Our April 19^th implementation has filled. Please click here to sign up for the training on April 20^th. The April 20^th implementation of this training will take place at the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve from 9:00 am – 4:30 pm.

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)

Lunch will be provided.

Please reach out to Sara Brostrom (bros461@ecy.wa.gov) if you require an accommodation for this training (audio, visual, mobility, or other). Additionally, we can offer a couple of scholarships to cover the registration fees. Please reach out to Sara Brostrom (bros461@ecy.wa.gov) if you need a scholarship in order to participate in the training after you register.

Instructors:

Before moving to Washington State, Phillip Dionne studied geology and oceanography at Stony Brook University and the University of Hawaii, was a hands-on science instructor at the Newfound Harbor Marine Institute in the Florida Keys and was a graduate research assistant at the University of Maine where he earned degrees in Marine Biology and Marine Policy. Phill has been with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife since 2011. During this time he has worked on mark- recapture and acoustic telemetry studies of ESA listed Green Sturgeon, developed spawning biomass estimates for Pacific Herring and ESA listed Eulachon Smelt using ichthyoplankton and egg deposition surveys, developed new methods to improve detection of Surf Smelt and Pacific Sand Lance habitat, monitored the effects of shoreline modifications on nearshore habitat, participated in surveys of coastal pelagic species from Washington to California, and has had the privilege to work with and train over 400 volunteers, professional biologists, and AmeriCorps interns in the US and Canada to document forage fish habitat. Phill is currently the Senior Research Scientist for forage fish research and management at WDFW, he serves as a co-chair of the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program’s Forage Fish and Food Webs work groups, he is the Washington State representative on the Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Highly Migratory Species Management Team and is a member of the Pacific Marine and Estuarine Fish Habitat Science and Data Committee. 

Wendel Raymond is a research scientist with Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife Habitat Science Team. Wendel joined the team in mid-February and will be working on a variety of nearshore projects including forage fish spawn surveys. Wendel earned his PhD in 2020 from University of Alaska Fairbanks where is studied subsistence harvest of sea otters and sea otter effects in seagrass communities in southeast Alaska. Since moving to Washington in late 2020, Wendel has been a research scientist at University of Washington where he has worked on a variety of projects including assessing the impact of the 2021 heatwave on co-managed shellfish, helped develop the new floating kelp bed area vital sign indicator for Puget Sound Partnership, and lead a watershed and algae monitoring program on San Juan Island. Wendel is excited to apply his experience and expertise to the Habitat Program’s mission through research and collaboration within and outside the agency.