Page 13 – Seattle Aquarium

Q&A with Dr. James Estes, winner of the 2021 Seattle Aquarium Conservation Research Award

Posted on March 5, 2021February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

“I fell in love with nature and natural history. From that point on my path was clear."

Dr. James Estes

A world-renowned marine ecologist and professor emeritus at the University of California Santa Cruz (retired in 2018), Dr. Estes is best known for his work on kelp forest ecosystem structure and function—particularly how it relates to sea otters as a keystone species. His career spanned over 40 years, including working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the U.S. Geological Survey. During that time, he also mentored 30+ graduate students and published more than 180 papers.

We are honored to present him with this year’s award. And, while we can’t gather for our annual Ocean Conservation Honors event to hear his thoughts in person, Dr. Estes kindly agreed to share some of them with us in this Q&A.

Q: What inspired you to choose your career?
A: Several things. My mother’s cousin, Dr. Irvin Buss, was a wildlife professor at Washington State University. His stories prompted me to dream of such a life for myself—studying animals in wild places. But I had little further interest in biology until, as a freshman at the University of Minnesota, I took the introductory biology class. That class inspired me to major in zoology. Then, between my junior and senior years of college, I took two summer field courses—ornithology, the study of birds, and the natural history of freshwater fishes and invertebrates—at the University’s Lake Itasca Field Station. Over the course of that summer I fell in love with nature and natural history. From that point on my path was clear.

Q: What keeps you doing the work you do?
A: Many things. Part of it is the joy of being in nature; part of it is the excitement of learning; part of it is a continuing drive to do something useful with my life. For me, success in research is like an addiction. I can’t stop.

(In addition to the career accomplishments listed above, Dr. Estes published a book in 2016 called Serendipity: An Ecologist’s Quest to Understand Nature and wrote a recent paper, published in Science, that has fueled rich discussion among marine ecologists. He and Seattle Aquarium Curator of Conservation Research Dr. Shawn Larson are currently collaborating on a feasibility study for the reintroduction of sea otters to Oregon for the Elakha Alliance. The Aquarium is also collaborating with him and many others on a new project focused on investigating the role of sea otters and other species as drivers of ecosystem resilience in the face of climate change along the Washington coast.)

Q: What impact do you hope to make with your work—what legacy would you like to leave?
A: For most people, conservation is something we do for ethical reasons. I see conservation as much more than that—something we must do to maintain a world that is fit to live in. I would most like for more people to understand that, and that the conservation of a species like the sea otter is a two-way street—that is, not only do sea otters depend on healthy habitats, but healthy habitats depend on sea otters. You can’t have one without the other.

Q: Ocean conservation is essential for the future of our marine environment. What does conservation mean to you?
A: Two camps have developed in conservation over the past 15 or so years: those who believe in conservation for nature’s sake, and those who consider conservation more from the perspectives of human need and human welfare. Both camps were founded with good intentions and are based on certain obvious truths. But I’m an old-school conservation biologist. In my view, the goal of conservation, first and foremost, should be about the preservation of nature.

Q: Why should people care about sea otter conservation?
A: There are several reasons. One is the ethical imperative to prevent extinctions. Another is because without sea otters, the coastal ecosystems that provide so many services to both humans and nature will be diminished. And yet another is more symbolic. Other large predators, like wolves, sharks and lions, are similarly important to the habitats they live in. In this sense, sea otters are a poster child for the conservation of predators. If we fail to conserve these predators, we will de facto turn nature into a different and less desirable place.

Q: Throughout your career, you’ve explored the connections between large predators and the impacts of these animals on other species and ecological processes. What could humans learn from this research in regard to how we impact our own environment?
A: Large predators have been part of nature for almost a half a billion years. Only since the recent rise of humans have these species begun to disappear. I believe the work my colleagues and I have done shows how catastrophic these losses, if not arrested, will be to our own welfare.

Interested in learning more about our annual Ocean Conservation Honors awards? Read our Q&A with Cristina Mittermeier, winner of the 2021 Seattle Aquarium Sylvia Earle Award.

Q&A with Cristina Mittermeier, winner of the 2021 Seattle Aquarium Sylvia Earle Medal

Posted on March 3, 2021February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

“Conservation is a big puzzle, and my job demands that I am an ambassador both for the natural world and my fellow conservationists.”

