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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023 West End Natural Resources News NPC MRC low resNPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER – 1 WEST END NATURAL RESOURCES NEWS A publication of the North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committee (NPC MRC) & NPC Lead Entity (NPCLE) for Salmon Recovery Issue No. 15 July 2023 Throughout the ages, tribes along the West Coast have held the Pacific lamprey in high regard for their cultural, spiritual, ceremonial, medicinal, and subsistence significance. These remark- able creatures play a vital ecological role in streams and rivers by transporting marine-derived nutrients to freshwater systems. Similar to salmon, lamprey populations have experienced a dramatic decline over the past century. 02. (Continued Inside on Page 5...) Support for a Strong Salmon Future By Alex Bradberry, Coast Salmon Partnership Spawned out adult Pacific lamprey from Indian Creek, a tributary to the Elwha River. Photo: Rebecca Mahan An aerial view of the Upper Hoh River, where the 10,000 Years Institute has been working to eradicate invasive plantspecies. Photo: Alex Bradberry Inside: 01 Pacific Lamprey ...........1,2 02 Strong Salmon .............1,5 03 CoastSavers ....................6 04 ROV & AI ...........................8 05 Natural Hazards ...........10 06 MATE ROV .....................12 07 Ocean Guardian ............14 08 Microplastic .................16 09 Beached Birds ..............18 10 Launching Careers .......20 11 Rialto Poetry ...................22 01. (Continued Inside on Page 2...) Pacific Lamprey: An Underappreciated Ancient Fish By Rebecca Mahan, Clallam County The Coast Salmon Partnership is a Washington- based organization that guides the long-term protection and restoration of Washington Coast’s salmon and steelhead populations in some of their last best habitats in the contiguous United States. Through our latest campaign, Strong Salmon Future, we are looking to grow community engagement in salmon-related projects and thus increase social and financial support of this work. By engaging with our coastal communities directly, rather than only with the conservation-focused organizations already based within them, we are hoping Lampreys belong to the ancient class of vertebrate fish known as Agnatha, which means “without jaws.” Instead of jaws, they possess a toothed oral disc. Lampreys lack scales, paired fins, and bones but share a cartilaginous composition with sharks and rays. Fossil evidence suggests that lampreys have existed for over 340 million years, remaining virtually unchanged in their physical form. To put this into perspec- tive, modern humans are believed to have existed for approximately 200,000 years. The Pacific lamprey evolved alongside various species of salmon over tens of thousands of years, developing a mutualistic relationship. Pacific lampreys undergo three distinct life stages, each utilizing a different habitat. They begin life as eggs deposited into streambed gravels called nests, similar to the redds constructed by salmon and steelhead. Lamprey nests are gener- ally smaller and somewhat bowl-shaped, although their size can vary depending on the streambed substrate. These nests are often constructed at the tailouts of pools using a digging action similar to that of salmon. However, lampreys employ their suction-like oral disc to pick up rocks and arrange them around the nest. Unlike salmon, lamprey nests lack the charac- teristic tailspill deposits downstream. Lamprey eggs are small and round, bearing a resemblance to spider eggs. A female lamprey can deposit up to 100,000 eggs in a nest. The incubation period is influenced by water temperature, typi- cally lasting between 16 to 20 days. Once hatched, the larval lampreys, known as ammocoetes, can remain in the nest for up to 15 days. At this stage, they are approxi- mately the size of a human eyelash and lack both eyes and an oral disk. Ammocoetes burrow into soft, fine sediments, where 2 – NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER 01. (Continued from Page 1...) Pacific Lamprey: An Underappreciated Ancient Fish By Rebecca Mahan, Clallam County First documented spawning pair of Pacific lampreys in the Elwha River watershed (Madison Creek). Photo: Amanda Anderson Freshwater PacificLampreyLife Cycle~~ ~ ~ ~ ~ Ocean Illustration by Monica Blanchard they serve as filter feeders for 3 to 10 years. Growing to the size of a pen, they “clean” the water by filtering algae, plankton, and detritus. They are also considered bioturbators, mixing sedi- ments much like earthworms mix soil in a garden. Ammocoetes are an important prey item for many aquatic and terrestrial species, forming a crucial link in the aquatic food chain. Towards the end of the larval phase, ammocoetes undergo a morphological and physical change that can take up to a year. This phase is called macropthalmia, which prepares them for migration to the ocean and is equivalent to the smolt phase of salmon or steelhead. The transformation begins with the development of eyes and an oral disk, accompanied by a change in color from brown to silvery blue. At this stage, they are still the size of a pen but no longer burrow in fine sediments. They start utilizing larger substrates and embark on their migration to the Pacific Ocean. During this river migration to saltwater, macropthalmia are preyed upon by a variety of freshwater fish and birds. Pacific lampreys spend approximately 3-4 years in the ocean before NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER – 3 Ammocoetes from Indian Creek in the Elwha River watershed. Photo: Rebecca Mahan Lamprey gills are used for respiration while the nasal hole is connected to the olfactory sac and is used for the sense of smell. Photo: Amanda Anderson At this stage, they are approximately the size of a human eyelash and lack both eyes and an oral disk. gill pores eye nasal hole returning to freshwater to spawn. During this period, they become parasitic and feed on a variety of fish, including hake, salmon, pollock, and even whales. Lampreys do not inflict significant harm to their hosts, as healthy fish caught with lamprey attachment scars demonstrate. They also serve as a food source