SSAMN Stream

"Here there be monsters" isn't a phrase typically applied to the Salish Sea. Did you know, though, that millions of years ago an eight foot long salmon with 2 inch long spiked teeth jutting out of it once called these waters home? It is called the spiked-toothed salmon (Oncorhynchus rastrosus). How about our own local version of the Loch Ness monster -a 40-foot-long Plesiosaur speci...

Did you know fish can make noise? There are actually a surprisingly large number of Salish Sea fish species that vocalize! On this episode, University of Victoria graduate student, Mackenzie Woods, joins us to talk to us about fish noises, in general, as well as her research into fish songs & the plainfin midshipman fish, a type of bottom-dwelling batrachoid toadfish. This episode will have yo...

Drones, or Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), are aircraft operated remotely or autonomously without a human pilot on board. In more recent years, their use in research has skyrocketed. How have drones changed how research, and what kind of research, is being conducted on whales? What have we been able to learn from whales from drones that was previously hidden from human eyes? On this episode, Dr....

Sea stars are important Pacific Northwest predators, maintaining ecosystem balance. Unfortunately, a devastating disease, Sea Star Wasting Disease (SSWD), struck these marine invertebrates. SSWD started as a massive outbreak in 2013. While it actually was first detected along the Washington coast, it rapidly spread from Alaska down to Mexico, causing sea stars to disintegrate and decimating many p...

Bald eagles are very abundant in the Salish Sea. They are important avian predators of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems. Eagles, along with other birds of prey, have a long and well-known history with contaminants, like DDT. When Canadian scientists wanted to know the sources and potential impacts of contaminants on endangered Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs), they surprisingl...

Bioluminescent, or "glowing," waters can be seen in the Salish Sea. In fact, there are several local companies that offer bioluminescence kayak tours. The science behind bioluminescent waters is really interesting and surprisingly complex. Amazingly, there has not actually been much research into bioluminescence in the Salish Sea. So, what is responsible for this hauntingly beautiful phe...

Killer whales are very intelligent, social, and globally distributed apex predators that sometime interact with commercial fisheries. Although not always, these interactions can result in negative impacts to the whales and the fishing industries. Given this species’ ecological diversity, geographic variability, and frequent encounters with fisheries, a global, comprehensive review of commercial fi...

It's no secret the Pacific Northwest is prone to earthquakes and landslides. While thinking about the risk of these events in the Salish Sea, though, what about tsunamis? Tsunamis are a series of waves (potentially up to hundreds of feet in size) caused by the displacement of a large volume of water, generally in an ocean or a large lake. When they happen, they can be absolutely catastrophic....

Beavers are truly nature’s "engineers." They create habitat for many species, including salmon. Did you know researchers have discovered beaver populations living in the tidal marshes of the Salish Sea, an environment long considered unsuitable for them? Restoring beaver populations is being explored as a key strategy for aiding salmon recovery efforts regionally. However, there is conce...

In the spirit of Halloween, we are leaving a bit of mystery in regards to this episode. You will have to tune in to find out what creature we are going to be discussing. Hint - it is the answer to this riddle: what is translucent, drifts or floats, has no bones, has a flowing shape which can sometimes morph, & can sometimes glow in the dark? While not a ghost, this specter of the Salish Sea is...

You may have heard the buzz about macroalgae aquaculture. To name a few of the benefits, kelp and other seaweeds can be grown for food, animal feed, organic fertilizer, biofuels and other sustainable products. In Washington State, kelp aquaculture grew out of ocean acidification (OA) research. Besides all these commercial services to humans, kelp forests provide productive habitat which supports a...

Harbor porpoises are very common in the Salish Sea but hard to study. Pacific Mammal Research (PacMam) is a research organization taking on this task as they use identification methods to investigate the behavior, ecology, and conservation of these marine mammals. On this episode, Dr. Cindy Elliser, Founder of PacMam, shares with us intriguing insights they are learning about these animals through...

