As part of the Plastic Free Salish Sea campaign, the MRC hosted a shoreline cleanup with WSU Snohomish County. Thanks to everyone who showed your local water body some love this Earth Day, and dropped off the trash at one of our sorting locations. This was a great inaugural event and we hope to do it again!
Of the 23 species of large brown algae (known as kelp) that are native to Puget Sound, the beautiful Nereocystis luetkeana, or bull kelp, is the largest. Reaching a canopy height of 60’ or more, this is likely the one you’ve tangled in a propeller, marked as a prized fishing spot or dive site, or perhaps eaten – pickled, as a tasty appetizer. In response to concerns about declining bull kelp populations in some parts of the Sound, and mounting interest in kelp restoration, the Northwest Straits Commission is gathering information for use in local and regional planning and research.