Puget Sound Kelp Forests and Protecting Native Eelgrass Habitat

About this event

The Koma Kulshan Chapter of the Washington Native Plant Society is holding their November meeting. Join for an in-person presentation from Jeff Whitty and Allie Simpson of the Northwest Straits Commission titled Puget Sound Kelp Forests and Protecting Native Eelgrass Habitat.

Puget Sound kelp, plant-like marine macroalgae, provide vital habitat to numerous marine species, fuel food webs, and are important to the lifeways of many local cultures. However, kelp forests, the marine equivalent to our terrestrial forests, are declining in regions of Puget Sound due to cumulative impacts from human and climate-induced stressors. In this talk, we will explore these amazing underwater forests, the challenges they face, what is being done to conserve and recover them, and how you can help! Eelgrass is a flowering plant that provides vital habitat and foraging for many marine animals including salmon, Pacific herring, Dungeness crabs, and great blue herons. Intact eelgrass meadows protect our shorelines by reducing erosion during storms, dampening wave impacts, and helping keep our waters clear all year long. Unfortunately, this vital habitat is declining in Puget Sound due to human activity including improper anchoring and nutrient loading. We’ll showcase the importance of eelgrass meadows, how they are being impacted, what’s being done to protect them, and what you can do.

Jeff (he/him) is the Kelp Program Manager at the Northwest Straits Commission. In this position, he coordinates the Puget Sound Kelp Conservation and Recovery Plan (Kelp Plan) and the volunteer-based Marine Resources Committees (MRC) Floating Kelp Monitoring Program. Jeff is an ecologist with academic training in marine science and a special interest in conservation of imperiled species. Collaboration and community-based approaches are central pillars in his work.

Allie (she/her) serves as the Ecosystem Project Coordinator with the Northwest Straits Commission. In this position, she leads on a variety of projects including trapping and removal of invasive green crab, protecting eelgrass meadows from boater damage and integrating community engagement into everything we do. Allie is a marine ecologist who has worked in many of the Salish Sea’s nearshore environments from tidal wetlands, salt marshes, mudflats, and eelgrass beds. She has a passion for weaving local community-based approaches with solving marine resource issues. When she’s not stuck in the mud, you can find Allie reading classic books, cuddling with her cat, gardening, or hiking throughout the Pacific Northwest.