Cristina Mittermeier

In recognition of her three decades of courageous journalism, and making the pictures that tell the story of our planet, we are honored to present Cristina Mittermeier with this year’s Seattle Aquarium Sylvia Earle Medal.

A marine biologist and activist who pioneered the concept and field of conservation photography, Cristina’s many accomplishments include founding the International League of Conservation Photographers to provide a platform for photographers working on environmental issues and co-founding the nonprofit SeaLegacy, an organization dedicated to the protection of the ocean and which harnesses the power of communications technology to educate and inform the world about the incredible beauty of the ocean, and all of the challenges that it faces in the wake of the climate crisis.

Cristina Mittermeier diving underwater while holding a underwater camera rig. — "I often have to pinch myself when I am reminded that I do have the coolest job in the world. It is an incredible privilege to get to do the work that I do, and I am so grateful and so proud to be one of the women at the front-lines of conservation. Women are taking on more leadership roles in the field; we are scientists and doctors, photographers and filmmakers and we are changing the world together every day. It is important to me to celebrate and support the accomplishments of other women; we need to hold each other up as innovators, and artists and examples for inspiration."—Cristina Mittermeier | Photo: Paul Nicklen/SeaLegacy

In 2020, on the 50th anniversary of Earth Day, Cristina announced the most ambitious project of her career: Only One, a new collective of organizations that uses digital technology and visual storytelling to catalyze lasting cultural change, with the ultimate goal of conserving the world’s oceans from now into perpetuity. She is a Sony Artisan of Imagery and was named one of National Geographic’s Adventurers of the Year in 2018, among many other awards.

Although we can’t honor Cristina’s tremendous achievements at our annual Ocean Conservation Honors event, we can share this Q&A—which Cristina generously participated in from on board the SeaLegacy1 in the beautiful waters of the Bahamas.

Cristina Mittermeier underwater holding coral. — "Titouan Bernicot told me he was 'born on a pearl farm lost in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.' At age 16, he realized that the coral reefs in French Polynesia were dying and decided to do something to help. He founded the Coral Gardeners, a nonprofit that educates the public about the importance of coral reefs. Now 20 years old, Titouan works alongside his fellow Coral Gardeners to restore the reef on their home island of Mo'orea. Spending time with them and my team at SeaLegacy reinvigorated my own sense of purpose and filled me with hope."—Cristina Mittermeier | Photo: Cristina Mittermeier/SeaLegacy

Q: Art and science can sometimes be seen as polar opposites, but in your work they go hand in hand. How do you weave these two subjects together, and why do you feel it’s effective?
A: For me, art and science very much go hand in hand. I work hard to ensure my images are artistic and beautiful, and I use my scientific knowledge to inform how they are presented to my audience. Every image is an opportunity to tell a story that educates, inspires, amuses and brings people closer to the imperative of protecting our only home.

Q: What keeps you doing the work you do?
A: The knowledge that there is no other choice. Climate change is one of many crises affecting the natural world. I still don’t see the urgent recognition of the need to act swiftly to avoid even more severe planetary consequences.

A salmon swimming in a river. — "When I first moved to the Pacific Northwest, I had never seen wild salmon, especially as they make their way up the beautiful rivers and streams of British Columbia and Alaska and all I can say is, I was blown away. It is difficult to imagine the slice of pink flesh sitting on your sushi or your bagel as an ocean super-athlete but that is exactly what salmon are. After spawning in the clear, cold waters of their native rivers, salmon babies swim out to the ocean and depending on the species, might spend between a year and four years out at sea. Eventually they return to the same stream where they were born, oftentimes having to swim upstream, against the current and dodging dams, fishermen, roads and predators, for hundreds of kilometres. The few that make it, will spawn and then will die. This is an oversimplified story of a very complex creature. Measures must be taken to ensure they don’t disappear like so many other species."—Cristina Mittermeier | Photo: Cristina Mittermeier/SeaLegacy

Q: What impact do you hope to make with your work—what legacy would you like to leave?
A: I want to be part of the generation that creates the paradigm shift I have dreamt of for so long. At the end of my life, I want to know that my contributions helped move humanity toward a better understanding of how to live within our planet’s natural boundaries. Our solutions should not be solely technological, they need to be philosophical, and I know that thanks to my work as an artist and influencer I have a role to play in socializing those ideas.