Bowhead whales are known to live really long. - maybe even around 200 years! But, what is less known is how long right whales can live for. Right whales and bowhead whales belong to the same family, Balaenidae, and are actually considered each other's closest relatives among living baleen whales. While rare, North Pacific right whales can be spotted off of Washington State waters. On this epi...

ROVs (remotely operated vehicles) are an amazing tool (not to mention very cool and fun) in conducting underwater exploration and tasks. While we tend to think of ROVs being used in deeper waters that divers can't get to, what about their role and importance in marine science happening in coastal environments? On this episode, Dr. Zachary Randell, a Senior Research Scientist at the Seattle Aq...

In the northeast Pacific Ocean, there are three populations of resident (fish-eating) killer whales that share overlap in their ranges from California to Alaska (Southern Residents, Northern Residents, & Southern Alaska Residents). On this episode, Dr. Amy Van Cise, Assistant Professor at the University of Washington, shares with us about her fascinating research exploring how seasonality and...

Did you know there is at least 14 different species of sharks in the Salish Sea? In 2022, two graduate students at Oregon State University, Jessica Schulte and Ethan Personius, documented the presence of two shark species never before reported in South Puget Sound. Sharks play very important ecological roles as predators but are largely misunderstood or not well known at all. Come join us on this...

Avian Flu or the "Bird" Flu has been in the news a lot lately. What is it really? When did the first outbreak start in Washington State and what is the connection between Caspian Terns and harbor seals? Find out on this exciting episode as Dr. Katherine Haman, a wildlife veterinarian with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) tells us all about Avian Flu and the impact it...

The pinto abalone is a sea snail and is the only abalone species in Washington State waters. This native species has great cultural and ecological significance. Overharvesting likely led to heavy declines in their population numbers. Since their overexploitation, numerous efforts have been implemented to try to restore populations in the area through abalone hatcheries and the outplanting of juven...

Southern Resident killer whales (SRKWs) and Transient (Bigg's) killer whales roam the waters of the Salish Sea. Being sensitive to their environment, they serve as sentinels to the overall health of the ecosystem. On this episode, Kiah Lee, a graduate student at the University of Oslo, talks to us about research she did involving these two groups of killer whales and PAHs. Polycyclic aromatic...

Most North American Indigenous Peoples, have been described as “Hunter-Gatherers,” with the implication that they simply randomly harvested food sources – from salmon and clams to berries, and greens – available to them from the wild. Increasingly, it is recognized that First Peoples have developed sophisticated techniques and approaches to sustaining and enhancing their food resources and the hab...

Most North American Indigenous Peoples, have been described as “Hunter-Gatherers,” with the implication that they simply randomly harvested food sources – from salmon and clams to berries, and greens – available to them from the wild. Increasingly, it is recognized that First Peoples have developed sophisticated techniques and approaches to sustaining and enhancing their food resources and the hab...

In the spirit of Halloween, on this episode, we are talking about a spooky topic - whale falls and zombie worms! Whale falls, or whale carcasses that fall to the ocean floor, play a very important role ecologically here in the Pacific Northwest and elsewhere. Dr. Craig Smith, an Emeritus Professor at the University of Hawai'i at Manoa, shares with us about this fascinating topic. Get ready fo...

Oh, My! Loons & coastal water birds, salmon, pinnipeds, forage fish, intertidal critters, seaweed, & invasive species - The Loon Foundation in British Columbia certainly does a ton of monitoring and research. On this episode, get to know this organization and the amazing research they are doing here in the Salish Sea as I interview Jenn Blancard, Field Research Supervisor, about the import...

Did you know we have sea otters here in the Salish Sea? It's true! Although rare, there are occasional sightings (rivers otters are much more common). Sea otters play a critical role in helping to maintain healthy kelp forest ecosystems. As such, the recovery of sea otter populations in the North Pacific may have larger implications than just the survival of this species. They may actually he...

Invasive species are a large, and sometimes under-looked, problem in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems.  If unchecked, they can cause large-scale ecosystem and financial damage, such as European green crabs. But, how bad are aquatic invasive species here in the Salish Sea? What impacts are they having? Which species are on the "most wanted" list here in Washington State and why?  F...