for fish and marine mammals while in the ocean phase. With a length of approximately 24-36 inches and weighing between 0.5-1.1 pounds, lamprey are rich in fats and oils, making them a great meal. Migration back to freshwater for spawning usually occurs in large groups, often at night (depending on the geographic region). Pacific lampreys use their suction-like mouths to attach to substrates like rocks as they move upstream. Structures such as dams, fish ladders, perched culverts, and weirs present passage challenges or barriers to lampreys that, unlike salmon and some other fish species, cannot jump. Their oral sucker is not capable of navigating sharp edges or 90-degree angles, which many culverts possess. However, if they can maintain suction and encounter rounded edges, they can scale vertical features like waterfalls that salmon and steelhead cannot. Pacific lampreys do not return home to their natal streams. Genetic data collected from Pacific lamprey suggests that populations along the Pacific Rim are panmictic or well mixed. Pheromones released by ammocoe- tes attract adult lampreys into rivers and streams. Spawning typically takes place in the spring, and like salmon, Pacific lampreys die after spawning. The carcasses provide marine-derived nutrients to freshwater systems and serve as a food source for numerous aquatic and terrestrial organisms. Until recent years, Pacific lampreys have been underappreciated for the role they play as a food source and contributor to riverine ecosystems. The Pacific lamprey is designated by USFWS as a Species of Concern. Tribes along the West Coast are leading the way along with several agencies and organizations to ensure that this ancient fish persists into the future. Rebecca Mahan is a habitat biologist for Clallam County and represents Clallam County on the NPC MRC. For more information on the Pacific lamprey, visit www.fws.gov/species/ pacific-lamprey-entosphenus-tridentatus. 4 – NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER Pacific lamprey mouth parts. This is a macropthalmia from the Elwha River. Photo: Rebecca Mahan During spawning, the female (bottom) attaches to a rock in front of the nest the male (top) suctions onto her and wraps his body around hers to squeeze out the eggs so he can fertilize them. Photo: Amanda Anderson Lampreys can scale vertical features like waterfalls that salmon and steelhead cannot. NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER – 5 to earn the cooperation of local landowners and businesses to protect and restore critical salmon streams. A project like the recently completed restoration at Kugel Creek, a tributary of the Sol Duc River, is a great example of work benefitting salmon and steelhead. Funded by the Washington Coast Restoration and Resiliency Initiative (WCRRI), the project was a collaboration between Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition and Clallam County that removed a failing, undersized culvert and replaced it with a buried bridge that improved upstream spawning and rearing habitat access for both anadromous and resident fish species. Further down the coast, the continuous removal of non-native invasive plant species has been improving habitat along 30 miles of main stem and 10 miles of tributary side channels of the Hoh River. This project began 20 years ago and demonstrates the long-term commitment of partner organizations like the 10,000 Years Institute and funders such as the Recreation and Conservation Office’s Salmon Recovery Funding Board and WCRRI. A third nearby project is the restoration of Goodman Creek, a collaboration between Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition and 10,000 Years Institute. The addition of large wood — to create deeper pools, provide cover, and accumulate gravel for spawning — has improved habitat for coho salmon and winter steelhead. provide cover, and accumulate gravel for adult spawning. Ongoing treatment for inva-sive reed canary grass keeps water cold and full of oxygen as well as promoting growth of native trees and shrubs on the streambanks. This summer, removal of a derelict stringer bridge in Goodman Creek will eliminate toxin-producing creosote logs. These three tac-tics — removal of fish barriers, improvement of instream habitat, and the elimination of invasive plant species — are all fundamental tools we are using to create a strong salmon future. That said, we need the support of the public! Many fish barriers along the coast are on private land, and landowners may not realize the re-sources available to help correct them. There is assistance available for invasive plant removal as well, and a myriad of other land concerns can be addressed once they’re brought to light. Even if you’re not a land- owner, you can help. Contact us to volunteer your time at a local stream clean up, or if you’d like to donate to the Strong Salmon Future Fund, 90% of your donation directly supports local projects with financing that the large capital grant programs often miss. You can even just let us know about a local business that may be interested in sponsoring one or more of our projects and we will contact them directly; there are many ways to get involved with salmon restoration in your community. If you’d like more details on the Strong Salmon Future campaign or any of the critical salmon and steelhead habitat restoration projects happening on the Olympic Peninsula or Washington Coast, please contact Alex Bradberry, outreach director for the Coast Salmon Partnership, at alex@coastsalmonpartnership.org 02.