High schoolers design and teach a lesson on Pacific salmon and chemicals

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What brought a group of high schoolers to SAFS to teach a lesson on Pacific salmon and chemicals? It all started with an interest in ecology in 9th grade biology class, and a quest to find a relevant, local topic that they could base a research project on. Since then, Iris Zhang, Ivy Wei, and Sylvia Mei from Redmond High School—now sophomores in 10th grade—found a graduate student researching this topic, and developed a lesson centered on the effects of 6PPD-quinone on salmon.

“After asking our biology teachers for ideas, one suggested looking into the impact of tire residue on salmon populations,” Ivy, Sylvia, and Iris shared. “The more we learned, the more fascinated we became—especially when we realized how local and urgent the issue was.” Present in vehicle tires is the chemical 6PPD, which prevents them from breaking down due to reactions with ozone in the air. When this chemical reacts with ozone, it forms 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-q), which then runs off into stormwater when it rains. 6PPD-q has been found to be toxic to aquatic organisms, such as coho salmon.

Screenshot of three high schoolers preparing a lesson on salmon and chemicals
Top to bottom: Sylvia Mei, Iris Zhang, and Ivy Wei researching the topic of salmon and chemicals in preparation for developing a lesson.

Here’s where Amirah Casey enters into the story. After reaching out to Dr. Nat Scholz, program manager of the NOAA Ecotoxicology team, he put the high schoolers into contact with Amirah, a SAFS graduate student studying the effects of urbanization and climate change on natural systems. “Amirah offered us the opportunity to co-develop a curriculum centered on the effects of 6PPD-quinone on salmon,” Sylvia, Iris, and Ivy said. The lesson is part of a wider outreach effort to middle-schoolers, undertaken by SEAS (Students Explore Aquatic Sciences), a group based in SAFS.

“These students have created an awesome simulation and lesson, and in April, they came to UW to present this to the SEAS board members and other graduate students, who were all very impressed with their work,” Amirah said.

Opting to make this lesson as enjoyable as possible, the high school group decided to structure it as a mystery. “The most entertaining part about creating the lesson was definitely how we decided to frame our lesson as a mystery,” they said. “Figuring out how to present the information in a way that wouldn’t reveal the final answer was an obstacle for us, but it encouraged us to problem solve and we came up with fun solutions throughout this process.” A unique benefit for them was also casting their minds back to being middle schoolers and thinking of the ways in which the lesson could be of most interest to that age group. “When going through and editing the lesson, we tried to take the perspective of being a middle schooler and this encouraged us to do our best at including enjoyable activities and questions,” they shared.

Three students stand at the front of the room to give a presentation, while two people sit at the table to watch.
Amirah Casey
L-R: Sylvia, Ivy, and Iris, presenting their lesson, ‘The Mysterious Salmon Killer’, to SEAS board members.

One of the main components of the curriculum was an interactive simulation that focused on mirroring the effects of 6PPD-q on coho salmon in different stream types. “Students going through the lesson work in small groups, each with their own container setup representing an environmental condition. Inside each container were laminated salmon cutouts to simulate live fish in the ecosystem,” Iris, Ivy, and Sylvia said. “We purposefully set this lesson up as an investigation where students are introduced to the problem and must figure out the culprit to the mysterious salmon deaths.”

Not only did they get to design a lesson, but the group also got the chance to present it in a visit to SAFS, building skills that will come in handy throughout the rest of their future educational and career journeys. “We were thrilled when we were given the opportunity to present to the SEAS members. It was very exciting to see our work with Amirah turn into an interesting and engaging lesson,” they said. “Although we’ve had experience presenting short lessons to our peers before, this was our first time presenting a full-length lesson with interactive activities and worksheets. The SEAS board members were very lovely to present to, extremely welcoming, and helped us feel confident. Plus, they helped us imitate a real middle-school classroom by pretending to be students!”

Four students (three high school and one graduate) stand in front of a presentation screen.
L-R: Sylvia, Iris, and Ivy with their graduate student mentor, Amirah Casey after presenting their lesson in a visit to SAFS.

Subject experts and educators: that’s how Ivy, Sylvia, and Iris describe themselves now as a result of this project. “While creating this lesson plan, we became specialized in an issue impacting our local environment: the toxic effects of 6PPD-q on salmon populations in Puget Sound area. Not only did we get to try out the role of being an educator—which gave us a deeper appreciation for our teachers—but we also became scientists who were conducting research to understand more about the impacts of this chemical,” they said.

