Possession Sound is located at the Snohomish River estuary system between Everett and Whidbey Island in the greater Puget Sound. Mixing between fresh and saline water occurs as a result of the river’s influence and varying tidal exchange. It was hypothesized that more plankton will be present at North Jetty, a site near the mouth of the Snohomish River compared to Buoy, a site located on the opposite side of the jetty, farther from the river. Therefore, it is expected that the plankton biodiversity of North Jetty will be greater when compared to Buoy. Plankton samples were collected at flood and ebb tide at North Jetty to observe the effects of both location and tide height on plankton biodiversity. At North Jetty, there was a wider variety of phytoplankton and zooplankton species during flood tide while ebb tide demonstrated less biodiversity in a smaller population according to data collected in February of 2013. The data from North Jetty depicts that at flood tide there is a greater influence of salt water flow moving planktonic organisms up river.  Gaining an understanding of the effect of flow on plankton in this local area will help strengthen students' understanding of the Possession Sound estuary system.

Possession Sound is a complex estuary system home to diverse marine life that is impacted by local anthropogenic activity such as surface point and non-point source runoff. Introduction of nutrients with runoff as well as from the Snohomish River and upwelling can lead to increase nutrient concentrations in the surface water, which can cause algal blooms. Phosphate, one of the nutrients, is known to act as a fertilizer for phytoplankton while preventing the growth of zooplankton populations (Phosphates in Water Pollution). We hypothesized that Coscinodiscus spp. will vary directly with phosphate concentrations. To test our hypothesis, we reviewed historical data collected on State of Possession Sound (SOPS) cruises collected in the fall by Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) students. Nutrient and plankton data in October, November, and December of 2010 as well as November of 2011 were compared. We found that during plankton blooms, phosphate levels are extremely low, possibly due to increased absorption of the micronutrient for photosynthesis. Similarly, when phytoplankton populations were low, phosphate levels increased, likely because of decreased absorption. Conversely, an analysis of tides and seasonal anthropogenic activities are likely to have affected the results of our study and could lead us to further questions.

Whether colonizers encouraged the growth of religion or attempted to stamp it out, they played a pivotal role in formation of religious movements within regions under their control. During the Russian colonial rule of Central Asia, a group of intellectuals began a modernist Islamist movement called Jadidism. This movement formed in response to the founders’ belief that Central Asian society was backward and primitive, as well as, in opposition of Russian colonial rule. Though Central Asia did not have a printing press prior to the Russian colonization, the printing press arrived with the Russians and enabled the Jadids to spread their ideas. Yet the low literacy rates within Central Asia caused the Jadids to push for educational reform. My research focuses on the influence of Russian and then Soviet rule on the Jadidist movement. Furthermore, it discusses the Jadids’ influence on education at the beginning of the twentieth century until today. I conducted my research by reading and analyzing texts on the issue and piecing together the information within a field which has been largely ignored by academia. My project attempts to draw attention to the gaps in the knowledge surrounding the Jadidist movement and its significance for the current education systems in Central Asia.

The North American river otter, Lontra canadensis, population is widely distributed throughout the Northern Hemisphere, but has become increasingly rare in some areas due to anthropogenic effects. L. canadensis feeds primarily on shallow-water fish. Research has shown that L. canadensis feeds on crustaceans, insects, and birds. Feces are deposited in communal latrine sites along with scented mucilaginous material to mark territory. Foundational research was conducted between October 2012 and March 2013 in the Snohomish River Estuary to uncover the population distribution, predominant food sources, and presence of protozoa contaminants near Jetty Island at Everett, WA. Remote camera deployment recorded two individuals frequenting one of the latrine sites centrally located on Jetty Island, however, there have been no cameras deployed on North Jetty. Protozoan presence was not observed in preliminary samples. Thirty percent of collected samples are predominately fish scales and bones, while the remaining samples are crustaceans. Fifty-three percent of otoliths analyzed were Sebastes sp., which has been endangered since 2010. This research will help further understanding of the apex predator's behavior and predator-prey relationship in the estuarine system.

Possession Sound is an estuarine system in Puget Sound’s northeast arm that is influenced by freshwater input from the Snohomish River. The Snohomish River carries sediments from upriver and deposits them in Possession Sound. Over the past three years, Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) students have collected sediment samples at specific locations within Possession Sound that are analyzed by Everett Environmental Laboratory for concentrations of various heavy metals: mercury, zinc, copper, cadmium, lead, and arsenic. This area’s history of industrial development, including the Asarco Smelter in Everett 1900s, focused our attention on the lead and arsenic concentrations in Possession Sound. The purpose of this research is to discern any changes in concentrations of lead and arsenic observed at three stations within Possession Sound in the last three years. It was hypothesized that the station Buoy would experience greater fluctuations than the other two stations due to its proximity to the Snohomish River. The heavy metal concentrations are expected to be greater in the spring than during the other seasons because of increased river discharge from melting ice in the mountains, which results in increased stirring of benthic sediments. Dolphin 1 is a shallower location near Hat Island that is expected to have similar fluctuations that correlate with ice melt in the spring. Mukilteo is located farther south in Possession Sound, which would lead to a subtler influence from the Snohomish River, if any at all. Other factors that may impact the concentrations of lead and arsenic at Mukilteo include its proximity to the Mukilteo Ferry, a potential source of runoff containing toxins from human sources.

