Hide and seek on the Stillaguamish

How WDFW is working to better understand predation impacts on one of Puget Sound’s most-threatened salmon runs

WDFW Biologist Sarah Colosimo uses a spotting scope to scan the tidal flats where the Stillaguamish River empties into Port Susan, looking for signs of predators that may be preying on threatened salmon.

Recovery and decline

Harbor seals swim near the mouth of Whatcom Creek in fall 2020.

A run in trouble

Sarah Colosimo gathers data during a predation survey along the Stillaguamish River in late summer 2021.
A great blue heron scans the tidal flats near Port Susan in summer 2021. (Sarah Colosimo photo)
A Stillaguamish Chinook salmon. (Casey Clark photo)

One piece of the puzzle

Salt marsh on Leque Island, part of the Skagit Wildlife Area, in August 2021.

What’s next

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The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is dedicated to preserving, protecting and perpetuating the state’s fish and wildlife resources.

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The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is dedicated to preserving, protecting and perpetuating the state’s fish and wildlife resources.