Guidance For Nearshore Protection

       Although at times there may seem like there is too much bad news concerning conservation biology topics, there is actually a lot of positive news for the nearshore habitat of the PNW. Many people and organizations such as the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project are working to save this vital part of our ecosystem. Pacific northwest conservationists have made one of the biggest attempts in the world to restore our nearshore habitats. Recovery plans have constructed an attempt to work on the connectivity of the nearshore habitat with other freshwater, terrestrial, shoreline and marine ecosystems (Fresh 2004). Since all of life is connected with each other in some way or another many scientists believe that focusing just on the nearshore habitat alone will not solve the problem, but rather postpone it. The connectivity of the ecosystem and the importance of dealing with all aspects of it is shown in Figure 1.

Figure 1. This model was developed by the Nearshore Science Team (NST) Coceptual Model Working Group. Mark Stoermer and other colleagues from the University of Washington were the main contributors of this group (Simenstad 2006). 

       This model is suppose to be used tool to better understand the nearshore ecosystem as a whole. The NST is attempting figure out the ecosystem processes and how the ecosystem will respond to different stressors, or even how it will respond to restoration attempts (Simenstad 2006). Their focus is on understanding the ecosystems and how it functions before attempting to restore it.


        The NST has also created a Table listing the main stressors of nearshore habitats and whether or not they occur inside (internal) or outside (external) of the habitat (Table 1)

Table 1. Created by the NST this table shows the internal and external sources of stress to the Puget Sound nearshore (Simenstad 2006)

        According to future predictions, many of these stressors are predicted to get worse. Population growth in the Puget Sound is expected to increase between .41% and 2.24% by 2025. This will most likely lead to an increase in costal development, fish harvesting, and pollution. One of the main causes of costal degradation is the concentration of people along the coast. Sea levels are also expected to rise between .5 and 1 meter and ocean temperatures are predicted to rise between 2 to 5 degrees Celsius in the next 100 years in the Puget Sound. All of these events must be taken in to account when considering the restoration (UWUERL 2009).


        The NST takes these stressors into consideration, and implements them into their model so that they can better understand this complex ecosystem. They are doing this to give potential conservations a leg up on restoring this vital habitat. The NST works directly with The Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project, an organization that tries to both educate the public as well as provide direct relief for Puget nearshore. The restoration project they are attempting is one of the largest ever attempted in the United States. The organization works with U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps), state, local, and federal government organizations, tribes, industries, and environmental organizations (PSNERP 2012). If you are interested in getting involved then you should visit them at http://www.pugetsoundnearshore.org/index.htm to learn more about there effort and what you can do to help.