Possession Sound is a complex estuary system branching off of NE Puget Sound. It is home to an abundance of organisms, primarily birds and mammals, and a multitude of environmental factors which influence them constantly, including the Snohomish River, tides, and anthropogenic factors. Buoy, the station we studied, is one of four stations in Possession Sound used by Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) students to collect data on the state of Possession Sound. Its position in the Sound, at the mouth of the Snohomish River, allowed us to analyze data that is more diversified than the information from other stations. We compared dissolved oxygen (DO) and temperature trends from past years at the Buoy station. We found that in the winter of 2012, in comparison to 2010 winter data, the range was less extreme, with DO ranging from 7.58 mg/L at 8 meters and 11.02 mg/L at sea level, while winter data from 2012 showed DO being 11.47 mg/L at 0 meters and 6.91 at 7 meters. Based on our findings at Buoy we can infer that there has been a change in the seasonal conditions affecting DO and temperature between 2010 and 2012, resulting in increasingly extreme ranges of data in the water column. This suggests that DO and temperature trends could develop wider ranges of data in the future if the factors contributing to the increase in variability of the ranges of these two parameters remain prevalent.

The wintering migration of marine birds in Possession Sound due to tidal influence is a complex and challenging study. Possession Sound provides habitat for the Pacific Flyway migration of marine birds, and the dynamic estuarine environment influences distribution of these birds due to tidal variation. The working hypothesis of this study was that birds were more active feeding during high tides in the morning hours. The data collected for this study was done by land surveys and small vessel trips along transects on North Jetty Island near the Port of Everett. The species of interest included Bald Eagles, Buffleheads, Common Loons, Double Crested Cormorants, Northern Pintails, and Pigeon Guillemots. The status of recovery from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife was compared to data collected. Preliminary data suggests that high tides influence the sandy substrate in Possession Sound, which provides optimum feeding grounds for Buffleheads, Northern Pintails, and Pigeon Guillemots as they have been observed more frequently.

Possession Sound, an estuary system located at the mouth of the Snohomish River in Everett, Washington, is home to a large group of industrial sites which greatly influence the types of runoff affecting the ecosystem. Industrial sites often output heavy metals, which can be dangerous at certain levels, as determined by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Possession Sound is home to three primary industries with historical evidence of leaching copper, lead, and arsenic into the ecosystem: the Everett Naval base, the Kimberly-Clark paper mill, and American Smelting and Refining Company (ASARCO), respectively. We hypothesize that higher levels of these heavy metals will be found in areas close in proximity to the aforementioned industrial sites and combined sewer outfalls. To show these correlations we utilized Washington Department of Ecology 2009 data in conjunction with independent heavy metal sampling at two additional locations: one location offshore, near the historically influential sites and another two nautical miles westward, away from the shore. After collecting samples with a Ponar grab, they were analyzed for heavy metal concentrations through the Everett Environmental Lab per EPA approved methods. Results have shown high concentrations of heavy metals terrestrially, which has caused mandated cleanups of the area. Marine sampling demonstrates a seasonal trend. The concentrations of heavy metals are higher in the spring, correlating with a higher river discharge. Other variables that contribute to these trends include dredging of the river. Should concentrations of heavy metals in the sediments in Possession Sound reach levels deemed unsafe by the EPA, the health of the local aquatic ecosystems may be put at risk through bioaccumulation, particularly near industrial sites.

In the Puget Sound marine ecosystem, a large estuary complex located in the Pacific Northwest, plankton species are impacted by both seasonal variations and water chemistry. Salinity and pH data are collected monthly by Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) students during State of Possession Sound (SOPS) trips, near the urban center of Everett and the Snohomish River delta. We studied salinity and pH data in parallel to plankton samples collected in a vertical tow by a 20µ plankton net. By collecting these data at different stations within the Possession Sound subsystem, we are able to compare varied salinity and pH data to account for spatial differences, in tangent with the collected plankton samples. We focused on Coscinodiscus spp.,  Pseudo-nitzschia spp.,  and adult Copepoda spp., for our plankton species, as they were typically the largest populations in every cruise. The data we collected showed that plankton were most numerous within water of a pH between 6.3-6.7 and a salinity of 28ppt-31ppt. Samples collected that strayed from the 6.3-6.7 pH range or went above or below 26-31ppt had either no, or significantly fewer amounts of plankton.

Possession Sound is an estuary system on the North East arm of Puget Sound, where the delta of the Snohomish River is located. Along the shoreline lies a highly industrial and populated area where there are large amounts of CO2 being put into the atmosphere. Because the ocean is a carbon sink, most of the CO2 that is put into the atmosphere dissolves in the water, and as a result of the excess H+ ions the pH lowers, acidifying the water. With the lowered pH, carbonate becomes less available and it could become increasingly difficult for planktonic organisms with calcium carbonate shells to survive, possibly decreasing their abundance at the halocline (depth of rapid increase or decrease in salinity), while the planktonic organisms with silica shells could possibly thrive in this environment because of decreased predation and competition. To study this, pH data was collected using a multiparameter probe, and plankton samples, using a 20µm net and cod end, were collected at the halocline for three consecutive years in the fall (using only November data), to see if a change in pH was followed by a change in the planktonic organisms present. Quantified species include Chaetoceros, Odontella, Psuedonitscha, Barnacle nauplius, Crab Zoea, Amphipod. The pH ranged from 5.89-7.9. In the data collected, there were more planktonic organisms with silica shells when there were lower pH levels, although more data is needed to rule out other contributing factors. The working hypothesis is, as the pH levels decrease, the planktonic organisms with calcium carbonate shells will decrease.