(Continued from Page 1...) Support for a Strong Salmon Future By Alex Bradberry, Coast Salmon Partnership Strong Salmon Future sign currently installed at the Cottonwood Campground Boat Launch as part of the coastwideeducational signage network. Photo: Alex Bradberry Upstream view of large wood installation on Goodman Creek – further installation coming this summer. Photo: Alex Bradberry Completed Kugel Creek project that replaced a failing, undersized culvert with a buried bridge for full fish passage, as well as native riparian plannings on the streambank. Photo: Alex Bradberry 6 – NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER We are very excited about all of the re- cent happenings and accomplishments at Washington Coastsavers! My name is Megan Juran, and I am delighted to hold the position of program coordinator after being a steering committee member through my work at the Clallam County Waste Prevention Program and a dedicated beach cleaner as a coastal interpretive ranger with Olympic National Park. I was fortunate to have come into the posi- tion with a NOAA Marine Debris Program (marinedebris.noaa.gov) grant working with two groups focused on reducing plastic pollution. This important pilot project has been able to recycle plastic buoys, foam floats, nets and ropes that would have otherwise been landfilled. We were able to recycle 4,260 pounds of marine debris from the last two annual spring Washington Coast Cleanups (1,677 pounds in 2022 and 2,583 pounds in 2023). The mission of the first group, Net Your Problem (www.netyourproblem.com/is), includes creating an economically viable pathway to recycle end of life fishing gear. The second organization is the Ocean Legacy Foundation (www.oceanlegacy.ca), which makes and sells plastic pellets derived from traceable marine debris. We also worked with the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association (www.pcsga.org) to recycle the yellow ropes used in the aqua- culture industry that may have otherwise Megan Juran, Coordinator, pulling a line of buoys strung together down a sandy beach. Photo: Megan Juran 03. Happy Summer from Washington CoastSavers! By Megan Juran Visit CoastSavers’ wonderful new website at www.coastsavers.org! NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER – 7 Nicole Baker, owner/founder of Net Your Problem LLC, inside a van full of recycling during the 2023 Washington Coast Cleanup. Photo: Megan Juran Before: Marine debris cache at South Sand Point in Olympic National Park. Photo: Megan Juran After: Same South Sand Point site after the cache was removed in April of 2022. Photo: Megan Juran become marine debris scattered along our coastline. They cleaned and bagged over 5,000 pounds of yellow ropes and delivered them to Ocean Legacy Foundation for recycling. In addition to the NOAA grant, we are grateful to have received funding from the North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committee. This funding has allowed us to update our website, providing visi- tors with valuable information and resources. One exciting addition is the development of ArcGIS StoryMaps, which highlight the issue of remote marine debris caches. Our website now features volun- teer efforts, information about our annual cleanups, and an event calendar to share upcoming volunteer opportunities. As we head into the summer season, we encourage everyone to join us in our ongoing efforts to protect and preserve our coastal environment. Visit the Washington CoastSavers website www.coastsavers.org for more updates, events, and opportunities to get involved. Happy summer from Washington CoastSavers! 8 – NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER ROV Nereo alongside Megan Williams, research technician at the Seattle Aquarium, with the full topside “command console” — everything necessary to operate the ROV. Photo: Zachary Randell 04. Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) and Artificial Intelligence (AI) Revolutionize Data Collection along the Olympic Coast By Dr. Zachary Randell, Seattle Aquarium Understanding the health and population dynamics of kelp, invertebrates, and fish in the seafloor environment poses a significant challenge. Traditional methods, such as scientific SCUBA diving, have limitations due to logistical constraints and the vastness of the underwater ecosystem. To address these challenges, the use of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) has emerged as a promising solution to expand our data collection capabilities, especially in remote and rugged areas where SCUBA divers face difficulties. Historically, ROVs have been large, expensive, and primarily operated from large vessels, making them unsuitable for coastal and shallow-water operations, such as kelp for- ests. However, recent advancements in ROV technology have led to the development of smaller, customizable, and relatively inexpen- sive models. The BlueROV2 by Blue Robotics1 is an example of such an ROV. In 2022, the Seattle Aquarium acquired a BlueROV2 and named it ROV Nereo after the scientific name for bull kelp, Nereocystis luetkeana. To accomplish our first objective, we partnered with Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) to deploy ROV Nereo above the transects that OCNMS and NOAA National Marine Fisheries Service SCUBA divers survey annually along the Olympic Coast during the summer. Footage captured by the downward-facing camera of ROV Nereo off Tatoosh Island can be viewed at link #2. In pursuit of our second objective, outreach and engagement, we organized several events to introduce ROV Nereo and its mission along the Olympic Coast. In collaboration with Cape Flattery School District, we worked with Bill “Paco” Monett and Camden Jones to fly ROV Nereo as part of a Schools Without Walls event. At the Makah Marina, we flew the ROV near a sunken vessel, allowing students to experience the flight in real-time through an outdoor television display. Footage of this event can be viewed at link #3. During the summer, we teamed up with Makah Fisheries Management (MFM), accompanied by Jonathan Scordino and Liz Allyn from MFM, who graciously took us out on their vessel along with three MFM interns. On this occasion, we flew the ROV in kelp forests and along urchin barrens, providing students with a first-hand experi- ence of ROV operations from the surface. NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER – 9 Seven students from Neah Bay School observe the outdoor display, which transmits the real-time camera feed from ROV Nereo. Photo: Zachary Randell Moving south, ROV Nereo visited Alice Ryan’s classes at the Quileute Tribal School in La Push, where students learned about kelp forest ecology, subtidal monitoring, and how ROVs and AI can help address challenges facing coastal ecosystems and communities in a changing climate. Jennifer Hagan from Quileute Natural Resources supported our efforts by providing vessel support, allowing us to fly ROV Nereo during the OCNMS subtidal surveys. However, due