The SeaDoc Society facilitates collaboration and networking among academic scientists, natural resource agencies, private organizations, and policymakers.

Upcoming Events

Recent Events

On March 27th, the SeaDoc Society convened a group of 26 people from Washington State, British Columbia, U.S. and Canadian federal agencies, and first nations to discuss declines and recovery efforts for northern or pinto abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana kamtschatkana). The meeting was convened at the 2007 Georgia Basin Puget Sound Research Conference immediately following a specially organized conference session on northern abalone. To learn more, please see the meeting notes.

2007 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference

The SeaDoc Society once again sponsored the Georgia Basin Puget Sound Research Conference Vancouver, British Columbia March 26–29, 2007 Westin Bayshore Hotel in Vancouver, BC 2007 Theme: Science, knowledge and action in support of a sustainable transboundary region Conference Presentations Sponsored by the SeaDoc Society include: "Free fish and intertebrate classes get SCUBA divers involved in marine conservation" by Janna Nichols

2006-07 Marine Science Lecture Season on Orcas Island

A series of FREE talks to inform and engage the public about local marine wildlife and issues. Download the full series program HERE. Lectures take place at Camp Orkila’s Marine-Salmon Science Center on Orcas Island at 7:00 pm on Tuesdays, unless otherwise noted. October 10, 2006  Lingcod: A Conservation Success. View Lecture Notes here. Anne Beaudreau – University of Washington November 2 Voyage of the Turtle, Marine Conservation and Local Connections  *Thursday* Carl Safina – Blue Ocean Institute  View Lecture Notes here. December 12, 5pm  River Otters and Sea Otters View Lecture Notes here. Joe Gaydos – The SeaDoc Society     January 9 Phytoplankton in Eastsound: Why it Matters to Us. Notes coming soon. Brandon Jensen – Western Washington University February 13 Elwha Dam Removal and Habitat Restoration Rob Young – Western Carolina University March 13 Seabird Ecology and Conservation Julia Parrish – University of Washington   April 10 Minke Whales Jonathan Stern – San Francisco State University The 2006 - 2007 marine science lecture series is free to the public thanks to the generous sponsorship of : Barbara Brown Rick & Cindy Gould David & Ginger Ridgway Jim & Kathy Youngren For more information contact: Anne Stoltz Director of Development & Communications The SeaDoc Society awstoltz@ucdavis.edu tel:  (206) 281-9987

Free Orcas Island Pacific NW Fish and Invertebrate ID classes July 28 and July 29, 2006

The SeaDoc Society sponsored free Pacific NW Fish and Invertebrate Identification classes on Orcas Island at the West Sound Community Center on Friday, July 28, and Saturday, July 29, 2006. These classes are of interest to SCUBA divers and those who are interested in our marine ecosystem. By taking the free, adult-level classes SCUBA divers will be qualified for Level 2 REEF identification surveys. Both classes were followed by optional dives departing from and returning to West Sound Dock.   Friday, July 28, 2006 9 am – 1 pm Pacific NW Fish Identification Class, West Sound Community Center 1pm – 5pm Optional Dive, departs from and returns to West Sound Dock Saturday, July 29, 2006 9 am – 1 pm Pacific NW Invertebrate Identification Class, West Sound Community Center 1pm – 5pm Optional Dive, departs from and returns to West Sound Dock Please bring a sack lunch to eat in class, if needed, as those who are going diving will go straight from classroom to boat. Completion of the class quiz plus two dive surveys will qualify attendees as REEF level 2 surveyors. Deep Sea Charters will be operating the dives which will be $65.00 for two tank dives. Dives will happen at four sites over the two days.  Janna Nichols, of REEF, is the instructor for the classes. The REEF Survey Project allows volunteer SCUBA divers and snorkelers to collect and report information on marine fish and invertebrate populations. The data are collected using a fun and easy standardized method, and are housed in a publicly-accessible database on REEF's website (www.reef.org).These data are used by a variety of resource agencies and researchers. The classes will be held at the West Sound Community Center, on Deer Harbor Road in West Sound, Orcas Island. More information including directions and parking information is available at: www.westsoundhall.org. To register for the classes send email including your name, mailing address and phone to Lavonne Hull at lwhull@ucdavis.edu and indicate whether you will attend both sessions or the Fish (Friday) or Invertebrate (Saturday) session only.  Please contact Deep Sea Charters, Captain David Patterson,360-661-6101 or 360-658-5024, (http://deepseacruise.com/) to make reservations for the afternoon dives.  Space is available for 16 divers. Tank rental is available for $10.00/day and on board air fills are available for $6.00. For more information, please see http://www.pnwscuba.com/critterwatchers/classes.htm. The registration deadline is July 27, 2006 and space is available on a first-come first-served basis.

