Ashley Ahearn

Animals
3:07 pm
Mon January 21, 2013

To Catch A Marten: Seeking Clues In Olympic National Forest

Originally published on Tue January 22, 2013 8:01 am

It's about 25 degrees on a clear Saturday morning when Gregg Treinish — executive director of Adventurers and Scientists for Conservation, a nonprofit that puts volunteers to work gathering data for scientists around the world — gathers a small group of outdoor adventurers around him near the Duckabush River in the Olympic National Forest in Washington state.

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Animals
4:24 pm
Wed May 16, 2012

What Killed Orca Victoria? Some Point To Naval Tests

Originally published on Wed May 16, 2012 6:34 pm

Few people know the orcas of Puget Sound as well as Ken Balcomb.

A researcher with the Center for Whale Research on Washington state's San Juan Island, Balcomb has been studying the whales for more than 30 years.

It takes Balcomb only a few seconds of listening to the squeaks and whistles of underwater whale recordings to recognize the different pods of orcas.

In one recording, Balcomb identifies the group known as the L Pod — the family many people in the area are talking about right now.

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The Salt
4:06 pm
Wed March 28, 2012

Battling 'Red Tide,' Scientists Map Toxic Algae To Prevent Shellfish Poisoning

Credit Ted S. Warren / AP
An oyster shucker on Samish Island, Wash. on Puget Sound. The state is frequently forced to close beaches to oyster gatherers because of the risks of harmful algae blooms.

Originally published on Fri March 30, 2012 1:14 pm

Public health officials have their hands full keeping your clam chowder and raw oysters safe. That's due, in part, to red tides.

Red tides happen nearly every year as coastal waters warm, killing fish and poisoning shellfish along U.S. coasts. They're not actually tides; they're huge blooms of naturally occurring toxic algae.

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