Rockfish Topic of Whale Museum Lecture

Rockfish – Photo Credit SeaDoc Society

Dan Tonnes from NOAA Fisheries to speak Monday on rockfish recovery:

The Whale Museum is pleased to welcome Dan Tonnes as part of the 2014 Summer Lecture Series.  The talk entitled “The Long Term Investment in Rockfish Recovery” will take place at The Whale Museum on Monday, September 15 at 6:30 p.m.  

Dan Tonnes from NOAA Fisheries will give a presentation on rockfish and recovery efforts.  Yelloweye rockfish, canary rockfish and bocaccio of the Puget Sound were listed under the Endangered Species in Act in 2010.  The long lives and low reproductive survival combined with past over-harvesting and degraded habitats, have resulted in declines of many populations of rockfish in the Salish Sea.  In this talk, we will discuss the unique life history of rockfish, recent research and recovery efforts, and how recovering rockfish will contribute to recovery of the local ecosystem.

Dan has worked for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration as a biologist since 1999, where he has focused on diverse issues, ranging from long-term watershed habitat conservation plans to fisheries management and research of nearshore and estuary environments. Dan has a US Coast Guard Inland Master 100 Gross Tons Merchant Marine License and previously worked as a boat captain on sport fishing boats in the Puget Sound and Alaska as well as on passenger ferries and oil spill response vessels. He received his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Planning from Seattle Pacific University and a master’s in Marine Affairs from the University of Washington and is a Kinship Conservation Fellow. 

The September 15th lecture event is free and open to the public. For more information, call (360) 378-4710 ext. 30.  The Whale Museum is located in Friday Harbor at 62 First St. N.  Founded in 1976, The Whale Museum’s mission is to promote stewardship of whales and the Salish Sea ecosystem through education and research.  In addition to providing exhibits, the Museum also provides programs including Marine Naturalist Training, Orca Adoption Program, Soundwatch Boater Education, San Juan Islands Marine Mammal Stranding Network, and the Whale Hotline.  The Whale Museum can be found on-line at www.whalemuseum.org.