Central Coast Research Articles

First Report of Organochlorine Pesticides and Heavy Metals in a Stranded Bottlenose Dolphin Off the Central Coast of Veracruz State: A Warning to Assess Pollution in a Reef Marine Ecosystem from the Gulf of Mexico

Live-strandings of cetaceans are uncommon in the southwestern Gulf of Mexico. However, an adult female bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncatus) with normal body condition was recorded at Pelicano’s Beach on the coast of Veracruz State. Health assessment showed multiple external injuries, possibly caused by the stranding event, as well as potential bacterial infection, and, thus, the individual was held in temporary facilities for rehabilitation. Blood samples were taken to assess the health status of the individual and were also analyzed for concentrations of 20 pollutants (14 organochlorine pesticides [OCPs] and six heavy metals [HMs]). The animal was released and found dead within a few days. The concentration of OCPs and HMs were close or above the government limits. Although these were lower than those reported in other living, free-ranging bottlenose dolphins, there are well-known negative effects for health. Low OCP values were attributed to an offloading process through lactation or mobility of the lipophilic OCPs that pass from blood to fat. Whereas HM concentrations (mainly non-essential metals: mercury [Hg], lead [Pb], and cadmium [Cd]—2.73, 21.13, and 12.67 µg L-1, respectively) were probably linked to the diet and the possible distribution of the specimen (possibly offshore). This is the first report on pollutants from anthropogenic origin in the area where uncontrolled activities are of major concern within a protected national reef park. Since marine ecosystems are under continuous pressure, several health issues for top predators are being noticed; therefore, this study underlines the relevance of studying health status of marine mammals in the Mexican waters of the Gulf of Mexico.

Participation in collaborative fisheries research improves the perceptions of recreational anglers towards marine protected areas

Collaborative fisheries research programs engage stakeholders in data collection efforts, often with the benefit of increasing transparency about the status and management of natural resources. These programs are particularly important in marine systems, where management of recreational and commercial fisheries have historically been contentious. One such program is the California Collaborative Fisheries Research Program (CCFRP), which was designed in 2006 to engage recreational anglers in the scientific process and evaluate the efficacy of California’s network of marine protected areas. CCFRP began on the Central Coast of California and expanded statewide in 2017 to include six partner institutions in three regions: Northern, Central, and Southern California. To date, over 2,000 volunteer anglers have participated in the program, with many anglers volunteering for multiple years. However, the impacts of outreach, education, and collaborative research on those anglers at the statewide scale are currently unknown. Thus, the objective of the current study was to survey the statewide pool of volunteer anglers to assess the degree to which participation in CCFRP has influenced angler perceptions of MPAs, fisheries management, and conservation. We received 259 completed surveys out of a pool of 1,386 active anglers, equating to an 18.7% response rate. Participation in CCFRP resulted in a significant, positive impact on anglers’ attitudes towards MPAs in California across all regions. Anglers who participated in six or more CCFRP fishing trips had a more positive perception of MPAs than those who participated in fewer trips. Volunteer anglers across all regions perceived that they caught larger fishes, a higher abundance of fishes, and a greater diversity of species inside MPAs, consistent with the ecological findings of the program. These results highlight the benefits of involving community members in collaborative scientific research. Collaboration between researchers and the broader community increases transparency and trust between stakeholders, and results in greater understanding of natural resource dynamics, ultimately producing better management outcomes.

Youth Are the Experts! Youth Participatory Action Research to Address the Adolescent Mental Health Crisis.

Adolescent mental health is an urgent global public health issue. Youth participatory action research is an effective strategy to amplify youth voices and can serve as a catalyst for evidence-based action addressing the mental health crisis. To illustrate the benefits of youth participatory action research for informing community health, we describe an ongoing collaboration with a youth council located in the central coast of California, USA. Research methods included an anonymous online self-report survey to gather information about the mental health of high school students in 2020 (n = 176) and 2022 (n = 234), 93% Latinx/Mexican American. Both surveys included a four-item patient health questionnaire to screen for depression and anxiety risk, in addition to scaled and open-ended survey questions selected by the youth leaders based on their research questions. Quantitative and qualitative results indicated a significant but small decrease in mental health risk, and a continued need for resources to access mental health support. Results led to community-based action aimed at improving local youth mental health. The interdisciplinary research team (psychology and public health) and youth leaders share reflections highlighting the innovative, empowering, and transformative impact of youth participatory action research as a tool for improving community health.

