Sequim scientists say Hood Canal has natural cycles of oxygen levels
April 25th, 2007 - 8:45am
(Sequim) - Scientists from Sequim say a recent study indicates Hood Canal has a natural cycle of high and low oxygen levels.
The findings reported by the Battelle Marine Science Laboratory in
Sequim could shed light on recent fish kills in the waterway
between the Kitsap and Olympic Peninsulas.
The principal scientists, Eric Crecelius and Jill Brandenberger, base their findings on deposits of sediment at the bottom of Hood Canal. They say those deposits show oxygen levels in the water have fluctuated in cycles dating back more than three centuries -- and the last 50 years have been a period of relatively high levels, despite recent
fish die-offs.
Brandenberger says humans still must be considered
part of the equation. She says Hood Canal may be so delicate a system that human impact can upset the balance. The research findings have yet to be published.
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