The San Juan Archipelago is situated in the state of Washington, south of the Strait of Georgia and east of Vancouver Island. An abundance of marine mammal species, including harbor porpoises, harbor seals, and Steller sea lions rely on this biodiverse ecosystem. Since these animals are near the top of the trophic food chain, they rely on fish for prey while avoiding the predator at the very top: the transient killer whale. Pinnipeds and cetaceans act as ecosystem sentinels; their behaviors provide obvious, visible responses to environmental stressors and serve as warnings for underlying problems in the ecosystem. Marine mammal surveys were conducted aboard a research vessel over the course of 17 years, from 2008 to 2024. Species of mammal and number present were recorded. Sea surface temperatures, zooplankton samples, and catch per unit effort of Pacific sand lance were obtained, as well as a dataset from the Whale Museum on transient orca sightings and Pacific herring spawn counts from Fisheries and Oceans Canada herring stock. Our results imply that rising sea surface temperatures are related to decreases in marine mammal density. While prey abundance could also be a factor, the data so far indicates it is unlikely. To understand if rising sea surface temperature is impacting lower trophic levels and causing marine mammals to redistribute would entail further study. This research aims to address whether climatic factors, particularly sea surface temperature and the 2014-2015 marine heat wave, and prey abundances affect marine mammal density in the San Juan Archipelago. The report also examines the presence of transient killer whales in relation to pinnipeds over the years 2012 to 2019.

The pigeon guillemot (Cepphus columba) is an under-researched member of the Alcidae family found in the northern Pacific Ocean. While there have been significant findings on the individualization of terrestrial birds and predominantly endangered alcids, there is a severe lack of call documentation and analysis for pigeon guillemots. This creates a large gap in the avian communities’ awareness of these birds’ communications on their own and in groups, as well as for the species as a whole. The purpose of this study is to gain a deeper understanding of the significance of pigeon guillemot vocalizations within the Possession Sound, and to answer the question of how pigeon guillemot vocalizations vary between groups and individuals. Recordings of vocalizations were taken with a handheld microphone aboard Ocean Research College Academy’s research vessel in the Possession Sound within the last year. Some recordings sourced from Xeno Canto outside of the Possession Sound were utilized, but a large portion have been taken via boat and from land by hand. Analysis of calls was conducted in RavenPro, Excel, and Rstudio to compare components of calls such as frequency, duration, and variation. Through this preliminary research, there is a noticeably wide range of variety in the frequency and duration of calls within groups. Call patterns are highly varied during recording events in which multiple pigeon guillemots are present, with recognizable patterns of call formations. Out of my 20 recordings, with 10 being shore-based and 10 being boat-based, 4 distinct call types have been identified, and further research is needed.

Everett’s Naval base, train tracks running parallel to the shore, and robust recreational/commercial boat traffic add to the increasingly loud acoustic environment of Possession Sound. Several studies have linked elevated sound pressure levels to reducing the acoustic communication space and disrupting critical behaviors such as feeding, breeding, and communication in marine fish and invertebrates. Ongoing research within the Salish Sea has highlighted some habitats like seagrass meadows (Zostera marina) and kelp forests (Nereocystis spp.) that can aid in mitigating the effects of noise pollution on underwater communities on top of being a foraging habitat, shelter, and critical nurseries for various species. Although the Salish Sea as a whole has seen dwindling kelp forests and eelgrass meadows in recent years, Possession Sound nonetheless contains both habitats. For my study, both Z. marina and N. ssp. were present around the perimeter of Hat Island, 5 nautical miles from the Port of Everett. I collected 8 seven minute recordings using a deployable hydrophone (SoundTrap 300). Preliminary analysis has revealed distinct biological sounds, primarily within the 0-5 kHz range, and are denoted as a part of the biophony of the soundscape. I analyzed the soundscapes using ‘Root Mean Square’ (RMS) amplitude formatting, because it indicates the equivalent steady state energy value of oscillating sound waves. I utilized RMS amplitude measurements for comparison inside the habitats to the appropriate counterpart outside the habitats (exclusion zone is a minimum distance of 100 meters from the previous recording). Future analysis will expand with continued gathering of ambient soundscape data into early spring to ensure the utilized dataset can represent multiple seasons and atmospheric conditions as well.

This project aims to generate and analyze data of antibiotic resistance in E.coli isolates and membrane pore filters from water filtration of samples taken from Bothell City recreational waters, sourced by Amanda Royal at the City of Bothell and under the mentorship of Dr. Sen and Dr. Turner. Using qPCR for known resistance genes as well as Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion assays, I will see what, if any, correlations there may be between the patterns of antimicrobial  resistance across different types of samples, dates of collection, and water sources. This may reflect the impact and relationship that humans have with the bacteria in their environment and the role that our antibiotic use can have on environmental bacteria. This project will help to investigate the potential link between antibiotic resistance in E.coli causing infection and resistance in E.coli and other coliforms circulating in our environment. 

Every spring, a small population of less than 20 gray whales (Eschrichtius robustus), referred to as “Sounders,” migrate to northern Puget Sound (NPS), Washington State. They stay in this region for two to three months, often leaving before June, to continue their migration to Alaska. In contrast to gray whales in other locations, NPS gray whales primarily forage on ghost shrimp (Callianassa californiensis). These small crustations live in the sediment in the intertidal to shallow subtidal zones, so gray whales must wait for higher tides to feed. Although there have been recurring studies of NPS gray whales since 1990, sighting data have not been analyzed for spatiotemporal trends, apart from a few select years. The purpose of this research is to identify how NPS gray whales are distributed within the NPS throughout the foraging season and between years. I used ArcGIS to analyze sightings data collected by Cascadia Research Collective from 1990 to 2023 for spatial and temporal trends. In NPS, gray whale abundance and time spent in the region have been increasing, especially during gray whale unusual mortality events which are likely caused by reduced prey abundance due to environmental anomalies and decreased upwelling. I hypothesized that increases in the population widened their distribution in the region to accommodate for more individuals. Implications of this research include a better understanding of the areas that may be more frequented by Sounders, which could help decrease negative interactions between marine vessels and whales. In addition, these areas could indicate places for further research to better understand increased gray whale presence on the ecosystem as a whole. Future research may also include the distribution and habitat preference of individual whales, and associations between certain whales.

Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are one of the most prevalent marine mammals along the West Coast of the United States. In the Salish Sea, harbor seal populations have increased significantly since the Marine Mammal Protection Act of 1972, and the population is now considered to be at carrying capacity. These seals prey on many species of fish and invertebrates and are themselves a major component of the diet of local transient killer whales. Harbor seals can frequently be seen resting in groups on land at places called haul-out sites. They are known for their high site fidelity, meaning that the same seals consistently return to the same sites. These haul-out sites are frequently dominated by a specific sex or age range. This study investigated whether specific seals are more likely to be re-sighted in smaller groups or with other specific individuals within the haul-out site. Using SealNet, an AI facial recognition system, I analyzed photographic data from 750 images from the Ocean Research College Academy’s (ORCA’s) long-term data collection that were taken from haul-out sites at the mouth of the Snohomish River. SealNet identifies individual seals by analyzing facial features and comparing them across photos, assigning a similarity score for each photo and ranking them in descending order. The results of this research are aimed at determining if harbor seals exhibit more complex social structures within haul-out sites. Understanding the social structure of harbor seals can help provide insight into their cooperation, competition, and overall population dynamics. This study focuses on haul-out sites while the majority of interactions occur in the water, so further study is needed to better understand the dynamics of this population.