Q: You practice a principle called “enoughness,” which you’ve said has to do with taking only what you need and using everything that you take, knowing that doing so will allow others to also have enough. Can you describe some of the ways you use “enoughness” in your daily life?
A: That’s easy. Just like I practice yoga and fiscal discipline, I practice enoughness. All that is needed is to ask the question, “How much is enough for me? Do I really need more of X or Y to feel fulfilled and happy? Am I consuming mindlessly, or are my choices thoughtful and considerate?” Enoughness is a personal choice we all can make every day.

Two orcas breaching the surface of the ocean. — "The Salish Sea is an underwater world bursting with biodiversity. Roving pods of orcas patrol the rocky coasts, sea lions congregate in the shallows, and the ocean floor is alive with brightly-colored anemones that rival our ocean’s coral reefs. Recently, our friends at Mission Blue spearheaded by my good friend and ocean legend Dr. Sylvia Earle, have declared the Salish Sea a “hope spot”; a critical marine ecosystem with the potential to replenish our ocean’s biodiversity and support a thriving blue economy."—Cristina Mittermeier | Photo: Cristina Mittermeier/SeaLegacy

Q: You’ve traveled and photographed all over the world. What stands out to you about the waters and animals of the Pacific Northwest?
A: The Pacific Northwest is one of the most abundant and beautiful seascapes in the world. It is not just the ocean, but the menagerie of amazing wildlife that use the water and the land, and the unique relationship that First Nations and Indigenous communities have had with that landscape for thousands of years.

Q: What messages do you aim to send with your work, and what actions do you hope to inspire?
A: I recognize that as more and more people become aware of the perilous situation humanity faces if we continue down the same path, the feeling of guilt and powerlessness can be paralyzing. I have tried to find ways to help people feel like they are invited and welcome to be part of the solutions. By attaching easy actions to every piece of content we produce and publish in our activation platform, Only One, we make it easy and fun for people to help create solutions. We all can be part of making this a better planet.

An Egg Yolk Jelly. — "Egg Yolk Jelly in the Salish Sea. When I create a fine art photograph, I look for compositions that take what is unknown and mysterious for my viewers and make it familiar; as if they were the ones swept up in the pull of the ocean with their camera housing or standing on the shores with the viewfinder pressed to their eye. I want them to feel as if they know my subjects, to evoke a sense of closeness that we may feel for our own homes, beloved backyard ponds or gardens, and the people with whom we share our lives. I want us to feel how we are inextricably connected to this beautiful planet and rouse us to protect it."—Cristina Mittermeier | Photo: Cristina Mittermeier/SeaLegacy

Speaking up for ocean health: 2021 priorities in the Washington legislature

Posted on January 19, 2021December 19, 2023 by Emma Leiser

Although things will look different in the Olympia legislature this year due to COVID-19, the Seattle Aquarium is still gearing up to advance science-based measures to protect the ocean. Keep reading to learn about some of our top priorities for 2021.

Reducing plastic pollution

Scientists predict that by 2050, if we don’t make drastic reductions in the amount of plastic we use and dispose of every day, there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight.

Last year, we worked with partners to pass the Reusable Bag Bill and help slow the flow of plastic into the ocean.

This year, we’re actively supporting Senate Bill 5022, which includes measures that will protect the health of our ocean by cutting back on harmful and unnecessary single-use plastics:

A ban on Styrofoam.
Requirements for using recycled plastic to make new drink bottles.
A requirement that food service businesses provide single-use utensils, straws, condiment packets and cold-beverage lids only when requested by the customer.

Advancing environmental justice

The Seattle Aquarium supports the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act (SB 5141), a recommendation from the Environmental Justice Task Force which adds an essential racial equity lens to the environmental program work done by the state.

Mitigating climate change

The transportation sector is responsible for nearly half of our climate and air pollution in Washington. We join partners in urging the legislature to adopt a Clean Fuel Standard (HB 1091) and support a transportation system that prioritizes equity and reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

Protecting funding for environmental programs

In the context of the multi-billion-dollar budget shortfall resulting from the pandemic, and as a member of the Environmental Priorities Coalition, we also support the Conservation Works priority. This seeks to protect essential environmental programs from budget cuts and promote investments in stimulus projects that tackle climate change, create good jobs, recover salmon and help communities chart their own course for a better future.

Read more about the Environmental Priorities Coalition’s shared legislative priorities.

Protecting nearshore marine waters

We support a prohibition on seabed mining leases for hard minerals—like gold, titanium and more—in state waters (SB 5145). This is an emerging threat and would have unavoidable and devastating impacts on marine ecosystems.