A decolonial‐inspired ethnography: Centering indigeneity in culturally responsive evaluation with Latinx immigrant communities

AbstractThis article elaborates on the struggle to decolonize knowledge and introduces a decolonial‐inspired framework for conducting research. This is then demonstrated through the example of a project examining Latinx immigrant and Indigenous Health on California's Central Coast. In this case, a mixed‐methods ethnographic approach was used to capture the complexity of migrant experiences. Utilizing participant observation, interviews, focus groups, news data analysis, and a comprehensive survey, the study integrated community input and reflexivity. The article emphasizes linguistic and cultural factors, showcasing how structural factors of race and Indigeneity impact the dynamics of evaluation methods. The decolonial‐inspired approach also emphasizes making research useful by guiding the dissemination of findings in a way that fosters transparency and accountability. In this case, the study engages with policymakers and community leaders advocating for health equity and justice.

Digenea community structure of the Salema, Sarpa salpa (Linnaeus, 1758) (Teleostei, Sparidae), from the Central coast of Algeria.

The main goal of the current work was to describe and analyse the Digenean community structure in Sarpa salpa. A total of 114 specimens of S. salpa were collected from the Central Coast of Algeria at six localities. The fish were immediately transported to the laboratory to be examined for digeneans. From 107 of the 114 S. salpa examined, a total of 8,722 specimens of seven species belonging to three families were recovered. Among them, Robphildollfusium fractum and Mesometra orbicularis were the most prevalent and abundant species. Moreover, Lepocreadium album was found for the first time in S. salpa from the coast of Algeria, and Centroderma spinosissima and Wardula capitellata represent new parasites to the Algerian digenean fauna that infect teleost fish. The component community of these Digeneans is characterised by R. fractum as its dominant species representing 62% of the total number of collected Digeneans, as well by a Shannon diversity index (H') and Dominance Simpson index (D) of 1.03 and 2.23, respectively. According to Spearman's correlation test, Mesometra brachycoelia and W. capitellata were negatively correlated to the host biological factors. On the other hand, R. fractum showed a positive correlation between its mean abundance and the total length of the fish. With these findings, we provided the component structure of the Digenean fauna of S. salpa and highlighted their diversity, contributing to the biodiversity of the parasitic Platyhelminthes in Algeria.

General health status of a stranded Tursiops truncatus of the oceanic ecotype in southern Gulf of Mexico, Campeche coasts: a multidisciplinary analysis

Strandings provide valuable information about rare marine organisms and their relationship with their environment. In the southern Gulf of México, specifically on the central coast of Campeche, Mexico, strandings of oceanic cetaceans have rarely been recorded, therefore, biological information has also been scarce. One of such rare stranding cases occurred on September 7, 2022, on the coast of Seybaplaya, Campeche. The specimen was identified as a female of Tursiops truncatus with the morphology features of the oceanic ecotype. The carcass was examined shortly after death, and samples for different analyses were obtained fresh. Tissue samples were collected, and some particular observations were made to define the individual's general health status. Results of the analyses revealed damage in the liver, lungs, and kidneys, probably related to 1) the advanced age of the organism (>35 years), and 2) the presence of persistent organic pollutants. Most importantly, this study contributed two new findings, the first record of the parasite Anisakis and the presence of renal calculi in the oceanic ecotype of T. truncatus in the southern Gulf of Mexico.

Population genomics of harbour seal Phoca vitulina from northern British Columbia through California and comparison to the Atlantic subspecies.

The harbour seal Phoca vitulina is a ubiquitous pinniped species found throughout coastal waters of the Northern Hemisphere. Harbour seal impacts on ecosystem dynamics may be significant due to their high abundance and food web position. Two subspecies exist in North America, P. v. richardii in the Pacific Ocean and P. v. vitulina in the Atlantic. Strong natal philopatry of harbour seals can result in fine-scale genetic structure and isolation by distance. Management of harbour seals is expected to benefit from improved resolution of seal population structure and dynamics. Here, we use genotyping-by-sequencing to genotype 146 harbour seals from the eastern Pacific Ocean (i.e. British Columbia (BC), Oregon and California) and the western Atlantic Ocean (i.e. Québec, Newfoundland and Labrador). Using 12,742 identified variants, we confirm the recently identified elevated genetic diversity in the eastern Pacific relative to the western Atlantic and greatest differentiation between the subspecies. Further, we demonstrate that this is independent of reference genome bias or other potential technical artefacts. Coast-specific analyses with 8933 and 3828 variants in Pacific and Atlantic subspecies, respectively, identify divergence between BC and Oregon-California, and between Québec and Newfoundland-Labrador. Unexpected PCA outlier clusters were observed in two populations due to cryptic relatedness of individuals; subsequently, closely related samples were removed. Admixture analysis indicates an isolation-by-distance signature where Oregon seals contained some of the BC signature, whereas California did not. Additional sampling is needed in the central and north coast of BC to determine whether a discrete separation of populations exists within the region.

