What's Up in Estuaries?

Vital ecosystems on the margins of our cruising grounds. (Plus—your thoughts on a good estuary boat.)

Article by Sean Grealish

I am beginning to sift through the bountiful data gathered in the Costs of Small Boats survey we put out last month, so stay tuned for the first batch of results and analysis in December!

Washington’s sheltered boater paradise inland of the Olympic Peninsula, often referred to as the Salish Sea, holds a special place in my heart. However, up until about a year ago I had spent very little time exploring, or appreciating, the brackish wrinkles around the edge, vast estuaries where the meltwater of the white capped peaks takes its final tumble into the sea. That fact quickly changed when I started my masters research project on the variability of invertebrate communities across a Salish Sea estuary near my home in Bellingham Washington. Here in the Pacific Northwest estuaries exist along the margins of cities, farmland and housing complexes, and as small boat users we often overlook them as we jump to more “scenic” destinations such as the San Juan Islands. However, entering a community of stakeholders so heavily invested in the health of these ecosystems has opened my eyes to their importance, despite their small total area within the Salish Sea. There will be some light science talk in here, but I’ve aimed to keep it to a minimum as this piece is meant to share my admiration, not research. So with that all said, I’d like to talk a bit about estuaries in the Salish Sea, in the hopes that those of you living far from here will find it an interesting introduction, and those of you living near the Salish Sea will be inspired to visit one of them before the southerly storms drive us to hide away for the winter.