Continuing on the scientist route is the goal for this group of high schoolers. “While it’s still early, we know we want to pursue some branch of biology, and this project has taught us important research skills and helped us become more aware of current environmental issues,” they said. What’s next for them after high school? “We hope to build off the skills gained from this project to do our own research in university, such as conducting hands-on lab experiments—be that on an environmental issue or another field of biology,” Sylvia, Iris, and Ivy said. “Ultimately, we feel incredibly lucky to have had the opportunity to work on something so meaningful with an amazing mentor, and we know that the skills and experiences we’ve gained on this journey will stay with us.”

Check out Amirah Casey’s StoryMap about the challenges faced by Pacific salmon

Bringing to life the story of Pacific salmon and their recovery challenges

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In a StoryMap bringing to life the challenges faced by Pacific salmon, SAFS graduate student, Amirah Casey, dives into the role of urban stormwater runoff and climate change in hindering salmon recovery.

Pacific salmon and Steelhead are vital to many parts of life in the Pacific Northwest, and across western North America. From recreational and commercial fisheries that benefit humans, to providing a food source for birds and marine mammals, while also being central to the cultures of Indigenous Peoples, these species are integral in this part of the world. Historically low abundances led to research which revealed a unique threat to them: polluted stormwater runoff and the presence of the chemical 6PPD-q, which comes from when the chemical 6PPD in vehicle tires reacts ozone in the air.

Two fish in a shallow river.
Samantha-Lynn Martinez
Some Pacific salmon, like coho, are facing historically low abundance, due to stressors such as climate change and urban stormwater runoff. Pictured are coho and chum salmon.

“I have always been interested in how humans impact the environment, and my interest in urbanization and climate change really blossomed in high school,” Amirah shared. “My jumpstart into research began when I took the first ever class as part of the Marine and Coastal Science cohort at Western Washington University (WWU), taught by Dr. Jim Cooper. He taught us about POP’s (persistent organic pollutants) and I was soon working in his lab with chemicals like PCBs and PBDEs.”

After joining the SAFS graduate program, Amirah became a member of the Applied Ecology Lab, advised by Dr. Mark Scheuerell, and reached out to the program manager of the NOAA Ecotox team—Dr. Nat Scholz—to see if there were any opportunities to collaborate. “I told him my two biggest interests were the effects of urbanization and climate change on our natural systems and how I wanted to be a part of the solution. That is when he said: “Oh yeah, you’re one of us” and we have been working together ever since,” Amirah said.

Amirah’s collaborators at the NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center (NWFSC) Ecotoxicology Program had an old StoryMap on their website and the EPA website, dating from before 6PPD-q was discovered. Amirah decided she would take on the project of revamping the StoryMap with updated science and engaging elements to share more widely about the stressors that Pacific salmon are facing. “The impacts of stormwater runoff on species like Coho salmon are undeniable,” Amirah said. “Up to 90% mortalities in urban watersheds after storm events is completely unsustainable if there is any hope of recovering these species, and that’s why I became so interested in how these two stressors (urbanization and climate change) impact Pacific salmon.”

A graphic showing how the chemical 6PPD, used in vehicles tires, ends up waterways. The graphic depicts a car and stormwater draining into a river.
Samantha-Lynn Martinez
Amirah Casey is using illustrations such as these graphic designs created by recent UW graduate, Samantha-Lynn Martinez, to demonstrate how chemicals end up in waterways and impact salmon.

Two big elements were new in Amirah’s version of the StoryMap. One was updated information, compiled over decades of research on this topic by the NOAA Ecotox team. “My role in this project was to sort through all the folders of images and videos collected by NOAA and select which would tell the best story, and likewise go through linked resources such as articles, YouTube videos and peer-reviewed literature that would support readers looking for more information,” Amirah said. “As someone who has worked on stormwater for so many years, the insights and narratives provided by Nat Scholz were invaluable in telling this story.”

The second new element were original graphics, videos and photographs, created and taken by Samantha-Lynn Martinez, a recent graduate of the UW Marine Biology program. “I met with Samantha-Lynn during a SEAS outreach event, and she had shared some of her work with salmon and stormwater, and a lightbulb went off in my head,” Amirah shared. “I really wanted to be able to work with her to take images and videos, and create graphics for the StoryMap—and get paid for her work—so that’s when I applied for the Future Rivers support funding and was able to hire Samantha-Lynn for her amazing graphic design and photography.”

