Evaluating How an Oil Spill of Diluted Bitumen Could Affect Benthic Habitats in the Central Salish Sea
The Salish Sea, a cherished and biodiverse marine environment, is at risk for a major oil spill. Commercial marine traffic has been increasing, expanding the risk of a major oil spill from oil transport, as well as from bunker fuels from other vessels. Transport of diluted bitumen (dilbit), a type of heavy oil that can sink to the seafloor and accumulate in troughs and canyons, presents unique challenges for protection of benthic habitats critical to rockfishes and other bottomfish.
A recent collaborative research project led by the Tombolo Mapping Laboratory has used tide and current predictions, sediment transport and deposition models, intimate knowledge of geomorphology, and fish distribution data to identify potential impacts of spilled dilbit in the central Salish Sea (the San Juan Archipelago). They predict where dilbit is likely to become embedded in rocky crevices, be dispersed by strong currents, accumulate and settle into sediments, or be trapped in bays. They also identify important benthic habitats likely to lie in the path of spilled and sunken oil released from various locations.
A draft report and companion maps are available below and will be submitted to the peer-reviewed journal Continental Shelf Research. An Esri StoryMap is also available that summarizes this work using interactive and engaging maps.
Report
Oil Spill Assessment Maps of the Central Salish Sea – Marine Seafloor and Coastal Habitats of Concern – A Tool for Oil Spill Mitigation within the San Juan Archipelago, San Juan County, Washington (PDF, 69 pages)
Maps
Plate 1 - Oil Spill Assessment Map – Behavior and Fate of Dilbit in the Central Salish Sea (PDF, 1 page)
Plate 2 - Oil Spill Assessment Map – Selected Potential Critical Benthic Habitats in the Central Salish Sea (PDF, 1 page)
StoryMap
Oil Spills and Benthic Habitats in the Salish Sea
Citizen Science Young of Year (YOY) Rockfish SCUBA Survey Project
Rockfish need your help!
Rockfish in Puget Sound form part of the diverse marine community that attracts thousands of divers each year, yet monitoring rockfish populations is challenging due to their habitat usage and sporadic occurrence in Puget Sound. We must collect a large amount of information to assess rockfish recovery and divers can help! A large-scale effort is underway to measure recruitment of young of year (YOY—fish that have not yet reached one year of age) and we are engaging scuba divers to assist. The collection of juvenile rockfish data is authorized under the OMB Control Number included in the Citizen Science & Crowdsourcing Information Collection page.
Why are we interested in YOY rockfish?
Assessing the numbers and locations of YOY rockfish will help us understand preferred habitats and population characteristics. Collecting this data across multiple years and comparing it with oceanic and climatic variables could clarify conditions that lead to successful reproduction. This effort is a key part of understanding what conditions lead to successful survival of young rockfish.
How can recreational divers help?
Download our YOY survey guide linked below and conduct your own survey! Also, if you spot a YOY yelloweye rockfish, canary rockfish, or bocaccio while scuba diving, snap a picture and note your location. Then send it to us at rockfishid@noaa.gov. It's that simple! If you are not sure of the species, send it to us anyway.
Where can I find rockfish while diving?
Rockfish can be found anywhere in Puget Sound (including the San Juan Islands), and having both presence and absence data from diverse locations is key to describing settlement patterns. Working with partners, we recently developed a monitoring plan for index sites throughout Puget Sound to guide long-term survey efforts. In addition to index sites, this plan needs observations from randomized sites throughout the region. YOY rockfish can be found in various habitats, so we encourage you to branch out and try sites that may feature eelgrass, kelp, rocky reef, or soft-bottom—then be sure to report your data. You never know when you'll find a new favorite dive site!
To prepare for participation, check out our YOY survey guide for instructions and assistance with species identification. Most importantly, keep diving in Puget Sound and start (or continue) keeping an eye out for juvenile rockfish!
Is your dive club interested in learning more about rockfish?
We would be happy to speak at your dive club and will do our best to make it to one of your meetings. For more information, you may contact:
NOAA Fisheries' Funded Research Projects That Inform Recovery Planning
NOAA Fisheries funds several projects with key research partners to inform rockfish recovery planning.
- Documenting Rockfish Bycatch in, and Removing Derelict Shrimp Pots with a Remotely Operated Vehicle (PDF, 16 pages)
- Rockfish Hot Spots: Identifying Rockfish Hot Spot Areas in Puget Sound Through a Spatial Analysis of "Grey" Data, September 2016 (PDF, 24 pages)
- Bycatch of rockfish in spot prawn traps and estimated magnitude of trap loss in Washington waters of the Salish Sea (PDF, 18 pages)
- Evidence of habitat associations and distribution patterns of rockfish in Puget Sound from archival data (1974–1977) (PDF, 36 pages)
- Puget Sound Derelict Gillnet Prevention Report (PDF, 15 pages)
- Angling for Insight: Examining the Recreational Fishing Community's Knowledge, Perceptions, Practices, and Preferences to Inform Rockfish Recovery Planning in Puget Sound, Washington (PDF, 208 pages)
- NOAA Rockfish Cooperative Research Assessment Project (PDF, 24 pages)
- Deepwater Derelict Fishing Gear Removal Protocols (PDF, 26 pages)
- Spatial Distribution and Magnitude of Derelict Shrimp Pots and their Potential Impacts to Rockfish in Puget Sound (PDF, 41 pages)
- Deepwater Sidescan Sonar and Camera Surveys for Derelict Fishing Nets in Rockfish Habitat (PDF, 19 pages)
- Perceptions of Change in Puget Sound: Documenting Historical Trends in Abundance of Marine Species Using Local Knowledge (PDF, 17 pages)
