Nearshore habitat

Crab Team members maintain a massive surveillance program to track the population’s advance, while researchers probe the inner workings of the invasive species.

Kayaker-scientist Brian Footen is back on the waters of Puget Sound this summer, paddling through inlets and circling islands on a 2,700-mile journey to photograph the shoreline and document natural and human-caused changes to the habitat.

This state-funded project is Brian’s second photographic trip along the sinuous shoreline throughout the entirety of the Sound, from Budd Inlet in the south to the San Juan Islands in the north, as well as the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Hood Canal. When conditions warrant, Brian uses a motorized skiff or inflatable raft, especially where strong currents impede his travels.

The project

Scientists at the Washington Department of Ecology along with many other researchers have spent years studying and debating the problem of low oxygen in Puget Sound. Now, many new developments — technical, scientific and legal — are reaching a critical stage and setting up a framework to make some major decisions. This is part four of a four-part series originally published in the Puget Sound Institute blog.

Biologist and science writer Eric Wagner recently returned from a trip to observe pigeon guillemots on Protection Island. He wonders: How much do we really know about the health of seemingly abundant bird populations?

The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has begun constructing the first known clam garden to be built in modern times. They hope that what was once an ancient way of cultivating shellfish can now be a hedge against climate change.

Puget Sound Restoration Fund has launched a network to track declining kelp populations in the Salish Sea. The three-year initiative aims to support and standardize underwater monitoring to improve kelp conservation in the region.