Red Tide and Coast Salish Peoples

The Salish Sea is one of the world’s largest biologically lush seas. Within the Salish Sea is Lummi Bay, located in Bellingham, Washington that surrounds the Lummi people and its Nation. Many Coast Salish tribes, including Lummi Nation, have fished and harvested from the Salish Sea for thousands of years. Today fishing and shellfish harvesting is still relevant for food, potlatch and ceremony purposes. Native people have always known about red tide (harmful algae), knowledge of red tide has been passed down with each generation and some of the teachings include what part of the shellfish to harvest when there is a bloom to minimize exposure to toxins. With excess nutrients entering the sea, such as pet waste, sewage, and fertilizers, along with heavy rainfall and warmer temperatures, harmful algal blooms are expected to increase in size, duration, and consequences. Many tribal and state agencies, in stewardship for their land, monitor for harmful algal blooms and toxins. Native Americans that live and work along the Salish Sea and harvest shellfish for subsistence are feeling the effects of harmful algae, where more harvesting closures means no work or food on the table. The Salish Sea Research Center at Northwest Indian College is supporting tribal monitoring, while working with Lummi Natural Resources, by including passive toxin tracking. This may provide early evidence of toxin contamination in the water column before it reaches shellfish, and decrease closure times due to toxigenic harmful algae by providing more data points and faster turn around time. Here we present our long-term monitoring plan and preliminary data while focusing on the cultural ties that the Lummi people have with harmful algae and shellfish harvesting