Friday Harbor Marine Health Observatory
Friday Harbor Marine Health Observatory (San Juan Island) monitors San Juan County’s busiest urban waterfront including its largest marina and working port. Abundance of 39 invertebrate species (starfish, sea anemones, tunicates, crabs) is collected monthly at eight fixed locations on the docks, together with data on water clarity, water quality, and weather at each location. An underwater video camera, Eye in Eelgrass, offers visitors to Spring Street Terminal close-up view of fish communities using sub-tidal eelgrass. Small boxes constructed of native stone tiles are hung underneath the docks to attract larval invertebrates seeking a place to settle. Sediment grabs are collected annually and tested for petroleum residues and contaminants. Special field guides to the marine life under Friday Harbor’s docks are available, together with an annual monitoring “report card.”
Visit the website: Friday Harbor Marine Health Observatory