Free Olympia Pacific NW Fish and Invertebrate ID classes April 29, 2006

The SeaDoc Society is sponsoring free Pacific NW Fish and Invertebrate Identification classes in Olympia on Saturday, April 29th, 2006.  These classes will be of interest to SCUBA divers and those who are interested in our marine ecosystem.  By taking the free, adult-level classes SCUBA divers will be qualified for Level 2 REEF identification surveys.    Saturday, April 29, 2006 8am – Noon             Pacific NW Fish Identification Class Noon – 1pm             Lunch Break.  A chance to stretch your legs and get lunch 1pm – 5pm               Pacific NW Invertebrate Identification Class Janna Nichols, of the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), is the instructor for the classes.  The classes will be held at Evergreen State College 2700 Evergreen Parkway NW, Olympia in the Seminar II Building, Room E1107.  To register for the classes send email including your name, mailing address and phone to Lavonne Hull at lwhull@ucdavis.edu or call 1-530-752-3854 .  Please indicate whether you will attend both sessions or the Fish (morning) or Invertebrate (afternoon) session only.  The registration deadline is April 28, 2006.  The SeaDoc Society is sponsoring a future Pacific NW Fish and Invertebrate Identification class on June 10, 2006 in Seattle at the Seattle Aquarium.

April 26

The Killer Whale Brad Hanson On Wednesday, April 26, 2006, Dr. Brad Hanson of NOAA Fisheries will lecture about new findings regarding the biology of the Pacific Northwest region’s southern resident killer whales. This is the final lecture of the 2005-2006 season in Orcas Island’s highly successful marine science lecture series. The Lecture begins at 7:00 PM at the Camp Orkila Marine Science Center (484 Camp Orkila Road) and is free to the public.  Last November, NOAA Fisheries listed the southern resident killer whale population as endangered. “We know a lot about the southern residents,” says Joe Gaydos, Regional Director of the SeaDoc Society, “but there is a lot we still don’t know: information that we need to help us recover this population.” At the April 26th lecture, Dr. Hanson will discuss results from recent dietary studies that used echosounders to map prey fields, time and depth recorders to study whale foraging dives, and prey remains collected from feeding events. He also will cover findings from their investigations into the winter movement of southern residents. Please park only in the upper parking lot at Camp Orkila. Shuttle service from the parking lot to the Marine Science Center is available before and after the program. The 2005-2006 Marine Science Lecture Series is presented by program partners The SeaDoc Society (www.seadocsociety.org), YMCA Camp Orkila (www.seattleymca.org), and the San Juan Nature Institute (www.sjnature.org). The series is generously sponsored by Islanders’ Bank, Barbara Brown, the Gould Family Foundation, David and Virginia Ridgway, and Jim and Kathy Youngren.

Port Townsend Pacific NW Fish and Invertebrate ID Classes January 28, 2006

The SeaDoc Society sponsored free Pacific NW Fish and Invertebrate Identification classes in Port Townsend on Saturday, January 28th, 2006.  These classes will be of interest to SCUBA divers and those who are interested in our marine ecosystem.  By taking the free, adult-level classes SCUBA divers will be qualified for Level 2 REEF identification surveys.    Saturday, January 28, 2006 8am – Noon               Pacific NW Fish Identification Class Noon – 1pm               Lunch Break.  A chance to stretch your legs and get lunch 1pm – 5pm                Pacific NW Invertebrate Identification Class   Janna Nicols, of the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), is the instructor for the classes. The classes will be held at the Port Townsend Marine Science Center.

Bellingham Pacific NW Fish and Invertebrate ID classes October 29, 2005

The SeaDoc Society is sponsoring free Pacific NW Fish and Invertebrate Identification classes in Bellingham on Saturday, October 29th, 2005.  These classes will be of interest to SCUBA divers and those who are interested in our marine ecosystem.  By taking the free, adult-level classes SCUBA divers will be qualified for Level 2 REEF identification surveys.    Saturday, October 29, 2005 8am – Noon               Pacific NW Fish Identification Class Noon – 1pm               Lunch Break.  A chance to stretch your legs and get lunch 1pm – 5pm                Pacific NW Invertebrate Identification Class   Janna Nicols, of the Reef Environmental Education Foundation (REEF), is the instructor for the classes.  The classes will be held the Bellingham Public Library, Central Location (210 Central Avenue), in the Lecture Room.

