Marine affairs

Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://digital.lib.washington.edu/handle/1773/4937

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Now showing 1 - 20 of 259

Learning to Listen: Supporting Survivant Futures through Food Forest Restoration with Chief Leschi Schools
(2026-02-05) Belle, Thor Leighton; Klinger, Terrie
This thesis tells the story of a collaborative, capacity building project that supports the long-time desires of Chief Leschi Schools (CLS) and the Puyallup Tribe of Indians by supporting the expansion and revitalization of a Food Forest Outdoor Classroom space on CLS school grounds and Puyallup Tribal Land. By increasing access to cultural resources and Traditional Foods, while centering Tribal History and Culture as innate sources of strength, this collaboration supports community health and CLS curricula, empowering the next generation, their surrounding communities, and the environment. Context, history, and theory are interwoven with changing awareness, knowledge, and community desire to usher readers through the experience rather than a list of conclusions. Through relationships and the accountability they foster, I demonstrate how an active practice of listening increases project relevance and community participation while also facilitating flexible methods and “good work” grounded in intent.
Small Creatures Signal Big Changes: The Role of Invertebrates in Understanding Restoration Effectiveness in the Stillaguamish River Delta
(2025-10-02) Bidwell, Molly Katherine; Beaudreau, Anne H
Estuarine and river delta habitats contribute a vast array of ecosystem services that support coastal economies, livelihoods, cultural traditions and wellbeing. Human development has driven losses of these important ecosystems on a global scale, and restoration is being prioritized to address the environmental impacts of these losses. In the Pacific Northwest region of the United States, river delta restoration is often performed to support recovery of Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.) that inhabit these ecosystems as juveniles during their outmigration from natal streams to the Pacific Ocean. For Puget Sound Chinook salmon (O. tshawytscha), the period of marine entry is a critical life stage in which access to abundant and high-quality invertebrate prey can determine marine survival. Successful restoration returns dynamic ecosystem processes to delta landscapes that enable establishment of macroinvertebrate communities, and in turn, produce favorable foraging conditions for juvenile salmon as well as other estuary-dependent consumers. We investigated spatial and temporal variation in terrestrial and benthic macroinvertebrate community structure in restoration and reference areas of the Stillaguamish River delta, Puget Sound, Washington State, USA. We found that high-quality invertebrate prey, including adult dipterans and other insects, polychaetes, and amphipods were abundant in restoration areas, suggesting that restoration efforts are effectively producing energy-rich prey for juvenile Chinook salmon. The largest increase in terrestrial invertebrate abundance occurred between April and May, and benthic invertebrate abundance peaked in May. We found similar terrestrial invertebrate abundance and diversity across the delta. Restoration areas had higher benthic invertebrate abundance and greater diversity of marine-associated taxa than reference areas. Our results will provide a useful comparison as current restoration sites age and as new restoration projects are completed in the future.
Monitoring, Control, and Surveillance of Fishing Activities: Analysis of Policy Frameworks in the US, Australia, and New Zealand with Recommendations for the Republic of Korea
(2025-08-01) Jo, Anna; Fluharty, David L
Overexploitation and illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing pose significant threats to the sustainability of fishery resources, highlighting the critical need for effective monitoring, control, and surveillance (MCS) in fisheries management. In response to being identified as a preliminary IUU fishing country in the 2010s, the Republic of Korea reformed its distant water fisheries management system, including MCS measures. However, challenges remain in the management of its coastal and offshore fisheries, particularly in areas such as ensuring timely catch reporting, linking location data to fishing activities, and integrating additional at-sea monitoring tools into fisheries management frameworks to verify and cross-check the accuracy of fisher-reported data. These needs are critical as Korea seeks to expand its Total Allowable Catch (TAC) program to cover all domestic fisheries by 2027.This study examines four at-sea monitoring tools—observer programs, electronic monitoring (EM) systems, vessel monitoring systems (VMS), and electronic reporting—implemented in the United States (primarily the North Pacific region), Australia, and New Zealand. Using a set of tailored questions, the study evaluates the respective policy frameworks of these tools through a review of fisheries laws, regulations, policy documents, and other publicly available sources. Additionally, an overview of Korea’s domestic fisheries provides the contextual foundation for the recommendations. Tool-specific recommendations focus on functions, coverage, operating institutions, funding mechanisms, and institutional considerations. These recommendations aim to assist the Korean government in designing and implementing robust at-sea monitoring programs for its domestic fisheries. Moreover, the findings are expected to offer valuable insights for other nations seeking to incorporate at-sea monitoring tools into their fisheries management frameworks.
