Justin Cox
Marine-Foraging River Otters in the Salish Sea

North American river otters (Lontra canadensis) are semi-aquatic mammals that range over most major river drainages, large lakes, and coastal marshes of North America. On the west coast, from Northern California (Bouley et al., 2015) to Alaska (Bowyer et al., 2003), river otters forage in and rely on healthy subtidal and intertidal zones where they feed on a variety of marine fish and invertebrates. The subspecies L. c. pacifica is found throughout the Salish Sea’s rivers, estuaries, coastlines, and coastal islands and plays an important role in the nearshore marine ecosystem. They are often confused with sea otters (Enhydra lutra) by the public because they are otters swimming in the sea. River otters do use and rely on marine resources, but taxonomically, they are not considered marine mammals like sea otters.

Marine-Foraging River Otters in the Salish Sea
Justin Cox
Exciting News: Wild Orca Joins The SeaDoc ...

We’re excited to share that Wild Orca, a non-profit organization dedicated to saving the Southern Resident killer whales, announced today that it is joining forces with the SeaDoc Society to work towards a shared vision: a future where these killer whales thrive in a healthy ecosystem. By combining the passion and expertise of our teams, including esteemed scientists Dr. Deborah Giles and Dr. Joe Gaydos, we can maximize our resources for a more significant impact on these endangered killer whales.

Justin Cox
Meet Our 3 New Board Members: Scott White, Barb ...

The SeaDoc Board is instrumental to our mission here in the Salish Sea. Scott, Barb, and Jeff bring unique expertise, passion, and dedication to our team and we’re so excited to have them! View the whole board here and learn more about Scott, Barb and Jeff below.

Justin Cox
A Non-Invasive Tool For Collecting Killer Whale ...

Drones can be powerful tools in gathering important health data about wildlife, including marine species like the Salish Sea’s endangered killer whales. Scientists have already established the benefits of collecting breath samples to monitor orca health, but we wanted to scientifically understand if it is less invasive than previous sampling methods–namely the use of a long pole with a petri dish extended from a nearby boat toward the whale’s blowhole.

A new study published in the peer-reviewed journal, Marine Mammal Science, led by SeaDoc Society Research Assistant Catherine Lo, answered that question by analyzing more than 1,000 drone-collected killer whale breath samples. 

A Non-Invasive Tool For Collecting Killer Whale Breath Samples
Justin Cox
Meet SeaDoc's Newest Science Advisors, Caitlin ...

This summer, our brilliant Scientific Advisory Committee gathered in Seattle to assess and ultimately determine funding for five new critical research projects here in the Salish Sea. You can read about those here.

Our Science Advisors are a vital part of our mission, and we’re excited to introduce two exciting new additions. They are Caitlin Magel of Puget Sound Institute and Phil Bloch of Confluence Environmental Company. We asked them a few questions so you can get to know them a bit better. 

Welcome Caitlin and Phil! 

Sunflower Sea Stars!

Our dive team has been out surveying for young of the year #rockfish this week with colleagues at Paua Marine Research. While did find the baby rockfish we set out for, we had another exciting finding!

We saw five different large sunflower sea stars. SeaDoc and colleagues have published several papers showing how these “world’s largest” sea stars have been decimated by sea star wasting disease and we’ve worked with numerous organizations to help get them listed as Critically Endangered by the IUCN.

Slowing Down on Sucia Island 

Slowing Down on Sucia Island 

It’s easy when you live in the Salish Sea to feel like you’re sort of perpetually camping. Water surrounds you, trees line up on the horizon, the air is fresh, etc. etc. etc. But you also have a phone in your pocket and bills to pay and new series to binge on Netflix. Sure it’s beautiful outside, but those are the trappings of regular nine-to-five type stuff. The forays into nature are carved out and fleeting.

Donor Spotlight: Tara Craig and Brenna Normann

We’re excited to introduce you to Tara Craig and Brenna Normann—two fairly new supporters of SeaDoc Society who immediately jumped on board as engaged monthly donors. Their employer matches each monthly donation, meaning their support is not only sustained but also doubled! Does your employer offer to match your charitable giving? Ask them or search for your employer here!

Dive and Boat Safety Week for Team SeaDoc!

Dive and Boat Safety Week for Team SeaDoc!

Our team spends a lot of time out on the water, especially this time of year. We always prioritize safety, and we have a great crew with varying degrees of responsibility, but those skills need tending, and we spent a full week in June doing just that with our friends at the UC Davis Boat and Dive Safety Program.

We’ve shared some photos below and some thoughts from our staff. Thanks to the team down at the Bodega Marine Lab for a great week!

Photos from the Field: Outplanting Endangered Pinto Abalone

Photos from the Field: Outplanting Endangered Pinto Abalone

A major hurdle in saving endangered Pinto abalone is the lack of an efficient, cost-effective way to detect where they live and thrive throughout the Salish Sea, which brings us to an exciting project being led by Dr. James Dimond of Western Washington University.

The State of the Salish Sea

Last week marked the release of the highly anticipated State of the Salish Sea Report, authored by Kathryn L. Sobocinski of Western Washington University. SeaDoc Society Science Director Joe Gaydos has served on the advisory committee for the project since 2016.

Joe’s involvement began when Bert Webber, who led the charge to name the Salish Sea, and Ginny Broadhurst of the Salish Sea Institute, invited him onto the 8-person committee.

