Technical Reports
	Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound: A Research Plan in Support of the Puget Sound Nearshore Partnership. This research plan identifies high-priority research goals and objectives and delineates the critical questions and information gaps that need to be addressed to effectively undertake restoration planning and adaptive management of the nearshore ecosystems of Puget Sound. To support this science-based approach and guide scientific research in support of nearshore ecosystem restoration, the U.S. Geological Survey and the PSNERP Nearshore Science Team collaborated in development of this research plan, organized around six high-priority goals.
	The Geomorphology of Puget Sound Beaches. The preservation and restoration of nearshore ecosystems in Puget Sound (including Puget Sound, Hood Canal, Saratoga Passage, Skagit Bay and Port Susan) fundamentally depends on an understanding of the processes that shape the shoreline over space and time. This report synthesizes information about the geomorphology and dynamics of Puget Sound’s beaches. It summarizes important peer-reviewed literature relevant to these beach environments and assembles background information that should be useful to shoreline managers and scientists alike.
	Conceptual Model for Assessing Restoration of Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystems. The PSNERP Nearshore Science Team has developed a Conceptual Model framework to aid in assessing restoration and preservation measures for nearshore ecosystems in Puget Sound. This model was designed primarily as a synthesis tool to better understand nearshore ecosystem processes and the response of nearshore ecosystems to different stressors or, alternatively, restoration actions. We have designed this model as a framework from which additional, more explicit “submodels” can be consistently developed that relate to specific nearshore stressors, landscape segments, functions, or restoration designs.
	Native Shellfish in Nearshore Ecosystems of Washington State Native shellfish in Washington State are of high ecological, economic, cultural, and recreational value. Ecologically, many of them filter nearshore waters, contributing to water quality. They also serve as predictable sources of food for carnivores in nearshore habitats. Others are predators that are part of the ecological balance of nearshore ecosystems. Culturally, they have been a critical part of the subsistence and culture of native peoples for centuries. This white paper provides a summary of literature describing the relationship between native shellfish and nearshore ecosystems.
	Nearshore Birds in Puget Sound Puget Sound is home to a great number of birds closely associated with the marine environment. All birds associated with the Puget Sound nearshore environment use one or more of three general habitat types – open water, rocky shoreline and mud flats. The species associated with these diverse habitats that are included in this document are Surf Scoter (Melanitta perspicillata), Black Oystercatcher (Haematopus bachmani) and Dunlin (Calidris alpina). This white paper provides a summary of literature describing the relationship between these species and nearshore ecosystems.
	Juvenile Pacific Salmon and the Nearshore Ecosystem of Puget Sound. Puget Sound salmon (genus Oncorhynchus) spawn in freshwater and feed, grow and mature in marine waters. During their transition from freshwater to saltwater, juvenile salmon occupy nearshore ecosystems in Puget Sound. This period of nearshore residence is critical to the viability, persistence, and abundance of Puget Sound salmon. This white paper summarizes what we know about salmon use of nearshore habitats to aid efforts protecting and restoring nearshore habitats.
	Application of "Best Available Science" in Ecosystem Restoration: Lessons Learned from Large-Scale Restoration Efforts in the USA To provide scientific direction for the Nearshore Partnership in its planning phase, the Nearshore Science Team (NST) sought to more clearly define the role and position of scientific input into large restoration programs such as Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Program. To accomplish their objective, the NST conducted a “lessons learned” exercise to characterize the role of science in five large-scale restoration programs beyond the Pacific Northwest: the Chesapeake Bay Program (CBP), the Comprehensive Everglades Restoration Plan (CERP), the California Bay-Delta Authority (CALFED), the Glen Canyon Adaptive Management Program (GCAMP), and the Louisiana Coastal Areas Ecosystem Restoration Program (LCA). The NST suggests that efficiently and effectively using science, as a foundation for making decisions will greatly improve a restoration program’s ability to successfully conceptualize, design, and implement large-scale restoration efforts in the long-term.
	Guidance for Protection and Restoration of the Nearshore Ecosystems of Puget Sound This document provides guidance on the development, selection, and evaluation of projects designed to support recovery of the nearshore ecosystems of Puget Sound. It is an interim product that reflects our current state of knowledge about the nearshore and represents a first step in a longer-term, evolving process. While developed for the Nearshore Partnership, we believe the guidance provided in this document can be useful to other restoration practitioners.
	Guiding Restoration Principles To develop an effective, large-scale ecosystem restoration program for the Puget Sound nearshore the Nearshore Science Team has developed a list of guiding restoration principles and fundamental ecological concepts and assumptions. These principles are considered critical to the success of diverse restoration and protection actions. They communicate our understanding of nearshore ecosystems and provide a framework for identifying, evaluating, and implementing restoration and protection actions. Developed to inform the Nearshore Partnership, it is anticipated that these principles will also be useful to the diverse array of people and organizations involved in restoration and protection of nearshore ecosystems and habitats.
	Puget Sound Annotated Bibliography This searchable database presents the results of a survey of literature, which describes relationships between salmonids and nearshore ecosystems of Puget Sound and Georgia Basin, the North Pacific (Alaska), Columbia River (Oregon/Washington), and Oregon Coast. Most references pertain to juvenile salmon – primarily Chinook, but also chum, pink and coho The document includes references published in the peer-reviewed and “grey literature” sources relevant to ecosystems within greater Puget Sound; however it is not exhaustive in scope. The annotated bibliography includes a full citation of the original reference, a 100-300 word annotated description of the paper or report including salient points, methods and results, and keywords.
	Historical Reconstruction, Classification and Change Analysis of Puget Sound Tidal Marshes The University of Washington’s River History Group prepared a comprehensive change analysis of Puget Sound tidal marshes, comparing historical (circa 1850-1890) data with current conditions. They used the typology developed by Hugh Shipman and the Nearshore Science Team (NST) with 20 tidal complexes they developed to inventory physical changes to 621 Puget Sound tidal marshes.
	Historic Characterization of WRIA9 Shoreline Landforms The non-profit firm, CommEnSpace, Inc., used the NST typology to characterize Watershed Resource Area No. 9 (WRIA9) historic shore forms. The study had two purposes: first, to test the newly developed typology by developing a rigorous methodology applied to WRIA9 landscape; secondly, they developed an inventory of 308 historic shoreline segments along 106 miles characterized by types.
Puget Sound Nearshore Partnership Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife P.O. Box 43145, Olympia, Washington 98506-43145 (360) 902-2222