Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Condition Summary Table
Status and Trends of Resource Condition and Ecosystems Services 2008-2019

The various resource status and trend evaluations presented in this report are summarized below. Each question used to rate the condition and trends sanctuary resources is listed, followed by:

1. A set of rating symbols that display key information. The first symbol includes a color and term to indicate status. The next symbol indicates trend. A shaded scale adjacent to both symbols indicates confidence (see key for example and definitions).
2. The status description, which is a statement that best characterizes resource status and corresponds to the assigned color rating and definition as described in Appendix A. The status description statements are customized for all possible ratings for each question.
3. The rationale is a short statement or list of criteria used to justify the rating.

Key:

Drivers/Pressures

Question 1: What are the states of influential human drivers and how are they changing?

Not rated

Rationale: ONMS and OCNMS staff decided not to rate the status and trend of influential human drivers at OCNMS. The primary purposes for rating the status and trends of resources through this process are to use condition reports to assess program effectiveness and to influence management of human activities and certain natural resource actions. For the most part, drivers are not manageable, at least not under the authority of the National Marine Sanctuaries Act, nor do most of them originate at scales relevant to management by national marine sanctuaries. While understanding them is important, rating them is not necessary to achieve the goals of the condition report.

Question 2: What are the levels of human activities that may adversely influence water quality and how are they changing?

Status Description: Some potentially harmful activities exist, but they have not been shown to degrade water quality to a degree that raises substantial concern.

Rationale: Several human activities have the potential to adversely influence water quality, but generally do not seem to be doing so within OCNMS waters, except on very localized, short-term scales. Activities of concern include oil spills from vessels, vessel discharges from sewage and exhaust gas cleaning systems, and at-sea seafood processing.

Question 3: What are the levels of human activities that may adversely influence habitats and how are they changing?

Status Description: Selected activities have caused measurable resource impacts, but effects are localized and episodic, rather than widespread or persistent.

Rationale: There have been shifts in the location of trawl impacts and improved management of bottom-contact gear. Activities of potential concern to benthic habitats include use of bottom-contact fishing gear; abandoned, lost, or derelict crab pots; lost vessels; and ocean dumping.

Question 4: What are the levels of human activities that may adversely influence living resources and how are they changing?

Status Description: Some potentially harmful activities exist, but they have not been shown to degrade living resource quality to a degree that raises significant concern.

Rationale: Despite recent spikes in the number of whale entanglements, impacts from human activities overall either declined during the assessment period (e.g., a reduction in the number of overfished species) or remained at lower levels than earlier periods (trawling, and, presumably, gear impacts).

Question 5: What are the levels of human activities that may adversely affect maritime heritage resources and how are they changing?

Status Description: Selected activities have caused measurable impacts to maritime heritage resources, but effects are localized and episodic rather than widespread or persistent.

Rationale: Cumulative damage to shipwrecks from bottom-trawl fishing gear began when trawl gear was first introduced, decades before OCNMS was designated. The level of trawl activity has been relatively steady since 2008, but is reduced compared to historic levels. Additional, but limited, bottom disturbance exists from ocean dumping, lost vessels, and research activities.

Water Quality

Question 6: What is the eutrophic condition of sanctuary waters and how is it changing?

Status Description: Eutrophication has not been documented, or does not appear to have the potential to negatively affect ecological integrity.

Rationale: High primary productivity naturally occurs seasonally in OCNMS due to upwelling during the spring and summer. Human contributions to eutrophication (primarily via seasonal inputs of nutrients from the Salish Sea and Columbia River) appeared to be negligible compared to natural cycles controlled by upwelling.

Question 7: Do sanctuary waters pose risks to human health and how are they changing?

Status Description: Water quality problems have caused measurable human impacts, but effects are localized and episodic rather than widespread or persistent.

Rationale: Harmful algal blooms occur naturally in OCNMS, and biotoxins are periodically detected in shellfish, sometimes resulting in trophic transfer of biotoxins to predators like marine mammals and seabirds. However, impacts on human health have been minimized due to effective seasonal monitoring and measures, like beach closures.

Question 8: Have recent, accelerated changes in climate altered water conditions, and how are they changing?

Status Description: Climate-related changes have caused severe degradation in some but not all attributes of ecological integrity.

Rationale: Since 2008, concerning climate-related changes have been documented for several critical ocean indicators, including dissolved oxygen, aragonite saturation, pH, and marine heatwaves, all of which produce detrimental effects on ecosystems.

Question 9: Are other stressors, individually or in combination, affecting water quality, and how are they changing?

Status Description: Selected stressors are suspected and may degrade some attributes of ecological integrity, but have not yet caused measurable degradation.

