February 13, 2023 3:20 a.m. 

Marine scientists with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife were recently very successful in securing funds for four research projects to expand understanding of Oregon’s rocky marine habitats.

An ODFW release said funding came from the Oregon Ocean Science Trust, a group created by the 2013 Oregon Legislature to promote research and monitoring of Oregon’s ocean and coastal resources.

Projects include:

Kelp communities in transition:

ODFW’s shellfish program received $193,341 to document the ecological differences of rocky reef habitats with and without kelp beds. Commercial sea urchin divers and trained science divers will survey these areas and key species associated with kelp.

ODFW biologists will use the results to gauge the extent and rate of habitat changes in kelp beds and effects to these key species.

Seafloor mapping:

The Maine Habitat Program’s proposed project to conduct high-resolution seafloor mapping received $181,000. State-of-the-art equipment will be leased and ODFW staff and a contracted technician will map the Rogue River Reef complex. Located near Gold Beach, this area is the last major unmapped nearshore rocky reef system in Oregon.

Juvenile Fish Dynamics:

This project was granted $169,815 to genetically identify commercially and recreationally important juvenile fish recruiting into Oregon’s nearshore environment. Oregon State University researchers will use 10 years of ODFW sampling data collected from Oregon’s marine reserves.

This information will be used to inform upcoming stock assessments about how juvenile fish grow and recruit into nearshore fisheries.

Nearshore reef trophic modeling:

ODFW and Oregon State University are partnering to create a food web (trophic) model to better understand the interactions and effects of management decisions on sea otter reintroduction.