The beach fringe provides important nesting sites, forage areasfor many mammals and perches for predators. Three species of insect eatingplants occur in the peatland bogs, while the old growth rainforests provideimportant nesting habitat for marbled murrelets, a threatened species, andKitzlitz murrelet, a bird that lives only in coastal Alaska north of GlacierBay. This rich mosaic of habitats supports one of North America's largest populationsof black bear. In late May andJune, black bear feed on sedges along the beach fringe and emerging herbson the avalanche slopes. In late July and August when the salmon return,bears congregate along the streambanks, but when the blueberries ripen theysped more time scouring the hillsides for patches of ripe berries.
Many plants reach the limits of their ranges here.
The lush, moss and lichendraped spruce and hemlock forests are the northernmost extension of thePacific Coast Rainforest. Plants such as the bright yellow American skunkcabbage, western hemlock, and salmonberry reach their northernmost rangesin the Sound. Others like the Aleutian heather reach their northern andeasternmost range extensions. Fox farmers also settled and utilized Glacierand Growler Islands. Around places of early habitation, introduced species,which are rare in the Sound, occur.