Rationale: Persistent organic pollutants were present in some forage fish and gray whales, but below effects levels. Microplastics are likely present, based on data from Oregon. The worsening trend determination was based on global trends in these stressors.

Habitat Resources

Question 10: What is the integrity of major habitat types and how are they changing?

Status Description: Selected habitat loss or alteration has caused measurable but not severe degradation in some attributes of ecological integrity.

Rationale: Since 2008, the ecological integrity of major habitat types has been mixed. There was little evidence of major degradation in kelp forests and rocky coasts, but the dominant habitat, the pelagic zone, has been degraded by marine heatwaves, ocean acidification, and hypoxic events, and measurable declines in these indicators drove the ratings for this question. Data on the integrity of other habitat types in the sanctuary are lacking.

Question 11: What are contaminant concentrations in sanctuary habitats and how are they changing?

Status Description: Contaminants have not been documented, or do not appear to have the potential to negatively affect ecological integrity.

Rationale: Contaminant concentrations are considered to be generally low in the sanctuary, and there is no evidence to suggest contaminant concentrations are increasing; however, most data and published information preceded the assessment period.

Living Resources

Question 12: What is the status of keystone and foundation species and how is it changing?

Status Description: The status of keystone or foundation species suggests measurable, but not severe, degradation in some attributes of ecological integrity.

Rationale: Since 2008, populations of some keystone (e.g., purple and sunflower sea stars) and foundation species (e.g., California mussels) have declined while populations of other keystone (e.g., kelp, sea otters) and foundation species (e.g., anchovies, pacific hake) are stable or increasing.

Question 13: What is the status of other focal species and how is it changing?

Status Description: Selected focal species are at reduced levels, but recovery is possible.

Rationale: TSince 2008, some populations of focal species (e.g., razor clams, groundfish) have remained stable or have increased while others (e.g., Dungeness crab, chinook salmon, steelhead) and state and/or federal species of concern (e.g., eulachon, Southern Resident killer whale, humpback whale, fin whale, marbled murrelet, tufted puffin) have declined or have remained critically endangered.

Question 14: What is the status of non-indigenous species and how is it changing?

Status Description: Non-indigenous species are present and may preclude full community development and function, but have not yet caused measurable degradation.

Rationale: Non-indigenous species (e.g., Sargassum muticum and Caulacanthus okamurae) have existed at low abundances in OCNMS for decades; however, a greater number of non-indigenous species have been identified as a concern in or adjacent to OCNMS boundaries in the last 10 years. These include the European green crab, 289 non-indigenous species introduced to the U.S. West Coast by the 2011 tsunami, and farmed Atlantic salmon that escape from net pens into Puget Sound.

Question 15: What is the status of biodiversity and how is it changing?

Status Description: Selected biodiversity loss or change is suspected and may preclude full community development and function, but has not yet caused measurable degradation.

Rationale: Some keystone and foundation species experienced significant declines after 2013, which may have altered biodiversity and community structure and function. A worsening trend was determined based on changes to keystone and foundation species and declining diversity metrics over the last several years for groundfish; however, variable results for some other groups suggest that more comprehensive biodiversity assessments are needed.

Maritime Heritage Resources

Question 16: What is the condition of known maritime heritage resources and how is it changing?

Status Description: The diminished condition of selected maritime heritage resources has reduced, to some extent, their aesthetic, cultural, historical, archaeological, scientific, or educational value, and may affect the eligibility of some sites for listing in the National Register of Historic Places.

Rationale: Shipwreck sites are known to experience damage from mobile and fixed fishing gear, as these sites create structure on the seabed that can attract commercially important fish species, and thus fishing effort. Damage to shipwreck sites from fishing gear has been documented. Shipwreck sites are also visited by scuba divers. Scuba diving in the sanctuary has increased since 2007, but seems to be well-managed by dive operators to avoid site disturbance.

Ecosystem Services Summary Table

The various resource ecosystem service evaluations presented in this report are summarized below. Each ecosystem service is listed, followed by:

1. A set of rating symbols that display key information. The first symbol includes a color and term to indicate status, the next symbol indicates trend, and a shaded scale adjacent to both symbols indicates confidence (see key for example and definitions).
2. The status description, which is a statement that best characterizes status and corresponds to the assigned color rating and definition as described in Appendix B.
3. The rationale, a short statement, or list of criteria used to justify the rating.

Cultural (Non-Material Benefit)

Consumptive Recreation

Status Description: Ability to provide ecosystem service is compromised, and existing management would require enhancement to enable acceptable performance.