2005 Puget Sound Seabird and Seaduck Research meeting September 29, 2005 Marysville, Washington – meeting space provided by the Tulalip Tribe

There are more than 30 species of seabirds and seaducks in the Puget Sound. Many of them are declining to dangerous levels and approximately 30% of them are listed as threatened or endangered or are candidates for listing in the region. Overall, the total number of marine birds in the region has dropped by 47% since the 1970s.  On a large scale, the populations of these birds vary closely with the productivity of the marine ecosystem. On finer scales, however, they serve as sentinels for the health of our regional ecosystem. Numerous factors contribute to the decline:  habitat loss from human population growth, pollution, non-native species, derelict fishing gear, and declining prey resources, among others.  Many individuals and organizations have devoted countless time and energy to both studying and protecting our local marine birds.  However, as bird numbers continue to decline, it is increasingly apparent that our collective efforts to date are not commensurate with the scale of the problem. To solve the problem of declining marine bird populations, we need to bring together the key scientists, and managers to review existing science and management information, identify research and management gaps, and identify how we can move forward to develop solutions. In September 2005 the SeaDoc Society convened a forum of select regional researchers and managers to review the scientific and management efforts to date, identify where more research is needed to improve management and restoration of these populations, identify management and policy gaps, and work towards lasting solutions. This one day meeting will serve as the starting point for a new initiative that will facilitate scientists and managers working together and help seek funding for critical collaborative research projects and management efforts. Meeting notes are available here.

Seattle Aquarium / SeaDoc Society Pacific Northwest Fish & Invertebrate ID Courses : Saturday, May 7, 2005

Instructor: Janna Nichols. Free to the public. Held at the Seattle Aquarium, 1483 Alaskan Way, Seattle, WA. Classes will be held in the Large Classroom located upstairs near the administrative offices; use the big orange staircase to go up. May 7, 2005 8 am - Noon   Pacific Northwest Fish Identification Noon - 1 pm   Lunch break. A chance to stretch your legs and go out for lunch around the Seattle waterfront. 1 - 5 pm   Pacific Northwest Invertebrate Identification To register, please send email to Lavonne Hull and let us know if you will be attending both sessions, or the morning session or afternoon session only.

2005 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference

Tuesday, March 29 - Thursday, March 31, 2005, Seattle Sheraton. This year's theme is "Science for the Salish Sea: a sense of place, a sense of change." Details are available at http://www.engr.washington.edu/epp/psgh/index.html.

Abalone - Urchin - Sea Otter Meeting

October 8, 2004: 9:30 AM to 4 PM, Quil Ceda Village Conference Center (Courtesy of the Tulalip Tribe): Washington state, federal, and tribal biologists as well as academic researchers participated in a one-day workshop to discuss new research as it relates to management of abalone, urchins, and sea otters in Washington state. The proceedings of this meeting may be found in MS Word or PDF versions. Bodkin, J., G. G. Esslinger, and D. H. Monson. 2004. Foraging depths of sea otters and implications to coastal marine communities. Marine Mammal Science 20: 305-321. pdf Breene, P. A., W. Carolsfeld, and K. L. Yamanaka. 1985. Social behavior of juvenile red sea urchins Strongylocentrotus franciscanus (Agassiz). Journal of Experimental Marine Cology Ecology 92: 45-61. pdf Carter, S. K., and G. R. VanBlaricom. 2002. Effects of experimental harvest on red sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) in northern Washington. Fisheries Bulletin 10: 662-673. pdf Ebert, Thomas A., and John R. Southon. Red sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus) can live over 100 years: econfirmation with A-bomb 14 carbon. pdf Ebert, T. A., J. D. Dixon, S. C. Schroeter, P. E. Kalvass, N. T. Richmond, W. A. Bradbury, and D. A. Woodby. 1999. Growth and mortality of red sea urchins Strongelocentrotus franciscanus across a latitudinal gradient. Marine Ecology Progress Series 190: 189-209. pdf Ebert, T. A. 1998. An analysis of the importance of Allee effects in management of the red sea urchin Strongylocentrotus franciscanus. In Echinoderms: San Francisco, Mooi & Telford (eds.), Balkema, Rotterdam pdf Jamieson, G. S. 1999. Review of Status of Northern, or Pinto, Abalone Haliotis kamtschatkana, in Canada. Canadian Stock Assessment Secretariat Research Document 99/190. pp. 21 pdf Laidre, K. L., R. J. Jameson, S. J. Jeffries, R. C. Hobbs, C. E. Bowlby, and G. R. VanBlaricom. 2002. Estimates of carrying capacity for sea otters in Washington state. Wildlife Society Bulletin 30: 1172-11181. (PDF not available – sorry) Rogers-Bennett, L. and J. S. Pearse. 2001. Indirect Benefits of Marine Protected Areas for Juvenile Abalone. Conservation Biology 15: 642-647.pdf Van Blaricom, G. and M. Chambers. 2003. Testing a charismatic paradigm: Consequences of a growing sea otter population for nearshore benthic communities along the south shore of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.  SeaDoc Society Final Project Report. Pp. 24.(pdf) Wallace, S. S. 1999. Evaluating the effects of three forms of marine reserve on Northern Abalone populations in British Columbia, Canada. Conservation Biology 13:882-887. pdf

