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Home My WebLink About2017 West End Natural Resources NewsIssue No. 10 July 2017 A publication of the North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committee (NPC MRC) and NPC Lead Entity for Salmon Recovery Inside: Hoh River Stabilization ....2 Politics of Salmon .........3 Marine Spatial Plan .........6 Newest Coastsavers ..........6 High Carbon World... ..8 COASSTal .................10 Transit Center ............12 Hydration Stations .....12 Schools Investigate .........13 RAINFESt Page 9 Vera Trainer, NOAA NW Fisheries Science Center research oceanographer, Seattle The Makah Tribe is a key collaborator in a new project to provide an early warning for harmful algal blooms (HABs), such as the mas- sive, coastwide Pseudo-nitzschia bloom in 2015 that caused millions of dollars of losses to Dungeness crab, rock crab, and razor clam har- vesters and contributed to the death of many species of marine mammals. Starting in July 2017, the Makah Tribe will collect and analyze seawater samples by boat from the Juan de Fuca eddy, an offshore hotspot for HABs that is also known by the Makah as “The Prai- rie”. Seawater samples from the eddy will be processed in the Makah Water Quality Lab to allow harmful algae cells and their toxins to be analyzed by newly trained staff within just 1-2 days. This information will be incorpo- rated into a Pacific Northwest HAB Bulletin, intended to help resource managers from Neah Bay to Newport to fine-tune their decisions Rapid Detection and Analysis of Harmful Algal Blooms: Makah Tribe is a partner in a new scientific collaboration in the Pacific Northwest Sea turtles Arriving Soon Tami Pokorny, NPC MRC coordinator, Jefferson County Environmental Health The Washington Coast isn’t known for sea turtle nests and hatchlings but, as summer arrives, so will the larg- est sea turtles on earth. The Pacific leatherback turtle (Dermochelys coria- cea) weighs up to 1,500 pounds and measures five feet or more in length. They’re marvels of nature’s engineering prowess. Virtually unchanged for 80 million years, leatherback populations “607 KG” leatherback tagged on September 25, 2007 off the Coast of California. Photo: H. Harris Nick Adams, Ryan McCabe, Bich-Thuy Eberhart, Courtney Winck, Aaron Parker and Anthony Odell (L to R) deploying the CTD, an instrument that will be used to measure conductivity (salinity), temperature and depth on the boat sampling trips to the Juan de Fuca eddy, a hotspot site for harmful algal blooms. Photo: Vera Trainer continued page 4 continued page 11 2 — NPC MRC Hoh tribe’s Model to Contribute to Upper Hoh River Bank Stabilization and Restoration Khalid Marcus, Director, Natural Resources Department, Hoh Indian Tribe The Hoh Tribe’s Natural Resources Department will develop a sediment transport [computer] model to support the Upper Hoh Road Bank Stabilization and other potential restoration projects within the Hoh Watershed intended to balance transportation and fish habitat needs. This model will be used as a design tool to analyze sedi- ment transport, deposition, erosion, and sediment manage- ment for different projects including but not limited to fish habitat restoration, riparian areas restoration and manage- ment, sediment removal/dredging to open side channels in flood plains to access potential fish habitats, and improving stream crossings for fish passage (culverts/bridges). The Upper Hoh River Road Bank Stabilization Proj- ect currently under development by the Federal Highway Administration (FHWA)/ Western Federal Lands Highway Division (WFL- HD) is planning to use a system of engineered log jams (ELJs) which com- bine dolosse with logs/root wads and placed on banks to reduce impacts to the existing road alignment. The dolosse anchor the logs/root wads in place. Dolosse are pre-cast large concrete objects that can be manufactured in dif- ferent shapes and weights (Plural: Dolosse; Singular: Dolos). Construction is planned for 2018, and the Tribe’s modeling efforts are intended to support its benefits to fish spawning habitat in the Hoh River. The sediment trans- port model will comple- ment our partners’ “HEC- RAS” flow model and lead to an improved final design for the road bank stabilization project. The model could also shed light on po- tential risks to spawning areas from the proposed large wood installation. If impacts are identified, supplemental corrective modeling scenarios can be simulated to support design re- finements. Together, the two models will also provide analysis of the pools and riffles needed by salmon for rearing, feeding, sheltering, and migration. We suggest conducting bulk cores, volumetric, or other appropriate sampling technique to get the sediment grada- tion information needed to serve subsurface fish habitat sedi- ment simulation depth. Our model will rely upon the Light Detection And Ranging (LiDAR) topographic data collected by the Hoh Tribe in 2012 along with surveyed river channel cross-sec- tions. If