Integration of Suquamish Tribal/City of Bainbridge Island 2002-2010 Beach Seining Results into Shoreline Management and Salmon Recovery Efforts

The Suquamish Tribe and City of Bainbridge Island have completed nine years (2002-2010) of a long term nearshore beach seine research study in Central Puget Sound.  The Nearshore Chapter of the Puget Sound Chinook Recovery Plan identifies this region as an important area for salmonid habitat protection and restoration based on Puget Sound salmon migration. The results of this study represent a long term baseline inventory that will be incorporated into the City’s shoreline management programs and salmon recovery activities and will be used by the Suquamish Tribe to modify its hatchery program, if necessary, to avoid impacting listed species.  Future seine efforts are anticipated to be used in adaptive management elements of these COBI and Tribal programs.  The study’s multiple objectives are to (1) identify the distribution, abundance, origin (by coded wire tag recovery), timing, size (subyearling, yearling, length frequencies) and habitat utilization of both wild and hatchery salmon, (2) compare the condition factors of hatchery to wild Chinook subyearlings, (3) identify forage fish use of the nearshore, (4) document all other fish and most of the larger invertebrate species (shrimp, crab) encountered, and (5) provide the biological data to complement the Bainbridge Island Nearshore Habitat Characterization and Assessment, Management Strategy Prioritization, and Monitoring Recommendations (Battelle, 2003).  These objectives will inform and prioritize shoreline management, local land protection, conservation, and salmon recovery efforts implemented by the City, Tribe, agencies and local non-profits, including the Land Trust.  Water quality parameters measured at each beach seine site include dissolved oxygen, salinity, temperature, and turbidity.  Weather conditions, tidal elevation and stage, beach substrate, and time of day were recorded at each sample site.  Results to date will be summarized in graphs and tables and examples of habitat preservation and restoration projects that have used this data will be identified on a Bainbridge Island map within the poster.