The Bay Institute’s Post

Since 1900, more than 93 percent of Puget Sound’s natural shoreline has been modified by human development. That has affected the nearshore habitat in Puget Sound, habitat that supports forage fish, salmon, and—further up the food chain—Southern Resident killer whales. A new tool, the Salish Sea Nearshore Programmatic Biological Opinion, helps slow the loss of nearshore habitat in Puget Sound. This tool helps balance out the ecological impacts of on- or over-water construction with equivalent ecological offsets. Project proponents can offset impacts by purchasing conservation credits from the Partnership’s Nearshore Credits Program, which helps fund restoration throughout the region. Read more in the new issue of Making Waves: https://lnkd.in/gxRAnQns Thanks so much to NOAA Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, and SAN JUAN COUNTY for their contributions to this article.

Late on Friday, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) released their newest report on the Status and Trends of Wetlands in the Conterminous United States for the 2009-2019 term. The findings show, unsurprisingly, the critical condition of wetlands in this country, and demonstrate a trend toward wetland and ecosystem loss. This report is built on data supplied by the National Wetlands Inventory — yes, the same NWI that we were advocating for in D.C. earlier this month, as its budget is increasingly under threat. The findings of this report would not be possible without the NWI, and of course, neither would a data-driven plan of action to divert us away from this increasingly damning path. Our top takeaways from the report: * The status of wetlands in the U.S. is critical. We are losing ecosystems that undergird the health and wealth of our natural world. * Data is actionable! We can combat this ecosystem loss with better data-driven decisions. Digital resources like NWI and Ecobot enable us to capture data to track trends and strategically address ecosystem loss.  * Ecosystem preservation and economic progress aren’t conflicting goals — they can and must be parallel priorities. With environmental policy in flux, and the effects of Sackett v. EPA still uncertain, arming ourselves with data can enable us to strategically address and minimize the effects of climate change — and even outperform policy. Access the report here:  https://lnkd.in/ex9MSBk2 See the StoryMap by USFWS: https://lnkd.in/ef_pfZsN

Do you know how to spot invasive European green crabs? This non-native species is now prolific across the Pacific Northwest and threatens critical juvenile salmon habitat by destabilizing marine and estuarine ecosystems. Early detection and monitoring efforts can help minimize the spread of green crabs. PSF, Coastal Restoration Society (CRS), and First Nations communities are collaborating to identify green crabs, trap them, and prevent their spread to new areas. https://lnkd.in/gUGUt7Sw #PacificSalmon #WildSalmon #EuropeanGreenCrabs #CoastalRestorationSociety #InvasiveSpecies

Interesting read

The Nassau grouper was listed under the US Endangered Species Act as a threatened species in 2016. After a species is listed, the next step is to designate critical habitat for the species to protect and recover the number of individuals —particularly the spawning populations. Long-term population recovery relies on the successful recruitment and individuals across a broad size range, so the identified areas to protect Nassau grouper focus on habitats that support their life cycle --reproduction, recruitment, and growth. Nassau grouper populations are dependent on the settlement of pelagic larvae to coastal locations and rely on a contiguous reef system to accommodate habitat shifts from inshore locations to nearshore patch reefs and hardbottom areas and subsequent movement into offshore reef habitats as the individuals mature. Check today’s gallery for a summary of what this designation includes and means. If you want to see NOAA's maps, you’ll find them here: https://lnkd.in/gDUC2WcZ #RecoverBigFish #Nassauonthebrink #ProtectSpawningGrounds #spawning4resilience #HopeSpots #ProductivityHotspots #LiveBelowWater ##SDG14 Comunidad y Biodiversidad A.C., GULF AND CARIBBEAN FISHERIES INSTITUTE INC, Perry Institute for Marine Science (PIMS), NOAA Fisheries, Turneffe Atoll Sustainability Association, Wildlife Conservation Society, Belize Program, Small-Scale Fisheries Resource and Collaboration Hub, Caribbean Fishery Management Council, Environmental Defense Fund, The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, Fundación para el Ecodesarrollo y la Conservación -FUNDAECO-, SPAW-RAC, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Puerto Rico Department of Natural and Environmental Resources, BelugaSmile Productions

So proud of the amazing efforts from our team and partners to safeguard species necessary for healthy ecosystems. This article discusses just one of the many challenges facing our bird conservation programs: https://lnkd.in/gJywCY9P

Wetlands across the watershed are threatened by sea level rise, development and invasive species, but a new tool from @chesbayprogram will give us a better understanding of the wetlands across the region.

Bald eagles and oysters: two of the Chesapeake Bay’s comeback kids in one photo! 💪 💪 Bald eagles were once critically endangered in the Chesapeake Bay region, as the birds suffered significant population declines from pesticide use. Now, the area is home to the largest concentration of bald eagles in the lower 48. 🙌 A few hundred years ago, the Chesapeake Bay’s native oyster beds were once so extensive that they regularly posed navigational hazards for ships passing through the Bay. Although oyster beds now represent just a fraction of their historical range, they are vital to improving the Bay’s water quality and providing key habitat for other species. Through the Small Watershed Grants Program, delivered in partnership with the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Chesapeake Bay Program, NFWF is accepting applications for projects that work to restore oyster beds and other habitats for native species. Interested? Learn more: https://loom.ly/-4HyDHQ Many thanks to our funding partners, the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), Altria, USDA’s NRCS and U.S. Forest Service. 📷: Bald eagles on an oyster bed #baldeagle #oysters #chesapeakebay #chesapeake #conservation #wildlife

One of my favorite things about aquatic plant management is how dynamic it is. The plant species are always changing as well as the sites. Brett Hartis, PhD and I took advantage of the weather today to check on the status of #yellowfloatingheart on Lake James with North Carolina Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services as we work collaboratively on this project. Although yellow floating heart may seem appealing with its beautiful yellow flowers and floating leaves, it has the ability to produce dense mats that can cover large areas of shallow water. These mats can hinder recreation, impact fish and wildlife habitat, and displace beneficial native aquatic plants. Yellow floating heart can also reproduce by seeds and fragments, which increases the risk of spread to other waterbodies. #cleandraindry #aquaticplantmanagement

Doing things differently works. And it's important. https://lnkd.in/ghmrHjad You might wonder why one species makes a difference.  The best analogy is that oak trees are planted by squirrels that forget a large portion of the nuts they bury.  Similarly, ospreys keep other populations of small rodents, ocean critters, and fish in balance and this actually makes life easier for other organisms to thrive, whether they are sea grass or phytoplankton. Changing this interconnected web puts several others at risk.  Organisms at their core are opportunistic. This means even plants and slugs and microbes have LEARNED to leverage the opportunities that others present as fair game for their reproduction and survival.  #goodnews #typesofclimateaction