DNA barcoding aids in generating a preliminary checklist of the lichens and allied fungi of Calvert Island, British Columbia: Results from the 2018 Hakai Terrestrial BioBlitz.

Bioblitzes are a tool for the rapid appraisal of biodiversity and are particularly useful in remote and understudied regions and for understudied taxa. Lichens are an example of an often overlooked group, despite being widespread in virtually all terrestrial ecosystems and having many important ecological functions. We report the lichens and allied fungi collected during the 2018 terrestrial bioblitz conducted on Calvert Island on the Central Coast of British Columbia, Canada. We identified 449 specimens belonging to 189 species in 85 genera, increasing the total number of species known from Calvert Island to 194, and generated Internal Transcribed Spacer (ITS) sequences for 215 specimens from 121 species. Bryoriafurcellata, Chaenothecopsislecanactidis and C.nigripunctata were collected for the first time in British Columbia. We also found Pseudocyphellariarainierensis, which is listed as Special Concern on the federal Species at Risk Act, and other rarely reported species in British Columbia including Opegraphasphaerophoricola, Protomicarealimosa, Raesaeneniahuuskonenii and Sareadifformis. We demonstrate that DNA barcoding improves the scope and accuracy of expert-led bioblitzes by facilitating the detection of cryptic species and allowing for consistent identification of chemically and morphologically overlapping taxa. Despite the spatial and temporal limitations of our study, the results highlight the value of intact forest ecosystems on the Central Coast of British Columbia for lichen biodiversity, education and conservation.

Seasonally varying biogeochemical regime around the coral habitats off central west coast of India

The Western Indian Continental Shelf (WICS) experiences upwelling during the Southwest Monsoon (SWM), leading to deoxygenation and acidification of subsurface waters. The region has patchy growth of corals, e.g. in the Grande Island and Angria Bank. Measurements made during the late SWM of 2022 reveal that the shelf waters around the Grande Island were subject to varying environmental conditions, viz. lower temperature (21.3–26.1°C), oxygen (0–4.9 mL L−1) and pHT (7.506–7.927). Complete anoxia was associated with sulphide build-up to a maximum of 5.9 μmol L−1 at 17 m depth. An additional episodic condition (high temperature, low oxygen and pH) also occurred associated presumably with a plankton bloom in April 2017. Hence, unlike the offshore coral site Angria Bank, waters around the Grande Island experiences extreme changes in physico-chemical conditions (e.g. Ωarg ∼1.2–1.8 during October 2022) seasonally as reported here. The biogeochemical conditions are however not as intense (Ωarg = 0.6) as observed along the eastern boundary upwelling system of the Pacific Ocean.

The role of farming and fishing in the rise of social complexity in the Central Andes: a stable isotope perspective

For many years, the rise of stratified societies along the Central Andean coast, known as the birthplace of Andean civilization, has been closely linked to a marine-oriented economy. This hypothesis has recently been challenged by increasing evidence of plant management and cultivation among Andean populations long before the emergence of complex societies and monumental architecture. The extent to which marine and plant-based economies were integrated and their contributions to early sedentism, population growth, and intra-community stratification, however, remain subjects of ongoing and contentious debate. Using Bayesian Mixing Models we reanalyze the previously published stable isotopes (δ15Ncollagen, δ13Ccollagen, δ13Capatite) values of 572 human individuals from 39 archaeological sites in the Central Andes dated between ca. 7000 BCE and 200 CE to reconstruct dietary regimes in probabilistic terms. Our results reveal that fish, terrestrial fauna, and cultivated plants variably contributed to the diet of prehistoric Andean populations; in coastal and middle valley settlements plant cultivation, not fishing, fueled the development of the earliest complex societies during the Formative Period (from 3000 BCE). Similarly, in the highlands the societies that built ceremonial centers show a plant-based economy. Our findings also show that maize only became a staple food (> 25% dietary contribution) in more recent phases of Andean prehistory, around 500 BCE.

