Independent Scientists Review NPCC’s Basin Fish/Wildlife Program, Recommend More Comprehensive Climate Change Strategy
October 8th, 2024
In a recent review, a panel of scientists said the Northwest Power and Conservation Council’s Fish and Wildlife Program for the Columbia River basin is still changing and progressing after 40 years of implementation, but will need further updates and improvements, including a better strategy for incorporating climate change into the Program and a more comprehensive analysis of the outcome of removing the four lower Snake River dams.
WDOE Taking Comment On Proposed, First-Of-Its-Kind Pilot Project In Port Angeles To Pull Carbon Pollution Out Of The Air
July 26th, 2024
A pilot project proposed in Port Angeles, Washington is designed to test whether seawater can be used to soak up more carbon dioxide from the air. It is a first-of-its-kind pilot project that has the potential to remove carbon dioxide from marine waters.
Status Review: Northern California Steelhead, ESA-Listed 24 Years Ago, Still In Trouble, Climate Change Main Threat
July 17th, 2024
Northern California steelhead require continued protection as a threatened species under the federal Endangered Species Act, according to a recent 5-year review by NOAA Fisheries.
Study Finds Pacific Cod In Gulf Of Alaska Can’t Rely On Coastal Safe Havens For Protection During Marine Heat Waves, May Have To Move North
July 5th, 2024
During recent periods of unusually warm water in the Gulf of Alaska, young Pacific cod in near shore safe havens where they typically spend their adolescence did not experience the protective effects those areas typically provide, a new Oregon State University study found.
With Air, Water Temps In Lower Snake Heating Up, Corps Releasing Cool Dworshak Flows To Aid Salmon, Steelhead
July 5th, 2024
The reservoir behind central Idaho’s Dworshak Dam is full (1,600-foot elevation), air temperatures in the lower Snake River basin are warming into the 100’s over the July 4 weekend and beyond, and tailwater temperature at Lower Granite Dam is warming towards 68 degrees Fahrenheit, the maximum allowed by NOAA Fisheries’ biological opinion on impacts of the federal hydroelectric system on salmon and steelhead.
Pacific Coast Gray Whales 13 Percent Shorter Than 20 Years Ago; Raises Concerns About Warming Waters, Lack Of Prey, State Of Marine Food Web
June 21st, 2024
Gray whales that spend their summers feeding in the shallow waters off the Pacific Northwest coast have undergone a significant decline in body length since around the year 2000, a new Oregon State University study found.
Mountain Watersheds To Ocean Depths: Flathead Lake Biological Station Gets $9.5 Million To Study Ocean Climate Change
June 21st, 2024
A new research project led by the University of Montana’s Flathead Lake Biological Station expands the impact of the station’s renowned expertise from mountain watersheds to ocean depths.
Climate Change Creating New ‘Open Gate’ Corridors For Pacific Salmon; Higher Abundance Seen In Canadian Arctic
June 7th, 2024
New research has connected warming ocean temperatures to higher Pacific salmon abundance in the Canadian Arctic, an indicator that climate change is creating new corridors for the fish to expand their range.
Study Shows Pacific Northwest’s Rocky Shores Have Low Resilience To Climate Change
June 7th, 2024
A 15-year period ending in 2020 that included a marine heat wave and a sea star wasting disease epidemic saw major changes in the groups of organisms that live along the rocky shores of the Pacific Northwest.