Lontra canadensis, more commonly known as the North American river otter, is a resident in many riparian and coastal ecosystems across the continent. The behaviors of mainland populations – the inhabitants of freshwater lakes and rivers – have been well documented and studied over the years. The impact of tides on coastal and estuarine populations, however, is still largely unknown. Therefore in 2012, members of the Ocean Research College Academy, a dual enrollment program run through Everett Community College, began studying otters in Possession Sound. Preliminary diet analysis of scats retrieved from local latrine sites revealed target prey consisting of mostly saltwater species. Due to the high metabolic rate of otters necessitating large daily food intake and prey availability in estuaries being driven by tidal cycles, it was then hypothesized a correlation existed between tides and the presence of otters in the sound. Specifically, it was predicted otters would be present at high salinity tides when the water chemistry could sustain their prey species. To test this, game cameras were installed at latrine sites on Jetty Island and the Hat Island ferry dock in Everett, Washington. Visits by otters were documented and time stamped, with corresponding tide stages and heights recorded. The majority of visitations occurred at tide heights above 4 feet (81% of visits) with considerably fewer camera captures during low salinity tides. Further research is currently being done into the possible impacts of other local factors on river otter behavior, including spring-neap tidal cycles and river discharge.

 North American river otter (Lontra canadensis) populations are difficult to assess by means such as live-capture; however, non-invasive fecal sampling has become a viable way to assess many aspects of river otter ecology including diet and genetics. L. canadensis uses specific locations called latrines to regularly defecate and scent mark. Fecal samples collected from latrine sites can be used for DNA analysis to distinguish unique individuals and evaluate genetic diversity in a population. Within Possession Sound, minimal research on the abundance and diversity of L. canadensis has been conducted. In fall of 2012, students at the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) became the first to study the species in this area. As of fall 2013, two latrine sites of L. canadensis in Possession Sound have been monitored using motion-sensing camera traps. Weekly checks for fresh scat and anal jellies are performed, with 153 samples collected so far. Diet is assessed by identifying prey remains present in feces. Currently, 27 scat samples have gone through DNA extraction, and Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) will be performed in the near future using the primers RIO-05, RIO-10, LUT-701, and LUT-801. DNA analysis results will provide information about population size, which is difficult to estimate using camera footage. It is expected that DNA analysis will identify a relatively small number of individuals, as the maximum number of otters simultaneously captured on camera footage is seven. With a small population size, we also expect some amount of genetic interrelatedness in the individuals identified through DNA analysis.

The location of anthropogenic plastics in the marine environment is influenced by current speeds generated by wind and estuarine influences. Local, estuary-based studies by undergraduates at the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA), an early college program through Everett Community College, conducted surface sampling of the Possession Sound water column for microplastics in the spring and fall of 2013 and winter of 2014. These investigations examine the influence of current speed on the distribution of microplastics in Possession Sound. Two public access docks on opposite sides of Possession Sound (Everett, WA and Langley, WA) were compared to examine spatial trends in current speed as well as proximity to potential land-based sources of pollutants. Samples were collected using a 20 μm plankton and current speed was recorded by flow meter. Water samples were analyzed for plastics using a Wet Peroxide Oxidation to remove organic compounds. It is hypothesized that higher plastic levels will correlate with lower current speeds and increased proximity to urban sources near Everett.

Possession Sound and the Snohomish River Estuary system support a vast diversity of marine organisms and a complex biotic web sustained by nutrients introduced via upwelling and Snohomish River outflow. Over the past three years (2011-2013) the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) has gathered nutrient data on monthly State of Possession Sound (SOPS) cruises using a Niskin bottle and a YSI (a tool used to measure water chemistry). Our study explored trends in nutrient data in the surface and halocline of the Possession Sound water column over the course of a year as related to temperature and dissolved oxygen content. Water samples from our study were sent to the University of Washington Marine Chemistry Labs for nutrient analysis. We hypothesized that NOx (nitrite and nitrate) levels would be comparatively lower overall in the spring and summer than to fall and winter. Conversely, ammonium levels would be lower in the fall and winter and higher during the spring and summer. In the spring and summer months, more NOx would be utilized and therefore extracted from the system by photosynthesizing marine organisms, while in the fall and winter, decaying organic matter would release NOx without being depleted by marine organisms, allowing the NOx count to increase. With the increase in photosynthesis and marine organism counts during the spring and summer, defecation would increase, thus increasing ammonium levels. The data partially supported this hypothesis. NOx concentrations followed the predicted trends, however ammonium level variation correlated with factors beyond the original scope of the investigation. Future research will include exploration into seasonal chlorophyll levels providing evidence of phytoplankton activity, thus nutrient usage.