Fresh and recirculated submarine groundwater discharge zones along the central west coast of India

The study area receives an average of 2840.0 mm of rainfall within four months every year. A portion of the rainwater is flown to the sea as surface water, and the other part is percolated into the bottom as groundwater. In coastal aquifers, the groundwater is transported to the sea due to a hydraulic gradient, and it contains a significant quantity of dissolved materials and nutrients. SGD processes impact the ocean productivity, mangrove and coral growth, local acidification and many. To isolate the SGD on the central west coast of India, different data was referred. The GWL concerning MSL contributed significantly to demarcating the SGD zones by considering the positive (>0 m) and negative (<0 m) values of GWL concerning above MSL. Thermal images for SST of pre-monsoon and post-monsoon periods of 2020 exhibit cooler surrounded by warmer, which might be the SGD buffering zones in the off-central west coast of India. By considering the results from GWL and SST, 8 SGD beach sites were identified for the further particularized study. The water samples were collected in March 2022, and analyzed using standard procedures and instruments. Fresh and mixing (recirculated) zones have been isolated by piper, hydrochemical facies evolution, and Ca2++Mg2+/K++Na + Vs log Cl− ionic ratio plots. The aquifer water chemical elements are converting possibly due to ionic exchange processes. The decrease in salinity and conductivity observed in the pore water just below the seawater might be due to the influence of freshwater inputs, helping to isolate the fresh SGD and recirculated SGD zones in the study area. Among 8 sites, 3 were found to be fresh SGD sites and 5 were noticed to be mixing/recirculated SGD sites. Most of these Beaches are bounded by hills, which helps to lead the SGD along the central west coast of India.

Japanese Immigration in America: Fleeing Riots, Escaping Imprisonment, and Assimilating.

When 13-year-old Teruichi Nakayama, my grandfather, came to San Francisco from Osaka in 1906, he was assured of an education in a public school by an 1894 treaty between the United States and Japan that gave the latter most-favored-nation status. In 1906, racist mobs forced a decision by the school board to assign 41 school aged Japanese children, including him, to a segregated school for Asian children in violation of the pact. In 1907, he escaped street violence to work as a migrant laborer on inland farms. Settling in the state's Central Coast, he started a confectionary, the family business he knew from his childhood in Japan. He eked enough money to raise a family with a wife arranged for him in the traditional manner by a go-between in Japan. The school board action opened a diplomatic rift between the 2 countries that never resolved and ended in war in 1941. Just days ahead of the imprisonment of Japanese living in California in 1942, he and his family fled to Colorado, a sanctuary state where he reestablished the confectionery. He faced every misapprehension of the current immigration crisis: racism, unfair labor competition, the impossibility of assimilation, and suspicion of a fifth column. Now 5 generations later, none of the fearful predictions when he first arrived came true. His legacy proves immigration as an essential rejuvenating force in America.

Reef Fish in the Vitória-Trindade Seamount Chain of the Southwestern Atlantic: Biogeographical Corridors and Impact of Fishing

This paper aimed to study the community structure of large reef fish off the central coast of Brazil by defining the spatial distribution patterns of 34 species in the outer shelf (50 to 100 m) between 13 and 22ºS, including sea banks, seamounts and the Trindade Island, seeking further to interpret these patterns in light of biogeographic knowledge. In addition, this study attempted to estimate the impact of fishing on the community in different regions using mean weight and size distribution data. The data were obtained in four exploratory fishing surveys of demersal resources employing a bottom longline with steel wire under the aegis of the REVIZEE Program between 1996 and 1998. The numerical abundances were standardised in catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) in number, and species matrices per station were subjected to detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) and cluster analysis. Reef fauna in the southwestern Atlantic can be divided, in its continental margin, into a tropical component and a subtropical component from latitude 19ºS, which corresponds to the Southern limit of the Abrolhos Bank. North of 19ºS, four distribution patterns were identified (North, Abrolhos, Banks and Trindade). The similarity between the last three enabled the definition of an “Abrolhos-Trindade faunal complex”. Evidence of the impact of commercial fishing on the structure of reef communities was found through differences in the sizes of species studied, which may have occurred differently in each one of the regions of the Abrolhos-Trindade complex. The results also reinforce the importance of the need for conservation measures in these areas.