to a massive algal bloom, visibility was limited to 1-2 feet, rendering ROV surveys unfeasible. This expe- rience taught us valuable lessons about the limitations of even cutting-edge technology and the importance of choosing survey win- dows carefully when water clarity is optimal. In terms of data collection, our broader objective is to deepen our understanding of the ecological resilience patterns of kelp, invertebrates, and fish species along the Washington Coast. This requires long-term monitoring, revisiting specific locations year after year4. Although we are still in the early stages, we have made significant progress in the past year by customizing an ROV and developing protocols for kelp forest surveys. Another core aspect of our work is to enable other entities to establish similar ROV programs. To that end, we are committed to making our research open-source5. We have several GitHub repositories where we share ROV videos, photos, media events, project synopses, and selected funding proposals6. Our hope is that this material will assist others interested in initiating their own ROV programs. By increasing the number of eyes (and cameras!) on the seafloor, we can better comprehend the status and health of coastal ecosystems in the face of climate change. 1 bluerobotics.com/store/rov/bluerov2/ 2 drive.google.com/file/d/1ZQ-j- MwA5baAmyw1JaW3HQIak66GPqHt/ view?usp=share_link 3 drive.google.com/file/d/16oR2WlJFa0v6QeFA_0gTPMv1clImKWiM/view?usp=share_link 4 coralnet.ucsd.edu/ 5 www.viametoolkit.org/wp- content/uploads/2020/09/VIAME- AI-Workshop-Aug2020.pdf 6 github.com/zhrandell/ Seattle_Aquarium_ROV_development Three Makah Fisheries Management interns and Zachary Randell prepare to fly ROV Nereo east of Neah Bay. Photo: Liz Allyn, Makah Fisheries Management 10 – NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER Living on the Olympic Peninsula means that dealing with natural hazards, like land- slides, earthquakes, tsunamis, or flooding, is almost inevitable. These events can be costly and, in some cases, catastrophic. The approaches that can be used to reduce the impacts of hazards are varied. We can use community planning to avoid the most worrisome events altogether by, for example, building outside of the most hazardous flood or landslide zones. Or, we can prepare now to reduce the severity of hazardous events on our communities by, for example, practicing evacuation or stocking our homes, businesses and cars with emergency supplies. To make informed decisions and preparations to reduce the effects of these events, it is es- sential to understand the characteristics of these hazards—where, when, and how they will impact people and communities. The role of science in hazards planning and preparation is vital. Science is a proven process that generates new insights about the world, and hazards research is an active and dynamic field. However, science doesn’t always align perfectly with societal needs, and there is often a gap in providing the right kind of information at the right time to inform management processes. Bridging the connection between science and planning is particularly crucial when it comes to hazards. Recognizing this, the Cascadia Copes Hub, a network of hazards researchers from universities and federal agencies, funded by the National Science Foundation, aims to develop new insights about hazards in the Pacific Coast regions of Washington, Oregon, and Northern California. Additionally, the Hub seeks to enhance the application of scientific knowledge in planning and preparing for hazards. It is “dedicated to support- ing your community’s information needs and informing local problem solving to coastal hazards by providing research, science communication support, and tech- nical assistance.” During the annual meeting of the Cascadia Copes Hub, researchers en- gaged in a unique exercise. They brain- stormed questions they had for the people living and working in Cascadia to inform their research and communication efforts. This type of conversation is not al- ways part of the scientific process, which traditionally focuses on building upon previous scientific work. In 20 minutes, a group of 12 researchers who are primarily focused on coastal ero- sion and flooding generated 121 questions and then linked each one to a target audi- ence, as shown on the next page. 05. Natural Hazards: Researchers Reach Out to Identify What’s Important By Dr. Ian Miller, Washington Sea Grant At the annual meeting of the Cascadia Copes Hub, coastal hazards experts work together to focus their research and communications efforts. Photo: Ian Milller NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER – 11 The number of questions assigned by a group of hazard scientists to six different stakeholder “audiences” on the Coast. The most questions were addressed to residents, or people that live and work in Cascadia’s coastal communities. Graph: Ian Miller The distribution of questions asked by a group of hazard scientists according to five different “themes”. The most questions were about the landscapes and ecosystems of the Coast, and were generally inquiries meant to understand how those of us that live on the Coast value and use the places that we love. Graph: Ian Miller The questions were also categorized into five subject areas: Community Vitality, Landscapes and Ecosystems, Methods and Communications, Policy/ Management and Other. Local knowledge is especially crucial to the researchers’ inquiries into community vitality and specific coast landscapes and ecosystems, and several questions delve into the kinds of connections that exist between individuals and their communities. The researchers asked, for example, “How long has your family been in this area?” and “What aspects of your community would you like to see preserved?” Other questions were oriented towards how we live with and on the landscape, like, “What organisms are you most concerned about where you live?”, and “How do you personally interact with the ocean near where you live?” These types of questions are oriented towards understanding what we value, and how we live in and care for the places we call home. Ultimately understanding how hazards affect us, and the choices we make about how to prepare or plan for those hazards, has a lot to do with what we value and what we want to protect in our communities. For information about reducing the impacts of natural hazards on yourself and your community, visit the Cascadia Copes Hub (cascadiacopeshub.org) and request as- sistance by completing and submitting the engagement form available at cascadiacopeshub.org/ccerc. 