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Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) Conservation Biology CB - Mathematical Biology and Systems Monitoring

Information

Project
Pacific Northwest Salmon Habitat Restoration Database and Analyses
Title
Salmon habitat restoration metrics for recovery science
Description
Throughout the Pacific Northwest, stream habitat degradation has been cited as a factor contributing to the decline and ESA listing of of Pacific Salmon. Thus, stream habitat restoration is a major component of recovery plans as a method to increase salmon population productivity. Over 10 years after the majority of salmon listings we now have many datasets available to evaluate salmon habitat restoration placement, including our restoration projects database (Pacific Northwest Salmon Habitat Project Database), habitat assessments, salmon recovery plans, and spatial habitat mapping. By creating data dictionaries and metrics to standardize and analyze currently available datasets (e.g., restoration data, recovery plans, monitoring data, population abundance data) evaluations can be made to determine whether the right types of habitat actions are going in where they are most valuable. Further, a quantitative framework can be developed to link habitat conditions to fish population condition through stream restoration actions. This information can them be provided to local groups and agencies involved in salmon recovery to help inform the adaptive management process.

Research Themes

Habitats to support sustainable fisheries and recovered populations
Healthy oceans, coastal waters, and riverine habitats provide the foundation for aquatic resources used by a diversity of species and society. Protecting marine, estuarine and freshwater ecosystems that support these species relies on science to link habitat condition/processes and the biological effects of restoration actions. The NWFSC provides the habitat science behind many management actions taken by NOAA Fisheries and other natural resource agencies to protect and recover aquatic ecosystems and living marine resources. The NWFSC also maintains a longstanding focus on toxic chemical contaminants, as a foundation for regional and national research on pollution threats to fisheries and protected resources.

Research Foci

Develop effective and efficient habitat restoration and conservation techniques
Maintaining and re-establishing viability and sustainability of living marine resources requires conservation and rehabilitation or restoration of habitats upon which species depend. Common habitat restoration approaches and tech-niques often presume that habitats are static features of the environment, and that creation of stable habitats is a desirable restoration strategy. However, riverine, nearshore, and marine habitats are created and sustained by dynamic landscape, climatic, and oceanographic processes and biota are adapted to changing habitats that are within the range of natural variability. Hence, current restoration strategies often have limited success, in part because they fail to recognize larger scale processes that drive habitat change, and in part because they fail to recognize intrinsic habitat potential of individual restoration sites. The main goals of this research focus are to: improve understanding of how large-scale processes create diverse and dynamic habitats that support marine and anadromous species, better understand how human activities alter habitat-forming processes and habitats, develop new restoration techniques that are compatible with sustainable habitat-forming processes, and understand the variety of actions needed to adequately conserve intact critical habitats. In addition, NWFSC’s research will improve understanding of how new and existing habitat restoration and protection techniques affect fish and habitat at multiple scales (i.e., reach, watershed, Evolutionarily Significant Unit).

Keywords

restoration
habitat restoration

Products

ES Bernhardt, MA Palmer, JD Allan, G Alexander, K Barnas, S Brooks,Synthesizing US river restoration efforts ... Science 308 (5722), 636-637
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Barnas, K., S. L. Katz, D. E. Hamm, M. Diaz, C. E. Jordan. 2015. Is habitat restoration targeting relevant ecological needs for endangered species? Using Pacific Salmon as a case study. Ecosphere, July(7):art 110. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES14-00466.1Go to metadata icon
Barnas, K., S. L. Katz, D. E. Hamm, M. Diaz, C. E. Jordan. 2015. Is habitat restoration targeting relevant ecological needs for endangered species? Using Pacific Salmon as a case study. Ecosphere, July(7):art 110. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1890/ES14-00466.1Go to metadata icon
Barnas, K., S. L. Katz. 2010. The challenges of tracking habitat restoration at various spatial scales. Fisheries, 35(5):232-241.Go to metadata icon
Barnas, K., S. L. Katz. 2010. The challenges of tracking habitat restoration at various spatial scales. Fisheries, 35(5):232-241.Go to metadata icon
Bernhardt, E. S., M. A. Palmer, J. D. Allan, G. Alexander, K. Barnas, S. Brooks, J. Carr, S. Clayton, C. Dahm, J. Follstad-Shah, D. Galat, S. Gloss, P. Goodwin, D. Hart, B. Hassett, R. Jenkinson, S. L. Katz, G. M. Kondolf, P. S. Lake, R. Lave, J. L. Meyer, T. K. O'Donnell, L. Pagano, B. Powell, E. Sudduth. 2005. Synthesizing U.S. river restoration efforts. Science, 308(5722):636-637.Go to metadata icon
Bernhardt, E. S., M. A. Palmer, J. D. Allan, G. Alexander, K. Barnas, S. Brooks, J. Carr, S. Clayton, C. Dahm, J. Follstad-Shah, D. Galat, S. Gloss, P. Goodwin, D. Hart, B. Hassett, R. Jenkinson, S. L. Katz, G. M. Kondolf, P. S. Lake, R. Lave, J. L. Meyer, T. K. O'Donnell, L. Pagano, B. Powell, E. Sudduth. 2005. Synthesizing U.S. river restoration efforts. Science, 308(5722):636-637.Go to metadata icon
Fullerton, A. H., T. J. Beechie, S. Baker, J. E. Hall, K. Barnas. 2006. The next link will exit from NWFSC web site Regional patterns of riparian characteristics in the interior Columbia River Basin, Northwestern USA: applications for restoration planning. Landscape Ecology, 21(8):1347-1360.Go to metadata icon
Fullerton, A. H., T. J. Beechie, S. Baker, J. E. Hall, K. Barnas. 2006. The next link will exit from NWFSC web site Regional patterns of riparian characteristics in the interior Columbia River Basin, Northwestern USA: applications for restoration planning. Landscape Ecology, 21(8):1347-1360.Go to metadata icon
Hamm, D. E. 2012. Development and evaluation of a data dictionary to standardize salmonid habitat assessments in the Pacific Northwest. Fisheries 37: 6–18.
Hamm, D. E. 2012. Development and evaluation of a data dictionary to standardize salmonid habitat assessments in the Pacific Northwest. Fisheries 37: 6–18.
Jenkinson, R., K. Barnas, J. Braatne, E. S. Bernhardt, M. A. Palmer, J. D. Allan, NRRSS. 2006. Stream restoration databases and case studies: A guide to information resources and their utility in advancing the science and practice of restoration. Restoration Ecology, 14:177-186.
Jenkinson, R., K. Barnas, J. Braatne, E. S. Bernhardt, M. A. Palmer, J. D. Allan, NRRSS. 2006. Stream restoration databases and case studies: A guide to information resources and their utility in advancing the science and practice of restoration. Restoration Ecology, 14:177-186.
Katz, Barnas, Toshach. Data Management Needs for Regional Project Tracking to Support Implementation and Effectiveness Monitoring
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Katz, S.L., Barnas, K., Hicks,. R., Cowen, J. & Jenkinson, R., 2007. Freshwater habitat restoration actions in the Pacific Northwest: A 10 year census. Restoration Ecology 15:506-515.Go to metadata icon
Katz, S.L., Barnas, K., Hicks,. R., Cowen, J. & Jenkinson, R., 2007. Freshwater habitat restoration actions in the Pacific Northwest: A 10 year census. Restoration Ecology 15:506-515.Go to metadata icon
Pacific Northwest Salmon Habitat Project Database
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Taxa

Genus Oncorhynchus
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People

Katie Barnas Torpey
Principal Investigator
Monica Diaz
Staff