Marine Heatwaves and their Effects on Coastal Fishes

On May 12th, 2022 Jessica Miller, OSU Professor of Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences, presented a very pertinent issue, Marine Heatwaves. Marine heatwaves are increasing in frequency and intensity around the world. From 2014 to 2016, anomalous atmospheric conditions resulted in the largest known marine heatwave in the northeast Pacific Ocean, and another heatwave occurred in 2019. These extreme ocean warming events impacted all levels of the food web, resulting in reduced condition of many marine species. The abundance of Pacific Cod in the Gulf of Alaska declined by more than 75%, leading to the closure of the fishery and a disaster declaration. Jessica Miller and her colleges are documenting how this heatwave affected the growth and condition of Columbia River Spring Chinook salmon and the growth and phenology – or timing of life history events – of Pacific Cod in the Gulf of Alaska. They combine field studies with laboratory analysis of fish ear stones, which are balance and orientation structures that lay down daily growth rings, to age fish, determine their hatch date, and reconstruct their growth and migratory history. Jessica will provide an overview of what we are learning about how these ecologically and economically important species responded to these extreme ocean temperatures, which are predicted to occur regularly under future climate change scenarios.   Jessica Miller is a Professor in Fisheries, Wildlife, and Conservation Sciences at Oregon State University. She is also a member of the Coastal Oregon Marine Experiment Station and leads the Marine and Anadromous Fisheries Ecology Lab in Newport, Oregon. Her research focuses on ecology of marine and anadromous fishes, with an emphasis on how environmental and climate variation affect their growth and survival. She received a BA in Zoology from the University of Montana, a MS in Fisheries from University of Washington, and a PhD in Biology from the University of Oregon.