Northwest Straits Commission

10/06/2026

Eelgrass meadows are essential to a healthy waters, learn how members of Jefferson MRC in Port Townsend are taking meaningful steps to protect them.

Article published in Waggoner's October enews written by Jefferson MRC in collaboration with NW Straits Commission and the Anchor Out of Eelgrass Campaign.
https://waggonerguide.com/protecting-eelgrass-meadows-at-port-townsend/

10/06/2026

Armed with kayaks, GPS units, and a lot of dedication, Marine Resources Committee kelp‑kayak volunteers help to monitor our region’s kelp beds and giving scientists the data they need to see the bigger picture.

Huge thank‑you to Salish Current for bringing awareness to our region's kelp, and the incredible people behind it!

Northwest Straits Commission Marine Resources Committee surveys show Skagit sites ‘extremely healthy’ A drysuit, water shoes and a sun hat aren’t the usual garb of a detective, but the…

10/05/2026

We can’t kelp it, we love Whatcom MRC’s new logo!

We’re pleased to help share the new visual identity for Whatcom MRC. The updated logo, designed by the creative talents of MRC member Alexi Guddal, celebrates Whatcom County's marine life and highlights the importance of healthy habitats, including kelp forests and forage fish. Dive in and explore Whatcom MRC’s work and projects at www.whatcomcountymrc.org!

09/28/2026

We had a full agenda at our September in-person Commission meeting! Big thanks to our hosts Island MRC and to MRC member Carter Webb for guiding us through an educational on-the-beach tour of Ebey’s Landing kelp bed: a 30.5‑acre site and Island County’s longest‑monitored kelp bed!

Thank you, Commissioner Janet St. Clair, for the warm Island County welcome, and to Washington Sea Grant's Lisa Watkins for a fun "Speed date with a Scientist" where we learned about Sea Grants Molt Search protocols.

If you'd like to dive in and explore Ebey's landing kelp data on SoundIQ:

1) Open Kelp (https://experience.arcgis.com/experience/5416ae7c51ae4244a1a42ba679c1479f/page/KELP)
Filters:
2) Under NWS KELP 2015–2025 Surveys (leave the year filter at 2015 and the toggle off)
3) Under Site Survey select Ebey’s Landing to view its monitoring record (toggle on)

09/23/2026

Chris Burns has served on the Clallam Marine Resources Committee for over 8 years as a representative for the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe. As a natural resource technician for the Tribe as well as an avid fisherman, Chris has brought valuable insight and help to MRC projects, discussions, and decisions. On the Olympia oyster project, an MRC partnership with Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Chris provided expert knowledge on Olympia oyster habitat in Sequim Bay. Chris was instrumental in picking best locations for shell placement, a restoration action that helps improve habitat for Olympia oysters. We are so thankful for all of Chris’s help and wish him the best of luck!

09/22/2026

Join San Juan County Marine Resources Committee and partners for The Great Islands Clean-Up September 26 (Orcas, Lopez, Shaw, San Juan).

Help care for our island home! The Great Islands Clean-Up is Saturday, Sept 26 on Orcas, Lopez, Shaw and San Juan Islands. Outer islands pick up is Sept 22, and Orcas kicks off early on Sept 19.

Beaches, roadsides, trailheads - every bit counts! Get the details on how to find your spot at https://plasticfreesalishsea.org/event/fall-2026-great-islands-cleanup/.

Join us September 26. Take joy in where you live. Care for the places we share. Leave something better behind. See you out there!

09/22/2026

Skagit MRC, Island MRC, NW Straits Commission, and Washington State Parks & Recreation Commission co‑hosted a site visit with Representative Clyde Shavers of the 10th Legislative District on Friday, September 18.

The visit included a tour of Bowman Bay and Cornet Bay at Deception Pass State Park, sharing updates on restoration work, community partnerships, and efforts to protect our marine habitats. We appreciate Representative Shavers taking the time to see these projects firsthand and discuss future priorities and thank you Skagit Valley Herald for highlighting this work!

DECEPTION PASS — State. Rep. Clyde Shavers visited a series of restoration and environmental projects at Deception Pass State Park on Friday.

09/21/2026

ICYMI our September newsletter is available online >> https://bit.ly/Sept2026NWStraits

In this issue:
* Congressional visits connect partners and support marine recovery projects
* MRCs in the field: San Juan at the County Fair, Jefferson’s No-Anchor Zone team outreach, Island County’s derelict vessel communication, Whatcom summer interns, Skagit’s Lone Tree Point kelp monitoring
* New additions to our resource library
* Join your local MRC and play a meaningful role in protecting our marine environment!

Upcoming events & opportunities:
Sept. 25 Whatcom Water Week https://www.whatcomwin.org/water-week-events(Whatcom MRC Stream to Sea)
Sept. 26 Bellingham SeaFeast https://www.bellinghamseafeast.org/(Whatcom MRC tabling)
Sept. 26 Fall Great Islands Clean Up (San Juan MRC, Plastic Free Salish Sea & partners)
https://plasticfreesalishsea.org/events/
Sept. 26 Fidalgo Bay Day (Hosted by Salish Sea School partnering with Skagit MRC)
https://www.skagitmrc.org/projects/fidalgo-bay-day/
Sept. 26 Sustainamania – Bothell (Snohomish MRC tabling)
https://bothellwa.gov/227/Sustainamania
Sept. 26 Beach clean-up Howarth Park (WSU Beach Watchers & Snohomish MRC)
https://www.snocomrc.org/meetings-events/

View current vacancies with county MRCs (NW Straits Opportunities) https://nwstraits.org/opportunities

09/17/2026

The NW Straits Commission staff got hands-on training in Washington Sea Grant’s Molt Search Protocols! 🦀

At our September staff meeting, our green crab experts Allie Simpson and Leah Skare walked us through the protocols and then sent us out to the shoreline to put our new skills to use, searching for crab molts, snapping photos, and logging everything in the MyCoast app. This community-collected data helps scientists track our native Dungeness crab populations and watch for invasive European green crabs.

Want to get involved? Check out the MyCoast app https://mycoast.org/ and try a molt search on your local shoreline!

Learn more about NW Straits Commission work trapping and removing green crab >>https://nwstraits.org/our-work/european-green-crab

09/17/2026

Fidalgo Bay Day is Saturday September 26 from 11a-3p

Please join the The Salish Sea School & Discovery Center partnering with Skagit MRC, Skagit County Public Works, City of Anacortes, Samish Indian Nation for a FREE, family-friendly community celebration filled with hands-on opportunities to learn about the beauty, history, wildlife, and ecology of Fidalgo Bay and the greater Salish Sea.

We are excited and honored to host Fidalgo Bay Day 2026! Join us for a free, family-friendly community celebration filled with hands-on opportunities to learn about the beauty, history, wildlife, and ecology of Fidalgo Bay and the greater Salish Sea.

The event will feature educational displays from marine science and conservation organizations throughout the region, along with activities such as beach seining, a forage fish egg survey, portable touch tanks from Shannon Point Marine Center, and free samples of local seafood.

Saturday, Sept 26 | 11 AM–3 PM
Fidalgo Bay RV Resort, Anacortes
Free and open to all ages—no registration required!