Supporting the cultural community

The pandemic also makes it essential to support the cultural community, including aquariums, with new funding tools that ensure we emerge strongly from the pandemic. The Aquarium is advocating for legislation that would allow local legislative bodies to establish new cultural access programs either through council and commission vote or through a vote of the people.

Join us in taking action!

Contact your legislators now to let them know your priorities for a healthy ocean. Visit our Act for the Ocean page for more information and ways to reach your elected officials.
Get breaking news and urgent action alerts by joining our policy email list.

A rising tide for ocean climate action

Posted on November 20, 2020February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

We’re at a turning point in the climate change discussion: The ocean is now fully recognized for the critical role that it can and will play in solving the crisis.

For many years, discussions of climate change have centered on the land. The land is certainly important for climate action–it’s where we live, and where we emit a lot of greenhouse gases from transportation, power plants, farming, construction and more. Meanwhile, talk of the ocean and climate change tended to be limited to worries about sea level rise or impacts to fishing and shellfish production.

However, more and more people—including leaders—have begun to recognize that the ocean and the spectacular diversity of species and ecosystems it contains are impacted by climate change in many other ways. And, crucially, the ocean is a key part of the solution: It can help us address climate change—yet another reason to work hard to protect it.

The ocean absorbs excess heat and carbon from the atmosphere. That has helped to slow the accumulation of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and delay increases in air temperature. But it has also led to an increase in the frequency and severity of warm water events like El Niño and a measurable decrease in pH, otherwise known as ocean acidification. In turn, these changes wreak havoc on marine ecosystems and the people who rely on them for their food, livelihood, health and well-being.

In 2020, the House Select Committee on the Climate Crisis and various nonprofits put forward action plans for how we can reduce fossil fuel use, protect the ocean and its resources, and lift up the communities most affected by climate change. This week, there was a hearing in Congress on a new Ocean-Based Climate Solutions Act—a monumental step forward in focusing attention on the role of the ocean in climate action.

How can we make the ocean part of the climate solution?

Investing in renewable energy, protecting eelgrass beds and other habitats and supporting sustainable fishing and aquaculture—all guided by science—have been proven to mitigate the effects of climate change. They also have many other benefits for ecosystems, economies and communities, including ensuring food security and climate resilience for coastal communities. Last year, Dr. Erin Meyer, director of conservation programs and partnerships, had an op-ed in the Seattle Times calling for these kinds of investments and more.

Coastal restoration efforts support vibrant fish populations by providing habitat for juvenile fish, and they also help mitigate the effects of sea level rise. Reefs, salt marshes, forested tidal wetlands and mangroves act as buffers against storms and can store up to four times the carbon per acre than land-based ecosystems.

Well-managed fisheries can provide food security and benefit species throughout the marine food web, beyond just fish. Science-based fisheries management supports everything from plentiful plankton to thriving whales, as well as resilient human communities. And here in Washington, the ocean supports over 60,000 fishing industry jobs. In order to ensure that all of these benefits persist, we’ll need our leaders to ensure that fisheries management considers how habitats will shift and species will need to migrate as the climate changes.

The ocean also provides space for the large footprint needed for renewable energy production, which will help us transition away from fossil fuels. However, offshore energy installation and operation may pose a risk to marine ecosystems and cultural practices. Governments should utilize the best available scientific and socioeconomic data to minimize these and other risks from offshore wind farms and other renewable energy projects in the ocean.

All of these efforts will require people—and a focus on climate justice. Ocean-climate solutions can provide jobs, lift up overburdened communities and advance a just economic recovery that is so urgent right now.

We’re celebrating that the ocean is now part of the U.S. conversation about climate change. Combatting climate change cannot be limited to 30% of the planet’s surface. So far, the ocean has mitigated some of the impacts, but it’s becoming increasingly clear to all that we must act before changes to the ocean are irreversible—and that we need to protect the ocean and its ability to help provide solutions for a brighter, more equitable future.

Local Lummi artist Daniel Friday to create Ocean Pavilion art installation

Posted on November 5, 2020February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

We’re pleased to announce that local artist Daniel Joseph Friday, a member of the Lummi Nation, has been selected to create an installation for the entry of our new Ocean Pavilion, slated to open in 2024. The piece will honor the Aquarium’s location on the traditional territories of the Coast Salish peoples, who stewarded these lands and waters for generations and continue to do so today.