Great Fish Count Thank-You Cookout

On Sunday July 11, 2004 the SeaDoc Society hosted a thank you cook out for all SCUBA divers that have performed fish count surveys on this day. Survey sheets were available for all divers. To find how you can help monitor local fish and invertebrate populations while diving or register for this free event, please contact the SeaDoc Society at 376-3910.

Great Annual Fish Count Workshop

On July 2, 2004 REEF Instructor Janna Nichols taught a fun class on how to identify some of the more common fish and invertebrates found in the San Juan Islands, and introduces divers to REEF surveying. This event was sponsored by the SeaDoc Society.

Lecture on Marine Mammal Strandings

Nearly a hundred dead or sick marine mammals strand in San Juan County every year. Local research now shows that seals, porpoise, and other marine mammals are more likely to strand on certain types of beaches. The SeaDoc Society and the Whale Museum sponsored a free public lecture about these findings at 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 29, 2004 at The Whale Museum in Friday Harbor.

2003-04 Marine Conservation Lecture Series

Through funding generously provided by the Orcas Island Community Foundation, the SeaDoc Society and YMCA Camp Orkila present the 2003-04 Marine Conservation Lecture Series. A series of informal talks are scheduled to educate the public about local marine creatures and issues. Talks will take place at Camp Orkila's Marine-Salmon Center at 7:00 pm.   October 14 2003 Embattled Local Rockfish Populations Wayne Palsson, Wash. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife November 11 2003 The Urban Sharks – Puget Sound’s Six-Gills Jeff Christiansen, The Seattle Aquarium December 9 2003 The Giant Pacific Octopus Dr. Roland Anderson, The Seattle Aquarium January 6 2004 Harbor Porpoise Dr. Brad Hanson – NOAA Fisheries February 10 2004 Olympic Oyster and Pinto Abalone Betsy Peabody – Puget Sound Restoration Fund March 9 2004 Washington State’s Sea Otter Population Dr. Shawn Larson, The Seattle Aquarium April 13 2004 Nudibranchs – our local sea slugs Dr. Dennis Willows, Friday Harbor Labs May 11 2004 Bald Eagles Julie Stofel, Wash. Dept. of Fish and Wildlife

Northwest Straits Initiative Public Conference

June 4-5, 2004 Everett Events Center For five years the Northwest Straits Commission and Marine Resources Committees in each of the seven counties bordering the Northwest Straits have helped mobilize numerous local organizations and hundreds of citizens to protect and restore the marine environment under the Northwest Straits Initiative. The SeaDoc Society has supported this effort by funding important Marine Resource Committee research projects and presenting research results and new scientific findings to local Marine Resource Committees and the Northwest Straits Commission. In June the Northwest Straits Initiative celebrated and evaluated the results of these past five years. The SeaDoc Society was a proud sponsor of this event, which will highlight accomplishments and models for community-based restoration. Additionally, it will touch on emerging issues and ways that individual communities can get involved in citizen-based restoration models. http://www.nwstraits.org/asoundinvestment/index.html

Marine Science Working Group

November 20, 2003 Seattle Aquarium Focus: Science needs for regional marine conservation efforts. The SeaDoc Society co-sponsors this event with the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Download the meeting notes (MS Word format)

San Juan County Marine Resource Committee's Rockfish/Lingcod Symposium

September 24-26 , 2003 Friday Harbor Laboratories (University of Washington) Friday Harbor, Washington The SeaDoc Society provided support for a rockfish and lingcod symposium held by the San Juan County Marine Resource Committee and the Northwest Straits Commission. This Symposium brought together top rockfish and lingcod biologists from around the region to discuss what we know about these species and what can be done to recover them in the region.

