Alarm Bells

Some disturbing alarms bells have started ringing in the Pacific Northwest, and they have eerie similarities to two highly destructive years.

Without question, the heat and droughts of 1998 and 2015 delivered heavy blows to the Pacific Northwest. Both years featured record-setting heat, deep droughts, and large die-offs of plant and animal species. Seabirds were among the species hit especially hard in 2015 as hotter-than-usual ocean temperatures disrupted food chains in the Pacific Ocean.

The alarm bells that potentially herald the arrival of similar heat-induced phenomena include the return of El Niño, which is predicted to be very strong, above-average ocean temperatures in and south of California, and the recent catch of a record-setting marlin near Ilwaco, Washington. Audubon Washington recently reported that although ocean temperatures off Washington state remain close to normal, this year's bird die-offs in the hot waters from California to Ecuador demonstrate what could happen in the Pacific Northwest if the water here starts to heat up as well. The marlin that was caught off Ilwaco suggests that such warmer water might be on the way. Marlin are warm-water species that rarely venture this far north. In fact, the first marlin ever caught in Washington waters was in 1997 as El Niño ramped up for its 1998 onslaught. Before this year's marlin set a new record, the previous record had been established in the fall of 2005, just as another El Niño took hold (summer 2006 was another extremely hot and dry affair).

Nothing is set in stone, and the conditions of 1998 and 2015 have not yet returned to the Pacific Northwest. However, the signs that summer 2027 will deliver more extreme heat and drought are mounting, and the trend is troubling.

As I reflect on the heat, drought, and die-offs of previous summers, the alarms bells ringing now leave me with feelings of dread and sadness.

Something's Missing, Something's Wrong: A Fishy Situation

Something's missing in Washington state this year. More specifically, lots of fish are missing.

Historically low numbers of coho salmon and wild steelhead have returned to Washington's coastal streams in 2023. The Quinault Indian Nation reported low catch numbers for coho salmon in October. Then, on November 27, officials with Olympic National Park announced low numbers of wild steelhead in their rivers.

These numbers point to serious problems for both fish and people. As the runs of these fish continue to decline, they face the possibility of collapsing. At the very least, the low numbers from rivers that once teamed with salmon and steelhead indicate a distressed ecosystem. Such distress will impact people who depend on the fish for sustenance and their livelihoods.

In response to the troubling numbers, the Quinault Indian Nation closed its fisheries in Grays Harbor and on the Queets River. Olympic National Park took a similar step by closing the Queets, Salmon, and Quinault rivers to steelhead fishing.

With so many fish missing from Washington's rivers, something's definitely wrong in the Pacific Northwest.

A Fish in the Crowd

For once, it's okay to go with the crowd.

Crowdsourcing uses large, public groups to supply information that organizations have typically had to produce on their own or purchase. Citizen science is one form of crowdsourcing, and the World Wildlife Fund (WWF) recently introduced a new effort to utilize this resource.

Freshwater Fish BioBlitz, which the WWF describes here, generates scientific data about freshwater fish species through photographs uploaded by everyday citizens. The images help scientists track species and analyze habitat quality. To contribute to the project, click here.

With Freshwater Fish BioBlitz, you don't have to jump off the bridge to be like everyone else. All you have to do is take a picture if you see a fish while you're there.