A man who has been filming the waters of Puget Sound for decades is noticing changes that concern him.
"This area of Gig Harbor where we are at – in 2010 there was a lot more sea life in here than there is today," Doc Thoemke said
Thoemke has been filming Puget Sound underwater since 1982. He offers his video to state databases tracking marine health. Thoemke's video from 2010 at a marina in Gig Harbor shows all kinds of fish and a lot to see. The same spot in 2018 looks like a desert.
"And as I sweep across the sea floor here, I am looking for critters, crabs, clams, anything on the seafloor," Thoemke described.
Thoemke is a citizen scientist and filmmaker who owns TMKey Film/Research and uses a diver drone to study Puget Sound. For decades he's watched similar scenes to this video from 2010, abundant colors and schools of fish and lots more. His video shows what the rest of us can't see – how our activities on land are affecting our aquatic neighbors.
Video from a few days ago shows a dramatic difference.
"I have seen it decline in the last eight years," he said. "It's pretty dead."
Thoemke says what he's seeing is starting to scare him. His main concern is stormwater run-off, which is also a major concern for scientists who study salmon. The toxic pollution is known to kill coho. We also found tiny pieces of metal stuck to the magnet we attached to the drone.
"And I'm seeing a lot of changes as far as our habitat. Our habitat is changing daily," Thoemke said. "In a way, it gives you a real eye-opener of what really needs to be done. People need to be involved."
For Thoemke, it's an alarm we all need to heed to become better stewards of our marine life. His camera may see for us, but it can't act for us, and Thoemke believes just one person with passion like his can really make a difference if we start seeing through his eyes.