we elect to apply the new sediment transport model for areas outside the current project extent, additional river new channel cross sections will need to be surveyed. In such cases the existing LiDAR data will be used to identify suit- able cross section survey locations, as well as pools, riffles and other features of significance to the model. We also intend to use the sediment trans- port model to analyze, investigate, and manage the aquatic mitiga- tion projects proposed through the stabilization project to benefit fish habitats, stream restora- tions, and flood reduc- tion in the Hoh River watershed. Options include designing log jams to restore flow to side channels, encourage spawning, and create and maintain pools and riffles; replacing fish passage barriers; and re- storing floodplains and opening side channels to flow. The Hoh Tribe may collaborate with a qualified contractor on this modeling effort to efficiently leverage in-house expertise and available funds. Upper Hoh River and Road showing eroded bank looking upstream. This photo was taken on December 9, 2016. Photo: Khalid Marcus NPC MRC — 3 The Politics of Salmon Recovery By Jessica Helsley, Executive Director Coast Salmon Foundation and Coast Salmon Partnership It has been a very busy and challenging couple of months. With our state legislature working overtime to solve the budget challenges associated with the McLeary decision (http://www.courts.wa.gov/appellate_trial_courts/ SupremeCourt/?fa=supremecourt.McCleary_Education), and a federal administration that has yet to express an interest in our natural resources (beyond removal of funding), it feels as though the Coast Salmon Partnership has been swimming up into a gauntlet of unrelenting upstream current. We have been working diligently to speak up for the Coast; to fight for restoration funding that our salmon and rural coastal communities depend upon. Healthy forests, rivers, and fish and wildlife on Washington’s Coast are es- sential to our communities, ecosystems and economies. We have been working to remind our policy makers and budget writers that the Coast continues to experience the highest unemployment rate in the state and that we need a proactive approach to restoration that addresses the region’s highest pri- ority restoration needs, leverages existing funding, and puts people to work on the Coast restoring our lands and waters. During these uncertain times, it is important to remember the multiple benefits that salmon recovery brings. From clean water to more resilient communities, salmon recovery efforts provide a high return investment for the state and its residents. • Reconnected floodplains reduce flood risks for com- munities. Horace Axtell, Nez Perce elder and spiritual leader discussing the cultural importance of salmon following the annual salmon ceremony on Idaho’s Salmon River. Photo: Gary Lane Welcoming the salmon to Idaho’s Salmon River in style. Photo: Gary Lane • Free-flowing rivers with intact floodplains provide complex natural habitat for fish, plants, and animals. • Adequately sized, fish-friendly stream crossing struc- tures reduce risks to our transportation infrastructure. • Natural shorelines and estuaries filter pollutants, sup- port shellfish, and shelter salmon. • Clean and reliably available water is essential for habi- tat, drinking water, and recreation. • Healthy forests absorb carbon, offer refuge for wildlife, and provide economic opportunity for rural communities and recreation for outdoor enthusiasts. It is no secret that salmon recovery stimulates local and rural economies in Washington (www.stateofsalmon.wa.gov): • Every $1 million spent on watershed restoration results in an average of 16.7 jobs. • 80% of grant money stays in the county where a proj- ect is located. • For every estimated $1 million spent on watershed res- toration, $2.2 - $2.5 million is generated in total economic activity. • Salmon recovery funding since 1999 has resulted in more than $1.1 billion in total economic activity in Wash- ington State. Yet, despite some successes, many salmon populations are still in trouble. Our salmon recovery efforts are working, but in many cases, they are not moving fast enough to meet the accelerating challenges we face. Without investment and strong habitat protections, our efforts may well be futile. Now more than ever, we need a renewed commitment to this incredible resource. We need to stand up together and tell our representatives in Olympia and Washington D.C. that extinction is not an option. To continue our sport, tribal, and 4 — NPC MRC have proven themselves masters of open ocean survival in the face of ice ages, meteor strikes and changing ocean chemistry. They continue to roam earth’s temperate and tropical oceans although in greatly diminished numbers from the recent past. Beginning in July, leatherbacks reach the margin of the continental shelf, 30 miles or more from the coast of Wash- ington. They come as adults, swimming at a rate of up to six miles an