Contact the Nearshore Habitat Program for a copy of the report. The Nearshore Habitat Program co-organized the Puget Sound Expedition in September 1998. It was the first systematic survey for exotic species in Puget Sound. Ten previously un-recorded invertebrates were found, bringing the total number of known saltwater and brackish water species to 52 invertebrates and plants. More than one-third of Puget Sound's shorelines have been modified by bulkheads, dikes and other structures.
Shoreline modification degrades habitat quality and impacts fish and wildlife populations.
It is also a good indicator of the extent of human impacts on the environment. A Request for Proposals for the Submerged Vegetation Monitoring Project is available January 6, 2000. Proposals are due February 15, 2000. The project will design and implement a protocol to monitor submerged nearshore vegetation as part of the Nearshore Habitat Inventory. Monitoring will begin in summer 2000.