Improving juvenile pinto abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) outplanting success within the San Juan Archipelago in Washington State
Research Mentor(s)
Dr. Deb Donovan
Description
Pinto abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) populations have declined due to overfishing and the species was recently declared endangered in Washington by the WDFW. Populations are below the required density in the San Juan Archipelago (SJA) for successful reproduction and require intervention for species recovery. Juveniles have been outplanted at sites in the SJA. Even though sites are physically similar, some are successful while others aren’t. Environmental variation is high in the SJA, which may explain differential site success. I hypothesized that the interaction between temperature variation and decreased pH would have a negative effect on the survival and growth of juveniles, and larger individuals would be less affected. I also hypothesized that the interaction between temperature variation and decreased pH would have an additive effect on juvenile metabolism. Juvenile survival in varying temperatures was significantly lower than the control, decreased pH did not influence survival and there was no significant interaction. Neither varying temperature nor pH affected growth. There was a significant interaction between the varying temperature and decreased pH on juvenile metabolism, however the interaction was not additive. These findings will give organizations a better understanding of suitable outplant sites for juveniles which will help population recovery in the SJA.
Document Type
Event
Start Date
May 2022
End Date
May 2022
Location
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Department
CSE - Biology
Genre/Form
student projects; posters
Type
Image
Rights
Copying of this document in whole or in part is allowable only for scholarly purposes. It is understood, however, that any copying or publication of this document for commercial purposes, or for financial gain, shall not be allowed without the author’s written permission.
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Improving juvenile pinto abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) outplanting success within the San Juan Archipelago in Washington State
Carver Gym (Bellingham, Wash.)
Pinto abalone (Haliotis kamtschatkana) populations have declined due to overfishing and the species was recently declared endangered in Washington by the WDFW. Populations are below the required density in the San Juan Archipelago (SJA) for successful reproduction and require intervention for species recovery. Juveniles have been outplanted at sites in the SJA. Even though sites are physically similar, some are successful while others aren’t. Environmental variation is high in the SJA, which may explain differential site success. I hypothesized that the interaction between temperature variation and decreased pH would have a negative effect on the survival and growth of juveniles, and larger individuals would be less affected. I also hypothesized that the interaction between temperature variation and decreased pH would have an additive effect on juvenile metabolism. Juvenile survival in varying temperatures was significantly lower than the control, decreased pH did not influence survival and there was no significant interaction. Neither varying temperature nor pH affected growth. There was a significant interaction between the varying temperature and decreased pH on juvenile metabolism, however the interaction was not additive. These findings will give organizations a better understanding of suitable outplant sites for juveniles which will help population recovery in the SJA.