hour in order to feast on the sea nettles (jellyfish) and other gelatinous zooplankton that thrive here. Leather- backs pursue them into the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and occasionally are seen close to shore. In late October, the migration reverses. Every two to four years, robust adult females return across the whole of the Pacific Ocean to the very beach where they once hatched – in Indo- nesia, Papua New Guinea or the Solomon Islands – and lay multiple nests of eggs. During years when female turtles do not cross the entire Pacific they overwinter in tropical waters just half way across the Pacific Ocean near Hawaii. Leatherback tagged with a transmitter near the California coast. Photo: Demian Bailey The Washington Coast or Bust? A leatherback hatchling departs Papua New Guinea for a lifetime of ocean travel that may, one day, lead to Washington waters. Photo: Scott Benson commercial fisheries and meet the challenges ahead to protect habitat, we must all work together. Whether you are a salmon fisher, a surfer, a hiker, or an avid participant in beach clean- up events, we are stronger together. During tumultuous times, when it feels as though my energies are too depleted to continue the upstream journey, I often find myself taking solace in a teaching from the Nez Perce Tribe. The version related to me by the late tribal elder Horace Axtell while sharing a boat in a first salmon ceremony on Idaho’s Salmon River, goes like this: There was a time when all of the animals were told there was going to be a great change. They all had to gather at a meeting to hear the Creator tell them about the future. Once there, the Creator told them that there was going to be a new people. But, in order for the new people to arrive, all of the animals would need to sacrifice parts of themselves for these new people; they were going to be naked and they were going to have a hard time surviving on their own. There was quiet and then murmur amongst the animals, as they all were not certain that sacrificing parts of themselves was a wise idea. Soon however, the crowd of animals parted and the salmon swam towards the Creator. Salmon said, “I will sacrifice my flesh for these new people”. Then, following the Salmon’s leadership, other animals stepped forward and committed to sacrifice parts of themselves so that the people could arrive. Now it is our turn to part the crowd and to commit to saving the salmon. Salmon are indicators of our ecosystem’s health; indicators of our own health. They are resistant and resilient. Listen to their story. Take reprieve for a moment in a calm eddy, but then turn back into the current and point yourself upstream – fight to find your way home. After all, joining together to fight for the land of wild waves, vast rug- ged bluffs, towering trees, and abundant rivers – our incred- ible coastal home – is definitely something worth fighting for! Contact Jess at jess@wcssp.org. Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha). On the Coast, this species spawns in the lower Clearwater and Quinault Rivers only. Photo: Florian Graner Continued from page 1 NPC MRC — 5 It was previously thought that the leatherbacks that feed here were part of the population born in Mexico and Costa Rica but in 2000, Scott Benson, lead investigator for NOAA leatherback turtle research in the North Pacific, and colleague Peter Dutton discovered that their actual origin as hatchlings is the western Pacific. Simulated dispersal models indicate the turtles hatched in January/February usually ride currents flowing southward and wind up feeding in New Zealand and Australia waters as adults. In contrast, turtles hatched in June/July catch a ride north- ward past Japan, or northeast- ward across to Hawaii and on to Pacific Northwest waters as adults. This path represents the longest migration of any air- breathing aquatic vertebrate, longer than any whale species’. Leatherbacks are aptly named because, unlike all other sea turtles, they lack a bony shell. The surface of their backs is skin delicate enough to bleed when scratched. While roam- ing the open ocean for most of their lives, their front flippers grow up to 3.5 - 4 feet in length – the longest of any sea turtle and they benefit from a hydrodynamic, teardrop shape. Off the coast of Washington, they’re most likely to be found in waters between 600 and 6,000 feet in depth and 30 or more miles offshore. With the ease of an elephant seal they dive to depths of 4,000 feet or more and can remain submerged for an hour although most dives are between three and eight minutes in length. Adult leatherbacks are the only sea turtle evolved to thrive in cold water. The have a layer of brown fat and gener- ate metabolic heat by constantly swimming. They have heat exchangers in their flippers and around their throats and a greater metabolic rate than other sea turtles. Scott’s studies have found that, typically, the turtle’s body temperature is six degrees Celsius higher than the surrounding seawater. No