Nearshore Community Studies of Neah Bay, Washington

Abstract : This volume describes a one-year study by Fisheries Research Institute (FRI), University of Washington (UW), of the structure and community interactions of marine biota in Neah Bay. Neah Bay is an enclosed embayment at the southwestern entrance to the strait of Juan de Fuca, on the northwest corner of Washington State (Fig. 1.1). This assessment was indicated in response to a proposed suite of projects to develop intertidal and subtidal areas of the Bay for log export shipping and commercial fishing boat moorage (see Section 1.2). These projects have the potential to disrupt or eliminate areas of benthic marine habitat, much of which is characterized by macrophytic vegetation. Nearshore marine and estuarine habitats such as eelgrass, helps and other macroalgae, and emergent salt marsh plants are presumed to be vital to many economically important fishes and macroinvertebrates. However, quantitative evidence indicating that these macrophyte habitats enhance growth and survival or otherwise account for high production of exploited populations is generally lacking. As a consequence, the significance of loss or degradation of macrophyte habitats with regard to importance to associated biota is theoretical. (js)