12 – NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER On Saturday, May 20, 2023, ten student teams from the Olympic Peninsula gathered at the Forks Athletic and Aquatic Club for the highly anticipated Olympic Coast MATE ROV Competition. This annual event, organized by NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, aims to foster students’ understanding and application of science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) skills by challenging them to design and operate un- derwater robots, known as remotely operated vehicles (ROVs), to complete missions based on real-world issues and events. Participants this year included teams from Forks Intermediate School, Lake Quinault High School, Neah Bay High School, Quileute Tribal School, and the Port Townsend STEM Club. The competition theme and missions change each year. This year’s contests highlighted the roles ROVs play in support of alternative energy, managing healthy waterways, and monitoring endangered species, as well as a challenge that highlighted the real-life ap- plication of long-term oceanographic moorings. Throughout the competition, students were tasked with completing product dem- onstrations in the pool with their robots as well as creating team companies and working together to manufacture, market and “sell” their team products. This simulated company approach promotes the development of entrepreneurship and leadership skills, as students manage their project and budget, prepare marketing dis- plays and deliver engineering presentations, which may be neces- sary in future careers. At the end of the eventful day, an awards ceremony celebrated the hard work and accomplishments of the student teams. The competition featured two classes: Scout and Navigator. Most new teams begin in the Scout class, while Navigator represents the next level with more challenging pool tasks and an increased emphasis on communication skills, as ROV pilots navigate the course solely through a video feed transmitted by a camera on their robot. This year, the “Forks Whales” team secured first place in the Scout class, while “The Blobbies,” another Forks team, triumphed in the Navigator class. The Mentor of the Year award was presented to Alice Ryan, a teacher at Quileute Tribal School, recognizing her exceptional guidance and support. 2023 Olympic Coast MATE ROV Competition team “Forks Whales” accepts first place prize in Scout class. Photo: NOAA “Forks Whales” team conducts an ROV challenge in the pool. Photo: NOAA 06. Olympic Coast MATE ROV Competition Inspires Students to Explore the Power of Underwater Technology By Christine VanDeen, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER – 13 Youth teams at Olympic Coast MATE ROV Competition must first pass a safety test for their ROVs to compete in the challenges. Photo: NOAA Forks team “The Blobbies” pilot their ROV during Olympic Coast MATE ROV Competition. Photo: NOAA 2023 Olympic Coast MATE ROV Competition team “The Blobbies” accepts first place prize in Navigator class. Photo: NOAA The Olympic Coast MATE ROV Competition receives vital support from local sponsors, including NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committee, and Surfrider Foundation Olympic Peninsula Chapter. Local professionals and community members generously volunteer as judges, evaluating the students’ ROVs, marketing poster displays, and engineer- ing presentations. To prepare students for the competition, the Port Townsend STEM Club and NOAA Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary co-hosted an ROV building workshop in March 2023, with support from the North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committee. Additionally, “Cyance,” a world-qualifying Ranger level team from Whidbey Island, provided valuable support through judging and sharing their extensive ROV knowledge. The Olympic Coast MATE ROV Competition is one of more than 36 regional contests held worldwide and managed by the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Center and MATE for Inspiration and Innovation (MATE II). The winners of the 2023 Olympic Coast MATE ROV Competition are: Scout: 1st place Forks Whales (Forks) 2nd place Enterprize (Forks) 3rd place Team #1 (Neah Bay) Navigator: 1st place The Blobbies (Forks) 2nd place Aqua Pack (Quileute Tribal School) 3rd place Ocean Enginerds (Lake Quinault) In 2019, Quileute Tribal School was officially designated an Ocean Guardian School by NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries. Ocean Guardian Schools receive funding coordinated by the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation. Back then, the future site of our school had been deforested, with remnants of stumps scattered here and there. We became aware of the impact of logging on the local streams and felt compelled to replant some of the land that had been stripped. We decided to focus our efforts on restoring the habitat surrounding one of the streams. Our ambitious plans were delayed by the pandemic. Since March 2023, however, students planted a total of 630 native plants at the school site, including blue and red elderberry, serviceberry, thimbleberry, and snowberry. They also dug up 32 square meters of Scotch broom, a problematic invasive plant attempting to take over sections of the clear-cut area. In addition, students have assisted Quileute Natural Resources at Thunder Road, planting numerous trees and smaller plants to protect the bank from erosion. Overall, students have planted over 660 native plants! Plans are already taking shape for the application of our second year of this grant, which will focus on establishing a school garden and imple- menting composting practices. Quileute Tribal School is wholeheart- edly committed to protecting the La Push- Second Beach Watershed as part of our contribution to environmental conservation. Learn more about Ocean Guardian Schools at sanctuaries.noaa.gov/education/ocean_guardian. 