other reptile possesses this ability to maintain a body tem- perature greater than its environment.. Scott would like to study Washington’s leatherbacks more intensively. “Over the years, from California’s Moss Landing Marine Laboratories, we’ve tagged leatherbacks with transmitters to study their foraging ecology and movement patterns. We’ve also conducted several aerial surveys trying to find a hot spot for leatherbacks off the coast of Oregon or Washington and relatively close to shore in order to replicate the work that’s been done in California,” he said in a recent telephone interview. The Pacific leatherback sea turtle was listed as endan- gered under the ESA in 1973 and critical habitat was de- clared off our coast in 2012. The western Pacific leatherbacks, which includes Washington’s foraging turtles, have declined over 80% in last 30 years. The species is one of eight of NOAA’s critically endangered “Spotlight Species”. Leatherbacks are at risk in part because they’re frequently taken as bycatch in the swordfish and tuna fisheries, espe- cially in international waters. “The US fishing fleet is 8-10% of international fleet. Protections such as the Endangered Species Act are essentially lost on the international high seas. One of most impactful things that individuals can do to help protect sea turtles is to purchase only US-caught seafood. Fish from the United States comes with side dish of sea life protections rather than a side of a dead sea turtle or dead dolphin”. The US is the biggest consumer of sword fish in the world. For more information about Scott’s work and leather- backs, visit http://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/podcasts/2015/06/ pacific_leatherback.html. Email Scott at Scott.Benson@noaa. gov. A leatherback eyes her photographer. Photo: S. Hansen 6 — NPC MRC Marine Spatial Plan: Public Comment Period Coming in Late Spring Jennifer Hennessey Ocean Policy Lead, Shorelands & Environmental Assistance Program, Washington State Department of Ecology A Marine Spatial Plan (MSP) is currently under develop- ment for Washington’s Pacific Ocean coast. The draft MSP will be available for public comment this summer. The MSP provides: • Guidance for new ocean uses along Washington’s Pa- cific coast, such as renewable energy and offshore aquaculture. • Baseline data on coastal uses and resources to capture current conditions and future trends. • Requirements and recommendations for evaluating new ocean uses through the different phases of project review consistent with existing laws and regulations. • Recommendations to protect important and sensitive ecological areas and existing uses like fishing. The draft MSP will include ecological data and informa- tion. For example, MSP maps show the distribution of coral, rocky reefs, kelp forests and seabird colonies – resources espe- cially abundant along the North Pacific Coast. Other analyses illustrate ecological hotspots and predicted distribution for various species of seabirds and marine mammals. Information in the draft MSP will also describe the social and economic importance of current ocean uses as well as the patterns and intensities of various activities like fishing, recreation, and shipping. For example, in 2014 Washington residents took an estimated 4.1 million trips to Washington’s Pacific Coast, spending an estimated $481 million and sup- porting over 4,700 jobs in the region. The draft MSP will provide guidance for potential new ocean uses like marine renewable energy or offshore aquacul- ture. The draft MSP will outline the data, information, and plans required to evaluate a new ocean use project proposal. It also will describe the effects on people, communities and the environment that need to be evaluated during project review. The draft MSP also creates a process for coordinating across all levels of government, and ensuring stakeholder input on new ocean uses. Find out more and get involved – visit the marine spatial planning website at: www.msp.wa.gov. Check out the latest news, information on projects and resources, the online map- ping tool and sign up to get email updates. Keep an eye out for the comment period and comment on the draft MSP this summer. Contact Jennifer at jennifer.hennessey@ecy.wa.gov. Meet the Newest CoastSavers Jon Schmidt, Washington CoastSavers Coordinator Washington CoastSavers “is an alliance of partners and volunteers dedicated to keeping the state’s beaches clean of marine debris through coordinated beach cleanups, education and prevention.” The 2017 Washington Coast Cleanup on April 29th engaged 1,300 volunteers who removed more than twenty tons of trash from at least sixty beaches on the outer coast and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. It takes a strong steering committee, a diverse range of partners and a tremendous number of volunteers to success- fully implement beach cleanups and the CoastSavers Pro- gram. Our two newest steering committee members greatly contributed to the success of our efforts. Becky Mabardy, from the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association (PC- SGA), recruited and organized shellfish farmers on the South Coast to participate in the beach cleanup. Meggan Uecker, solid waste coordinator for Clallam County, served on the Recycling Committee in advance of the cleanup and helped Tracy Brigham and her group camped on Second Beach and removed three large tires from the beach during the Washington Coast Cleanup. Photo: Courtesy of CoastSavers NPC MRC — 7 sort recyclable plastics from the beaches around Clallam Bay. I asked Becky and Meggan to discuss their jobs, their roles in the CoastSavers alliance and how to make a positive difference in reducing plastic pollution. 