Daniel Friday is a Seattle-based glass artist and a lifelong resident of the Puget Sound region. In his previous works, he’s drawn themes and images from his Coast Salish heritage while using modern processes to sculpt glass. His pieces can be seen locally in the Museum of Glass in Tacoma and the Burke Museum in Seattle. Friday is also a recipient of the Bill Holm Grant and the Discovery Fellowship through the Southwestern Association for Indian Arts (SWAIA).

“It’s an honor to be selected to work with the Seattle Aquarium. Creativity was fostered by my family from an early age,” Friday said. “Living without TV and knowing our rich cultural heritage of the Lummi Nation meant that making things with our hands was a regular activity. Now, in partnership with the Aquarium, I have the opportunity to continue to share the stories of my community.”

The new Ocean Pavilion will welcome visitors from around the world—acknowledging the Aquarium’s location on traditional Coast Salish lands and water, while also honoring the animals residing inside and the Coral Triangle communities they represent. The Aquarium embraces the vital role of global Indigenous solidarity, knowledge-sharing and cultural exchange in protecting the ocean we all depend on.

Asia Tail, a citizen of the Cherokee Nation of Oklahoma and member of the Urban Native community, and a Native arts liaison at the Aquarium shared, “Daniel’s public art installation for the Ocean Pavilion’s entry will welcome people from all over the world and acknowledge, through the power of art, the Aquarium’s site as the traditional territories of the Coast Salish people.”

Coast Salish artists working in all mediums were encouraged to apply during the selection process. Artists who applied had the option to be included on a roster of artists to be considered by the Aquarium for other art opportunities on the new Ocean Pavilion site, with the intention of deepening relationships with Indigenous artists into the future.

Work on the Ocean Pavilion installation is expected to begin October 2020 and will be complete for the opening of the Pavilion in 2024.

Protect Bristol Bay

Posted on July 31, 2020December 19, 2023 by Emma Leiser

Last Friday, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers cleared the way for permitting a huge mine at the headwaters of two major rivers that feed into Bristol Bay, Alaska—home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery and one of the most prolific Chinook salmon runs.

The Canadian-owned Pebble Limited Partnership (“Pebble”) would extract gold, copper and molybdenum—materials of extremely high value, found in everyday items such as seatbelts, cell phones and electrical wires—through a new open pit mine.

The Seattle Aquarium strongly opposes the Bristol Bay Pebble Mine. Healthy oceans, fishing and Indigenous communities and local economies depend on wild and clean rivers and waterways. These will all be harmed if the Pebble Mine is developed. The science clearly shows the dangers posed by developing the mine are too great to allow the project to proceed. And yet, the Trump Administration is determined to do so, as it continues its relentless efforts to roll back environmental projections—from the National Environmental Policy Act to the Endangered Species Act—and ignores the call for environmental justice.

In the final environmental impact statement released last week, the Corps concluded that the mine “would not be expected to have a measurable effect on fish numbers” or “result in long-term changes to the health of the commercial fisheries.”

The science does not back up that finding. Mining in these rivers would cause both environmental and economic damage. The EPA’s earlier scientific assessment found that the mining activities would destroy more than 80 miles of streams and 3,500 acres of wetlands and generate billions of gallons of mine pollution. The surrounding marine ecosystem, $1.5 billion-dollar fishing industry, and over 14,000 jobs—including jobs held by fishermen from Washington state—that depend on these fish would be put in jeopardy.

We stand with Alaska Natives, fishing communities and others who have been opposing this mine for years. The salmon runs in Bristol Bay are essential to the health of the surrounding ecosystems and sustainable economies. We call on the EPA to follow the best available science and the principles of environmental justice and invoke a veto under Section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act.

If you’d like to take action, consider contacting your elected official and asking them to speak out against the Pebble Mine. Here in Washington, Senator Cantwell and Representative Kilmer have already done so—so please thank them if you are their constituent! You can also post your concerns on social media and tag @EPA and @USACEHQ.

Taking action for ocean policy: Report from the 2020 state legislature

Posted on April 20, 2020February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

It’s Earth Action Week! And, if it wasn’t clear before, it’s becoming all the more obvious that there are many different actions we can all take to care for our natural world as well as each other—all of which feels especially urgent during the current pandemic.

One critically important, collective action is supporting strong policies that protect clean air, clean water and the wildlife we all love. At the Seattle Aquarium, we continue to raise our voice on many important policy issues. Join us as we look back at what we did during the 2020 Washington state legislative session to advocate for science-based measures to protect our marine environment.

