Anthropogenic carbon dioxide emissions are causing ocean acidification (OA) and ocean warming, which have negative effects on the larvae of many marine invertebrates. Oregon pink shrimp (Pandalus jordani) currently encounter upwelling events that can result in pH values as low as 7.6, and, more recently, marine heat waves that raise...
The commercial Dungeness crab (Cancer magister) fishery is Oregon’s largest trap-based fishery. Each year, crab vessels discard millions of pounds of bait, including squid, razor clams, and sardines, into the near-coastal ocean. Although the fishery season typically runs from December 1st through August 14th, most landings occur within the first...
The commercial groundfish fishing industry and groundfish research have a long concurrent history of activity on the Oregon continental margin. Within the non-whiting groundfish fishery, the target species are primarily flatfishes, sablefish, lingcod, and rockfishes, though landings of each have fluctuated over time. Recent work shows that over the past...
Small-scale fisheries around the world are increasingly facing pressures from a range of environmental, economic, and social sources. In order to sustain the societal benefits of small-scale fisheries, it is imperative to understand how fishing communities adapt to disturbances. Fishermen often catch multiple different species as an adaptation technique because...
This paper examines equitability of critical facilities within resilience planning efforts and how it relates to accessibility and utilization for Latinx community members along the Oregon coast in relation to natural hazards including the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Interviews and focus groups were conducted with emergency management personnel and Latinx coastal...
Seafood processing is an important industry along the Oregon coast as it provides employment and seafood to coastal communities as well as to international markets. The industry has been an integral part of the identity of Coos County since the establishment of salmon canneries in the late 1800’s and has...
With the emergence of big data and the Open Data Movement, and the wide availability to the public of large databases, Data Literacy is a necessary learning goal for students. Understanding the data process in its entirety is now a vital skillset required across industry, government, and scientific disciplines. The...
With growing populations and consumer demand, there has been a turn to the deep sea to meet our natural resource needs. The deep sea provides a range of benefits to humans—called ecosystem services—including carbon sequestration, fisheries, waste absorption and detoxification, and nutrient cycling, all of which are vital to life...
This research focused on population dynamics of two gelatinous zooplankters (Aequorea & Pyrosoma atlanticum) in the northern California Current to assess their relationship to environmental conditions and role in the pelagic ecosystem. Data collected since 1999 showed seasonal and interannual fluctuations in the abundance and distribution of Aequorea in the...
Water quality impacts both human and ecosystem health. Many pharmaceuticals and personal care products are considered contaminants of emerging concern (CEC) due to their bioactive properties. Among these, metformin—the most commonly prescribed drug for treatment of type 2 diabetes—has been reported at high concentrations (μg L⁻¹) in stream, lake, and...
Oregon implemented a series of marine reserves from 2012 through the beginning of 2016 that will be evaluated in 2023. As part of that evaluation, several studies are focusing on the impact of the reserves on coastal communities. This project focused on tribal members with ancestral territory on the Oregon...
A number of groups in the United States have expressed concern regarding the state of public ocean literacy and the capabilities of the future marine STEM workforce. This pilot study explores some of the requirements for workforce development and the expansion of ocean literacy by introduction of fundamental ocean properties...
Coastal communities throughout the US West Coast and elsewhere are facing the daunting task of preparing for climate change impacts, particularly the hazards from increased flooding and erosion. With sea-level rise, changing storminess patterns, and possible changes to the frequency and severity of major El Niño events, communities are already...
In this thesis, I investigate the organization of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) and mesograzer communities across local and regional scales in three upwelling- influenced estuaries located along the Oregon coast, USA. Eelgrass ecosystems are an important source of primary production in estuarine systems, providing numerous ecosystem services, including nursery habitat...
Commercial fishing is a culturally and economically significant industry on the Oregon coast. The importance of this industry to human communities is often neglected in fisheries research, with economic and ecological data being favored by managers and decision makers. Recent observations in many coastal communities have indicated aging of fishermen...
Evacuation strategies have been established for most user groups in tsunami inundation zones; however, surprisingly little information is available for a growing visitor group - surfers. For near-shore tsunami events, Oregon surfers, who recreate in the nearshore region, must make life or death choices when deciding what to do in...
Commercial fishing is deeply embedded in the economy and culture of many coastal communities. Recent ecological, economic, and regulatory changes impacting fisheries are likely to have important consequences for this industry and the communities it supports. The objective of this study is to improve understanding of coastal community resilience through...
Quantification of contemporary sediment and carbon accumulation within Oregon tidal saline wetlands will: (1) fill a critical knowledge gap, and (2) naturally test without complicating variables whether sea level rise or sediment supply primarily control wetland growth. Here we measure vertical accretion rates and carbon burial rates in three Oregon...
The following study was commissioned by the Oregon State University Extension Service, Oregon Sea Grant College, and the Oregon State Marine Board (OSMB) to address the public transient moorage needs of large craft cruising and sailing vessels on the Lower Columbia River. The study will focus on the Oregon side...