Category Archives: research

Oregon Sea Grant’s Julie Howard publishes article about hypoxia

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“In 2006, Oregon and Washington experienced the worst hypoxic event on record as near-shore oxygen levels dropped in some places to zero…”

So writes Julie Howard, Oregon Sea Grant program assistant, in the March/April 2009 edition of Oregon Coast magazine. Her article, “An Ocean without Oxygen,” goes on to describe some of the possible causes of hypoxia, the devastating effects, and how researchers and fishermen are collaborating to address the issue.

For more information about the hypoxia phenomenon, visit the Web site of the Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO).

Marine educator Bill Hanshumaker featured on BeachConnection.net

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A day at the beach in Oregon can be a bit mind-bending. The Sci-Fi Channel could find lots to be inspired by here. The ocean and the shoreline environment are some of the most dynamic places on Earth, where things constantly change, sometimes in truly freaky ways.

Bill Hanshumaker, Public Marine Education Specialist with the Hatfield Marine Science Center in Newport, is among the coastal experts featured in a BeachConnections.net article on strange things that can be found on Oregon’s beaches …

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Rip Currents Could Play Role in Increased Coastal Erosion

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CORVALLIS, Ore. – Amid growing concern about rising sea levels triggered by global warming, Oregon Sea Grant researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) are discovering that rip currents might play a role in coastal erosion because they create rip embayments, or low areas on sandy beaches, that expose nearby land to higher rates of erosion by wave activity.

(Read more …)

Communications for Ocean Scientists Workshop at OSU Feb. 27

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Are you interested in communicating more effectively with the public about your work in ocean sciences?

Are you looking for ideas and partners for producing successful broader impact and outreach activities?

Join COSEE-Pacific Partnerships for a half day workshop for ocean scientists designed to introduce participants to effective strategies and best practices for communicating with public audiences. The workshop will also provide opportunities to develop partnerships for a variety of education and outreach activities.

  • When: February 27, 2009, 9 am to 1 pm
  • Where: Oregon State University, Weniger Hall, Room 247
  • Please RSVP no later than February 25, 2009 to Coral Gehrke, COSEE-Pacific Partnerships Coordinator, at cgehrke@uoregon.edu or (541) 888-2581 ext 236.

For additional information visit: www.coseepacificpartnerships.org

Download a .pdf flyer of this announcement.

Surfers swallow 10x more water than swimmers, divers, study shows

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surfers on the Oregon coastCORVALLIS, Ore. (Dec. 22, 2008) – In the first study of its kind, scientists at Oregon State University (OSU) and the Oregon Dept. of Environmental Quality have found that surfers unintentionally ingest 10 times more water than swimmers or divers, putting them at higher risk of contracting gastrointestinal (GI) illnesses when surfing in contaminated waters.

The study also suggests that because the water quality at Oregon beaches is significantly better than more popular surfing destinations, such as California, Hawaii, or Florida, the risk of GI illness is lower for people surfing the frigid waters of the Oregon coast.

“While the risk for Oregon surfers is not high for GI illness, our findings suggest that surfers who spend longer periods of time in recreational waters, or who surf in more contaminated locations, are likely to be at higher risk of contracting GI illnesses,” said David Stone, an assistant professor in the OSU Department of Environmental and Molecular Toxicology.

The study, funded by Oregon Sea Grant, used a Web-based survey to collect voluntary responses from 520 of the estimated 12,000 surfers in Oregon. Participants estimated the amount of water they ingest during a typical recreational day, and the researchers used historic water quality data collected at six popular surfing beaches to calculate the risk of infection from fecal bacteria using enterococci as an indicator organism.

(Read more …)

West Coast research planning document up for public comment

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A draft report on ocean and coastal research and information needs on the West Coast is available for public review and comment from the Oregon Sea Grant Web site.  The deadline for comments is Jan. 16, 2009

The report, developed by Sea Grant programs in Oregon, Washington and California after extensive public involvement,  is available for download in .pdf format, along with background documents including more than 5,000 marine research and information recommendations made by stakeholders in public meetings and on line.