Wins for a healthy ocean

We worked closely with partners to pass the Reusable Bag Bill, with bipartisan support! This builds on 37 local bag ordinances in Washington and is a critical step in protecting marine wildlife. We thank Senator Das and Representative Peterson for sponsoring this bill and working so hard to get it passed.

We also made strides in the fight against climate change. The Seattle Aquarium worked alongside Environmental Priorities Coalition partners to help pass the climate pollution limits bill, which updates Washington state’s greenhouse gas reduction goals to reflect the latest science. By 2050 the state aims to be 95% below our 1990 emissions level.

Work on “Healthy Habitats, Healthy Orcas” resulted in a budget directive to move things forward. A group of experts will come together to shape a plan for a “net ecological gain” standard to protect salmon and reverse the trend of habitat loss in our region.

What did the Seattle Aquarium do? We went to Olympia in January with nine of our Youth Ocean Advocates, who met with legislators and helped build support for the Reusable Bag Bill! We were involved in the drafting of bills and we testified in support of bills when they came up for hearings. And we want to extend a huge thank you to everyone who participated in our action alerts. Demonstrations of constituent support really help get bills passed!

Looking ahead

The Styrofoam ban did not pass this year. We had constructive conversations and helped the bill gain an incredible amount of momentum. It’s important to reduce Styrofoam use because it’s so lightweight that it’s frequently blown from disposal sites and travels easily through gutters and storm drains and into the ocean. We’re ready to help get a Styrofoam ban across the finish line next year!

Requiring recycled content in plastic bottles will also need to be revisited in the future. We worked hard to pass a bill requiring that beverage containers sold into Washington state have minimum post-consumer recycled plastic content, tiered up each five years, up to at least 50% by 2030. Unfortunately, this bill had implementation costs associated with it, and Governor Inslee had to veto it—along with more than 140 other expenditure items—because of the growing fiscal threat posed by the COVID-19 (coronavirus) outbreak. We will work with partners to bring this bill back in a future legislative session, as it will help build a market for recycled plastic and keep more bottles out of the landfill and ocean.

The Senate failed to pass the Clean Fuel Standard. The update of the state’s greenhouse gas limits will only lead to change if we have the tools to achieve those targets. Transportation is responsible for nearly half of our climate and air pollution in Washington, and our state is the only one on the West Coast without a clean fuel standard. We will continue to work with our partners to push for meaningful climate action.

Support emergency funds for the aquarium

The coronavirus crisis has impacted many people, businesses and nonprofits across our community. Like other sectors of the economy, aquariums and zoos are facing significant hardships in the face of COVID-19. We’ve all had to reduce operations and make difficult staffing decisions while facing the unique challenge of retaining sufficient staff and supplies to care for our animals. This will further strain budgets at a time when guests are not coming through our respective doors.

Federal policymakers need to hear directly from you about the need to include aquariums and zoos, as well as museums and similar entities, in COVID-19 relief and economic stimulus packages.

Please contact Congress to express your support for assistance for zoos, aquariums and museums in economic stimulus legislation.

YOUR SUPPORT IS MORE IMPORTANT THAN EVER

Please consider a gift that will help us continue providing the best care for all our animals, support our staff, advance science-based policies to protect marine wildlife, and expand our at-home engagement and learning opportunities during our temporary closure.

A gift of any size makes a difference.

Make a Gift Join or Renew Your Membership

Recovering Northwest salmon

Posted on April 7, 2020February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

We simply can’t have a week of online engagement about Puget Sound fish without devoting some very special attention to one of the most culturally significant and iconic local species, critical to the overall health of our Pacific Northwest marine and terrestrial ecosystems: the salmon.

Many people know that the broad term “salmon” encompasses several different species. Seven of those are found here in the Pacific Northwest: Chinook (also known as king), coho, chum, pink, sockeye, steelhead and cutthroat. And, within our Pacific salmon and Pacific trout species in Washington state are a whopping 486 distinct populations—each one a scientifically designated, biologically distinct group of individuals (e.g., Snake River spring/summer Chinook; Skagit River coho) adapted to specific streams, estuaries and other conditions.

