STATE OF THE WASHINGTON COAST Ecology, Management, and Research Priorities Editors Elizabeth Skewgar1 and Scott F. Pearson1 Contributing authors Elizabeth Skewgar1, Megan Dethier2, Scott F. Pearson1, Gretchen Blatz1, Kenneth I. Warheit1, and Michele Culver1 Reviewers (in alphabetical order) Liam Antrim3, Rich Carlson4, Jennifer Hennessey5, Thomas F. Mumford6, Charles A. Simenstad7, Joanna Smith8, and Barry Troutman1 1Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife 2University of Washington Friday Harbor Labs 3Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary 4U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service 5Washington Department of Ecology 6Washington Department of Natural Resources 7University of Washington 8The Nature Conservancy Cover photo credits Top row: Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus) by Pete Hodum; Kalaloch Creek by Barry Troutman Middle row: double‐crested cormorant (Phalacrocorax auritus) colony off Tatoosh Island, tufted puffin (Fratercula cirrhata) by Peter Hodum; sea anemones (order Actiniaria) by Barry Troutman Bottom row: Black rockfish (Sebastes melanops) with red sea urchins (Strongylocentrotus franciscanus), vermillion rockfish (Sebastes miniatus) by Wayne Palsson, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife; kelp (order Laminariales) by Peter Hodum Suggested citation Skewgar, E. and S.F. Pearson (Eds.). 2011. State of the Washington Coast: Ecology, Management, and Research Priorities. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, Olympia, Washington. Table of Contents List of Figures ...................................................................................................................................... iii List of Tables ....................................................................................................................................... iv Preface ................................................................................................................................................ v Executive Summary ............................................................................................................................ vi I. Introduction ................................................................................................................................ 1 Coastal habitats .................................................................................................................................... 2 Coastal habitat classification and mapping .......................................................................................... 2 II. Ecology of the Washington coast ................................................................................................. 7 Physical processes ......................................................................................................................................... 7 Currents ................................................................................................................................................ 7 Tides ..................................................................................................................................................... 8 Climate ................................................................................................................................................. 8 Physical habitats and biotic communities ..................................................................................................... 9 Intertidal and subtidal benthos ............................................................................................................ 9 Deep benthos ..................................................................................................................................... 16 Nearshore pelagic ............................................................................................................................... 17 Anthropogenic stressors ............................................................................................................................. 18 Oil pollution ........................................................................................................................................ 20 Climate change ................................................................................................................................... 23 Harvest and human disturbance ........................................................................................................ 24 Non‐native, invasive species .............................................................................................................. 27 Habitat loss ......................................................................................................................................... 29 Harmful algal blooms ......................................................................................................................... 29 III. Management of the Washington coast ...................................................................................... 31 Coastal ownership ....................................................................................................................................... 31 Governmental coordination ....................................................................................................................... 31 State Ocean Caucus ............................................................................................................................ 31 Olympic Coast Intergovernmental Policy Council .............................................................................. 32 Marine Resource Committees ............................................................................................................ 32 Marine protected areas .............................................................................................................................. 32 Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary ........................................................................................ 33 Olympic National Park ........................................................................................................................ 33 National Wildlife Refuges ................................................................................................................... 33 Species and habitat monitoring and management..................................................................................... 34 Birds .................................................................................................................................................... 34 Invertebrates and fish ........................................................................................................................ 35 Marine mammals ............................................................................................................................... 37 Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Priority Habitats and Species Program ................... 37 Environmental monitoring .......................................................................................................................... 38 National Aquatic Resource Surveys .................................................................................................... 38 Northwest Association of Networked Ocean Observing Systems ..................................................... 38 Environmental Assessment Program ................................................................................................. 39 Ocean Observatories Initiative ........................................................................................................... 39 State of the Washington Coast i Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team ................................................................................. 39 Intertidal Monitoring .......................................................................................................................... 39 Fish and Shellfish Safety Monitoring .................................................................................................. 40 Southwest Washington Coastal Erosion Study .................................................................................. 40 Oil spill response ......................................................................................................................................... 40 Northwest Area Contingency Plan ..................................................................................................... 40 Ecological restoration ................................................................................................................................. 41 IV. Research priorities for the Washington coast ............................................................................. 42 Research needs ........................................................................................................................................... 42 Ecosystem‐based Management ......................................................................................................... 43 Marine Spatial Planning ..................................................................................................................... 44 Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................................... 57 References ........................................................................................................................................