Understanding Factors that Motivate Participation of Container Ships in the Quiet Sound Voluntary Commercial Vessel Slowdown
(2025-08-01) Adams, Sara; Dolšak, Nives
This thesis seeks to understand the factors that motivate container ship participation in the Quiet Sound voluntary vessel slowdown, given that container ships account for the majority of vessel transits and are the largest contributor of anthropogenic underwater noise among target vessels. The goal of this research is to inform and improve program design and engagement with the shipping industry to increase the impact of the slowdown. This qualitative case study developed an analytical framework to understand the impact of various factors on motivation to participate, including: Program characteristics, information sharing and exchange, operational factors, external influences, and intrinsic values. Sustainability reports and websites of 18 shipping lines calling Puget Sound ports, 6 vessel agents, the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma and the Northwest Seaport Alliance were analyzed. Key informant interviews were conducted with representatives from: Shipping lines, a shipping association, pilotage authority, the ECHO program, the Ports of Seattle and Tacoma, and the Northwest Seaport Alliance.
From River to Root: Native Traditional Food Plants, Salmon, and the Work of Living Sovereignty – Restoring Salmon Habitat & Revitalizing Traditional Foodways Through Tribal Leadership
(2025-08-01) Pingeon, Kayley Delaine; Christie, Patrick
This management plan preface aims to introduce a community-guided management plan for a traditional food forest and salmon habitat restoration site at Chief Leschi Schools (CLS) in Puyallup, Washington. Developed in partnership with educators, students, and project partners, the management plan centers place-based, community-led action in response to intersecting environmental and social crises. Specifically focusing on, the ongoing impacts of settler colonial land management and societal structures, the systematic dismantling of traditional food systems, and the urgent need for climate adaptation strategies (Gilio-Whitaker, 2019; CotÃ©, 2022). This project approaches restoration as a relational, action-based process rooted in centering Tribal sovereignty and leadership while also critically engaging with and seeking to disrupt ongoing settler-colonial discourses and impacts that are deeply intertwined and embedded in environmental spaces. This aligns with growing efforts to build co-management frameworks that uphold Indigenous knowledge systems and Indigenous community-defined priorities, demonstrating how meaningful partnerships can support both ecological recovery and cultural revitalization when tribal leadership is respected and prioritized in habitat restoration (Donatuto et. al., 2014; Dent et. al., 2023).
"Intensely local:" The Intersection of Community, Science, and Policy in Alaska's Mariculture Industry
(2025-08-01) Weaver, Lucas; Beaudreau, Anne H
In the United States, policymakers, researchers, and government agencies have recognized marine aquaculture as an important form of food production, with potential benefits ranging across economic, social, and environmental dimensions. In Alaska, the commercial production of shellfish and seaweed is widely envisioned as a way to diversify and bolster coastal and rural livelihoods, while benefiting from existing marine knowledge and fisheries infrastructure. However, areas of concern have been raised around aquaculture’s ability to reach its potential in a sustainable and equitable manner. This study explored perspectives of participants in the Alaska mariculture industry to better understand what gaps exist and to highlight policy solutions that better align aquaculture governance with community needs and wellbeing in coastal communities. Our research objectives were to: (1) Characterize the development of the mariculture industry in the Gulf of Alaska over the last 10–15 years, with a focus on kelp farming; and (2) Examine interactions among actors and governance systems in mariculture to a) highlight existing strengths and opportunities in the development of mariculture to meet community goals and b) identify areas of alignment or misalignment on the future vision of the industry amongst participants. We performed thematic analysis on digital content—including news media, gray literature, and government documents—and transcripts from semi-structured interviews with industry participants, including farmers, researchers, and state and federal agency staff. We identified five major themes across archival and interview data: (1) collaboration, coordination, and human capacity within the industry; (2) communication and policy gaps within institutions; (3) place-based needs and values of participants; (4) balancing community and commercial success as the industry looks ahead; and (5) the uncertain viability of mariculture as a livelihood diversification tool. Participants emphasized that mariculture can diversify livelihoods and stabilize communities, but that it currently carries significant risk and vulnerability for participants, especially kelp farmers. Participants also identified the importance of prioritizing both commercial and community success and cultivating an understanding of the differences between the two. Additionally, building social capital through alternative ownership structures and participatory governance may better align regulations and policies with community needs.