Marine habitat use and movement in response to ocean warming by a threatened forest-nesting seabird

Although anthropogenic climate change has resulted in significant alterations of ocean environments, the degree to which marine organisms can respond behaviorally to climate effects remains poorly understood, especially for species with increased extinction risk. We monitored marine space use and movement of the threatened marbled murrelet (Brachyramphus marmoratus) along the central coast of Oregon, USA during the 2017–2019 breeding seasons to quantify marine habitat selection patterns across a range of ocean conditions. We hypothesized that marine locations characterized by upwelling, nearshore areas adjacent to old-growth forest nesting habitat, and protected marine areas would be preferentially selected by tagged birds. Using >4800 locations collected from >180 individuals, we found that murrelets selected areas near small estuaries and with localized upwelling (as characterized by decreased sea-surface temperatures and high salinity), both of which are expected to lead to greater food availability during periods when sea-surface temperatures are elevated and coastal upwelling is reduced (i.e., poor ocean conditions). In addition, we found that individuals did not preferentially select marine areas adjacent to potential old-growth nesting habitat, and that murrelets exhibited limited overlap with protected marine areas regardless of ocean conditions. Unexpectedly, the majority (62%) of tagged individuals moved beyond the boundaries of our 135-km long study area in the year with the poorest ocean conditions (2017), with 15% of birds moving >500 km from their capture location. Our results confirm that marine habitat selection in murrelets becomes decoupled from terrestrial nesting habitat during periods of poor ocean conditions, and that such conditions are associated with low breeding propensity and long-distance movements during the breeding season. In addition to demonstrating murrelets undertake fine- and coarse-scale movements to buffer against poor ocean conditions, our study also emphasizes the importance of considering broad spatial scales in the marine environment when undertaking measures to conserve murrelet populations.

Spatial distribution of lower intertidal decapods on the northern Patagonian coast (Pelluhuín beach, Puerto Montt, 41°29′S, Chile)

Abstract The decapod fauna of Chile’s intertidal shores in inner seas south of 40°S has relatively low diversity because of the presence of low-salinity waters due to river inputs and glacial smelts; nevertheless it is possible that the same decapods species are found as on the northern and central Chilean coast. The aim of the present study was to determine the spatial distribution patterns of lower intertidal decapods on Pelluhuín beach, a small beach south of Puerto Montt, northern Patagonia. Data were obtained by counting individuals from random quadrants in intertidal zones; to the obtained data the variance/mean ratio was applied to determine if the specimens have a random, aggregate or uniform distribution, which are associated with Poisson, negative binomial or positive binomial distributions respectively. Among four of the species observed, a uniform distribution (positive binomial) was reported, and one had an aggregated pattern (negative binomial). The sites correspond to rocky shores in semi-urban zones, and in a protected zone. Our results on the interpretative probabilistic models of aggregated distribution patterns agree with previously reported observations of decapods on the rocky shores of Northern and Central Chile, specifically in interpretative probabilistic models.

Involvement of Vietnamese elders in economic activities in the lens of family ties, low institutional coverage, and gender identity

Abstract In Vietnam, for a long time, family is considered as being significant for economic, instrumental, social, emotional, and care support for older adults due to strong filial piety, high family values, low institutional coverage, and limited social services, given that the majority of older adults are living in family-based communities. Recently, due to increasing migration, nuclearization, and individualization in Vietnamese families, there is an increasing withdrawal of family caregivers from caregiving to their parents and there seems to be confusion and tension of roles and supports among family members. Meanwhile, Vietnam is observing changes in demographics and family structure, which is linked to an increase in the number of elders in need of care, drop in fertility rate, resulting in a shrinking supply of family caregivers. This article examines the economic dynamics of ageing with limited family ties by examining the formal care services and demographic changes in order to investigate raising social problems towards elder population. It also explores how older adults from varied living backgrounds in Vietnam restructure their lives in terms of acculturation, re-establishing kin networks, psychological well-being in contemporary Vietnam. It demonstrates how Vietnamese elders actively engage in unpaid work within family and community environments, such as housework and childcare, shaped by cultural norms of familialism and filial piety, with regional variations in the north emphasizing stronger familialism and economic motives, and the central coast showing more individualism and sentimental values.

