Fish and Fisheries
See all current research projects here.
Completed Projects
Akmajian, Adrianne, Principal Investigator
Pinniped Predation on Chinook Salmon
Researchers used molecular scatology and quantitative models to advance understanding of how winter and spring pinniped predation on Chinook salmon in Northwest Washington affects salmon recovery and Southern Resident Killer Whales.
Barber, Julie, Principal Investigator
Researchers created a model to determine the best place to install the first present-day clam garden in the U.S.
Beauchamp, David, Principal Investigator
Low Survival in Young Puget Sound Chinook
This project used a novel method to study patterns in size-selective mortality of juvenile Chinook salmon in a range of habitats.
Branch, Trevor and Costello, Christopher, Principal Investigators
Fishery Impacts of Pacific Groundfish ITQs
A group of regional researchers tracked the ecological and economic effects of a new catch–share system for West Coast groundfish fisheries.
Cordell, Jeffery, Principal Investigator
Filming Salmon Around Seattle’s Seawall
Researchers provided precise data on the benefits of Seattle seawall enhancements, enabling managers to choose the best elements for improving juvenile salmon survival and adult returns.
Dolšak, Nives, Principal Investigator
Stakeholder Partnerships in Salmon Recovery
An exhaustive analysis of newspaper coverage and public comments on salmon-recovery efforts revealed extremely low participation by private interests, a significant gap in collaborative salmon management.
Essington, Timothy, Principal Investigator
Ecological Impacts of Hypoxia in Hood Canal
Seeking to better understand the ecological consequences of hypoxia, researchers explored Dungeness crab and English sole distribution in Hood Canal during late summer periods of low dissolved oxygen.
Essington, Timothy, Principal Investigator
Key Fish Species Trends in Puget Sound
Researchers integrated multiple datasets to assess long-term trends in key Puget Sound fish stocks and possible causes of decline, such as fishing, coastal growth, climate change, and proliferating seals and sea lions.
Francis, Tessa, Principal Investigator
Habitat Impacts of Shoreline Restoration
Researchers conducted fish surveys of restored, armored and natural shorelines to explore how shoreline restoration affects subtidal habitat and fish assemblages.
Gallagher, Evan, Principal Investigator
Health Effects of Pollutants in Pacific Salmon
Building off work from the previous project, “Effect of Salmon Omega-3 Fatty Acids on PBDE toxicity,” researchers used zebrafish as a low-cost model for studying the environmental and health hazards of toxic PDBEs.
Gallagher, Evan, Principal Investigator
Ocean Acidification Effects on Fish Smell
Research tested impacts of high ocean carbon dioxide levels on the sense of smell of coho salmon and sablefish including its effects on feeding and ability to avoid predators.
Gallagher, Evan, Principal Investigator
Omega-3 Fatty Acids and PBDE Toxicity in Fish
Exploring the interaction between harmful PBDEs and helpful omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids, researchers assessed the health risks and benefits of eating seafood. Results showed that antioxidants in salmon and other foods have beneficial effects in cells and may have protective properties against toxic PDBEs in vivo.
Gallagher, Evan, Principal Investigator
Ocean Acidification and Salmon
This study clarified the mechanisms that underlie loss of smell in coho salmon and determines the effects of increased waterborne CO2 on olfactory and navigational functions, both of which are crucial to salmons’ ability to find their way back to their home streams to spawn.
Goto, Stanford, Principal Investigator
This study examined consumer attitudes toward salmon consumption and sustainable fishing in the Pacific Northwest.
Hauser, Lorenz, Principal Investigator
Pacific Cod Adaptation in Puget Sound
Researchers identified genetic markers in Pacific cod associated with adaptation to warming waters, which will inform future conservation of depleted Puget Sound stocks.
Hauser, Lorenz, Principal Investigator
Researchers used genetic markers to establish the distribution of genetically distinct Puget Sound herring populations to identify causes for specific population declines, anticipate future threats and adjust management strategies to protect population diversity.
Hauser, Lorenz, Principal Investigator
Tribal Use of Herring Over the Millenia
This project brought together social and natural scientists to provide a synergistic assessment of preindustrial herring diversity and use.