1) Where is your favorite beach and what’s your favorite beach activity? Becky: First Beach at La Push is my favorite beach and surfing is my favorite activ- ity. I also enjoy snorkeling, fishing, beach combing, and a bonfire with some beer and friends. Meggan: There are so many wonderful and unique beaches. I just love to walk the beach and beach comb and absorb the fresh, replen- ishing energy of the ocean. 2) What is your current job? Becky: I am outreach and projects coordinator for the Pacific Coast Shellfish Grow- ers Association. We represent shellfish growers in WA, OR, CA, AK and HI, who farm oysters, clams, mussels, and geoduck. I work closely with PCSGA members on a variety of issues important to their livelihoods, including the coordination of bi-annual beach cleanups. Since 2001, PCSGA has led industry- motivated beach cleanups in south Puget Sound. While the vast majority (80%) of the debris collected is not related to shellfish farming, the shellfish growers are com- mitted to this tradition of environmental and community stewardship. Meggan: I am the Clallam County Solid Waste Coordi- nator. My job includes education, outreach and technical as- sistance on waste reduction and recycling for Clallam County residents and businesses. 3) What do you do personally reduce the amount of disposable plastics you use? Becky: The easiest way for me to reduce the amount of plastic I use is by minimizing single use items and buying local products. In my purse, I almost always carry a refillable water bottle, an insulated container for tea and coffee, a spork for meals on the go, and a stuff-able reusable bag. I also often ask servers and bartenders for no straws when I order a drink. Meggan: I try to make packaging choices that utilize less or no plastic. I think try- ing to consume less overall is one of the most effective ways to reduce disposable plastics. I try to think reuse, reduce and recycle. 4) What is the value of beach cleanups? Becky: Beach cleanups inspire action to help remove trash and debris from water- ways and change behaviors that allowed these items to reach the water in the first place. Meggan: It’s a fantas- tic excuse to get out on the beach and try to make better the impact of human society on these important areas. 5) What advice would you give to someone who is concerned about the negative impacts of marine debris on wildlife? Becky: We are all con- nected and have a shared responsibility for the health of our community and the environment. My advice is to self-empower through knowledge and action. Marine debris exists because of the products we consume. If we care about marine debris impacting wildlife, then we also need to educate ourselves on unfriendly earth products such as micro plastics in skin products, and buy and fill a growler instead of beers in a 6-ring holder. Also, get out on the beach and do your part by participating in beach cleanups. Meggan: Reduce and eliminate plastic use as much as possible and when you are out enjoying the beach, take a bag to pack out some trash lying in your path. Small actions add Lourdes Collins and her family helped clean the beach near Point Grenville during the Washington Coast Cleanup. Photo: Courtesy of CoastSavers. Becky Mabardy, outreach and projects coordinator for the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association (PCSGA) and her team in action. Photo: Courtesy of PCSGA 8 — NPC MRC up so do what you can do to lessen your impact, and when possible, take larger actions like donating money to organiza- tions that work on this issue, or galvanize the larger commu- nity through activities or volunteering. Contact Jon Schmidt at jon@coastsavers; Becky Mabardy at beckymabardy@pcsga.org; and Meggan Uecker at mueck- er@co.clallam.wa.us Meggan Uecker, Solid Waste Reduction Coordinator, WSU Extension Clallam County. Photo: Courtesy of WSU Extension. Addressing a High-Carbon World Means Getting at the Root Problem Julia A. Sanders, deputy director, Global Ocean Health Carbon pollution is the largest unchecked waste stream in human history, and yet because it’s invisible, it’s easy for folks to ignore. Compare plastic pollution in the ocean: nearly everyone has an opinion on plastics, has heard of the “Great Pacific Garbage Patch,” and is thoroughly