This document discusses a study on the human impacts of harmful algal blooms (HABs) on coastal communities in the US. A group of graduate students from the University of Washington are conducting interviews in fishing communities affected by HABs to better understand community resilience. In 2015, a massive toxic HAB affected the west coast of the US, resulting in fishery closures that disrupted local economies. The goals of the study are to assess how HAB events impact communities and to develop a framework to address communities' needs following HABs.

1. IMPACTS OF
HARMFUL ALGAL BLOOMS
Social Study 2016/2017
The social, economic and cultural impacts
of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the US are
not well documented. The human toll of HABs
extends far beyond the lost fisheries landings and
tourism-related income that are commonly used to
assess impacts. Profound hardship may result from
economic, social, and cultural disruption long
after the bloom has dissipated.
Starting in May 2015, a massive toxic HAB
affected the US west coast from central California
to southern Alaska, resulting in significant impacts
to coastal resources and marine life. Because of
unsafe levels of HAB toxins in seafood, coastwide
harvest closures of shellfish (including Dungeness
crab, rock crab, and razor clams) and fish (sardines
and anchovies) were enacted in summer 2015,
cutting off the economic lifeline for fishery-
dependent communities.
Our group of graduate students from the University
of Washington, School of Marine and Environmental
Affairs, seeks to better understand the human
dimensions of HABs. By conducting interviews
in coastal communities dependent on resources
that are affected by toxic HABs, we aim to assess
community resilience. Our goal is to create a
framework that will capture the specific needs
of coastal communities in the wake of HAB
events to ultimately inform future actions.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS CONTACT US
For more information about the study, please check out our
website @ https://smea.uw.edu/about/news/2016/10/18/
socioeconomic-impacts-of-harmful-algal-blooms/ or
email us at SMEAgrad@uw.edu.How will this study be used?
The information collected will contribute towards
improving our understanding of the social, economic
and cultural impacts of HABs in coastal fishing
communities. It may also inform the development of
strategies to foster resilience of coastal communities
to HABs.
Who does this study include?
We invite anyone who identifies themselves as a
member of the coastal community, including but not
limited to fishermen, operators, crew, fish processors,
processor employees, buyers/first receivers, municipal
employees, shoreside business such as lodging,
restaurants, fishing and sporting goods suppliers, and
others who feel they are part of the community and are
affected by HABs.
Are my answers confidential?
This is a confidential interview.Analysis of the
interview results will be anonymous and/or aggregated.
Information obtained in the interviews will be subject
to the University of Washington’s confidentiality
requirements and will not be provided or presented in
any way as to identify individual participants.
Do I have to participate?
Your participation and input is VERY IMPORTANT
and will help us to better understand the impacts of
HABs and communities’ abilities to respond to them.
However, this is a VOLUNTARY survey and you may
choose to skip any question or end the interview at
any point.
Background photos: NOAA Fisheries/NWFSC/HD. Razor clam photo: Vera Trainer
NOAA Fisheries/NWFSC. Dungeness Crab photo: Jan Haaga NOAA Fisheries/AFSC.

2. WHO ARE WE?
We are graduate students from the University of Washington’s
School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA). SMEA has
fostered comprehensive, long-term, and proactive approaches
to contemporary marine issues since the early 1970’s. SMEA’s
curriculum is built around the concept of human dimensions of
the marine environment – how humans’ behaviors, attitudes,
and policies affect global change in the marine environment.
The program’s interdisciplinary approach prepares students to
become well-rounded practitioners in marine science, policy,
and management.
Capstone Graduate Students
Kathryn Blair was a fisheries observer
with the National Marine Fisheries
Service (NMFS) in Alaska,Washington,
and Oregon.While living and working in
a small fishing community, she became
interested in the resiliency of these towns,
especially when faced with environmental
challenges like HABs. She is currently an intern
with NMFS in the Sustainable Fisheries Division.
Amy Brodbeck spent the last five years
communicating science to the public,
both as a whale watching naturalist
in Alaska and Hawaii and as a park
ranger in Glacier Bay National Park.
With a degree in biology, her fieldwork
experience includes working on a fisheries
restoration project in Yellowstone National Park,
fire regeneration surveys in northern California, and
assisting scientists at a marine field station in Chilean
Patagonia. She is interested in the human dimensions of
environmental change, including the impacts of HABs on
coastal communities.
Sara Brostrom is interested in researching
the social and economic impacts of
HABs on coastal communities. Prior
to returning to graduate school, Sara
was a public school science teacher in
Baltimore and Seattle for five years.
WHY PARTICIPATE?
• Provides community members a forum to
communicate information from their unique
perspectives.
• Increases the amount of social information available
about communities’ responses to HAB events.
• Clarifies and expands our knowledge of HAB
impacts to coastal fishing communities.
• Informs the development of strategies to foster
resilience of coastal communities to HABs.
HOW TO PARTICIPATE
The best way to participate in this research is to take part
in an interview.The researchers will schedule a time to
meet with you either in person or over the phone.The
interview process will likely take approximately 1 hour
to complete.
Social Science Lead
Stacia Dreyer, PhD, is the Social
Science Lead on the project,
overseeing the qualitative
research. She is a mixed-methods
researcher, using quantitative
and qualitative methods to better
understand human dimensions of
environmental issues such as HABs.
Michael Cline earned his bachelors
in marine science while living on
beaches in the southeastern
United States. During that time, he
became increasingly interested in
the interplay between people and
the coast, and how human activity
can affect planktonic communities in
nearshore waters. HABs were a natural part
of this relationship, and Michael is excited to use
the analytical and quantitative skills he developed
studying these events to better inform public policy
that directly affects coastal communities.
Jerilyn Coberly earned a bachelor’s
degree in Earth and Space Sciences:
Geology at the University of
Washington. Her undergraduate
work with the Puget Sound Foram
Research Project focused on how
monitoring marine microorganisms
could help track the health of Puget
Sound.This project led to an interest in how
science can inform policy and vice versa. Now,
Jerilyn is excited to apply her skills to another
project with wide implications for policy, economics,
public health, and cooperation between private and
public organizations.
Scott McGrew is an Active Duty Officer
in the United States Coast Guard
currently assigned to the University
of Washington. Most recently, he
served as Commanding Officer of
Station Cape Disappointment at the
mouth of the Columbia River.At Cape
Disappointment, he oversaw search
and rescue, law enforcement, and port security
on one of the busiests and most treacherous
waterways in America. His assignments over the
last 18 years have been in small coastal towns
and is what sparked his interest in this project. He
is committed to maintaining the social fabric of
fishing communities, while working collaboratively
to develop strategies to build resilience to climate
change, natural disasters, and changes in fisheries
management regimes.
Oceanography Lead
Stephanie Moore, PhD, is the Oceanography
Lead on the project. Stephanie is a Project
Scientist at the University Corporation
for Atmospheric Research. She
conducts research to a gain a predictive
understanding of HABs and to better
understand how harmful algae respond
to changes in climate and interact with the
marine environment.