Bull Kelp in South and Central Puget Sound has declined more than 90% over the last 150 years - and eelgrass meadows severely declined as well, according to a new report just delivered to lawmakers.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources' new plan aims to reverse the losses.

The DNR's Co-lead on the Kelp and Eelgrass Health and Conservation Plan Cynthia Harbison said the goal is to conserve and recover at least 10,000 acres of kelp and eelgrass habitat by 2040.

"So, we're at the beginning of this process," said Harbison. "In the next few years, we are going to be working to gather local knowledge and identify specific conservation and recovery sites."

Three general areas will host pilot projects: Grays Harbor, South Puget Sound, and the eastern strait of Juan de Fuca.

The DNR will convene public stakeholder meetings early next year - go to their website to sign up to be notified by email for details.

Harbison said eelgrass and kelp are crucial habitat for many species, especially juvenile salmon and Dungeness crab, and can help in the fight against climate change.

"Eelgrass is really good at storing carbon," said Harbison, "and it can also provide some physical shoreline stabilization with the sediment and also ways reduction when there's big storm events coming in. Kelp can also do that as well."

Eelgrass and kelp are under stress from rising water temperatures due to climate change, as well as invasive species, water pollution and shoreline development.

Support for this reporting was provided by The Pew Charitable Trusts.




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Critics of a conservative plan to expand offshore oil drilling said it endangers coastal communities who rely on a healthy ocean.

Project 2025, written by the right-leaning Heritage Foundation, aims to dramatically reshape U.S. energy policy, opening millions of acres to new oil and gas production.

Angelo Villagomez, ocean director at the Center for American Progress, said it prioritizes short-term profits over long-term climate sustainability.

"It's going to prohibit the United States from even including the word climate change in any of our government documents," Villagomez pointed out. "You can't deal with these real threats just by closing your eyes and pretending that it's not there."

While offshore drilling is illegal in New Hampshire, Villagomez noted operations elsewhere spread toxins far and wide, harming marine life and vital habitats. Supporters of the plan said offshore drilling releases fewer emissions and gets America closer to being energy independent.

Project 2025 also promotes the dismantling and privatization of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The federal agency handles the vast majority of climate, weather and marine science research as well as commercial fishing regulations. Villagomez argued breaking up the agency could lead to chaos on the water and economic instability for vital industries throughout New England.

"NOAA manages all of our fisheries," Villagomez explained. "So are we going to let all of the states have different rules for how we manage fisheries?"

Former President Donald Trump has claimed he has no knowledge of Project 2025, however many parts of the plan were written by members of his former administration. The plan would undo much of President Joe Biden's executive order to protect at least 30% of American land and ocean areas by 2030.

Florida's saltwater anglers are increasingly frustrated by sharks swooping in and taking their catch in what is known as shark depredation.

The resurgence of shark populations is affecting recreational fishing across the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic coast.

Marcus Drymon, associate extension professor at Mississippi State University and marine fisheries specialist for the Mississippi-Alabama Sea Grant Consortium, said the issue has become particularly pronounced in the Sunshine State, where anglers report losing more fish to sharks than ever before.

"For recreational fishermen in Florida, this is causing a lot of anger and frustration over lost fishing opportunities," Drymon observed. "Anglers are saying when they used to be able to catch fish without sharks biting them and they can no longer do that."

A recent panel at ICAST, the world's largest sportfishing trade show, focused on shark depredation, which took place in Orlando last month. Experts said the issue affects the broader fishing industry, particularly charter fishermen who depend on successful trips for their income.

Some are calling attention to the bipartisan SHARKED Act, which passed unanimously in the U.S. House of Representatives earlier this year, intended to assemble a task force to explore solutions to the problem.

Chris Macaluso, director of the Center for Marine Fisheries for the Theodore Roosevelt Conservation Partnership, said the increase in shark depredation is partly due to the success of shark conservation efforts over the past few decades. He is hoping to see the final passage of the SHARKED Act to help guide any actions taken based on science.

"Ramp up the amount of scientific knowledge and the sharing of knowledge and the gathering of scientific data when it comes to shark populations," Macaluso urged. "To see if there are some management changes that could take place that would reduce these negative encounters with sharks. "

As shark populations recover and more anglers take to the water, the conflict between sharks and anglers will likely intensify. However, experts are hopeful with continued research and legislative support, effective solutions can be found to balance anglers' needs with the ongoing success of shark conservation efforts.

Scientists in Massachusetts are working to protect historic shipwrecks and the habitats they provide from dangerous marine debris.

There's more than two hundred shipwrecks in the Stellwagen Bank Sanctuary near Cape Cod alone. It's also a popular whale watching and fishing location.

Kirstin Meyer-Kaiser - an associate scientist with the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution - said discarded nets, traps, and plastics are damaging the ships' structures and harming the creatures who call them home.

"All of that impacts wildlife because it becomes ingested," said Meyer-Kaiser. "It can entangle organisms such as seals and fish."

She said new federal funding will help develop robotic technology to safely undo entangled nets from some of the deepest shipwrecks and float them to the surface, where they can be retrieved.

The Biden Administration has allocated nearly $30 million to tackle the increasing amount of marine debris through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.

One study alone shows there's now enough fishing line left in the ocean each year to reach the moon and back.

Meyer-Kaiser said she and her colleagues aim to work with commercial and recreational fisheries to find out why, and develop ways coastal communities can find solutions.

"We want to have an honest conversation with all relevant parties at the table," said Meyer-Kaiser. "And begin to constructively and collaboratively design a policy recommendation, that can be implemented to prevent marine debris from entangling on shipwrecks in the future."

Meyer-Kaiser said new funding will also develop classroom lessons to teach K-12 students about the harms of marine debris to ocean creatures and their historic homes.

That includes what's often referred to as the Titanic of New England - the steamship Portland, which sank off the coast of Massachusetts in 1898.





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