outraged at the idea. But let’s compare the two pollution sources (or as I like to put it, compare what’s visible with what’s world-changing): plastic pollution in the ocean accounted for about 5-13 million tons in 2010, while carbon pollution was responsible for about 32 billion tons in 2015, approximately 8 billion tons of which was absorbed by the ocean. That puts carbon dioxide pol- lution at a full order of magnitude larger than plastics. And yet it’s the rare person outside of the ocean health world that understands the impacts of a high-carbon ocean. I generally get a dull-eyed gaze when I mention “ocean acidification” in the larger world, outside the insulated sphere of my peers. Most people find the topic too overwhelming, and shy from it. But the answer is simple, and has been proven across the globe: effective, fair carbon policy. Nine states on the East Coast have figured it out –from Maine to Maryland (minus New Jersey), they form the Regional Greenhouse Gas Ini- tiative, or RGGI (http://www.rggi.org). A brief Fact Sheet summarizes the findings of the most recent RGGI report, and State Pages show individual programs and investments in each RGGI state. More than $1.3 billion in RGGI auction proceeds were invested in programs including energy efficiency, clean and renewable energy, greenhouse gas abatement, and direct bill assistance. By using simple tools, RGGI has managed to consistently outperform their target emissions reductions, while growing their economy and reducing energy costs for the average consumer. Many would have you believe that carbon policies unfairly burden those, like fishermen, who rely on fuel for their living, or will drive businesses away, but the facts prove otherwise. In order to encourage fishermen, shellfish growers, tribes, and coastal communities to speak up for strong carbon policy, Global Ocean Health formed the Working Group on Seafood and Energy, an association which meets monthly to learn about the latest in policy development and to develop a strategy to ensure the most effective policies take shape lo- cally. If you’re fearful of the impacts of a high-carbon world; if you’re affected by sea level rise or ocean acidification, think about directing some of your efforts towards supporting strong, fair, carbon policy. We’re happy to help you un- derstand the underlying mechanisms and point the way to becoming powerful champions for the waterfront. Contact Julia Sanders at julia@globaloceanhealth.org. MARINE RENEWABLE ENERGY SEMINAR SERIES Presented by the National Northwest Marine Renewable Energy Center (NNMREC) at UW, Washington Sea Grant and the Skagit, Jefferson and North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committees August 21 Northwest Maritime Center Pt. Townsend, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. August 15 Olympic Natural Resources Center Forks, 7:00 p.m. – 9:00 p.m. August 8Padilla Bay Reserve Mt. Vernon, 6:30 p.m. – 8:30 p.m. Exploring the potential of currents, waves, and winds for power in the Pacific Northwest Save the dates for three evenings in August in North Puget Sound and on the Washington Coast with expert speakers, facilitated discussion, and hands-on demonstrations. Event details coming soon. Questions? Contact Meg Chadsey, Washington Sea Grant: mchadsey@uw.edu NPC MRC — 9 RainFest 2017 Forks’ annual spring festival celebrated art, poetry, music and nature during the fourth week in April this year. Art Weekend led off with art and quilt shows, classes, book sales, a visit by Poet Laureate of Washington Tod Marshall, and a community dance to the music of Loose Gravel. This year, the traditional Umbrella Parade was re-labeled the “Undersea Umbrella Parade” and moved to River & Ocean Days on the following weekend. While kids and their parents followed Fin the Migrating Salmon down Spartan Avenue, many Forks residents and visitors from far and wide, wrapped up a morning of beach walking, collecting and hauling as part of the Washington Coast Cleanup. In the afternoon, as the rain began to fall, NPC MRC members and friends, including the Forks STEM Rovers (ROV Club) and the Clallam Bay Envi- ronmental Science Club, gathered in the RAC for a concert by Forkestra and What the Tide Washed In as they prepared educational displays and readied the space for the day’s finale, the River & Ocean Film Festival. A very special thanks to MRC members Deb Kucipeck, Katie Krueger, Chiggers Stokes, Ian Miller, Frank Hansen, Roy Morris, Rod Fleck for their help and support! Most of all, thank you, NPC MRC, for making this all possible! The 2017 Undersea Umbrella Parade led by Fin the Migrating Chum Salmon. Photo: Lonnie Archibald Mike Tetreau entertains as part of “What the Tide Washed In” and Ian Miller, emcee of the River & Ocean Film Festival. Photos: Tami Pokorny Forkestra performing at the Rainforest Arts Center during RainFest. Photo: Tami Pokorny 10 — NPC MRC Hillary Burgess, Science Coordinator for COASST With support from the