Streaming Media
Presentation Abstract
Puget Sound experienced progressively saltier conditions from 2017 to 2019 compared to time-averaged seasonal norms from 1999-2018. Reduced freshwater inflow from rivers drove much of these salinity increases; however, we report on another process raising salinity on the landward end of Case Inlet. Like “Meddies” in the Mediterranean Sea, evaporation leads to the formation of hypersaline blobs of surface water, known as “snarks”. Extreme low tides in the summer expose mudflats to elevated temperatures, providing a pathway to evaporating more water. When denser, hypersaline water sinks on the landward side of an estuary, it can cause inverse-estuarine conditions and increase the residence time of the embayment. We present repeated observations of this phenomenon, which show that some of these snarks can extend for 10 km and be vertically 10m thick. These snarks may amplify documented stressors to key estuarine species in South Puget Sound, such as Olympia oysters and salmon (Lawlor and Arellano, 2020) inhabiting shallow water. Climate change will extend periods of warm, dry weather in the summer and this can lead to more widespread instances of snarks in Case Inlet and potentially elsewhere. Better understanding of their formation and persistence is important for managing shellfish and other fisheries.
Session Title
Poster Session 1: Applied Research & Climate Change
Conference Track
SSE14: Posters
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2022 : Online)
Document Type
Event
SSEC Identifier
SSE-posters-222
Start Date
26-4-2022 4:00 PM
End Date
26-4-2022 4:30 PM
Type of Presentation
Poster
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Salinity--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Estuarine ecology--Washington (State)--Puget Sound; Climatic changes--Washington (State)--Puget Sound
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Puget Sound (Wash.)
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.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Included in
Fresh Water Studies Commons, Marine Biology Commons, Natural Resources and Conservation Commons, Terrestrial and Aquatic Ecology Commons
Introducing a Different Kind of “Blob” in the PNW – the Snark!
Puget Sound experienced progressively saltier conditions from 2017 to 2019 compared to time-averaged seasonal norms from 1999-2018. Reduced freshwater inflow from rivers drove much of these salinity increases; however, we report on another process raising salinity on the landward end of Case Inlet. Like “Meddies” in the Mediterranean Sea, evaporation leads to the formation of hypersaline blobs of surface water, known as “snarks”. Extreme low tides in the summer expose mudflats to elevated temperatures, providing a pathway to evaporating more water. When denser, hypersaline water sinks on the landward side of an estuary, it can cause inverse-estuarine conditions and increase the residence time of the embayment. We present repeated observations of this phenomenon, which show that some of these snarks can extend for 10 km and be vertically 10m thick. These snarks may amplify documented stressors to key estuarine species in South Puget Sound, such as Olympia oysters and salmon (Lawlor and Arellano, 2020) inhabiting shallow water. Climate change will extend periods of warm, dry weather in the summer and this can lead to more widespread instances of snarks in Case Inlet and potentially elsewhere. Better understanding of their formation and persistence is important for managing shellfish and other fisheries.
