Elevating eelgrass protection in the San Juan Islands

In 2021 San Juan County's Marine Program hosted a series of virtual workshops that brought together partners engaged in eelgrass conservation, research, and recovery in San Juan County, forming EPIC, the Eelgrass Protection Initiative Consortium. This work was achieved with the support of Pew Charitable Trusts and was championed by the late Caroline Gibson, to whom we have dedicated this work. 

Check out the final report and also the blog post from Pew with quotes from key players in eelgrass conservation and research, including the NWSC. 

Pew blog post: 

In San Juan Islands, Coalition Works to Reverse Eelgrass Declines

2021 Annual Report Published

Learn about what the MRC accomplished in 2021 by taking a read through our Annual report. 

Download the report below

Spring has sprung. Be sure to get your whale warning flag! 

Adopt a Beach!

The Plastic Free Salish Sea Initiative has launched the latest community effort for the Salish Sea. 

MRC 2020 Annual Report Published

The 2020 Annual report for the San Juan MRC is now available. Learn about the MRC, the projects, and accomplishments of the past year, and what the MRC has planned for the future.

Download a copy of the report here

Salish Sea Science Symposium: Implications of Noise from Navy Aircraft for the Salish Sea and Olympic Region

The San Juan County Marine Resources Committee (MRC) and the Salish Sea Institute at Western Washington University co-hosted a science symposium on March 16,  on navy jet noise and the impacts to humans and wildlife in the region. Lauren Kuehne and Rob Williams presented from recently published scientific research and an engaging panel discussion with audience Q&A followed.

Watch the recording through link below

The Plastic Free Salish Sea Initiative is Launched!

The San Juan County MRC and partners are thrilled to see the official launch of the Plastic Free Salish Sea Initiative. We invite you to check out our community-based resources website to learn more about how you can do your part to reduce your reliance on plastic. We have easy to use toolkits, an events page for information on things to get involved in, and a dedicated resources page with links and infographics for you to access and use. 

Do you have your whale warning flag?

If you would like a flag for your boat email us at mrc@sanjuanco.com

In 2018 we launched the Whale Warning Flag pilot study and associated education and outreach campaign aimed at shifting boater behavior around whales. Check out the results of our pilot study and what we learned in our final report. 

Plastic Free Salish Sea brings you: How to Reduce Your Waste Impact During COVID-19 Times

In 2018 members of the Marine Resources Committee, Friends of the San Juans, San Juan County Solid Waste, the Lopez Solid Waste District and the Orcas Exchange came together to build an education and awareness building campaign aimed at changing citizen behavior and the cultures of plastic use in San Juan County and throughout the wider Salish Sea region. This group has continued to grow and expand their ideas and efforts. But, the global pandemic that we now find ourselves in has found the group being called upon to provide guidance on newly emerging issues related to plastics and waste.

Check out the PFSS Initiatives' easy to follow tips to REFUSE, REDUCE and REUSE in the age of COVID-19.

False Bay: a Biological Preserve & Island Gem

False Bay is a Biological Preserve managed by the University of Washington. It is a gem on San Juan Island and we are lucky to be able to enjoy it, especially during these long days where our “normal” daily rhythms have been abruptly changed by COVID-19. But while we wander the shoreline, or stroll out over the long expanse of tidelands at low tide we must remember that this special place is a protected place. What is a Biological Preserve you may wonder?  Preserves are established to help “protect and conserve fragile or unique habitats, species, and culturally historic sites, and to enhance fisheries abundance and biodiversity". False Bay is a place of important scientific research for the benefit of all of the Salish Sea, it provides important habitat to migrating seabirds, to eelgrass, forage fish and other vitally important species to the ecosystem of our waters.

Help us protect False Bay and its little residents, our neighbors with whom we co-habitat this island by following these four simple principles.