Currently, we are completing a cooperative project to survey trends in exotic species in Puget Sound. A Request for Proposals for monitoring submerged vegetation 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.
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. Inventory results show the dynamic character of the kelp population through capturing inter-annual fluctuations in the extent, composition and density of kelp beds. However, the overall abundance of kelp has not changed significantly. This suggests that the fluctuations are within the normal range of variation over longer time periods. A pilot project has been using high resolution geophysical mapping in conjunction with biota sampling to characterize biological communities.