 The Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) is a Running Start program through Everett Community College. Monthly State of Possession Sound (SOPS) cruises are conducted that analyze the overall health of the Possession Sound ecosystem. By monitoring physical, chemical, biological, and geological parameters through these cruises, conclusions can be drawn from the data collected. Sediment samples were gathered from different locations throughout Possession Sound--a smaller portion of the Puget Sound located between Whidbey Island and Snohomish County in Washington where the Snohomish River converges with Puget Sound . These samples were analyzed for the relative concentrations of arsenic, copper, and lead by the Everett Environmental Laboratory and distribution and relative concentrations at each site were further examined. The effects of human interaction on the environment--farming, industry, transportation, and recreation--as well as natural fluctuations in tides, currents, and precipitation influence heavy metal deposition in certain locations. The impact of heavy metals spreads to the overall marine health, affecting the food chain through bioaccumulation of these metals in plankton at the basis of the food chain and concentrating further through consumption by other marine life and animals that eat marine life. From the heavy metal information produced by our study, we plan to continue mirroring similar bay studies conducted by the Department of Ecology (DOE), where we can compare heavy metal data collected from this study with water chemistry data and the overall marine health of the Possession Sound ecosystem.

The Possession Sound, located within the Puget Sound, is a diverse estuarine environment where freshwater from the Snohomish River mixes with the ocean water from the Strait of Juan de Fuca. A key variable that influences fluctuations in an estuary system is tidal stage changes that result in mixing and stratification that influence water chemistry. The working hypothesis is that increased high salinity, cold water during high tide will result in decreased pH and increased dissolved oxygen (D.O.) Data from 2010 to 2013 were collected monthly at the Mukilteo and Mount Baker Terminal stations. YSI 85 and 650 data for salinity, temperature, pH, and D.O. were organized based on tidal stages. The data did not support our hypothesis; trend lines indicate that as tidal stages increase pH increases from 7.5 to 7.6. On average, D.O. decreased as tidal stages increased, from 9.1mg/L to 8.4 mg/L. Chemical levels in the water column are also influenced by phytoplankton through photosynthesis and respiration. Future research will be conducted to determine the correlation between the amount of plankton in the water and the levels of pH and D.O. in the water column.

Possession Sound is located between the coastline of Snohomish county and Southeast of the Whidbey Island Basin within the Puget Sound. The freshwater Snohomish River is the second greatest input to the Puget Sound and greatly affects the overall health of Possession Sound. Monthly since 2009, the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) students collect samples in the Possession Sound with a Niskin bottle, to send to the University of Washington Marine Chemistry Lab which provides nutrient concentrations which can fluctuate with season, weather, river discharge, marine organisms, and anthropogenic influences, specifically waste water outfall. Focal analysis of a site close to the Snohomish River were compared to other locations up river. Discharge data corresponds with fluctuating levels of nitrates, nitrites (NOx) and ammonia throughout the year. NOx data corresponds with river discharge with an exception to spring where there is a general decrease. In April of 2013, for example, the discharge is at a high 18,300 ft³/second, but the NOx concentrations are at lows, at 3.04 μm/L. The subtle changes in ammonia concentrations seem to correlate with the extremes in river discharge. For example, between May and June of 2010, the river discharge data increases from 12,550 ft³/second to 15,090 ft³/second. Ammonia concentration follows, in May the concentration is 36.8 μm/L, which increases in June to 49.8 μm/L. The hypothesis was partially supported. Ammonia data correlated with river discharge, raising as river discharge flow increases. Comparatively, the NOx data varied independently of river discharge. Further research into ammonia concentrations and waste water outfall in addition to utilization of NOx by plankton species such as Thalassiosira spp. and Copepod spp. populations is yet to be conducted.

At the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA), data is collected monthly at five locations in Possession Sound and is used to create a bigger picture of the health of the sound. Previous studies demonstrate that heavy metal concentrations in the sediment of Possession Sound and the Snohomish River vary with location. Upriver and point source anthropogenic influences contribute heavy metals, including zinc, lead and arsenic, to seafloor sediment and adversely affect the quality of the sediment. This study focused on bottom sediment at three different locations in Possession Sound and in the Snohomish River to investigate spatial patterns in heavy metal concentrations due to river influence. The sites, with increasing distance from the river, are three upriver samples, and three sites in Possession Sound. The river site sediment was potentially affected by the legacy of the ASARCO smelter in North Everett. Sites 1 and 2 are located near the mouth of the Snohomish River. Site 3 includes Mukilteo and Mount Baker Terminal data, both near busy ports and recreational areas. At these three sites, sediment samples were collected by utilizing a ponar grab. These samples were analyzed in the lab, and showed the heavy metal levels for each site. United States Geological Survey river flow data was also accessed to tie the high heavy metal patterns due to high river flow and greater discharge of sediments. Further research could be conducted to measure the biological impact that these metals have through bioaccumulation, based on our findings of heavy metal hot spots.