Towards a conceptual model for the management and conservation of Dungeness crab in the South Puget Sound
(2025-08-01) Good, Melanie; Aceves Bueno, ErÃ©ndira
Despite continued fishery closures as of 2018, significant declines in the abundance of Dungeness crab have been documented within the South Basin of Puget Sound, prompting an urgent need to understand the vulnerability of Dungeness crab to climate change and anthropogenic effects within the inland waters of the Salish Sea. An expert focus group and regional literature review were used to identify direct and indirect stressors on the Dungeness crab population in South Puget Sound. In this severely data-limited system, expert knowledge is used to provide the best available science to address critical resource management decisions. The goal of this project was the co-production of a conceptual model of the drivers of Dungeness crab abundance in South Puget Sound to inform research and management priorities, identify local knowledge gaps, and support future qualitative modeling efforts. Based on the results of the literature review and expert focus group discussions, the main drivers of Dungeness crab abundance appear to be the overlapping effects of climate change and eutrophication on dissolved oxygen, water temperature, and ocean acidification.
Elevated temperatures create bottlenecks in the life history of bull kelp (Nereocystis luetkeana, Phaeophyceae)
(2025-08-01) Hughes, Taylor; Klinger, Terrie; Kelly, Ryan
The bull kelp Nereocystis luetkeana has declined in parts of the Salish Sea due to local and global change factors, including rising sea surface temperatures. As a foundation species, its loss has broad impacts on biodiversity and nearshore ecosystem function, underscoring the need to identify and address mechanisms of decline. Elevated temperatures affect all stages of the bull kelp life cycle, but it remains unclear whether some stages are more vulnerable than others. To assess stage-specific sensitivity, I examined the effects of four temperatures (10, 12, 15, and 18Â°C) on the development of gametophytes and young sporophytes cultured from field-collected sori over four weeks. The density of female gametophytes declined significantly at 15Â°C and 18Â°C, while the density of male gametophytes remained consistent across temperatures, leading to greatly reduced sex ratios over time. Gametophyte reproductive success was severely limited at 18Â°C, suggesting a thermal threshold for successful recruitment. Sporophyte production was reduced at 15Â°C and nearly absent at 18Â°C, driven by the reductions in the density of female gametophytes and impaired reproductive success at elevated temperatures. These findings reveal critical bottlenecks in bull kelp maturation and recruitment, with serious implications for population persistence and ecosystem resilience in a warming ocean.
Global Fisheries, Local Losses: Ocean Grabbing Through Power Imbalances
(2025-08-01) Soldi, Micaela; Aceves-Bueno, Erendira
As industrial fishing fleets expand globally, competition over marine resources has intensified,often to the detriment of coastal communities. Scholars have used the concept of “ocean grabbing” to critique the appropriation of marine space and benefits by powerful actors, but existing frameworks focus narrowly on spatial and resource exclusion, overlooking more subtle forms of dispossession. This thesis rethinks ocean grabbing through a comparative analysis of three fisheries: tuna in Senegal, totoaba in Mexico, and squid in Peru. These cases reveal that ocean grabbing is not just about access, but also about who controls the benefits and bears the costs. To remain analytically useful, the framework must be expanded to account for the redistribution of benefits and burdens, the role of governance failures in enabling appropriation, and the structural inequalities that allow powerful actors to operate with impunity. Broadening the framework in this way enhances its relevance for analyzing modern fisheries conflicts and for advocating more equitable and accountable ocean governance.