07. Ocean Guardian Update: Quileute Tribal School’s Commitment to Conservation Continues By Alice Ryan, Quileute Tribal School “What else do I remember from this day? Students had a blast getting muddy, being by the river and outdoors. It was great to be able to explain what the project’s restoration goals were and how trees and wood can help achieve those goals. The students can now come back to the river restoration project and explain it to their families, plus visit their plants or trees to see how they are growing. I am sure some teens will be able to recall the cedar tree they planted and visit it for years to come! It was refreshing to get students involved in what Quileute Natural Resources does and the career opportunities they have at their fingertips.” — Nicole Rasmussen, Wild Salmon Center and formerly Quileute Natural Resources. 14 – NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER Nicole Rasmussen and Frankie Jackson prepare a soil bed for camas bulbs, a native flowering plant in the asparagus family. This plant was one of a number of culturally important species, also including western red cedar and wild strawberries, that were selected to support future harvests at the site. Photo: Alice Ryan Ocean Guardians Taleah Black and Trina and Denise Ward-Bender holding what we believe to be Northwestern salamander eggs. Photo: Alice Ryan Casey Palmer and Denise Ward Bender plant trees at the restoration site with staff members from Quileute Natural Resources. Photo: Alice Ryan Logan Hatch and Tanner Jackson place a western red cedar and a Sitka spruce in the same planting hole. As the two trees grow, the spruce will help prevent browse on the cedar by elk and deer. If both trees survive, they will build a large, robust root ball more quickly than each tree would if planted separately. Photo: Alice Ryan Caroline Walls and Teri Schwegal dig holes for seedlings. Photo: Alice Ryan NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER – 15 16 – NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER Beginning in 2021, Twin Harbors Waterkeeper (THW) staff made multiple visits to high school classrooms along the North Pacific Coast to present infor- mation and a lab exercise highlighting microplastic content in locally collected sand samples. THW offered this program at the Quileute Tribal School and the Quillayute Valley Schools, as well as Lake Quinault, Quinault Tribal School, Hoquiam, Aberdeen, and Oakville High Schools. THW was able to accomplish this work thanks to funding from the North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committee and the WA State Department of Ecology Public Participation Grant program. Due to time constraints, in most cases, THW collected sand samples before we arrived in the classroom. In a few 08. From the Ocean to the Laboratory – Beach, Sand and Microplastic on the North Pacific Coast Is It a Grain of Sand? Is it a Shell Fragment? NO! It’s a Piece of Microplastic. By Lee First, Twin Harbors Waterkeeper Drawing the sample though the vacuum system. Photo: Lee First Liz Soto and Jerrid Davis look for microplastic on the paper filter at Quileute Tribal School. Photo: Lee First NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER – 17 Pouring the sample into the separator funnel. Photo: Lee First cases, students collected sand samples from their local beach. THW’s work was comprised of two parts: first, staff gave the students an hour-long presentation about single use plastic – what it is made of, where it comes from, and the harm it causes. Second, staff set up THW’s portable lab equipment in each classroom so that students could see for themselves what microplastic in sand from their local beach looks like. The microplastic measuring protocol re- quires a vacuum flask, a separator funnel, ring stand, vacuum pump, filters, and a collection of cups, paper plates, tweezers, and spoons. Everything fits into a couple of crates and takes about 10 minutes to set up. In 2021, TWH purchased one set of this equipment for about $1,400. The National Alexa Brown shows students what microplastic fibers look like. Photo: Lee First It is almost always possible to view microplastic fibers and chips. 18 – NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER As a classroom science teacher at Quileute Tribal School I am trying to bridge the gap between science in the classroom and science that has an impact beyond these four walls, and has more relevance to “real life” as my students put it. To that end during Covid, I jumped into Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team COASST - www.coasst.org) beached bird surveys. A COASST beached bird survey requires that adults go out to their designated beaches once a month to make observations as they walk, recording various things including any beached (dead) birds. They take photos and measure the birds, and use the coolest dead bird guide to help identify each of them to species. All of this data are collected and sent to COASST. I began walking my beach every month. Eventually, I also brought my students out with me and taught them about the surveys. This was a great learning experience because, until recently, our school was right on the beach. When COASST received funding from the North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Comittee to develop a program to encourage and support high school students to do their own surveys, two seniors from Quileute Tribal School applied and were accepted. Last summer, Alicia Black and Debbie Sheriff started their journeys as the first two high school interns for COASST. They were trained and took up the mantle of the beach monthly. Seabirds started coming to us at our brand new Quileute Tribal School campus location, built above the tsunami inundation zone, and the usual COASST volunteer experience evolved. Because of our COASST experience, we knew where to turn when birds mysteriously kept showing up dead or stranded in the courtyard. When we first found a live bird, we did a lot of research to figure out how to rescue it, and we reached out to COASST. We identified the bird as a Storm Petrel and gently placed it in a box for the school day. That night, we released it from the beach so that it would not get eaten by seagulls. After this, my Marine