Comparison of Bull Kelp coverage survey methods over time in the San Juan Archipelago

Bull Kelp forests are an important habitat in the Salish Sea. They provide critical habitat for a wide variety of species including newly listed rockfish. Yet little data currently exists to determine overall canopy coverage or trends in kelp coverage. In 2017, the Samish Indian Nation initiated a project to compare baseline kelp coverage with Traditional Ecological Knowledge from Tribal Fishermen and a 2006 remote sensing survey conducted by Friends of the San Juans. Using a combination of aerial photography analysis, boat based surveys and NASA satellite imagery, this project seeks to gain a unique perspective on kelp forest trends in the San Juan Islands portion of the Salish Sea. Information gathered will be utilized to inform kelp restoration activities as a part of the rockfish recovery plan sponsored by NOAA and others to enhance this critical habitat and its occupants