern. Many of these species have been shown to spend the majority of their life in very small areas on rocky reefs. Because studies have shown that some species of rockfish increase in abundance and size with harvest closures even in small areas, marine protected areas (MPAs) are being evaluated as tools to enhance these populations. To be effective, MPAs must be sited in good rockfish habitat.

In 2001, the SeaDoc Society supported Gary Greene at the Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, Center for Habitat Studies to gather high resolution data to evaluate areas for potential rockfish habitat. Five sites within the San Juan Archipelago were surveyed using a RESON 8101 multibeam bathymetric system to collect bathymetry and backscatter data. The information collected was used to evaluate habitat inside and adjacent to pre-existing MPAs as well as to evaluate other potential sites. Thanks to SeaDoc Society funding, San Juan County and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife now have previously unavailable data that will help them determine if existing MPAs have been sited in the best locations, if they offer contiguous rockfish habitat adjacent to the protected area, and if there are other areas of good rockfish habitat that should be evaluated as potential reserve sites.

In addition to identifying rockfish habitat, this study was the first high-resolution marine mapping effort undertaken in the San Juan Islands area and was used to create the first marine habitat maps within the area. A total of 16 discrete habitat types were identified and mapped from the surface to the sea floor, regardless of depth. Once processed these data will be used by biologists from different state and non-governmental agencies to develop regional conservation plans, to help understand oceanographic properties in the area, and to plan and evaluate recovery efforts for other threatened species, such as northern abalone.