Helfield, James, Principal Investigator
Engineered log jams were tested for their ability to promote shallow groundwater upwelling, which can help create cool-water refuges critical for Pacific salmon.
Jardine, Sunny, Principal Investigator
Removing Barrier Culverts to Benefit Salmon
Researchers created a new decision support tool allowing managers to prioritize barrier culverts for removal based on stream connectivity, type of salmon habitat restored, and more.
Johnson, Kelli Faye, Principal Investigator
Models to Improve Groundfish Management
Washington Sea Grant/NOAA Fisheries Fellow developed and tested frameworks to evaluate how well groundfish fisheries management strategies perform when using long-term survey data.
Kemp, Brian, Principal Investigator
Ancient, Historic, Modern Salmon DNA Analysis
Researchers from Washington State University worked to document the chronology of change in salmon DNA in relation to human impacts.
Kuriyama, Peter, Principal Investigator
Using Indices to Improve Rockfish Studies
Washington Sea Grant’s NOAA Fisheries Fellow studied the use of indices to improve stock assessment methods for hard to study species like rockfish.
Lin, Jocelyn, Principal Investigator
Genetic Diversity of Sockeye Salmon
Washington Sea Grant’s NOAA Fisheries Fellow modeled evolution and population dynamics in connected sockeye salmon populations.
McDonald, P. Sean, Principal Investigator
Climate Change Impacts on Dungeness Crab
Scientists examined the effects of changing water temperature on Dungeness crab, Washington’s most valuable harvest, and developed bioenergetic models to guide management strategies.
Meredith, Jennifer, Principal Investigator
Local Permit Ownership in Alaskan Communities
A Washington Sea Grant-supported fellow investigated the drivers of outmigration from rural Alaskan communities and the impacts on the sustainability of rural harvesting operations.
Monnahan, Cole, Principal Investigator
Modeling for Data-Limited Fisheries
A Washington Sea Grant-supported fellow investigated common fishery stock-assessment methods that may bias managers’ fishery catch decisions.
Naish, Kerry, Principal Investigator
Genetic Conservation in Salmon Hatcheries
Researchers developed tools and technologies for measuring and monitoring genetic change in fitness traits in Chinook salmon hatchery populations.
Naish, Kerry, Principal Investigator
Mapping the Chinook Salmon Genome
Researchers mapped portions of the Chinook salmon genome, studying survival and adaptation and linking to tools for protection and recovery of this endangered species.
Punt, André, Principal Investigator
Spatial Structure in Sardine Stocks
This research exposed bias in current Pacific sardine assessments and developed a spatially structured model that provides more accuracy and points toward changes in harvest rules.
Quinn, Thomas, Principal Investigator
Salmon Recovery After Elwha Dam Removal
Joining a collaborative team of scientists, researchers investigated a wide range of ecosystems and salmonid populations in the newly reopened Elwha river system, documenting the “before” needed to understand the “after” that will follow two historic dam removals.
Rutter, Jeffery, Principal Investigator
Carrying Capacity and Mortality of Chinook
Washington Sea Grant’s NOAA Fisheries Fellow explored the importance of mechanisms underlying mortality, growth, and maturation of Columbia River spring Chinook salmon.
Thorson, James, Principal Investigator
Washington Sea Grant’s NOAA Fisheries Fellow spearheaded the development of a simulation model and sampling design, using newly developed underwater devices, to measure the abundance and improve the management of Pacific rockfishes.
Stawitz, Christine, Principal Investigator
Growth Variation and Management Implications
Modeling somatic growth variation, Washington Sea Grant’s NOAA Fisheries Fellow spearheaded the development of a novel way to use size-at-age data from fishery or other sources to test hypotheses about growth dynamics variability.
Szuwalski, Cody, Principal Investigator
Assessing Bering Sea Snow Crab Populations
This research developed a spatially structured method for assessing Bering Sea snow crab population and tested the ability of current methods to assess this spatially dynamic species.
Waters, Charles, Principal Investigator
Evolution in Salmon Hatcheries
Washington Sea Grant’s NOAA Fisheries Fellow studied how inbreeding in salmon hatcheries may affect the productivity of wild populations.