Please join the waitlist. We are working on adding a second implementation of this course.  

This 1-day training will demonstrate the Department of Fish and Wildlife’s methods for conducting beach surveys and processing samples for Surf Smelt and Sand Lance spawn.  The training will include a classroom component with a presentation and hands-on demonstration of lab techniques. It will also include a field component with a demonstration and time to practice field collection and sample processing. The training is specifically designed for biologists who need to conduct forage fish surveys for regulatory purposes, such as to comply with the conditions of a WDFW, DNR, or ACoE permit. At the conclusion of training, participants will have knowledge of forage fish survey techniques and reporting requirements. (6 AICP CM Credits/CEP Points)

All participants will be expected to follow Washington Department of Ecology’s COVID-19 guidelines at the time of the training. Specifically, you will be asked to complete a COVID-19 health screening within 12 hours of arriving at the Lacey Community Center and wear a mask.

Instructor:  Phillip Dionne is a research scientist with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Habitat Science Team. His current research interests are monitoring effects of shoreline modification on nearshore habitat, identifying and assessing the distribution and characteristics of forage fish spawning habitat, assessing new methods of detecting forage fish spawn, and monitoring the implementation of marine bulkhead HPA permits to help inform the development of a more effective permit system. Prior to joining the habitat program Phill’s research included work with the WDFW Fish Program using mark – recapture, and acoustic telemetry to assess abundance of Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed Green Sturgeon (Acipenser medirostris) in Washington and Oregon estuaries, and using estimates of larvae density to estimate spawning stock biomass of ESA listed Eulachon (Thaleichthys pacificus) returning to the Columbia River.