How Do I?
- Register with the National Saltwater Angler Registry?
- Find recreational fishing regulations?
- Report a marine mammal or sea turtle stranding?
- Apply for a fishing permit?
- Import/export fishery products?
- Find a Volunteer coastal restoration effort near me?
- Find a catch and landing information for commercial and recreational fisheries?
Research Lab Opens Young Minds to Marine Science
Lockwood students, Lucas and Zack, holding crabs. As part of their trip to the Mukilteo Research Lab and the beach nearby, the student examined many types of marine life and participated in mock research projects.NOAA Fisheries Northwest was proud to support the Seattle-based Lockwood Elementary School’s recent Parents Active in Cooperative Education Program recently. The program reached 150 students, and 50 teachers and volunteers with three intensive, half-day courses and one multi-station field trip to the Northwest Fisheries Science Center’s Mukilteo Research Station and beach.
This year the students learned about salmon anatomy, behavior and limiting factors; fishing techniques, management, bycatch, and habitat impacts; marine debris; abalone research; rockfish lifecycle and behavior, and more; all highlighting the NOAA Fisheries mission. During the daylong field trip to the Mukilteo waterfront, Northwest Region and Science Center staff led hands-on experiences, experiments and classes on fish identification, research diving, salmon genetics, and fish rearing. They learned how humans and the oceans are inextricably interconnected. The students also had an opportunity to meet with real-life marine scientists at work.
Highlights include:
- Students played the role of fishermen at a halibut derby. Certain stipulations or rules were set to emphasize some of the ways NOAA Fisheries manages and promotes a sustainable fishery. With real halibut specimens on the table, the students explored the benthic adaptations of this fish and compared the halibut to salmon.
- Students organized a mock oil spill cleanup. They investigated the most effective ways to mop up oil and prevent it from spreading. They also experimented with feathers and craft fur to simulate how responders clean affected animals during a spill.
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Students explored how humans change marine ecosystems in an activity where they documented marine debris found in the stomach of a stranded grey whale. Students examined and quantified 58 items,
Lockwood student, Becca Gilchris, with a few beach finds. Students spent part of their day with real-life marine scientists at work.
brainstormed ways to reduce garbage and developed strategies to keep trash out of our waterways. - Students learned how genetics help scientists better understand and protect endangered species. Students simulated taking a fin clip from a salmon and following their sample through the genetic analysis process to find out which river their salmon came from.
NOAA enlisted their local partners of the University of Washington, Snohomish County Public Works, and American Cetacean Society to participate in both time and resources. These students may well be our future scientists, policy makers, and leaders to protect our oceans and watershed.
