Puget Sound Salmon
Besides humans, no other creature penetrates the Northwest so completely. The salmon is to the entire Northwest what the spotted owl was to old-growth forests, a telling indicator of ecological health. Due to many factors, Puget Sound salmon are in decline. Among the many factors is the drastic reduction in salt marshes over the past 125 years. These salt marshes are vital to the life cycle of salmon as they provide food and shelter for the young salmon. It is estimated that there is about a 73% decline in these salt marsh habitats within the Puget Sound region. Almost all of the marshes in large urban areas have been lost (Dept. of Ecology). Local Chinook salmon also carry high polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) levels; some even carry higher levels than farmed salmon. Washington State health officials believe the heart health benefits of eating fish continue to out weigh the risks posed by the PCB (Seattle PI).
Read more about Puget Sound Salmon: Species, Needs, Life Cycle, Habitat Loss, History, Puget Sound Recovery Plan, Importance of Using Low-impact Development Methods in The Built Environment, Salmon and The Economy, Cultural Significance
Famous quotes containing the words sound and/or salmon:
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—Socrates (469–399 B.C.)
“The first man to discover Chinook salmon in the Columbia, caught 264 in a day and carried them across the river by walking on the backs of other fish. His greatest feat, however, was learning the Chinook jargon in 15 minutes from listening to salmon talk.”
—State of Oregon, U.S. public relief program (1935-1943)