Surf Smelt Spawning Habitat Trends in South Puget Sound

Forage fish such as surf smelt (Hypomesus pretiosus) are a crucial piece of the marine food web in the Salish Sea as they are a vital conduit of energy from primary producers to higher level consumers, like marine mammals, seabirds, and salmon. Protection of forage fish spawning habitat is afforded under the Washington State Hydraulic Code, but in order for this habitat to be protected we must be able to document where it occurs. Surveys for nearshore spawning forage fish were first implemented by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) beginning in 1972. These early surveys were sometimes patchy both spatially and temporally, which has made assessing trends in distribution and utilization of spawning habitat difficult. Beginning in the spring of 2014, survey efforts were renewed with a more systematic sampling approach. At the same time, WDFW began development of a sample processing method that provided more consistent results from multiple user groups and greater probability of detecting eggs which enabled us to engage with more research partners to collect and process more samples. We will present findings from recent surveys and historical surveys, describe the spatial and temporal distribution of the documented surf smelt spawning habitat in Puget Sound, and discuss notable changes or differences