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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Dec. 10, 2016)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2016 3 B OSU study shows sockeye succeed by cooling off CORVALLIS — Sockeye salmon that evolved in the gen- erally colder waters of the far north still know how to cool off if necessary, an important fac- tor in the species’ potential for dealing with global climate change. Sockeyes, which spawn in fresh water and spend two to three years in the Pacific Ocean, range from southern Alaska south to the Columbia River. Research by Oregon State University revealed that sock- eyes at the northern edge of that range, despite lacking their southern counterparts’ evolu- tionary history of dealing with heat stress, nevertheless have an innate ability to “thermoreg- ulate.” Thermoregulation means that when their surroundings warm up too much, the fish will seek cooler water that precisely meets their physiological needs. A study conducted by an OSU researcher at an Alaska lake during a heat wave shed light on sockeyes’ ability to find the water temperatures they need. Multiple earlier studies had demonstrated thermoregulation behavior among sockeye salmon at lower latitudes, but northern populations’ behav- ioral response to heat stress had largely gone unexamined. While it may seem obvious that any fish would move around to find the water tem- perature it needed, prior research has shown thermoreg- ulation is far from automatic – even among populations living where heat stress is a regular occurrence. “Often what’s happened has been counterintuitive, so we had no idea what to expect,” said Jonathan B. Armstrong, assistant professor in the College of Agricultural Sciences’ Department of Fish and Wildlife, the lead author on the study. “About 40 million sockeye return to Bristol Bay every year. These huge salmon runs are a big part of the regional culture and economy, so how these fish respond to climate change will have very real effects on people’s lives. “It’s encouraging that the sockeyes showed this innate capacity to respond,” Armstrong said. Results of the research were recently published in C APE P ERPETUA YACHATS — The pictur- esque Oregon Coast attracts many with its breath-taking beauty. But it also elicits cau- tionary fear with its warnings of earthquakes and tsunamis. Ironically, the very geologic forces that threaten lives also are responsible for the spectac- ular mountains, valleys and coastlines cherished by Oregonians. Oregon State University Conservation Physiology. Armstrong and his collabo- rators at the University of Washington worked in 2013 at Little Togiak Lake — one of five major lakes in the Wood River watershed that drain into Bristol Bay, a fishery that pro- duces nearly 70 percent of all the sockeye salmon caught in the United States. Bristol Bay is close to the 60-degree latitude that marks the northern boundary of the sockeyes’ primary range. Adult sockeye salmon return to the Wood River system from the Bering Sea in early sum- mer, then mature and develop secondary sexual traits before spawning later in the summer or at the beginning of fall. During the time between entering fresh water and spawning, the fish group together in their lake’s epil- imnion — the upper, warmer level of water in a thermally stratified lake. Usually the fish congregate, or stage, near tribu- tary inlets and along shorelines. During a staging period of unusually warm weather – maximum daily air tempera- tures hovered around 80 degrees for a week, the second- warmest heat wave on record – Emeritus Professor of Geosciences Bob Lillie, Ph.D., will share the connection between hazards and scenery in “Beauty from the Beast” at 2 p.m. today, during the Cape Perpetua Winter Discovery Series at the Visitor Center, three miles south of Yachats. Lillie draws on his experi- ence as a geology professor, park ranger and graphic illus- trator to reveal plate tectonics Tim Sapp Owner / Principal Broker 541 999-8230 Bonnett Way #28 – Build your dream home with ocean views! Elegant, gated Fawn Ridge West lo- cation with end of the road privacy and your own gate to the nearby path to the ocean. $159,000. #2315- 14604472 1749 Highway 101 • 541-997-1200 in action and explain the basics of Earth science in easy-to- understand ways. “‘Beauty from the Beast’ reminds Northwest residents and visitors that their home- towns and iconic parklands are subject to geologic processes that affect their lives and liveli- hoods,” Lillie said. “By learn- ing to live with the beast of earthquakes, tsunamis and vol- canic eruptions, people can 541-999-5083 www.TheSiuslawNews.com Fri-Sat 12/9/12/10 8:30am-3pm 1235 Yew St Tools, furniture, household, bicycles, & Misc. Sat 12/10 Only! 8am-4pm 5565 Lakeview Dr. Christmas Boutique. more fully appreciate the beau- ty that surrounds them.” Lillie will also be available to sign his new book “Beauty from the Beast: Plate Tectonics and the Landscapes of the Pacific Northwest.” The book can be purchased at the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center. The Cape Perpetua Winter Discovery Series is an opportu- nity to explore topics and Give the gift of the great outdoors this holiday season with an annual Oregon State Parks day-use parking permit. Through 31, visitors and holiday shoppers can buy park passes for $25, which is $5 off the regular price. Passes can easily be pur- chased online at www.store. oregonstateparks.org, along with branded holiday gift gear, such as portable coolers, water bottles and baseball caps. Parking costs $5 a day at 26 from 1B — in the form of a double-dou- ble — with 20 points and 18 rebounds on the night before fouling out late in the game. Though the Lady Viks got scoring from seniors Brittany Long (6), Abby Watkins (5) and Claire Waggoner (4), as well as sophomore Alyssa Richards (4), it wasn’t enough to overtake the Cubs down the stretch. Siuslaw narrowly fell, 47-39, with Newport keeping the game just out of reach from the freethrow line in the closing min- utes. While Tatum went 9-for-17 in shooting from the field (52.9 per- Oregon State Parks unless you have a 12- or 24-month park- ing permit or a same-day camping receipt. The 24-month pass is $50 and permits are transferable from vehicle to vehicle. The Oregon Coast Passport is also discounted $5 in December. The passport is a multi-agency product, valid at Oregon State Parks, US Forest Service, Bureau of Land Management and National Park Service sites along the Oregon coast. The coastal passports are on sale for $30 — regularly $35 — in December. The OPRD parking permits and Oregon Coast Passport can be purchased at major Oregon State Parks offices, some state park friends’ group stores and local businesses throughout the state. For a complete list of ven- dors, visit www.oregonstate parks.org. cent), the combined shooting percentage for the rest of the team was just short of 18 percent (5-for-28). Long hit the team’s only 3- pointer to go with a team-high 3 assists on the night. On the road at the boys’ game, Siuslaw had little trouble scoring from the field and off the glass, but gave up 18 shots from the freethrow line in a 9-point loss to the top-ranked Cubs team, 62-53. “I felt we competed very well against a strong Newport team,” said Vikings coach Dylan Perry. “We had stretches where we looked very strong, and stretches where we didn’t look so strong.” Among Siuslaw’s strengths were performances by juniors Trent Reavis and Jake Hickson, who combined for 37 of Siuslaw’s 53 points — Reavis with 25 and Hickson with 12. What hurt the Vikings was freethrow shooting and turnovers — the same two issues Siuslaw had in a narrow loss to Elmira last week. “It’s hard to win any game, let alone against a top team in the state when you have those two factors working against you,” said Perry. “I told our guys we weren’t beaten by Elmira and Newport — we beat ourselves. “But that’s what preseason is about. Learning lessons that will help us right the ship to become a force to be reckoned with in the weeks ahead.” The Vikings also got scoring from seniors Ricky Jones (5), Marcos Reyna-Ayaila (4), Brogan Cornish (3) and Kyle King (2), and junior Jared Brandt (3). “I’ve seen lots of improve- ment for our team in its first road game,” said Perry, whose team will join the girls team at this weekend’s Junction City Invitational. “We’ll continue to build off of these experiences.” Last night, the girls and boys teams tipped off against Junction City (after press deadlines) and will face Harrisburg today. Tuesday, both teams will be on the road again, this time at Cottage Grove. Friday, Dec. 16, Siuslaw will host Cascade. Tipoff for both sets of games is at 6 and 7:30 p.m., respective- ly. resources relevant to the Oregon Coast during the off- season months between November and March. All presentations and guided walks are free, but a Northwest Forest Pass, Oregon Coast Passport or $5 day-use fee is required within the Cape Perpetua Scenic Area. For more information, con- tact the Cape Perpetua Visitor Center at 541-547-3289. State park permits on sale through December Siuslaw Fri-Sat 12/9-12/10 11am-4pm In RV Building next to Bi-Mart. HOLIDAY CLEARANCE SAVE 30%-50%. Indoor Marketplace come Barter! crazy, exaggerated beasts of sexual selection with a red body and green jaws,” he added. Armstrong noted the broader message of the study is what it says about the ability of ani- mals to exploit the kinds of diversity of temperature and diversity of habitat found in ecosystems that are intact and not heavily developed. “There’s all this diversity and connectivity up there,” he said. “Fish have lots of options for coping with warming or envi- ronmental change in general. When we develop watersheds, we often simplify habitats and take away these options. In our research we are constantly stumbling across new and interesting ways that fish and wildlife thrive by exploiting diversity in temperatures, often at small spatial scales that would be very easy to over- look,” Armstrong said. “This study is one more example of how all the little details matter, and they could be what save animals from climate change, or at least reduce the impacts.” SERIES TO EXPLORE COASTAL GEOLOGY TODAY Get Results...List With Tim. Sat-Sun 12/10- 12/11 9am-4pm 85557 Maple St. Indoor pole barn sale, off Glenada Rd., near Best Western, tools, household, antiques, sports & more. researchers used a seine to cap- ture fish and outfitted 95 of them with devices that logged water temperatures at 20- minute intervals. What they learned from the 40 recovered temperature log- gers was that when the epil- imnion temperature rose above about 12 degrees Celsius, or about 53 degrees, the fish ther- moregulated by moving to trib- utary plumes or to deeper water. By swimming away from the rising temperatures, the fish expended 50 percent less ener- gy during the warmest condi- tions — 64 to 68 degrees — than they would have had they stayed put. “The hotter it is, the more energy they burn, but these fish don’t just want the coldest water possible,” Armstrong said. “If they were cars looking for maximum fuel efficiency, they’d just find the coldest water, but instead it’s a Goldilocks sort of thing — they’re looking for not too warm, not too cold. “They want their system to go fast enough for them to go through maturation before they spawn, where they go from these silver torpedoes to these See Jim for your auto sales needs! 2150 Hwy. 101 • Florence (541) 997-3475 • 1-800-348-3475 Siuslaw News + www.shoppelocal.biz