Restoring Relationships: Human Dimensions and Climate Resilience Considerations for Managing Pacific Lamprey in the Columbia River
(2024-10-16) Buck, Michael Aaron; Griffin, Joshua P
AbstractAcross the United States, including the Pacific Northwest, Native American communities are demonstrating extraordinary ways of transforming environmental racism and cultural genocide into environmental justice and cultural revitalization. The Columbia River Plateau people choose to live in accordance with Nami Tamanwit or Creators Law. Water, Wild native fishes, Wild game, Wild roots that are dug from the ground, and Wild berries, are gathered seasonally and cared for as medicine to the body, heart and spirit since time immemorial. The traditional food system of the Yakama Nation symbolizes complementary environmental and social health. Columbia River Indigenous Traditional Ecological Knowledge (ITEK) is interdisciplinary with equally great respect and care for each of these cultural keystones. “Sustainability” of wild anadromous fishes today is an inadequate objective, restorative thinking via an Indigenous Knowledge framework can bring together culturally significant Yakama stories with actionable science. This thesis considers human dimensions of Pacific Lamprey (Asum in Sahaptin) management in the Columbia River Basin based on generations of social-ecological reciprocity with this species. Asum is a traditional dietary staple that is harvested, cured, prepared and shared in traditional ceremonies of the Yakama, Warm Springs, Umatilla and Nez Perce tribes. Biocultural sovereignty is significant in restoration of an ancient social relationship with Asum. Drawing on eighteen interviews with respected tribal Elders raised along the Columbia River in the time of Celilo Falls, this collaborative project is designed to share ITEK with future generations. Testimony from Elder interviews begins at the intersection of the Pacific Ocean with the Columbia river, and extends to Bonneville Dam and up through the confluence of the Yakima and Snake River tributaries.
Managing the Impacts of Passenger-Only Ferries on Southern Resident Killer Whales
(2024-10-16) Morgan, Allison; Leschine, Thomas M
This thesis examines the impact of passenger-only ferries (POFs) on Puget Sound's endangered Southern Resident Killer Whale (SRKW) population, exploring regulatory gaps, analyzing relevant case studies, and proposing management strategies to mitigate adverse effects. Through qualitative policy analysis, literature review, and elite stakeholder interviews, it identifies the compounding threats posed by vessel traffic to SRKW conservation. Key findings underscore the urgency of addressing vessel-related disturbances, collision risks, and noise pollution to ensure the long-term viability of SRKW. Recommendations consider a multifaceted approach, including establishing voluntary speed reduction zones, deploying real-time monitoring technologies, and fostering multi-agency collaboration to enact effective best management practices tailored to SRKW conservation needs. The analysis underscores the importance of ongoing cooperation, coordination, and communication among managers and stakeholders to navigate uncertainties and achieve meaningful conservation outcomes.
An Analysis of the Leading Tidal Energy Projects in the United States since 2000.
(2024-10-16) Leighton, Sarah; Dolsak, Nives
Using both document review and interview data approach this study explores two of the leading pilot tidal energy projects completed in the United States: the Cobscook Bay Tidal Energy pilot project in Eastport, Maine and the Roosevelt Island Tidal Energy pilot project in the East River off of Manhattan, New York. The research draws upon project documentation and licensing to gain insight of these projects’ progression through development stages. This study also utilizes in-depth, elite, semi-structured interviews of key pilot project developers, researchers, and permitting agency representatives to understand their experiences with tidal energy development. The study analyzes data from eleven interviews utilizing Atlas.ti software to identify major interview themes. The interviewees shared their views of the role of five major factors identified through literature review as having an impact on renewable energy project progression. These include: social acceptance, economic, political, legal, and ecological factors. Respondents shared how these factors appeared or were relevant to their experiences with the permitting or design stages, as well as how research and experimentation was developed. The themes that emerged from the review of project documentation and interviews were siting and design/deployment strategies, community engagement and social acceptance, U.S. economic and social structures, and permitting and the research cycle. The interviews also included respondents’ assessments of the pilot projects’ progression, their identification of steps that were conducive to the development and elements that they would recommend changing. Lastly, the interviewees were able to share their opinions on what the future of tidal development in the U.S. might look like. These results provide lessons for future tidal energy development in the U.S. Interviewees point to future commercial scale tidal energy as either hybrid renewable portfolio solutions or as small-scale, community-based systems. Regardless of how commercial tidal energy will be developed in the U.S. economic, political, and legal challenges might continue along with the necessity for community engagement and ecological research. Understanding how these early U.S. tidal energy projects were developed is the key to possible future commercial scale tidal energy.
