Ecologically, shellfish provide two distinct ecosystem services. Primarily, they are a food source for humans and other animals in the estuarine ecosystem. Shellfish provide a cost-effective, high quality protein-based food for humans. Because shellfish are filter feeders, eating low on the trophic level, they could be considered a more energy …
A myriad of public and private groups have touted the expansion of shellfish aquaculture in Puget Sound as a win-win for the economy and the environment. Because of their ability to filter large amounts of water, bivalves are uniquely positioned as crops that promise to improve water quality while providing …
As part of the 2010 Marine Waters Planning and Management Act, Washington State is currently developing a Marine Spatial Plan (MSP) for all coastal waters. The State Ocean Caucus spent the first two years of development compiling human use and environmental data into an interactive GIS map and gathering public …
In 2011, Washington Governor Chris Gregoire announced a $4.5 million state-federal initiative to advance shellfish production in Puget Sound. Many people were skeptical of because they did not believe that the intitiative would be as beneficial as they first suspected. The NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) disagrees, saying that, …