Science class went into action to try and understand what why these birds kept getting trapped or dying in the courtyard. Students initiated a Monday “bird walk”, and we put out a call to all staff and students that if there was a hurt bird, or dead bird on campus to let us know. COASST got us permission to collect birds. I taught students how to use the COASST book to ID the birds that we found as well as their sheets to record our data, and COASST 09. Beached Birds Tell a Story of Citizen Science to Students By Alice Ryan, Quileute Tribal School Small plastic chips and wood on the beach at Kalaloch, Olympic National Park. Photos: Lee First (Continued from page 17) Marine Sanctuary staff then purchased additional sets of this equipment and loaned them out to several Coast area schools. After removing any large items from the sand samples (wood, rocks, shells, plant fragments), a tablespoon or two of sand is placed in a cup. Water is added and mixed. After it settles, the top half of the sample is poured into the separator funnel. The bottom half of the sample is decanted into the sink, and the top half is saved to run through the vacuum system. The vacuum flask and magnetic sample cup are pictured on page 16. A 0.45 micron paper filter is placed between the sample cup and the top of the flask. With the vacuum pump turned on, the sample is run through the filter, and made ready to examine under the dissecting microscope. Students were encouraged to both focus the eye pieces and move the petri dish around so they get the best possible view of their sample. With careful observation, it is almost always pos- sible to view microplastic fibers and chips. In addition to these, there are usually tiny bits of sand, shell, and plant fibers. THW has never seen a sample that didn’t contain at least one piece of a plastic microfiber. At the top of this page is a typical example of what students view under the scope. In this photo, at least two microplastic rope fragments are visible. There are three pieces of what we think are microplastic chips. The rest of the specs are likely tiny bits of sand, rocks, wood, or shells. Microplastic fibers visible on the filter paper. Photos: Lee First NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER – 19 The area outlined in yellow is the bird survey area at the new Quileute Tribal School campus. Photo: Archie Black Graph of number of birds discovered trapped or dead at the new campus each week that we observed. Graph: Marine Science Class 2023staff member Jackie Lindsey trained us to preserve the best of the deceased birds for future teaching. Students formulated hypotheses as to what was causing this onslaught of dead birds. At the beginning of the school year, our school was lit up like a football stadium at homecoming every single night. This included our courtyard which is surrounded by glass windows and is open to the sky in the center. After doing some research, students surmised that it was the lights that attracted the birds. They also learned that Storm Petrels are unable to take off from the ground. Another hypothesis was that most of the birds were juveniles, and maybe they hadn’t yet learned survival skills. Our plan was to collect enough data to justify asking the school board to turn down the lights. The lights were turned down around the end of October or beginning of November (we do not know the date) – ahead of our anticipated request to the board. The first four birds we found were all Storm Petrels, the first three were alive and successfully released. All Storm Petrels were found in September and October, after we started collecting data. In addition to the four Storm Petrels, a songbird, Red Phalarope, a wader, and another song bird appeared. Next, a hummingbird knocked itself out on a window in the courtyard, and we released him once he could fly again. An immature gull also ran into the windows of the court yard, and that one lived long enough for us to place him out of the way. Sadly though, he passed before the day was out. After the period when the lights were turned down, we no longer found any Storm Petrels and so we intend to continue our bird surveys with next year’s environmental science class. We hope to learn what role the lights had and if turning down the lights was enough of a solution. We might also study the apparent springtime uptick in bird strikes and options for mitigating that also. All this learning grew from my desire to connect our students to a citizen science project that was relevant to this community, and the passion for birds that developed in my students. The fourth Storm Petrel found by students at the front of the campus. Photo: Alice Ryan Students formulated hypotheses as to what was causing this onslaught of dead birds. 20 – NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER Imagine the sensation of dipping your hands in the Bogachiel River while collecting a water sample, or the crush of fir needles beneath your feet while assessing tree health in West End forest tracts. When Peninsula College (PC) launches their new Natural Resources Program in September, students will take their learning outside as they study for jobs that support and sustain the natural environment. “Our local employers are in urgent need of natural resource employees,” said Peninsula College President Dr. Suzy Ames. “Launching the Natural Resources Program will help prepare students for jobs in the industry while helping residents get living- wage jobs.” In 2022, Peninsula College surveyed local natural resources-re- lated businesses and agencies. All of them expressed an urgent need to hire additional trained technicians and project leaders. “Lightcast, a leader in labor market analytics, confirmed that Clallam and Jefferson counties have significantly more such jobs available than other areas nationally,” Dr. Mia Boster, dean for Workforce Education at PC said. The college’s Natural Resources Program focuses on the integra- tion of science, technology, and sustainable practices for natural resources management. Classes emphasize forest ecology and management, geographic information systems (GIS), forest map- ping, silviculture, water quality, stream habitat monitoring, timber harvesting, forest road management, restoration ecology, fisheries, river