Spatial Adaptive Mechanisms of Small-Scale Artisanal Fishers in Nayarit, Mexico
(2024-10-16) Reynolds, Lauren; Aceves-Bueno, Erendira
Small-scale artisanal fishers (SSF) in Nayarit, Mexico, are vital for coastal community wellbeing. These fisheries have been historically challenging to monitor due to the nature of small-scale fisheries. Our research focuses on using local ecological knowledge (LEK) of artisanal fishers from the region to fill gaps in knowledge about the management and well-being of these fisheries, particularly the spatial distribution of fishers within this region over several decades. Maps of the artisanal fishing grounds were produced, and an analysis showing differences in community spatial adaptation over time was also created. Our work shows that artisanal fishers in this region are utilizing spatial adaptation mechanisms to cope with changes within the fishery; fishers have chosen to use fishing grounds that expand outside of their traditional ranges. This work shows the importance of LEK in managing small-scale fisheries and how fishers can use movement to adapt to changes within their environment.
Healing Bodies: Micro-sites of Sovereignty as Places for Refuge, Regeneration, and World-building
(2024-10-16) Powell, Sycora; Griffin, P. Joshua
This community engaged thesis project centers the strength-based perspectives of Black and Native American communities engaging in regenerative land care practices within the Coast Salish Territories known today as Seattle, Washington. Representing the significant themes of Black Liberation, Indigenous Sovereignty, social and environmental justice; the communities that I engage with explore the vital need for healing, dreaming, and knowledge sharing that is derived from being in spaces activated by political resistance. These spaces demonstrate the power of Black and Native communities cultivating alternative ways of being and knowing as they work towards attaining our hopes and dreams of a decolonial and just future. Those futures reflect our shared yet distinct community desires, the re-contextualization of our histories and place-based approaches for our collective care.
Writing the Climate Crisis as Skeptical Romance
(2024-10-16) Liou, Jennifer; Griffin, P. Joshua
My transdisciplinary study grafts a Miltonic and Shakespearean understanding of romance as a literary mode into an analytical framework for conceptualizing narratives about climate change. I examine the arguments of Anthropocene theorists such as Donna Haraway and literary theorists including Amitav Ghosh who describe how the stories we tell ourselves about nature break down when it comes to telling collective stories about climate change. I argue instead that ever since the age of classical Greece, literary romance has provided a methodology through which to navigate disaster, that these classical narrative techniques were revitalized during the Protestant Reformation, the European Renaissance, and the British Civil War, and that many modern narratives about climate change and how to survive it cleave to the structures and strategies of epistemological romance (a term intended to differentiate my subject from bodice-ripping pulpy Harlequin novels. I am referring to a particular mode of experimental writing designed to educate its protagonist into skeptical, experiential knowledge through episodic suffering). This thesis examines a 17th century British romance (navigating the British Civil War), a 20th century Chinese romance (navigating Mao’s Cultural Revolution) alongside contemporary 21st stories about climate catastrophe from England, China, and the US, arguing that US storytelling about climate change is reabsorbing romantic storytelling techniques from elsewhere around the globe. This thesis in no way asserts that the mode of romantic storytelling it describes is limited to England or China;I just happen to be a British Literature scholar who is also diasporically Chinese. This document analyzes these stories through a writer’s eyes, arguing that many of the storytelling techniques and stories we already know best can be tuned to contemporary collaborative stories about climate crisis and climate consolation.