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Oregon Sea Grant calls for research proposals

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Oregon Sea Grant invites preliminary proposals for research on important marine and coastal issues from researchers affiliated with any institution of higher education in Oregon. Proposals will be entered into a highly competitive review and selection process. Proposed work may begin on either February 1, 2010, or February 1, 2011.

The deadline for submitting preliminary proposals is 5 p.m. February 6, 2009.

Read more …

Researchers study risk of higher waves, rising sea level to Pacific coast

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Coastal wavesWhile hurricanes Gustav and Ike were pummeling the Gulf Coast with rains and record flooding, researchers at Oregon State University (OSU) were studying why wave heights in the Pacific Ocean have been increasing in recent years and how this phenomenon – coupled with global warming – might affect coastal erosion, flooding and development along the Pacific Northwest coast.

Peter Ruggiero, an assistant professor of geosciences at OSU, is developing new computer models that factor in the increasing wave heights, as well as rising sea levels and the potential increase in frequency of El Niño weather conditions. El Nino is a cyclic water temperature weather pattern that results in warmer than normal ocean temperatures and triggers larger storms in the Pacific Ocean.

“We’re trying to see how a combination of these different processes – bigger waves, higher sea levels and potentially more frequent and intense El Niño conditions – could affect coastal areas along the Pacific Coast in a range of ways, from coastal erosion and lowland flooding to planned development,” said Ruggiero, whose research is funded in part by a $190,000 grant from Oregon Sea Grant.

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Deadline nears for coastal information survey

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Residents of coastal Oregon, Washington and California have until Jan. 31 to take part in a survey designed to identify ocean and coastal research and information priorities for  the region.

The survey, jointly sponsored by Sea Grant programs in the three states, is part of a federally funded effort intended to:

  • Ensure the region’s unique resource management challenges are better understood and represented at the federal level
  • Help the region progress toward effective, ecosystem-based management
  • Identify the common needs of west coast communities of place and interest to encourage further region-wide collaboration on critical ocean and coastal issues

The project, supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and endorsed by the governors of all three states, is a response to recent national recommendations calling for a regional approach to research planning.

Survey responses will be combined with comments received during a series of community meetings held up and down the West Coast in 2007, and will be incorporated into a final report to be delivered to NOAA in 2008.

The survey, along with information about the planning process and collected comments from community meetings, can be accessed here.  Although three versions – one for each state – are provided, the questions are identical and all responses will be compiled for the final report. Respondents whose interests overlap state boundaries need only respond to one survey.

OMSI Science Pub: Antarctic adventures

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What does it cost to charter a Russian ice-breaker? How do you keep camera batteries charged in frigid antarctic temperatures?

Antarctic team leaves Russian research vesselPortland-area science buffs can learn the answers to these and other questions on Nov. 26, when OMSI’s Science Pub hosts Bill Hanshumaker, Sea Grant Extension’s public marine educator at OSU’s Hatfield Marine Science Center.

Hanshumaker will present an informal talk, with slides, about his experiences on Antarctic research expeditions in 2005 and 2006. As part of the “Sounds from the Southern Ocean” research team, Hanshumaker took part in a two-phased project to observe sounds – and sights – of the seafloor in the Antarctic Bransfield Strait and Drake Passage in an effort to learn more about tectonic and volcanic activity at the bottom of the world. He posted same-day reports of the adventure on his blog, Sounds From the Southern Ocean.

OMSI’s Science Pub is an informal get-together where you can interact with experts and where there’s no such thing as a silly question. No scientific background is required – just curiosity, a sense of humor, and an appetite for food, drinks, and knowledge. While the Science Pub is intended for adults, minors are welcomed at Bridgeport until 10 p.m. No reservations required (but the event has been drawing big crowds, so get there early!)
What: OMSI Science Pub, Sounds from the Southern Ocean
When: Monday, Nov. 26, 7 p.m.
Where: bridgeport brewpub + bakery, 1313 N.W. Marshall, Portland, OR
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