Foundedin1997,PugetSoundRestorationFund(PSRF)restoresmarinespeciesandhabitats,withaspecialfocusonnativeoyster,abalone,andkelprecoveryefforts.Weoperateaconservationhatcherytorebuildandresearchshellfishandkelp,andwespearheadmultipleactionstomitigateoceanacidification.WithinthebroaderlandscapeofPugetSoundrecovery,PSRFfocusesonrestoringlivingmarinehabitatsthatsustainahealthyecosystemandsupporthumanhabitationalongourshores.

BlueRibbonPanelParticipationIn2012,PSRFservedontheBlueRibbonPanelonOceanAcidification,whichhadagalvanizingeffectonouroperations.WearecurrentlyhelpingtoadvancesixBRPrecommendations,including:

• Operateaconservationhatchery Action6.3.4EstablishedwithNOAAin2014,thehatcheryculturesOlympiaoysters,Pintoabalone,seacucumbers,andnativekelpspeciestosupportrestorationandprovideahubforresearchonimpactstomarineresourcesduetooceanacidification.

• Launcha5-yearkelpcultivationinvestigation KeyEarlyAction6.1.1WithfundingfromthePaulG.AllenFamilyFoundation,PSRFisleadingateamofscientiststoinvestigatetheabilityofkelptoimproveseawaterconditions(2015-2019).

• Restorekelppopulations Action6.3.1PSRFisleadingthedevelopmentofbullkelprestorationmethodsandcollaboratingonakelprecoveryplan.Ourkelplabcanpropagatekelpforbothrestorationandmitigation.

• Helpcreaterefuges Action6.3.2 PSRF’sconservationhatcheryiswellpositionedtohelptheStateproactivelycreaterefugesinprioritylocationsbyapplyingasuiteofremediationstrategiesthatrequirehatcherypropagation,includingproducingnativekelpspeciesandOlympiaoysters.

• RestorenativeOlympiaoysters Action6.3.3 OlympiaoysterseedproducedatPSRF’shatcheryhelpsrebuildbreedingpopulationsin19prioritylocationsinPugetSoundtosupporton-the-groundrestorationefforts.

• InvestigateselectivebreedingapproachesforOAtolerance Action6.3.5 PrivateresearchersatPSRF’shatcheryarefocusedonidentifyingandproducingresilientstrainsofseveralshellfishspecies.

PUGETSOUNDRESTORATIONFUND

AcollaborativeteamledbyPugetSoundRestorationFundhasbeeninvestigatingthepowerofkelptoimproveseawaterconditionslocally.Withincreasinglycorrosiveconditionsahead,theprojectteststheefficacyofusingnativevegetationtobufferthepHofseawaterinplaceswithimportantshellfishresources.The5-yearprojectimplementsakeyrecommendationoftheBlueRibbonPanelonOceanAcidificationwithfundingfromThePaulG.AllenFamilyFoundation,theU.S.Navy,andtheinvolvementofleading-edgeOAscientists.

Toputtheideatothetest,sugarkelpwascultivatedata2.5-acresitenorthoftheHoodCanalBridgeleasedbyHoodCanalMariculture.Duringthegrowingseason,kelpconsumesCO2andnitrogenfromthesurroundingseawater-thesamewaythattreesabsorbCO2fromtheatmosphere.Whenharvested,thecarbonandnitrogenthatareremovedfromthemarineenvironmentcanbetransformedintofood,fertilizer,feed,andotherproducts.Ontheassessmentside,scientistsatUniversityofWashington,NOAA,andWashingtonDepartmentofNaturalResourcesmeasuredtheeffectsofkelpcultivationonpH,carbonatechemistry,biology,andfishutilization.DatawerethenintegratedintoacomputermodelcreatedbySystemScienceApplicationstovisuallyillustratetheeffectofkelponseawaterconditions.AnAdvisoryTeampackedwithkelpexpertsandanOAspecialistwithWashingtonSeaGranthavebeenonhandtoassistwithkelpanalysisandoutreach.Duringthefirstyearoffull-scalecultivationandassessmentin2017,14,000lbs.ofkelpwasharvestedandtransportedtoSkyRootFarmonWhidbeyIslandfordirectsoilenrichmenttrials.In2018,10,000lbs.ofkelpwasdeliveredtoano-tillvegetablefarminQuilceneforcompost.

8001DayRd.West,SuiteB

BainbridgeIsland,WA98110206-780-6947

www.restorationfund.org

THEPOWEROFKELP

InvestigatingKelpCultivationasaStrategyforMitigatingOceanAcidification