Communicating Climate Vulnerability Assessments: Role of Expert Knowledge and Applications to Fisheries Management
(2024-09-09) Apintiloaiei, Adriana; Beaudreau, Anne H
Climate change poses a serious threat to marine organisms around the globe. Global ocean conditions are expected to change over the coming decades, putting fish and shellfish populations potentially at risk. Climate vulnerability assessments (CVAs) are an emerging tool to assess the vulnerability of fish and shellfish species to changes in climate. In 2015, the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration developed a standardized methodology for conducting CVAs. The methodology, published by Morrison et al. (2015), includes an expert elicitation process to score a species’ sensitivity attributes and exposure factors, the two component parts that determine overall vulnerability. I aimed to better understand how experts were selected/what roles they played in these CVAs, how CVAs are used in management, and how the results are communicated once completed. To address the objectives, a literature review of existing CVAs that focused on fisheries and had used an expert elicitation process was completed and semi-structured interviews with CVA authors were conducted to fill in information gaps. Practitioners and developers of climate vulnerability assessments were asked questions about both the expert elicitation process and the application of climate vulnerability assessments as a tool for management of marine species. I found that experts were primarily chosen based on species specific knowledge. The intended purpose of informing management was fulfilled in a handful of ways. Communication of results was varied and dependent upon the authors who completed the studies. More detailed and explicit methods and selection criteria will improve the trust, replicability, and utility of the CVAs. These CVAs are being used to inform management decisions, including supporting species listings on the U.S. Endangered Species Act; however, dedicated support for communicating CVA results may improve the utility of these assessments for decision-makers.
Resilient Destination Cities: Climate Migrant Resettlement in Mongla, Bangladesh
(2024-09-09) Hasan, Farrah Naz; Aceves Bueno, Eréndira
Climate-related migration is a growing global phenomenon, and it has significant implications for building urban resilience. Bangladesh, particularly its coastal regions like the Sundarbans, experiences high levels of migration due to natural hazards and slow-onset effects of climate change. As a result of insufficient infrastructure and inequitable resource access in large cities, regional cities have received growing focus as potential alternative destinations which also offer higher livelihood security, a primary pull factor for migrants. Despite extensive research on the origins of climate migrants, there is limited understanding of the conditions in destination cities. This study investigates Mongla, a port city in Bangladesh, as a potential destination for climate migrants, focusing on migrants' livelihoods, water access, and overall satisfaction. Using semi-structured interviews with 21 flood-induced and non-flood-induced migrants, NGO officials, and the mayor of Mongla, this research evaluates the city's alignment with the Climate-Resilient Migrant-Friendly Towns (CRMFT) framework. The findings reveal that labor opportunities are a significant pull factor for migrants, directly influencing food security. However, Mongla faces challenges, particularly in water security and infrastructure, which could hinder its ability to serve as a model for climate-resilient cities. The study highlights the need for improved infrastructure and services to ensure the long-term viability and livability of Mongla as a destination for climate migrants. Future planning must incorporate the migrants' voices and needs to effectively support their resettlement and integration.
Environmental Justice in Ecosystem Restoration Frameworks
(2024-09-09) Clemens, Jessica Margaret; Aceves Bueno, Erendira
Ecosystem restoration projects are happening frequently around the globe, driven by an increase in awareness about the importance of healthy ecosystems to humans. These projects play an important role in mitigating negative environmental impacts that vulnerable communities face. However, no clear guidelines exist on how restoration can be developed in ways that adhere to environmental justice principles. Restoration frameworks are prescriptive models giving steps for restoration processes, which guide efforts as researchers, activists, and governments work to restore ecosystems. Given these frameworks can impact the environmental justice outcomes of restoration projects, it is key to understand their current strengths and weaknesses. Here we present a systematic literature review of restoration frameworks across the globe to understand what methods for restoration exist, how they address issues of environmental justice, and to compile frameworks for restoration, which rarely and indirectly address issues of environmental justice. Environmentally just frameworks, including the framework presented here, integrate multiple types of recognition as well as community empowerment in decision-making. To address the lack of these aspects in current restoration frameworks, we propose a novel framework that incorporates key principles of environmental justice into the restoration planning and implementation process.