North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committee, the Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) has launched a new marine debris monitoring program. The program aims to document marine debris deposition on beaches, potential environmental im- pacts, and sources of debris and, ultimately, to reveal patterns that have direct relevance to prevention and management of marine debris. The marine debris program is divided into two compo- nents: tasks to be completed on the beach and tasks to be per- formed elsewhere – for example, at a picnic table, at home, or in a community center. COASST has been piloting the idea that different people can be responsible for each category (the beach tasks and “lab” tasks) and other models of participation in several communities on the Olympic Peninsula. Partner- ships with Forks High School, Port Angeles High School and the Port Townsend Marine Science Center have facilitated involvement by local youth. To learn more about COASST and to get involved visit their website at http://depts.washing- ton.edu/coasst/involved/volunteer.html Community partnerships for marine debris monitoring: A COASStal ApproachCredo Holly J. Hughes, a Washington Fisherpoet Make a place for the glint in the seal’s eye that second before it rolls back its slick head, slips silent beneath the surface. Make room for the shimmer of salmon, splitting the sun, leaping for the stream of its birth, even knowing what’s ahead. Carve out a corner for the crab who grasped the blade of the cleaver that sliced it in two, wouldn’t let go. That light, dazzling dark sea ahead, remember it, remember how it seeps from billowing cumulous when you least expect or how the sun finds the crack in the horizon’s solder to empty out its cargo at dusk, a slick sheen across the water. How the green spinning earth and blue brimming sea go on and on even when we’re not looking, and that perhaps, if we can pay attention for even a second, remember just this, it may not make us whole, but it could be a good place to begin. NPC MRC volunteers Jill Silver and Chiggers Stokes examine the COASST Marine Debris Program toolkit at a training held in Forks last December. Photo: Tami Pokorny NPC MRC volunteer and Forks High School science teacher John Hunter, and his helper Axel, document one of the larger pieces of ma- rine debris that they found on First Beach during a training in June. Photo: Hillary Burgess NPC MRC — 11 Bich-Thuy Eberhart instructing Courtney Winck, Maria Roberts and Adrianne Akmajian (L to R) on how to analyze toxins in seawater in the water quality lab. Photo: Vera Trainer Ryan McCabe, Anthony Odell, Bich-Thuy Eberhart, Courtney Winck, Aaron Parker (L to R) watching Nick Adams (front) prepare the CTD for deployment off the dock. Photo: Vera Trainer Ryan McCabe and Aaron Parker (L to R) rinsing the conductivity sen- sor on the CTD after it was deployed. Photo: Vera Trainer regarding potential closures of beaches to shell- fish harvest, thus protecting human health and reducing the severe economic disruption that such closures can have. The loss of a single razor clam opener (2-5 days) on Washington beaches results in almost $6 million in lost expenditures and over 65 jobs (2008 dollars). Vera Trainer, Bich-Thuy Eberhart, Nick Adams (NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Seattle), Anthony Odell, Rich Osborne (UW ONRC) and Ryan McCabe (University of Washington) visited Neah Bay on 10 April 2017, to train the Water Quality Program personnel, Aaron Parker, Dana Sarff, Ray Colby, Courtney Winck, Maria Roberts and Adrianne Akmajian, on the use of equipment needed to assess the abundance of harmful algae, the quantity of their toxins in seawater, and the associated environmental parameters, such as temperature and salinity with depth throughout the water column. This project, led by NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center and the University of Washington, is bringing together state and federal agencies, tribal partners, and re- searchers at US and UK universities and is joint- ly funded by NOAA’s Monitoring and Event Response to Harmful Algal Blooms (MERHAB) program, the Makah Tribe, the Olympic Region Harmful Algal Bloom (ORHAB) partner- ship through a surcharge to Washington State shellfish licenses to University of Washington Olympic Natural Resources Center. Continued from page 1 12 — NPC MRC Coast and Rivers to Inhabit Forks transit Center The City of Forks, in partnership with Clallam Transit and the NPC MRC, has installed a new art display on the upper walls of the Forks Transit Center. Beautiful scenery and under- water images from the coast, rivers and creeks of the West End were interpreted and enhanced digitally by local artist Vern Hestand and enlarged to fill eight panels. Additional photos taken by accomplished local photographers as well as esteemed Washington cinema- tographer Florian Graner add interest and information about the tremendous variety of habitats and wildlife to be appreciated along our rivers and coast. Funding