March 23, 2018
T he C olumbia P ress
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Ocean heat: Salmon, sea lions and crab all affected by high temperatures
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west Fisheries Science Center
found that:
•Feeding conditions have
improved for California sea
lions and seabirds that expe-
rienced mass die-offs caused
by shifts in their prey during
the Blob.
• Plankton, the foundation
of the marine food web, have
shifted back slightly toward
fat-rich, cool-water species
that improve the growth and
survival of salmon and other
fish.
• Recent research surveys
have found fewer juvenile
salmon, and consequent-
ly adult salmon returns will
likely remain depressed for
a few years until successive
generations benefit from im-
proving ocean conditions.
• Reports of whale entan-
glements in fishing gear
have remained very high for
the fourth straight year, as
whales followed prey to near
shore areas and ran into fish-
ing gear such as pots and
traps.
• Severe low-oxygen condi-
tions in ocean water spanned
the Oregon Coast from July
to September 2017, causing
die-offs of crab and other
species.
“Overall, we’re seeing some
positive signs, as the ocean
returns to a cooler and gener-
ally more productive state,”
said Toby Garfield of the
Southwest Fisheries Science
Center. “We’re fortunate that
we have the data from previ-
ous years to help us under-
stand what the trends are,
and how that matters to West
Coast fishermen and com-
munities.”
NOAA Fisheries’ scientists
compile the annual ecosys-
tem status report from ocean
surveys and other monitor-
ing efforts along the West
Coast.
The tracking revealed “a
climate system still in tran-
sition in 2017,” as surface
ocean conditions return to
near normal.
Deeper water remained un-
usually warm, especially in
the north.
Warm-water species, such
as leaner plankton often as-
sociated with subtropical
waters, have lingered in the
more-northern zones.
One of the largest and most
extensive low-oxygen zones
ever recorded off the West
Coast prevailed off the Or-
egon Coast last summer,
probably driven by low-oxy-
gen water upwelled from the
deep ocean, the report said.
While the cooling condi-
tions off the West Coast be-
gan to support more cold-wa-
ter plankton rich in the fatty
acids that salmon need to
grow, salmon may need more
time to show the benefits, the
report said.
Juvenile salmon sampled
off the Northwest Coast in
2017 were especially small
and scarce, suggesting that
poor feeding conditions off
the Columbia River Estuary
may be lingering.
Juvenile salmon that enter
the ocean this year amid the
gradually improving condi-
tions will not return from the
ocean to spawn in the Colum-
bia and other rivers for an-
other two years or more, so
fishermen should not expect
adult salmon numbers to im-
prove much until then.
“These changes occur grad-
ually, and the effects appear
only with time,” said Chris
Harvey, a fisheries biologist
at the Northwest Fisheries
Science Center and coauthor
of the report.
“The advantage of doing
this monitoring and watching
these indicators is that we can
get a sense of what is likely
to happen in the ecosystem
and how that is likely to affect
communities and economies
that are closely tied to these
waters.”
Tiny: Homeowner requests small home for mom
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Developer Marlin Larsen
has been attempting to open
a resort adjacent to the Ham-
mond Marina made up of
yurts, tiny homes and a boat
converted into living space.
But Larsen’s resort units
would be for temporary rent-
al to tourists, not permanent
residents.
The city will place several
conditions on the property
owner.
McElmurry’s tiny home
must have a separate wa-
ter meter, each year she’ll
be required to submit affir-
mation that she still lives at
the site and its wheel must
be removed as a typical mo-
bile home. When Linda
McElmurry stops living at the
site, the accessory dwelling
must be removed, the sewer
and water lines capped and
the meter removed. Should
the property be sold, the unit
must be removed.
The Planning Commission-
er meeting was the
last for Commu-
nity Development
Director Skip Url-
ing, who retired
March 16 after
seven years with
the city.
“I appreciate the
passion of each of
you,” he told city
leaders at a com-
mission
meet-
ing earlier in the Above: A tiny home like this will go in a yard next
week. “I wish you to a family home as a “mother-in-law” residence.
good luck in your Below: Skip Urling, foreground, gives his final
report last week as the city’s community devel-
efforts.”
After 37 years opment director. Beside him is Kevin Cronin,
who will replace him temporarily. Planning Com-
in planning, Url- missioner Ken Yuill is on the left.
ing plans to take a
summer job as head chef at a
fishing camp in western Alas-
ka. “It will be a fun diversion
from what my normal life has
been to this date.”
Urling will be replaced on
a temporary basis by Kev-
in Cronin, Astoria’s former
community development di-
rector who now works as a
private planning consultant.
Cindy Yingst/The Columbia Press