Puget Sound consists of many smaller bodies of water including Possession Sound, located between the cities of Everett and Mukilteo, Washington. The Asarco Smelter, located in North Everett was active around 100 years ago, resulting in heavy pollutants such as lead into the Snohomish River leading to Possession Sound. The Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA) students sample Possession Sound for sediments monthly. It can be hypothesized that the lead concentration will be higher at the location Buoy, because it is closer to the fresh water outputs such as the Snohomish River. Consequently, the location Mukilteo/Mount Baker Terminal (MUK/MBT), that is further south in Possession Sound, will have a lower lead concentration since it is further away from the Snohomish River in comparison to Buoy. According to the data collected, from 2009 to 2013, Buoy had a higher amount of lead concentration in comparison to MBT/MUK. However, factors to be considered are other anthropogenic influences, river discharge, tidal stages, time such as time of day, what season and the time of year the data was collected, as well as water currents that could impact the lead concentration in Possession Sound. Future studies will consist of scrutinizing organic matter in sediments in correlation with lead concentration to analyze if biological organisms are impacted by the amount of lead present in sediment.

During the 2012-2013 school year, foundational research on the diet of the Possession Sound river otter (Lontra canadensis) population was performed by students of the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA), a dual enrollment program at Everett Community College. This study included diet analysis of scat samples, visual surveys using motion-sensing game cameras, and tests for protozoa presence. The diet analysis showed the otter population to have a primarily marine crustacean diet. Further research during the 2013-2014 school year focused on gathering information about river otter abundance though camera traps and diet analysis of scat samples from communal “latrine sites.” This research aims to compare results from two latrine sites regularly studied in the Everett Marina to a new site established three miles up the Snohomish River, at Langus Riverfront Park. The highest number of river otters observed on camera simultaneously has been seven. It is hypothesized that these otters form one group which transit up and down river with the tidal cycle, resulting in the same groups of otters frequenting all the camera locations. It is assumed that otters will frequent upriver sites at high tide, following the marine species from Possession Sound with the more saline water. This will result in the upriver site having increased visitation at high tide noted in the camera trap data and no significant variation in prey types compared to the marina.

Possession Sound is located in the northeast arm of Whidbey Basin of Puget Sound. Students at the Ocean Research College Academy, a Running Start program at Everett Community College, conduct monthly research cruises to collect oceanographic metrics in Possession Sound. Initial questions about seasonal changes, demonstrated by water temperature, influencing photosynthesis led to questions about correlations with dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll and silicate levels. We hypothesize that dissolved oxygen (D.O.) and chlorophyll concentrations will increase during the spring and summer due to increased photosynthesis with rising temperatures as a result of increased direct sunlight. Additionally, diatomaceous phytoplankton make silica shells out of the silicate nutrients absorbed from the water. Therefore, the silicate levels will decrease during the spring and summer because of an increase in the abundance of diatoms. Water chemistry data were compared seasonally at Mukilteo (MUK) during 2012-2014. The YSI 650 was deployed in meter increments, from the surface to a maximum of 20 meters, to collect temperature, D.O., and chlorophyll data. The Niskin was deployed at the surface and cline, and was used to collect silicate nutrient concentration trends with depth. For quantitative analysis of nutrient data - done by the University of Washington Marine Chemistry Laboratory - the silicate levels correspond to the depth the halocline, which varied for each deployment. Our data show that dissolved oxygen (D.O.) and chlorophyll both increased during the spring and summer, which supports our original hypothesis. Phytoplankton data samples were collected at the halocline with a 20 µm net for a three minute horizontal tow. Further studies on identifying diatom bloom events through plankton species abundance will further support seasonal trends and identify other factors that affect primary production in the local estuary system.

When considering fluctuations in temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen, tides and currents are two influential factors that affect an estuary system. Monthly research cruises since the fall of 2007 to the Snohomish River delta with the Ocean Research College Academy (ORCA), an early college program through Everett Community College located at the Everett waterfront, monitor the local marine system and provide a historical data set for use in analysis. Changes in the cline were first analyzed by isolating tidal and river flow variables as well as seasonal changes. The changes between different cycles of spring and neap tides as well as variations in river outflow are points of interest due to the hypothesized signature these events exhibit on the cline. The research sites of Mukilteo, Buoy, and the Snohomish River were used to analyze the impact of distance from the river, tides and currents, and river flow on salinity, temperature, and dissolved oxygen. In addition to these sites, current flow data was primarily taken along with water column measurements along the mouth of the Snohomish River and to the north east of Jetty Island. Surface current measurements were take by GPS enabled drogue. It was initially hypothesized that spatial differences and river flow would have a greater impact than tides on the pycnocline depth. However, after initial data collection the reverse appeared to be accurate, with changes in the current speed and water column being more closely tied to tidal patterns rather than river influence.

High school students doing college-level coursework by participating in specialized programs, such as Running Start, can be put under large amounts of stress. It was hypothesized that as stress increases, health will, in turn, decrease and that there is a significant correlation between perceived stress levels and health. Surveys were designed for voluntary participants to report stress, health, and overall well-being through a series of questions where the participants ranked their levels on a Likert scale. The surveys were implemented 6 times throughout the quarter to help identify trends in perceptions of stress as the quarter progresses with correlations to changes in lifestyle, sense of self, and overall health. However, this data set is limited. Because of the relatively small population size studied within a limited period of time, one restriction was identifying specific stress factors for each individual. Whether or not this kind of stress is harmful to teenagers undergoing rigorous course loads is not yet clear.