Sep 13, 2021

Friday Harbor Laboratories’ observation system collects and shares real-time data about Salish Sea

Friday Harbor Laboratories (FHL) recently established the Friday Harbor Laboratories Ocean Observatory (FHLOO), vastly expanding their capabilities to collect and share real-time data about the surrounding marine environment. Connected to the larger Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems (NANOOS), FHLOO takes continuous seawater measurements such as salinity, temperature, CO2, oxygen and chlorophyll, in addition to monitoring microplankton. While the system has been taking measurements since the summer of 2020, the ability to live-stream its data is new, providing a window into the Salish Sea accessible to researchers, students and the public.

VIDEO: What is ocean acidification?

We hear the phrase “ocean acidification” often, frequently connected to conversations around climate change, but what exactly is ocean acidification? The Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean and Ecosystem Studies research scientist Sophie Chu walks us through the causes, effects and implications of ocean acidification. Q: What do you study? A: My research focuses mainly on evaluating existing ocean carbon sensor technology and developing new technologies to measure the carbon cycle and ocean acidification.

Kelp farming and the potential for new maritime markets in Puget Sound

kelp growing in the cold waters of the Salish Sea

When people think of farms, they tend to picture tidy rows of crops growing under abundant sunshine on terra firma. However, it turns out that not all farms are on land, and in fact some flourish in the sea. You have likely heard of shellfish and finfish farming, but a new type of cultivation is emerging in our region: seaweed farming.

New 3D images of shark intestines show they function like Nikola Tesla’s valve

Contrary to what popular media portrays, we actually don’t know much about what sharks eat. Even less is known about how they digest their food, and the role they play in the larger ocean ecosystem. For more than a century, researchers have relied on flat sketches of sharks’ digestive systems to discern how they function — and how what they eat and excrete impacts other species in the ocean.

Remotely-piloted sailboats monitor ‘cold pools’ in tropical environments

An orange Saildrone uncrewed surface vehicle (USV)

Conditions in the tropical ocean affect weather patterns worldwide. The most well-known examples are El Niño or La Niña events, but scientists believe other key elements of the tropical climate remain undiscovered. In a study recently published in Geophysical Research Letters, scientists from the University of Washington and NOAA’s Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory use remotely-piloted sailboats to gather data on cold air pools, or pockets of cooler air that form below tropical storm clouds.