Summer Reading: Homewaters, by David B. Williams 

Summer Reading: Homewaters, by David B. Williams 

This spring, author, naturalist and educator David B. Williams published his latest book, Homewaters: A Human and Natural History of the Puget Sound.”

Our Science Director played a role in the scientific review of the book, which he called “a beautiful narrative that is not only entertaining but informative and will transform our understanding of the region.”

The book is an appealing way for newcomers and old timers alike to connect or reconnect with the place that they live.

Photos from the Field: A Surf Smelt Study in Motion

Photos from the Field: A Surf Smelt Study in Motion

Surf smelt are small fish that play a big role in the food chain, serving as a key food source for sport fish, including the salmon that feed the endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales. They spawn near the shore in areas most vulnerable to land-based pollution.

We recently funded a project that will study smelt habitat, which is being encroached upon by development. The results could help us better understand and protect shorelines.

The Silent Stressors that are Harming Scoters

The Silent Stressors that are Harming Scoters

Take a moment to think about a black-and-white animal that lives in the Salish Sea, depends on fish, and is threatened by human activities. Did you think orca, or did a certain marine bird come to mind? For Dr. Eric Anderson, he had birds on the brain.

Anderson, Program Head of the British Columbia Institute of Technology’s Ecological Restoration Program and researcher at Friday Harbor Laboratories, studies animals that are much smaller than the giant, charismatic toothed whales that traverse our inland waters. He studies scoters–specifically, white-winged scoters and surf scoters. Easily mistaken for a puffin, scoters are stocky sea ducks that spend winter and spring in the Salish Sea before migrating north to Canada and Alaska to lay their eggs and raise young. Once a common sight in this region, scoter populations have declined by over 60% in the past 50 years. And just like endangered Southern Resident killer whales, which suffer from three main threats, the decline of scoters can be linked to not one, but multiple human-caused issues.

Salish Sea Wild: Salmon of the Skagit River

Salmon are born in freshwater and migrate to sea, where they feed and grow before returning to their mother stream to breed and die. Along the way they feed everything from endangered Southern Resident Killer Whales to bugs, bears and the forest itself.

Salmon are the cornerstone of our ecosystem, but many runs are in grave danger, particularly the wild Chinook. In this episode of Salish Sea Wild, Dr. Joe Gaydos takes a swim up the Skagit River to get a close-up look at these amazing fish. Written and produced by Bob Friel and SeaDoc Society.

Bringing the Salish Sea to Tacoma’s Fifth Graders

Bringing the Salish Sea to Tacoma’s Fifth Graders

Tacoma Public School students are taking a big step into their local ecosystem.

While the pandemic has disrupted in-person schooling nationwide, Tacoma Public Schools is piloting a new Explore the Salish Sea science curriculum district-wide that adventurous fifth grade teachers at two Tacoma schools implemented last year.

Explore the Salish Sea is an education program of the SeaDoc Society — a marine science organization based on Orcas Island and a program of the Karen C. Drayer Wildlife Health Center at the University of California, Davis. The curriculum is built on the book of the same name, authored by SeaDoc Society Science Director Joe Gaydos and board member Audrey Benedict.

Planet Ocean: Why We All Need Ocean Health (BOOK REVIEW)

If more than 70% of the earth’s surface is ocean and we even call it the blue planet, then why have we so grossly understudied marine ecosystems from a conservation science perspective? It might be that not enough humans realize how the ocean creates the water we drink, the oxygen we breath and the food we eat. Afterall, if everybody knew how critical the ocean is for life on earth, we’d surely be taking better care of it.

SeaDoc Welcomes New Regional Director, Leigh Ann Gilmer! 

We are excited to welcome our new Regional Director, Leigh Ann Gilmer! She started on February 1 and has hit the ground running.

Prior to joining SeaDoc, Leigh Ann served as Executive Director of Cascadia Art Museum in Edmonds and Development Director and Chief Operating Officer at Conservation Northwest. In addition, she’s held key roles at the Museum of Pop Culture and Seattle University, where she completed her master’s degree while working full time in fund development.

Donor Spotlight: Judy Meyer & Gene Helfman

Judy Meyer and Gene Helfman – the Helfmeyers – taught and researched conservation ecology for thirty years at the University of Georgia. Judy’s specialty was rivers and streams, Gene’s the fishes that lived in them. They discovered the San Juans when attending separate conferences on San Juan and Orcas. Read our latest Donor Spotlight.

Iconic Sunflower Sea Star Listed as Critically Endangered

Iconic Sunflower Sea Star Listed as Critically Endangered

After years of collaboration across more than 60 organizations including the SeaDoc Society, the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has listed the sunflower sea stars (Pycnopodia helianthoides) as Critically Endangered. The listing effort was led by Oregon State University and The Nature Conservancy.

The designation comes following a marine wildlife epidemic that decimated the animal’s global population and indicates that the sunflower sea star, which plays an important role in maintaining the West Coast’s rapidly vanishing kelp forests, is one step away from extinction.

Donor Spotlight: Seattle Dive Tours

Donor Spotlight: Seattle Dive Tours

Seattle Dive Tours is a boutique scuba diving company providing dive tours, training, and travel across the Salish Sea and around the world. They are a 100% Project Aware and Green Star Award PADI Dive Resort. Seattle Dive Tours also built a distinctive PADI diving specialty ‘Salish Sea Diver’ featuring the Salish Sea books by the SeaDoc Society. We’re proud and honored that they reached out with a desire to support our work in the Salish Sea. Learn more!