Assessing the Social-Ecological Dimensions of Dungeness Crab Fishery Closures in Southeast Alaska from Analysis of Public Records
(2024-09-09) Nordal, Rondi; Beaudreau, Anne H
Spatial management of marine resources is of growing interest at local, national, and international scales. This can take many forms, from small local fishery closures to large marine protected areas (MPAs), and encompass a range of use and access regulations. For example, Territorial Use Rights for Fisheries (TURFs) and other forms of spatial management allowing for partial-use of protected areas have been used as ways to secure food security and to increase sustainable fishery yields through community access. The objective of this research was to document spatial closures for Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) fisheries as proposed through the BOF over the past 14 years to better understand the ecological, social, and policy conditions that led to proposed closures and their outcomes. These closures were proposed through the Alaska Board of Fisheries (BOF) process, which allows members of the public and community organizations to propose changes to fisheries management and regulation. We conducted a thematic analysis of publicly available records from BOF meetings from 2006 through 2022 to understand the characteristics of these closures, community perceptions, and how they fit into broader spatial management trends. First, we reviewed meeting records for proposals related to Dungeness crab closures and identified 41 relevant proposals. We then refined this list to 18 key proposals for thematic analysis that represented a variety of geographic areas in Southeast Alaska, a range of proposal outcomes, and focused on geographic areas with a longer history of spatial management that could be tracked through the BOF process over multiple years. The public meeting records related to these proposals were transcribed and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. From the content analysis of meeting records, we identified six major themes: (1) Changes in proposal strategies over time; (2) Community identity and insider/outsider dynamics; (3) Differences in representation among fishery groups; (4) Role of closures in enabling or constraining local access; (5) Spatial management as a flexible tool; and (6) Challenges arising from data limitations. These themes indicate social needs, rather than ecological concerns, leading the justification of proposals and being a primary point of discussion around the value and impact of closures for local communities and for Alaska as a whole. The future of the Southeast Alaska Dungeness crab fishery faces uncertainties in the face of changing social and ecological conditions. Improved knowledge sharing among fishers and management bodies may help to better anticipate and respond to social-ecological change, and address challenges in ways that center community needs.
Feasibility Study of Native Seaweed Aquaculture in Washington State
(2024-09-09) Dowell, Frederick; Klinger, Terrie
Worldwide, the cultivation of seaweed (marine macroalgae) is growing rapidly. While the majority of this growth is in east Asia, seaweed cultivation is also increasing in North America. Washington state currently has two active in-water seaweed farms growing sugar kelp (Saccharina latissima) and one small, land-based farm growing Turkish towel (Chondracanthus exasperatus). Recently, there has been a growing, local interest in new seaweed farms. Two more in-water farms are set to start growing sugar kelp within the year (2024). In this analysis, I ask what is the feasibility of cultivating other seaweed species native to Washington, and how do they compare to the feasibility of cultivating sugar kelp? I chose nine species to evaluate: Pyropia abbottiae, Devaleraea mollis, Gracilariopsis andersonii, Ulva spp., Acrosiphonia coalita, Codium fragile, Nereocystis luetkeana, Alaria marginata, and Saccharina latissima. The feasibility of these species was evaluated and scored on a 4-point scale using five criteria: existing knowledge, global cultivation production, known temperature tolerances, future temperature tolerances, and amenability to land-based aquaculture. Three species tied for the lowest score - P. abbottiae, N. luetkeana, and A. coalita - but they had different causes for their low scores. Alaria marginata scored the next lowest due to an absence of information concerning its amenability to land-based aquaculture. All other species scored equally high, except for sugar kelp which scored highest. The results indicate that (1) sugar kelp is a good choice for an aquaculture crop in Washington regarding the chosen criteria, (2) there are other native seaweed species that are feasible for cultivation in Washington, and (3) some species are currently less feasible for aquaculture.

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