for the display was provided by the WA Department of Fish and Wildlife with additional support from the City of Forks and Clallam Transit. City of Forks Public Works Director Paul Hampton and crewmember Joe Gaydeski install a panel depicting spawning sockeye salmon. Photo: Tami Pokorny Four New “Hydration Stations” Debut What’s a hydration station? It’s a place for a quick sip from the fountain or to fill a mug or bottle with delicious cold water. It’s also part of a local effort to reduce our com- munity’s reliance on single use disposable water bottles and plastic packaging generally. Plastic waste, including water bottles, is a scourge to beaches and underwater habitats world- wide. Four new stations were pur- chased by the NPC MRC and installed by partner organizations for the benefit of thirsty locals and visitors. Two were placed at Forks High School. One is located inside the Forks Visitor Center and a fourth serves Forks’ finest in the Transit Center. Peninsula College and the Forks Library already provides hydra- tion stations. The hydration stations au- tomatically tally the number of plastic bottles avoided. Funding for the four new stations was pro- vided by the WA Department of Fish and Wildlife with additional support from the Quillayute Valley School District, the Forks Chamber of Commerce, the City of Forks and Clallam Transit. Forks High School’s new hydration station is a joy to use! Photo: Bill Henderson This sign accompanies the Transit Center’s hydration station. Eagle photo: Chris Noren Forks artist Vern Hestand digitally painted eight images of the coast and rivers as part of the Transit Center display. He holds the lower Sol Duc River panel created from a photograph by Forks area fishing guide Mike Zavadlov. Photo: Tami Pokorny NPC MRC — 13 Forks and Quileute tribal Schools Investigate Ocean Health Nicole Harris, Education Specialist, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation for NOAA’s Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary As Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and Feiro Marine Life Center conduct the Ocean Science field trips (now in their 10th year), students are looking at ocean health through the investigation of our intertidal organisms and the connection to the complex marine food web. Eighty Forks 6th grade students “dove” into the Sanctu- ary with Florian Graner’s underwater film Discover the Olym- pic Coast showcasing the wilderness shoreline, diverse habitats and organisms of the coast through the eyes of a harbor seal. Following the film, students created a marine food web model, discussing the impacts on our marine food web with a changing ocean, changing prey and changing predators. In addition to experiencing the film and exploring the ocean food web, Forks 4th grade students met the Sanctu- ary’s newest education team member, Big Mama. Big Mama is a 43’ walk-inside inflatable humpback whale modeled after a living and swimming humpback whale that has visited Olympic Coast and the Straits of Juan de Fuca for the last several decades. Twenty-six Quileute Tribal School (QTS) 3rd through 6th grade students met Ocean Science Educators at Second Beach to look at ocean health through intertidal exploration of the Usual and Accustomed Areas of the Quileute Tribe. With the dynamic environment of the Olympic Coast, Nicole Harris of the OCNMS shares a Second Beach find with her field trip students. Photo: Melissa Williams tidepool exploration is always new and exciting as we survey the tidal zones: splash, high, mid and low tide. Students and educators discussed the adaptations of the organisms in each zone, while connecting the individual species to the marine food web. Before leaving the beach, students and educators conducted a beach cleanup while discussing the impacts of marine debris to intertidal and ocean animals. Following the beach activities, students met in their classroom where they watched Discover the Olympic Coast and learned the impor- tance of each organism, including humans, in maintaining a healthy and intact marine food web. Celebrating a fine day at the beach. Photo: Melissa Williams 14 — NPC MRC North Pacific Coast MRC c/o Tami Pokorny JCPH 615 Sheridan Street Port Townsend, WA 98368 Printed on 30% Post Consumer Waste Recycled paper NPC MRC Tami Pokorny Coordinator, Editor Phone: 360-379-4498 tpokorny@co.jefferson.wa.us Khalid Marcus (Hoh Tribe) Jennifer Hagen (Quileute Tribe) Dana Sarff (Makah Tribe) Rod Fleck (City of Forks) Tami Pokorny (Jefferson County) Deb Kucipeck (Clallam County) Roy Morris (Citizen 1, Clallam, Commercial Fishing) Rich Osborne (Citizen 2, Clallam, Science) John Hunter (Citizen 3, Clallam, Education/Environment) Vacant (Citizen 1, Jefferson, Economic/Scientific) Chiggers Stokes (Citizen 2, Jefferson, Recreation) Jill Silver (Citizen 3, Jefferson, Conservation/Environment) Thank you, Pacific County MRC and Long Beach, WA for a wonderful 2016 fall Summit of the Coastal Marine Resources Committee Program! Photo: Tami Pokorny