Tatoosh Island, Washington
Encyclopedia
Tatoosh Island is a small island and small group of islands about 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) offshore (northwest) of Cape Flattery, which is on the northwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula
in Washington. Tatoosh is the largest of a small group of islands also often referred to as simply "Tatoosh Island", which are almost as far west as Cape Alava
, about 15 miles (24.1 km) to the south and the westernmost point in the contiguous 48 states. The islands are part of the Makah Reservation
and a part of Clallam County. The total land area of the island group is 159,807 square meters (39.489 acre
s).
Historically, Tatoosh Island was inhabited seasonally by Makah fishing camps, and by employees of the United States Coast Guard, Weather Bureau, and Navy. Currently there is no resident population on the islands. Access to the island requires written permission of the Makah tribe. The island's name comes from the a Makah chief known as Tatoosh (also Tatooche or Tetacus).
Tatoosh Island has been home to Cape Flattery Light, which overlooks the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca
, since December 28, 1857.
and his colleagues have undertaken detailed studies of marine ecology on the island. Consequently it is now one of the most intensively studied field sites in the world. The research has revealed how species are linked to each other through a network of species interactions, and how environmental changes and species extinction are transmitted through the food web
. Key ecological concepts explored by this research include keystone species
, control by consumers and natural disturbances
on ecosystem structure and spatial patterning, species interaction strength, body size-dependent population dynamics, and impacts of environmental changes such as ocean acidification
and El Niño
events on complex ecosystems.
Olympic Peninsula
The Olympic Peninsula is the large arm of land in western Washington state of the USA, that lies across Puget Sound from Seattle. It is bounded on the west by the Pacific Ocean, the north by the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the east by Puget Sound. Cape Alava, the westernmost point in the contiguous...
in Washington. Tatoosh is the largest of a small group of islands also often referred to as simply "Tatoosh Island", which are almost as far west as Cape Alava
Cape Alava
Cape Alava, in Clallam County, Washington, U.S.A., is the westernmost point in the contiguous 48 states, with a longitude of . The westernmost point is located in Olympic National Park and the Ozette Indian Reservation...
, about 15 miles (24.1 km) to the south and the westernmost point in the contiguous 48 states. The islands are part of the Makah Reservation
Makah Reservation
Makah Reservation is an Indian reservation for the Makah located on the most northwestern tip of the Olympic Peninsula in Clallam County, Washington, USA. The northern boundary of the reservation is the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The western boundary is the Pacific Ocean. It has a land area of and a...
and a part of Clallam County. The total land area of the island group is 159,807 square meters (39.489 acre
Acre
The acre is a unit of area in a number of different systems, including the imperial and U.S. customary systems. The most commonly used acres today are the international acre and, in the United States, the survey acre. The most common use of the acre is to measure tracts of land.The acre is related...
s).
Historically, Tatoosh Island was inhabited seasonally by Makah fishing camps, and by employees of the United States Coast Guard, Weather Bureau, and Navy. Currently there is no resident population on the islands. Access to the island requires written permission of the Makah tribe. The island's name comes from the a Makah chief known as Tatoosh (also Tatooche or Tetacus).
Tatoosh Island has been home to Cape Flattery Light, which overlooks the entrance to the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Strait of Juan de Fuca
The Strait of Juan de Fuca is a large body of water about long that is the Salish Sea outlet to the Pacific Ocean...
, since December 28, 1857.
Ecology
Because of its isolation, climate, and location in the productive northeastern Pacific Ocean, Tatoosh Island is home to many nesting seabirds, several marine mammals, and a diverse community of marine plants and animals. Beginning in 1967, Professor Robert T. Paine of the University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington
University of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
and his colleagues have undertaken detailed studies of marine ecology on the island. Consequently it is now one of the most intensively studied field sites in the world. The research has revealed how species are linked to each other through a network of species interactions, and how environmental changes and species extinction are transmitted through the food web
Food chain
A food web depicts feeding connections in an ecological community. Ecologists can broadly lump all life forms into one of two categories called trophic levels: 1) the autotrophs, and 2) the heterotrophs...
. Key ecological concepts explored by this research include keystone species
Keystone species
A keystone species is a species that has a disproportionately large effect on its environment relative to its abundance. Such species play a critical role in maintaining the structure of an ecological community, affecting many other organisms in an ecosystem and helping to determine the types and...
, control by consumers and natural disturbances
Disturbance
In ecology, a disturbance is a temporary change in average environmental conditions that causes a pronounced change in an ecosystem. Outside disturbance forces often act quickly and with great effect, sometimes resulting in the removal of large amounts of biomass...
on ecosystem structure and spatial patterning, species interaction strength, body size-dependent population dynamics, and impacts of environmental changes such as ocean acidification
Ocean acidification
Ocean acidification is the name given to the ongoing decrease in the pH and increase in acidity of the Earth's oceans, caused by the uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide from the atmosphere....
and El Niño
El Niño-Southern Oscillation
El Niño/La Niña-Southern Oscillation, or ENSO, is a quasiperiodic climate pattern that occurs across the tropical Pacific Ocean roughly every five years...
events on complex ecosystems.
External links
- Photos and other items about Tatoosh Island from the Library of CongressLibrary of CongressThe Library of Congress is the research library of the United States Congress, de facto national library of the United States, and the oldest federal cultural institution in the United States. Located in three buildings in Washington, D.C., it is the largest library in the world by shelf space and...
- History of Tatoosh Island from the University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections website
- Station TTIW1 - Tatoosh Island, WA from the National Data Buoy CenterNational Data Buoy CenterThe National Data Buoy Center is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Weather Service...
of the NOAANational Oceanic and Atmospheric AdministrationThe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration , pronounced , like "noah", is a scientific agency within the United States Department of Commerce focused on the conditions of the oceans and the atmosphere...
, with "sector pictures" - Maps including Tatoosh Island, from the official Makah website
- Cape Flattery Tribal Scenic Byway from the Washington State Tourism website
- Photos of Cape Flattery Lighthouse and Helipad, from a commercial photographer's website
- Cape Flattery Lighthouse
- University of Washington Libraries Digital Collections – Makah Cultural and Research Center Online Museum Exhibit History and culture of the Makah tribe; includes images from Tatoosh Island.
- Research summaries, scientific articles, photographs of Tatoosh Island and its organisms, and a video interview of ecologists Cathy Pfister and Tim Wootton