When people join us for the Cedar River Salmon Journey each October to see salmon spawn, they’re witnessing the journey of a specific group of salmon, through specific conditions that only the Cedar River provides. Because of varying conditions from river to river and from the river mouth to the headwaters, each salmon population has slightly different timing for their reproduction: when they’re in the open ocean and signaled to return, when they start to move upriver, and when their eggs hatch.

Salmon start their lives as juveniles in local streams, rivers and estuaries before heading out to the open ocean. Depending on their species and population, salmon may spend anywhere from six months to five years in the ocean. Some travel thousands of miles during this time. Environmental factors like the availability of food, water temperature, river flows (which influence dissolved oxygen), ocean acidification and pollution all play a role in long-term health of all salmon species.

An additional challenge facing salmon is the destruction of their traditional spawning grounds through man-made structures, deforestation, climate change and habitat encroachment.

Policy action on behalf of salmon

One of the important conversations taking place around local salmon recovery is the improved operation or even removal of man-made structures, like dams, on salmon-bearing rivers. The Aquarium continues to advocate for science-based policies that can help conserve our marine environment, and recently took a position supporting the removal of the four lower Snake River dams to help recover and restore critically endangered salmon populations.

Salmon recovery and the lower Snake River dams

The Columbia River basin once saw 10 to 16 million salmon return to spawn, with the Snake River—the Columbia’s largest tributary—welcoming over 4 million returning salmon¹. But the cumulative impacts of habitat loss, climate change impacts on ocean temperatures, and the construction of 14 federal dams throughout the basin have nearly decimated these fish populations.

According to the 2017 ESA Recovery Plan, by the early 1990s, “abundance of naturally produced Snake River spring/summer-run Chinook salmon had dropped to a small fraction of historical levels.” Many salmon populations in the Columbia/Snake basin have already gone extinct, and nearly all remaining ones are listed as either endangered or threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

Unlike other dams in the basin, the four lower Snake River dams are not necessary for flood protection. In part for that reason, they have been the focus of discussions about potential dam breaching (removing the earthen embankments and putting other infrastructure out of commission) for more than two decades, with an eye to supporting salmon recovery. The science is clear: breaching the dams would significantly increase spring/summer Chinook returns. It would improve the chance of recovery for endangered Columbia and Snake River Chinook, sockeye and steelhead. It would also require both authorization and significant funding from Congress.

The connection to the orcas

Removing the four lower Snake River dams, as part of a broad suite of measures, could also improve salmon availability in the long term for the endangered southern resident orcas. These orcas spend part of the year off the coast, looking for food, and the science indicates that they rely on Chinook returning to the Columbia River in the spring.

For the orcas to recover, additional measures must also take place in the immediate to near term, including restoring and protecting salmon habitat in other places around the region, reducing vessel noise and disturbance, and reducing toxic runoff.

The draft environmental impact statement

In February, the agencies that operate the 14 dams released a draft environmental impact statement (DEIS). They found that breaching the four lower Snake River dams would result in the greatest benefits to endangered salmon. They did not select that as the preferred path forward for system operations, however, citing the loss of power generation at the dams, among other factors.

Seattle Aquarium position

We are deeply concerned about the declines in wild, endangered Chinook, sockeye and steelhead populations. The science points to breaching of the Lower Snake River dams as a way to improve the chance of recovery for salmon and steelhead populations in the Columbia River basin.

Broader local and regional conversations are needed to arrive at solutions in the basin that will work for both salmon and communities. We look to our governor and legislators to help continue these important conversations, and we thank the governor for the stakeholder engagement work that is already underway.

Opportunity to comment

The Seattle Aquarium will be submitting a comment letter on the DEIS. If you’d like to weigh in on the DEIS as well, you can submit a comment in the agencies’ online form by the April 13 deadline.

¹NMFS 2008 Recovery Plan for Southern Resident Killer Whales (Orcinus orca) at II-82

Speaking up for ocean health: 2020 priorities in the Washington legislature

Posted on January 8, 2020February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

The Washington state 2020 legislative session is about to begin, and the Seattle Aquarium will again be advocating for science-based measures to protect our marine environment. This year, we will be working hard to reduce plastic pollution, protect orcas and accelerate actions to address climate change. As a new member of the Environmental Priorities Coalition, we will be doing so in close partnership with 23 other like-minded conservation organizations.