Wescott Bay Eelgrass Decline Task Force Meeting

July 26 , 2003 Zostera marina L. (eelgrass) is a valuable nearshore resource that provides critical habitat for a number of marine and estuarine animals, including spawning substrate for Pacific herring, in the Puget Sound/ Georgia Basin. Washington State acknowledges this function and has established a policy of no net loss for eelgrass populations. Recent surveys indicate that more than 35 acres (14 ha) of this submerged habitat has disappeared from two documented Pacific herring spawn sties on northwest San Juan County, Washington. The conditions that caused the loss are presently unknown, however, there is concern that similar conditions could be occurring throughout the Puget Sound/ Georgia Basin. At both local and regional scales there is an immediate need to elucidate the reasons for the observed loss of habitat. On July 26th, the SeaDoc Society sponsored a task force that included regional eelgrass experts, resource managers, and land-use specialists. The group could not determine an immediate cause for the loss so a plan for more intensive research was developed. A report was prepared to (1) inform agencies and citizens on what is known about this loss of eelgrass stands and (2) assist in the development of a science-based program to identify the potential causes to ensure that similar losses, if preventable, do not occur throughout the region. To learn more about eelgrass To download the comprehensive report (in pdf)

Puget Sound/Georgia Basin Research Conference

March 31-April 3, 2003 Vancouver, British Columbia Canada Over 800 scientists, planners, administrators and others representing all orders of government, non-governmental organizations, learning and research institutions, and communities gathered to define and respond to the challenges facing the environmental health and ecological sustainability of the Georgia Basin/Puget Sound region. Canada’s minister of environment, the governor of Washington state, British Columbia’s minister of Water, Land and Air Protection and First Nations/tribal leaders gave their strong commitments to a shared approach to address the environmental and ecosystem concerns in this region. A comprehensive, 2-page summary of the conference may be found in this pdf document; click here for the full proceedings (also in pdf format). Read article in the San Juan Islander. Related article in the San Juan Islander.

Marine Science Workshop

February 26, 2003 Seattle Washington The Puget Sound Action Team and the SeaDoc Society held a marine science workshop that focused on the SeaDoc Society's newly funded marine research projects and some work being done out of the Northwest Fisheries Science Center. We offered a forum for scientists to share information and ideas related to their research work. See details in the agenda. MEETING NOTES AGENDA

Marine Protected Area Science Workgroup Meeting

November 13, 2002 Mill Creek, Washington The Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team/SeaDoc Society MPA-Science workgroup addressed the science needs surrounding decisions being made about MPAs in the Puget Sound area. Workgroup members consisted of people from tribes, natural resource agencies, academia and non-governmental organizations. MEETING NOTES AGENDA

The First Biennial SeaDoc Society Science Symposium
Friday, September 6, 2002 Rosario Resort, Orcas Island, Eastsound, Washington The First Biennial SeaDoc Society Science Symposium, attended by over 100 individuals from over 40 different regional agencies, institutions and organizations, featured the results of scientific research projects funded by the SeaDoc Society in 2001 and 2002.     Topics included mapping rockfish habitat in the San Juan Archipelago with sidescan sonar and multibeam bathymetry, identifying forage fish spawning beaches in Island and San Juan Counties, evaluating the buffer zones around National Wildlife Refuges in the San Juan Archipelago in terms of their function as marine reserves, examining the impact of an invasive seaweed on native kelp forests in the San Juans region, and examining salmon as potential sources of contaminants to killer whales. Presenters emphasized the practical, in-situ application and relevancy of their data, so that audience members, all of whom are stakeholders in the health of the Inland Waters marine ecosystem, could take the information back to their workplaces and put it to good use in their efforts to manage and conserve the Pacific Northwest Inland Waters ecosystem and its wildlife.