Townet database - Evaluating the ecological health of Puget Sound's pelagic foodweb

To evaluate effects of human influence on the health of Puget Sound's pelagic ecosystems, we propose a sampling program across multiple oceanographic basins measuring key attributes of the pelagic foodweb. We will quantify seasonal abundance and composition of pelagic biota from lower trophic levels (e.g., bacteria and phytoplankton) to middle trophic levels (e.g., zooplankton, small pelagic fishes, and jellyfish), as well as assess the individual condition of forage fish and juvenile salmon.

The goals of this program:

1) Determine how foodweb endpoints vary across natural and anthropogenic gradients.

2) Determine how these characteristics vary across Puget Sound.

3) Evaluate a number of biological metrics for monitoring ecosystem health.

These outputs will improve our basic understanding of pelagic ecology in Puget Sound, better define what comprises a healthy pelagic ecosystem in Puget Sound, determine foodweb-relevant indicators that are sensitive to human influence, and help prioritize regional protection and restoration efforts. Work is conducted by NOAA personnel and contractors in collaboration with tribal partners (Squaxin, Port Gamble/S'Klallam), undergraduate research interns, and citizen volunteers.

Filemaker Pro database containing fish data collection.

Addresses Legal Mandate

Raw/field data

Loaded by batch 4139, 01-23-2013 18:15

Subject to Public Access to Research Results (PARR): Yes

Peer Reviewed Publication: Integrative metrics for monitoring the ecological health of Puget Sound. Manuscript describing multi-trophic integrative indicators for pelagic foodweb condition

Peer Reviewed Publication: Microbial ecology of nearshore waters of Puget Sound. Manuscript characterizing microbial ecology of nearshore marine waters

Peer Reviewed Publication: Influence of water residency on foodweb metrics. Manuscript integrating hydrodynamic modeling with foodweb metrics

Peer Reviewed Publication: Temporal shifts in plankton distribution & abundance in Puget Sound nearshore pelagic system. Manuscript examining planktonic community patterns across monthly scales

Peer Reviewed Publication: Testing the bifurcated foodweb hypothesis. Manuscript describing how collected data addresses a fundamental foodweb question

Presentation: Looking closer to home: microbial ecology studies in Puget Sound. Oceans & Human Health seminar series

Presentation: Trends in abundance and composition of forage fish across Puget Sound: A fragmented 30-year comparison. AFS National Conference Symposium on forage fish

Presentation: Distribution & abundance of larval fish in nearshore pelagic waters of Puget Sound. Manuscript describing larval fish in nearshore pelagic waters

Presentation: Comparisons of historical townet data with recent surveys. Manuscript examining townet data collected historically & contemporaneously

Presentation: Modeling salmonid & forage fish growth in Puget Sound through growth hormone. Manuscript modeling salmon & forage fish growth by growth hormone

Presentation: Linking local and regional land use with abundance and composition of fish in Puget Sound’s pelagic zone. CERF Conference Symposium on Habitat assessments

Presentation: Abundance and composition of forage fish across Puget Sound’s pelagic ecosystem. Salish Sea Conference Presentation

Presentation: Evaluating the ecological health of Puget Sound’s pelagic food web. Salish Sea Conference Poster

Presentation: Landscape patterns of lower to middle trophic level structure across natural and anthropogenic gradients in Puget Sound, Washington. Science Center Research Symposium talk

Presentation: Comparison of acoustic/Ricker sampling with surface trawls. Manuscript comparing catch data from 2 fishing methods

Report: Final project report for "Evaluating the ecological health of Puget Sound's pelagic foodweb". Final report to funding agency