Reducing plastic pollution

Plastic is becoming ubiquitous in marine ecosystems. Plastic accounts for 92% of all marine debris, which is often gobbled up by fish and other animals. Sea turtles ingest plastic bags that they confuse for jellyfish, and sea birds eat marine litter they have mistaken for prey. If we don’t make drastic reductions in the amount of plastic we use and dispose of every day, scientists predict that by 2050 there will be more plastic than fish in the ocean by weight.

The Seattle Aquarium will continue our efforts from last year and keep fighting for crucial actions to combat pollution from single-use plastics (plastic products used just once before being discarded). This includes the reusable bag bill, which will eliminate single-use plastic bags. We will also support a new ban on Styrofoam, among other important environmental protections.

Saving our southern resident orcas

Last year, we helped pass four key orca recovery bills to protect our struggling southern resident orcas, but much more action is needed. Right now, only 73 of the endangered southern resident population remain, and they greatly depend on shrinking salmon populations. The Seattle Aquarium will be working with our partners to pass the Healthy Habitat, Healthy Orcas bill, which is based off a recent Orca Task Force recommendation. If passed, this bill would help change the trend of development-related salmon habitat loss through a new standard called, “net ecological gain,” benefiting the orcas as well as many other species. (Look for another blog post soon that will dive more deeply into the concept of net ecological gain!)

Mitigating climate change

Did you know that our oceans and forests are fighting climate change every minute of every day? They help to absorb carbon dioxide and remove it from the air through a process known as carbon sequestration. But climate change also brings new risks to these ecosystems.

This year, we are supporting two new pieces of legislation that would help mitigate climate change. The first would update the state’s limits on climate pollution to reflect current science. The measure would emphasize the importance of carbon sequestration by investing in the health of trees, soils and the ocean. The second piece of legislation involves the adoption of a clean fuel standard to cut climate pollution and clean our air.

You’re invited to environmental advocacy day!

On January 30, the Seattle Aquarium policy team and hundreds of other advocates will be in Olympia to show our support for our legislative agenda and many other environmental protections. We hope you will consider joining us! Environmental advocates will have an opportunity to attend issue briefings, learn how to lobby and meet with your elected officials.

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Ocean policy in action: Report from the state legislature

Posted on May 2, 2019February 9, 2024 by Emma Leiser

The 2019 legislative session has come to a close here in Washington state and we are proud that the Aquarium took an active role in advocating on behalf of the Salish Sea and the many incredible creatures that call it home. More than 2,000 bills were introduced in this Washington state legislative session. The legislators were very busy and so were we!

KEY VICTORIES FOR OUR OCEAN

All four of the key orca recovery bills passed! New laws to help protect our struggling southern resident orcas were a priority for us and for state lawmakers this session. The new laws will:

Increase the distance between boats and southern resident orcas, add a go-slow zone around the orcas and create a license program for commercial whale-watching operators. These protections from vessel noise and disturbance will make it easier for orcas to forage and find prey.
Prevent toxic pollution by working to reduce certain chemicals that could harm sensitive species like orcas and vulnerable populations like kids.
Protect habitat for Chinook salmon—the primary food source for orcas—and forage fish by increasing the state’s ability to enforce existing habitat protection laws.
Reduce oil spill risk by establishing tug escort requirements for more oil tankers in the waters around the San Juan Islands.

We also took a key step toward reducing plastic packaging in Washington! A bill passed that requires an assessment of the amount, types, management and disposal of plastic packaging sold into the state. The report must include draft legislation for plastic packaging stewardship. We look forward to supporting that bill in the 2021 session.

What did the Seattle Aquarium do? We went to Olympia to testify in support of three bills and joined letters to legislators on several more. We worked closely with our partners on the Reusable Bag Bill and the Orca Emergency Response package and held multiple press conferences. We also sent out our first three action alert emails. Thank you to everyone who contacted their legislators—showing constituent support was crucial to getting these important bills passed!

MORE WORK TO DO

The Reusable Bag Bill did not make it to a final vote. There was a lot of positive press and the word got out about the benefits for ocean health that would come from eliminating thin, single-use plastic bags. The Seattle Aquarium’s Youth Ocean Advocates also did a great job advocating for this bill. Passing a bill can often be a process over more than one legislative session. We will be working with partner organizations and all of you to get it passed the next time around!

The Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act, which we endorsed, did not quite make it across the finish line either. There was some funding in the budget for an Environmental Justice Task Force. We will continue to lend our support to the organizations leading these important environmental justice efforts.

Next, we will be turning our attention to federal policy and will participate in Capitol Hill Ocean Week in Washington, DC in June.

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