restoration, fire science, and wildlife habitat management. Classes will be presented in the field, in classrooms, labs, and through online modules and workplace internships in a manner that enables students located in Port Angeles and Port Townsend to successfully complete the program alongside Forks students. The Natural Resources Program will provide students with the skills to; • Maintain and improve the quality of a forest or other natural environment, 10. Peninsula College’s Natural Resources Program Poised to Launch Careers By Kari Dresser, Peninsula College Which natural resources are managed at Rialto Beach? Photo: Tami Pokorny North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committee Membership: Julie Ann Koehlinger (Hoh Tribe) Jennifer Hagen (Quileute Tribe) Vacant (Makah Tribe) Rod Fleck (City of Forks) Rebecca Mahan (Clallam County) Tami Pokorny (Jefferson County) Alice Ryan (CC Citizen – Recreational Groups) John Hunter (CC Citizen – Education/ Environmental Groups) Katie Krueger (CC Citizen – Scientific Community) Eileen Cooney (JC Citizen – Economic Groups) Jill Silver (JC Citizen – Conservation/ Environmental Groups) Wendy Feltham (JC Citizen – Scientific Community) NPC MRC coordinator and newsletter editor: Tami Pokorny NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER – 21 • Provide technical assistance for conservation of soil, water, forests, and other natural resources, • Compile data on characteristics of forest tracts, • Assist conservation scientists to manage, improve, and protect rangelands and wildlife habitats and, • Work in a team to develop solutions and manage natural resources. To help ensure student success, the Peninsula College Foundation will provide a $1,000 scholarship to every new Natural Resources program enrollee for the first two years. Students can also apply for financial aid at the College. Program capacity is 25 students per year, and the anticipated costs for each student in this program are as follows: • 1-year Certificate $6,365 - $7,032 • 2-year AAS-T Degree $11,439 ($5,720 per year plus course-related fees) For more information about Peninsula College’s Natural Resources Program, contact Dr. Mia Boster at mboster@pencol.edu. Natural resources skills are often best learned in the field. During this site visit to Rialto Beach, a mixed team of students, volunteers and employed scientists shared the sometimes strenuous work of coring large Sitka spruce trees. Coring, to support the UW study, was conducted under a special permit from Olympic National Park. Photo: Tami Pokorny Our local employers are in urgent need of natural resource employees. 22 – NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER Challenging environments make safety briefings and well-considered personal and group gear selection essential to the day’s work. Photo: Tami Pokorny Gathering information from the natural world is an adventure in itself, especially in the everchanging environment of Rialto Beach. Alongside their professor, Dr. Kathy Troost, a team of UW graduate students has been studying landslide deposits, erosion, trees and other features of the shoreline and adjacent uplands. This spring, conditions were par- ticularly challenging. A snapshot of the effort is captured in the poem (next page) by Kathy’s husband, Roger Troost. “Sand horizon” in this case refers to a layer in the geologic strata approximately 500 years old that indicates an ancestral shoreline deposit. In pursuit of the elusive sand horizon.Photo: Kathy Troost 11. Geology Field Work at Rialto Beach Inspires Poetry Kathy notes, “We were sampling the sand horizon, near Hole in the Wall, after dark to minimize impact to the quartz grains from solar radiation. This means we also had to dig well back into the terrace for the same reason. The dating technique we will use, optically stimulated lumines- cence, determines how long since the grains were exposed to solar radiation.” NPC MRC – 2023 JULY NEWSLETTER – 23 Rialto Reality There’s a head in a hole and a butt in the airLooking for a sand horizon that used to be thereBut three months of tide may have washed it arrearJust a little bit deeper and a morsel may appear I swear it was here at the stream’s mouthMaybe we’ll find it 6.5 meters to the SouthIt might be gone but there are still tasks to spareData points are needed here, there, and there O dark thirty brought us to lifeFor a scramble to the bath to wash out the eyesColliding in the kitchen in a rush to reheatChugging down coffee and then boots on our feet Trundling down the beach with a belt full of steelAnd a 40 lb. pack that you can really feelFrom shoulder to shoulder it makes the back hurtBut, hey, everybody, bend over and pick up more red Chert The pace and the meander over rocks, shells, and kelpLike a band of tattered homeless looking for helpOne hour in and only a mile to getTill we can see the outcrop, and a place to sit A long day ahead, how it goes we’ll seeAnd everybody is on lookout for a place to peeSomehow with all of us going which wayThere will be time around Noon for a PB&J Back to the cars, back down the beachThe end of a hard day is finally in reachBut the packs are heavier with bags of wet soilSurely the results are worth the toil With the rigs back at Jill’s, one, two, three, fourKathy will be first to open the doorWe all need a shower, let me be clearBut wouldn’t it be better if we went for a beer? An evening of fellowship at the pub down the wayRewards the effort accomplished this dayTomorrow will bring us more hiking and choresAlas back to the cabin for a night of restlessness and snores rjt 4/23 “NATURAL RESOURCES TUESDAYS” West End community stakeholder meetings on salmon and marine resources 1pm — 3pm North Pacific Coast Lead Entity for salmon recovery 4pm — 6pm North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committee Attend meetings in person at Peninsula College in Forks, online, or by phone. Contact Tami Pokorny (Phone: 360-379-4498; Email: tpokorny@co.jefferson.wa.us) for meeting information. North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committee c/o Jefferson County Public Health 615 Sheridan Street, Port Townsend, WA 98368 Rialto Beach is endlessly on the move – along with the geologists who study it. Photo: Tami Pokorny