‘Jumping’ attack strikes by the predatory marine snail Agaronia propatula (Caenogastropoda: Olividae)

The gastropod Agaronia propatula (Olividae) forages on the sandy beach intertidal of the central American Pacific coast. Agaronia resembles subtidal Oliva spp. morphologically and behaviourally. While both genera seize prey by rapid movements of the anterior foot, Agaronia sometimes performs ‘jumping’ attack strikes, bouncing onto its prey from above. During such strikes, the foot folds lengthwise, probably facilitating mechanical control of the erect body posture. We hypothesize that Agaronia’s behaviour may represent an adaptation to foraging on emerged tidal plains, where the medium (air) offers less mechanical resistance to rapid movements than the seawater in which subtidal Oliva species hunt.

Consequences of kelp forest ecosystem shifts and predictors of persistence through multiple stressors.

Ecological communities can be stable over multiple generations, or rapidly shift into structurally and functionally different configurations. In kelp forest ecosystems, overgrazing by sea urchins can abruptly shift forests into alternative states that are void of macroalgae and primarily dominated by actively grazing sea urchins. Beginning in 2014, a sea urchin outbreak along the central coast of California resulted in a patchy mosaic of remnant forests interspersed with sea urchin barrens. In this study, we used a 14-year subtidal monitoring dataset of invertebrates, algae, and fishes to explore changes in community structure associated with the loss of forests. We found that the spatial mosaic of barrens and forests resulted in a region-wide shift in community structure. However, the magnitude of kelp forest loss and taxonomic-level consequences were spatially heterogeneous. Taxonomic diversity declined across the region, but there were no declines in richness for any group, suggesting compositional redistribution. Baseline ecological and environmental conditions, and sea urchin behaviour, explained the persistence of forests through multiple stressors. These results indicate that spatial heterogeneity in preexisting ecological and environmental conditions can explain patterns of community change.

Environmental DNA reveals temporal variation in mesophotic reefs of the Humboldt upwelling ecosystems of central Chile: Toward a baseline for biodiversity monitoring of unexplored marine habitats.

Temperate mesophotic reef ecosystems (TMREs) are among the least known marine habitats. Information on their diversity and ecology is geographically and temporally scarce, especially in highly productive large upwelling ecosystems. Lack of information remains an obstacle to understanding the importance of TMREs as habitats, biodiversity reservoirs and their connections with better-studied shallow reefs. Here, we use environmental DNA (eDNA) from water samples to characterize the community composition of TMREs on the central Chilean coast, generating the first baseline for monitoring the biodiversity of these habitats. We analyzed samples from two depths (30 and 60 m) over four seasons (spring, summer, autumn, and winter) and at two locations approximately 16 km apart. We used a panel of three metabarcodes, two that target all eukaryotes (18S rRNA and mitochondrial COI) and one specifically targeting fishes (16S rRNA). All panels combined encompassed eDNA assigned to 42 phyla, 90 classes, 237 orders, and 402 families. The highest family richness was found for the phyla Arthropoda, Bacillariophyta, and Chordata. Overall, family richness was similar between depths but decreased during summer, a pattern consistent at both locations. Our results indicate that the structure (composition) of the mesophotic communities varied predominantly with seasons. We analyzed further the better-resolved fish assemblage and compared eDNA with other visual methods at the same locations and depths. We recovered eDNA from 19 genera of fish, six of these have also been observed on towed underwater videos, while 13 were unique to eDNA. We discuss the potential drivers of seasonal differences in community composition and richness. Our results suggest that eDNA can provide valuable insights for monitoring TMRE communities but highlight the necessity of completing reference DNA databases available for this region.

Nutrients from spawning salmon influence leaf area, tissue density, and nitrogen-15 in riparian plant leaves.

Nutrient subsidies have significant impacts on ecosystems by connecting disjunct habitats, often through long-distance animal migrations. Salmon migrations on the North Pacific coasts provide these kinds of nutrient subsidies from senescent fish at the end of their life cycle, which can have significant ecological effects on terrestrial species. This can include impacts on individuals, populations, and communities, where shifts in community composition towards plant species that indicate nitrogen-rich soils have been documented. We investigated the effects of variation in salmon spawning density on the leaf traits of four common riparian plant species on the central coast of British Columbia, Canada. We found that all plant species had higher foliar salmon-derived nitrogen on streams with a higher spawning density. Three of the four species had larger leaves, and one species also had higher leaf mass per area on streams with more salmon. However, we found no differences in leaf greenness or foliar percent nitrogen among our study streams. These results demonstrate that nutrient subsidies from spawning salmon can have significant impacts on the ecology, morphology, and physiology of riparian plants, which lends support to a mechanism by which certain plants are more common on productive salmon streams.