Study Looks At Impact Of Warmed California Current On Diet/Growth Of Columbia River Steelhead; Longer, Thinner Fish
May 29th, 2020
Ocean temperatures that in 2015 and 2016 were abnormally warm – at times more than 2.5 degrees Celsius higher than normal – stressed juvenile steelhead just entering the California Current and impacted their size and condition. Most of the change occurred in the first few days after ocean entry, according to a recent study.
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Study: ‘Ocean Breathability’ Key To Habitat Shifts Of Marine Life In California Current, Climate Change Decreasing Oxygen
May 21st, 2020
Marine life off the West Coast, from Mexico up through Canada, inhabit the California Current. The cool, nutrient-rich water supports life from invisible phytoplankton to the economically important salmon, rockfish and Dungeness crab to the orcas.
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Increasing Aridity Clear Trend Across The West; Declining Flows, Drier Soils, Tree Death, Stressed Crops, Wildfires, Protracted Drought
May 21st, 2020
Discussions of drought often center on the lack of precipitation. But among climate scientists, the focus is shifting to include the growing role that warming temperatures are playing as potent drivers of greater aridity and drought intensification.
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Independent Science Panel Stresses Need For Analysis Of Climate Change Impacts On Basin Salmon Survival
May 8th, 2020
A science panel says a key ongoing salmon survival study should better take into account potential impacts of climate change on future flows and environmental conditions in the Columbia/Snake river basin.
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Future Marine ‘Blobs’ In NE Pacific Ocean Will Exacerbate Climate Change Impacts On Fisheries, Reduce Biomass
April 23rd, 2020
A large marine heatwave would double the rate of the climate change impacts on fisheries species in the northeast Pacific by 2050, says a recently released study by researchers from the University of British Columbia and University of Bern.
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Weak Winds Drove 2019 Marine Heat Wave In North Pacific; As If Ocean Stuck Outside On Hot Day With No Wind To Cool It Down
April 23rd, 2020
Weakened wind patterns likely spurred the wave of extreme ocean heat that swept the North Pacific last summer, according to new research led by the University of Colorado Boulder and the Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego.
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Oregon Considering Cold Water Refuge Angling Closures To Protect Migrating Summer Steelhead
March 12th, 2020
With a dwindling number of summer steelhead returning to the Columbia River each year and warming waters resulting from climate change, Oregon fishery managers are considering setting certain dates and locations designated as thermal angling sanctuaries in three tributaries upstream of Bonneville Dam.
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Study Looks At How Retreating Glaciers In Western North America Will Impact Salmon Populations; Some May Benefit
March 12th, 2020
A new Simon Fraser University-led study looking at the effects that glacier retreat will have on western North American Pacific salmon predicts that while some salmon populations may struggle, others may benefit.
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Washington Dept. Natural Resources Releases Plan To Deal With Impacts Of Climate Change
February 27th, 2020
A Washington state agency has laid out a plan for withstanding and adapting to the impacts of global climate change. The state’s Department of Natural Resources last week released its “Plan for Climate Resilience” that the agency says will minimize the impacts of climate change and “maximize new opportunities” in making the state more resilient to changes.