Marine Monitoring

• Tribal Intertidal Digital Ecological Surveys (TIDES) – 3D imaging of rocky intertidal habitats to capture previously unavailable information on biological response to sea level rise within the rocky intertidal in order to generate detailed projections of how these important ecosystems will be impacted and improve sea level rise vulnerability assessments.  

 Imaging at Taa-ghii~-'a~ (above and below). Photo Credit: Rosa Laucci

• Marine Biotoxin Monitoring 
• La’-na (Sea Star) Health and Abundance surveys – assessing the health and abundance of la’-na at two sites during their recovery from sea star wasting disease. La’-na are keystone species within the rocky intertidal and are vital to the health of the habit.

Healthy la'-na above and diseased la'-na below. Photo Credits: Rosa Laucci   

• Chii-la’-lhsrik (Redtail Surfperch) population study – to gather baseline population data that can be used to inform the creation of regulations of cultural keystone species within the TDN Harvest Title, which will regulate the harvest of fish, shellfish and other resources for citizens of the Tolowa Dee-ni' Nation and broaden the knowledge surrounding this culturally important resource.

• Lat (Seaweed) Monitoring: Population density surveys on Pyropia sp. will be conducted during the traditional harvest times of February – July at three sites: Duu-ma’ See (rocky intertidal within Pyramid Point MPA), Setlh-xa~, and Taa-ghii’-‘a~. Data will be used to determine density of growth and abundance at the sample sites which will inform Harvest Title regulation creation for lat.

• Lhvmsr (Smelt) Monitoring: Environmental DNA (eDNA) will be used to identify lhvmsr presence to inform population abundance at all beaches lhvmsr are traditionally known to run on. This, in addition to, quarterly gravel bed mapping data will inform Harvest Title regulations and population health.  The table below will show presence (green) or absence (red) of lhvmsr at regular sampling sites:

                                                                                                                    2022 eDNA SAMPLING RESULTS