Kwiaht marine science

Marine Matinee: Changing waters

Kwiaht celebrates its 20th anniversary with a countywide series of lectures on how and why the islands' terrestrial and marine ecosystems have changed in the first quarter of the 21st century. The first lecture on Lopez explores the role of changing ocean climate on marine food webs with highlights of research on salmon, herring, smelt, sand lance, sea stars, eelgrass, and zooplankton, and the results of Kwiaht's long-term studies of Watmough Bay and Orcas Island's Fishing Bay. Also included will be preliminary findings of Kwiaht's collaboration with Long Live the Kings and the Nisqually Tribe tracing contaminants from toxic dump sites in the South Sound through the marine food web. The slideshow presentation will conclude with a forecast for 2050 and updates on volunteer and student opportunities in Kwiaht's marine team.