Check out the easily accessible and engaging StoryMap, “Pacific Salmon at a Crossroads”, to learn more about the story of urban stormwater runoff and climate change, and to dive in to more resources and open-source papers on the subject.

Explore the StoryMap

Witnessing one of nature’s most impressive migrations: a summer with the Alaska Salmon Program

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Nestled among a set of glacial lakes in the Wood River system is where scientists with the Alaska Salmon Program spend their summers. From students just beginning their research journeys in aquatic sciences, to seasoned field technicians and faculty, the camps based on Lake Aleknagik and Lake Nerka are the temporary home for both scientists and the fish that they are studying: Pacific salmon.

Niamh Owen-McLaughlin
Tens of millions of sockeye salmon return to Alaska’s freshwater systems each year.

Five different types of Pacific salmon return to the western Alaskan watersheds of the Nushugak River system each summer, but the sockeye salmon is the predominant one in the Wood River system, where the Alaska Salmon Program conducts much of its research. Changing from a silver color in the marine environment to a startling red when they return to freshwater systems, sockeye salmon are one of nature’s most impressive migrations. Year after year, tens of millions of sockeye salmon return to the freshwater systems in which they were born, to continue the cycle of spawning for the next generation of fish.

Niamh Owen-McLaughlin
Researchers collect data on salmon abundance, sex ratios, spatial distributions across spawning areas, species differentiation, and ages of returning salmon from otoliths (the ear stones of fish).

The Alaska Salmon Program at UW, formerly known as the Fisheries Research Institute (FRI), has been running since the 1940s and continues to this day to deliver the latest insights into Alaska and one of the world’s important aquatic ecosystems and fisheries. It’s also a program that trains the next generation of fishery and aquatic scientists in an immersive, hands-on, and real-world environment that undergoes a huge transformation each year. To date, hundreds of students have visited the field camps in Alaska, with many going on to work in fields such as fishery and wildlife management, environmental education and academia.

Niamh Owen-McLaughlin
Hundreds of students have visited the field camps in Alaska since the 1940s, learning essential skills for fishery and aquatic scientists.

So, what does an average day with the Alaska Salmon Program look like? Collecting data on salmon abundance, sex ratios, spatial distributions across spawning areas, species differentiation, and ages of returning salmon from otoliths are just some of the things feeding into the Alaska Salmon Program’s long-term monitoring program. Otoliths, the ear stones of fish which provide information on size and age, are taken from dead salmon which have completed spawning or have been killed by bears.

Niamh Owen-McLaughlin
Otoliths, the ear stones of fish which provide information on size and age, are taken from dead salmon which have completed spawning or have been killed by bears.

Another area of research is limnology, which is the study of inland aquatic ecosystems, involving researchers going out on skiffs to various points around the lakes to collect samples including temperature and presence of aquatic organisms like zooplankton, which are the primary food for juvenile sockeye salmon that rear in the lakes before migrating to the ocean.

Niamh Owen-McLaughlin
The long-term monitoring data gives insight into the impact of climate change on these ecosystems and how the fish are responding as they return to the streams to spawn.

All of this data feeds into the Alaska Salmon Program’s long-term monitoring program that tracks abundance and the impact of wider issues like climate change on these ecosystems. All the different streams and lakes in these watersheds react differently to climate, as do the fish in them – from migrating fish like sockeye salmon to resident fish like rainbow trout and grayling. The data generated from long-term monitoring efforts and research therefore give insight into the impact of climate change on these ecosystems and how the fish are responding when they travel up the streams to spawn.

Another key part of the work of the Alaska Salmon Program is its pre-season forecasts provided to the fishing industry that operates out of Bristol Bay. Forecasts on fish runs and age/weight of fish is important for the management of commercial fisheries as the forecasts allow managers and fishers to fine-tune their operational plans for the following season A new development in this work is providing an earlier pre-season forecast as the industry begins planning for the next season’s operations, even as the current season is winding down.

Watch Part 1 of our mini series with the Alaska Salmon Program

Watch Part 2 of our mini series with the Alaska Salmon Program

 

Did you know, Aleknagik means ‘Wrong Way’ in Yupik? The Wood River is a major tributary of the Nushagak River, joining the main river near the coast at what is present-day Dillingham. In pre-historic times, if residents traveling inland from the coast reached Lake Aleknagik via Wood River, they knew they’d gone the wrong way if they had actually intended to navigate up the mainstem of the Nushagak.