The Salish Sea supports local populations of many juvenile salmon and forage fish species (smaller fish like herring that salmon eat). Their population dynamics are poorly understood. The removal of two large dams on the adjacent Elwha River provided an opportunity to examine forage fish response to a localized habitat perturbation. Tune in on Tuesday, February 21st from 12-1pm on Zoom as NOAA scientists Anna Kagley and Sarah Morley share more about their research and efforts to engage community and citizen scientists to continue the monitoring effort.

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Anna Kagley is a Research Fish Biologist with NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center. Her research involves laboratory and field sampling projects to understand juvenile salmon and forage fish habitat use and restoration. She is interested in grassroot efforts to involve citizen scientists and members from marginalized communities that may not have previously been engaged in the scientific process. She holds a B.S. in Fisheries from the University of Washington.

Sarah Morley is a research fish biologist and field ecologist who uses biota to better identify causes of habitat degradation. She has conducted research on the effects of urbanization on the health of Puget Sound streams and estuaries and evaluated the effectiveness of various restoration actions across the Pacific Northwest. Her current research includes examining the effects of Elwha River dam removal on aquatic food webs, and the potential of green stormwater infrastructure to improve the health of urban streams. Sarah recently completed a study of shoreline armoring in the Duwamish River estuary and restoration of off-channel habitats in the Skagit, Quillayute, and Hoh River basins. She holds a B.S. in Environmental Science from UC Berkeley and an M.S. in Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences from the University of Washington