Maritime Awards Society of Canada

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference – October 2011, Vancouver

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Many Voices, One Sea
The Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference is the largest, most comprehensive scientific research and policy conference in the region. The 2011 conference, co-hosted by Environment Canada and the Puget Sound Partnership, presents the latest scientific research on the state of the ecosystem. The conference also shares information on recent management actions and best practices to protect and restore the Salish Sea Ecosystem. Through these dialogues, the conference emphasizes the importance of collaboration among scientists and policymakers to solve complex environmental issues that cross political borders.

Join us in furthering our collective understanding of the unique and precious ecosystem that is the Salish Sea. Together, we will explore the state of the science, build our management capability, and reinforce our strong foundation of research of policy. The exciting, dynamic program creates opportunities for peer-to-peer interactions, cultural celebrations, knowledge transfer, and practical collaborations. Enjoy workshops, special sessions, field trips, keynote speakers, and other engaging events throughout the conference.

For more information, please visit www.salishseaconference.org

Call for Sessions
The Conference Steering Committee is inviting proposals for sessions for panel presentations, interactive sessions, and facilitated panels that will encourage interdisciplinary and transboundary collaboration and networking among scientists, policy-makers, students and other stakeholders. For more information, please click here

Join us for what continues to be North America’s largest and most comprehensive scientific research and policy conference on the Salish Sea region.

Ruta Fluxgold and Judith Leckrone Lee
Co-Chairs, 2011 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

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January 19, 2011 at 3:12 pm Comments (0)

Wildlife Post What's the Deal with Rockfish and Seals?

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SeaDoc logo w/new tagline
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Wildlife Post What’s the Deal with Rockfish and Seals?

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Rockfish by J. Nichols

Yelloweye Rockfish (credit Janna Nichols)

Harbor seal populations have exploded nearly tenfold in the Salish Sea since the 1970s, while at the same time many rockfish species have plummeted. Some fishermen blame that on the increase in hungry seals. But coincidence is not science. So who ya gonna call?

SeaDoc-funded scientists rolled up their sleeves and collected almost 1,000 samples of seal scat in the San Juan Islands. Detailed analysis of these samples revealed that herring make up nearly 60% of these harbor seals’ diets, with their next favorite meals being salmon, pollock and cod-like fish. The seal’s total menu, though, was surprisingly diverse, with seals chowing down on at least 35 species of fish! Still, through the entire first year of the study, less than 3% of samples contained rockfish bones. Case closed? Not so fast…

In the second year, 12% of the samples contained rockfish remains, particularly in the winter when there are fewer salmon locally. With all the seals in the Salish Sea, those numbers could impact rockfish recovery. That doesn’t mean, however, that we should start controlling seal populations: this study showed seals also have a taste for dogfish, another major fish predator. So fewer seals could mean more dogfish. The real answer is to remember that all parts of our ecosystem are tightly intertwined. Rockfish recovery depends upon ecosystem recovery, including salmon recovery, herring recovery and so on around the Sea.

To learn more, visit www.seadocsociety.org


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March 3, 2010 at 6:56 am Comments (0)

Salish Sea Sharks

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Sharks of the San Juan Islands

5:30 pm | Tuesday December 8, 2009
Camp Orkila Larry Norman Lodge
Orcas Island, Washington

Marine Science Lecture Series

Ever wonder what we have for sharks in our waters? Now is the time to find out! On Tuesday, December 8th at 5:30 p.m. Gene Helfman will give a free public lecture entitled “Sharks of the San Juan Islands” for the Orcas Island Marine Lecture Series’ Family Night. Dr. Helfman is a fulltime resident of Lopez Island, having retired after 30 years on the faculty at the University of Georgia. YMCA Camp Orkila will host a free dinner at the Larry Norman Lodge and their staff will provide shark-related children’s educational activities, so bring the family.

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November 27, 2009 at 12:47 pm Comments (0)

How Does Puget Sound? What Does Salish Sea?

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Retired Western Washington University professor Bert Webber has initiated an effort to rename the Puget Sound, Strait of Georgia and Strait of Juan de Fuca under one name – the Salish Sea.

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June 1, 2009 at 1:27 pm Comments (0)