Dear WSC Members & Friends,

Wild Steelhead Coalition Meeting
Wednesday, February 5, 2003 7:00 PM (6:30 Social)
Bothell American Legion Post
19213 Bothell Way NE, Bothell, WA

You are invited to attend the Wild Steelhead Coalition's February meeting. Be sure to join us for a great evening full of important information/discussion regarding wild steelhead.

February Program/Guest Speaker: Jon Honea, Center for Streamside Studies and College of Forest Resources, University of Washington

Presentation Title: Effect of Marine-Derived Nutrients on Macroinvertebrate Production in Salmon Spawning Streams

John will report on his studies of the response of macroinvertebrate production in NW streams to salmon spawning activity, particularly marine-derived nutrient (MDN) release. PNW streams are relatively unproductive compared to rivers of other regions and it is not known how the decrease of historically large nutrient inputs supplied by spawning salmon has altered the productivity in these systems. The reduction of nutrient subsidies has likely decreased the suitability of PNW streams to serve as nurseries for juvenile salmonids in large part by reducing the productivity of aquatic macroinvertebrates, a major food source.

Measures of macroinvertebrate abundance and biomass changes over short time periods, used in past studies, do not permit an assessment of the capacity of macroinvertebrates to support salmon production. Estimates of macroinvertebrate production, on the other hand, describe changes in their biomass throughout their lifecycle (usually as g*m-1*year-1) and thus are a measure of the total energy available to higher consumers.

Objectives of John's Research:
1. To determine if there are differences in aquatic macroinvertebrate production in an area of stream with spawning salmon compared to one without.
2. To determine if differences in production can be linked to salmon nutrients by using stable isotope analysis.
3. To determine how different functional feeding groups of macroinvertebrates and those available as prey respond to the presence of MDN.

Contribution to Management: A description of the cycle of MDN from adult tojuvenile salmon through macroinvertebrates. A list with ecological roles of macroinvertebrate taxa active in the transfer of MDN. A necessary step toward identifying variables of this interaction that can be monitored to validate conservation and restoration efforts
(e.g., taxa presence/absence, density, community composition).
A foundation for further research into the path of MDN from aquatic macroinvertebrates to juvenile salmonids. relating salmon production to disturbance effects on MDN cycle components (e.g., upland erosion resulting in increased embeddedness and so reduced habitat for aquatic macroinvertebrates, and so on).

A question and answer period will follow has well as a overview of other WSC business. Feel free to show up at 6:30 PM to meet some of the WSC Members and hear about how the WSC is working to preserve the legacy of wild steelhead!

For more information contact Rich Simms at www.wscmembership@yahoo.com. Also visit our website at www.wildsteelheadcoalition.com for information regarding the WSC.