Preliminary Investigation of Water Quality Conditions in Garrison Bay

Project ID: J8W07080009

Federal Agency: National Park Service

Partner Institution: University of Washington

Fiscal Year: 2008

Initial Funding: $6,985

Total Funding: $6,985

Project Type: Research

Project Disciplines: Biological

National Park: San Juan Island National Historic Park

Principal Investigator: Wyllie-Echeverria, Sandy

Agreement Technical Representative: Davis, Chris

Abstract: Recent studies have documented significant declines of eelgrass Zostera marina in Garrison Bay and other harbors throughout the San Juan Islands. As recently as 1998, eelgrass beds in Garrison Bay were dense and extensive. However, annual surveys indicate eelgrass began to decline drastically throughout the San Juan Islands in 2002 and had disappeared from large areas of Westcott and Garrison Bays by 2003. Assessment of water quality conditions in Garrison Bay is a necessary first step in determining the suitability of this site for the natural recolonization or human-assisted restoration of eegrass.

In the course of this project an additional monitoring station in Garrison Bay using the NPS’s Hydrolab datasonde and station plans provided by the Washington Department of Natural Resources will be established. A sampling protocol for collecting water-quality data in Garrison Bay will be developed followed by collection of data describing water quality conditions during summer 2008.