Rationale: Consumptive recreation includes recreational activities that result in the removal of or damage to natural and cultural resources. In OCNMS, this activity is primarily recreational fishing and razor clam harvesting, activities that the sanctuary does not manage. The number of charter boat angler trips had no clear upward or downward trend from 1998–2021, the number of private boat angler trips has increased during the same time period, and the number of razor clam licenses increased from 2011 to 2021. Though the quantity of some fished species kept by charter boats has increased or remained stable, some important or iconic salmon stocks have remained depressed and have yet to recover to provide the desired level of recreational fishing opportunities in the sanctuary.

Non-Consumptive Recreation

Status Description: Ability to provide ecosystem service is compromised, and existing management would require enhancement to enable acceptable performance.

Rationale: Various measures of visitation have remained stable or increased from 2008 to 2018. Visitors and residents to the OCNMS area report engaging in a variety of non-consumptive recreational activities, including shore-based activities, wildlife viewing, sightseeing, and water-based sports. However, the popularity of recreational activities in OCNMS has led to substantial concerns regarding the region's ability to support increased visitor use, which was a key factor in determining the fair rating. The undetermined trend was driven by uncertainty regarding the effects of increased use on the condition of sanctuary resources and the quality of non-consumptive recreation at some sanctuary locations.

Science

Status Description: The capacity to provide the ecosystem service is compromised, and existing management would require enhancement to enable acceptable performance.

Rationale: The fair rating was driven by the fact that several critical science needs are not being met due to insufficient resource allocation. Limitations exist with regard to OCNMS capacity, staffing, resources, and infrastructure, including limited staff capacity in several areas; aging research vessels (R/V Tatoosh); and limited internet, lab space, and academic institutions on the coast to conduct all of the science activities required. However, research partnerships, collaboration, and coordination are improving, which is increasing the breadth of science conducted within OCNMS. New research programs have been initiated; these include the establishment of an ocean acidification sentinel site, kelp forest surveys, deep sea exploration, and ocean sound monitoring. Established activities, including oceanographic moorings, habitat mapping and seafloor characterization, and intertidal surveys, have continued throughout the study period. Furthermore, the extensive traditional ecological knowledge of the four Coastal Treaty Tribes significantly enhances our shared understanding of the Olympic Coast.

Education

Status Description: The capacity to provide the ecosystem service is compromised, but performance is acceptable.

Rationale: Key indicators used to determine the status and trend of the education ecosystem service were willingness to pay for educational programs, funding for educational programs, the number of people receiving formal and informal education, the quality of the educational experience, the number of volunteers working with OCNMS, and the number and types of educational programs offered. Studies focusing on similar California-based Ocean Guardian School programs show that parents have a willingness to pay for hands-on ocean conservation and stewardship programs. The number of Twitter and Facebook followers (those who like the social media page) of OCNMS has increased over the past few years. Driven by sanctuary, tribal, and partner education programs, educational activities focused on OCNMS and related ocean science and stewardship have increased in quality over time and contributed to the public’s awareness of OCNMS, enhancing ocean literacy.

Heritage

Status Description: The capacity to provide the ecosystem service is compromised, but performance is acceptable.

Rationale: The existence, and in some cases resurgence, of traditional cultural practices reflecting heritage contributed to the good/fair rating for this ecosystem service. These practices include exercising treaty rights, revitalizing tribal languages, subsistence harvest, potlatches, canoe journeys, the publication of several books about tribal histories and culture, and interpretive programs that help to restore and preserve heritage. However, some key heritage practices are compromised due to declines, closures, or shifts in resources (e.g., harvest of blueback salmon and other cultural keystone species). Cultural practices such as harvesting and sharing of knowledge (e.g., how and when to harvest) through the practice of harvesting are not as robust as they have been, indicating that improvements could be made.

Sense of Place

Not rated: This ecosystem service was not assigned a status or trend rating (or accompanying confidence scores). The workshop participants determined that a context-specific narrative was more appropriate to discuss sense of place, particularly due to its many unquantifiable aspects.

Rationale: The Olympic Coast is a unique place that four Coastal Treaty Tribes, who have reserved treaty rights to the resources and area, have inhabited since time immemorial. Additionally, there are non-Indigenous inhabitants with a rich history since their ancestors' arrival hundreds of years ago. Further, there are newer members of the community and many visitors to the area from around the world. Given the diversity of inhabitants and timeframes, rating sense of place for the sanctuary is not only difficult, but unsuitable for collectively describing these perspectives. There was high agreement among workshop participants that a context-specific narrative was better suited to examine the breadth of this service.

Provisioning (Material Benefits)

Commercial Harvest

Not rated

Rationale: Workshop participants opted to not rate this service due to complexity and dynamics among the human and natural factors affecting commercial fisheries. Throughout the study period (2008–2021), variability has been showcased by both high catches and fishery disasters. Although management seeks to reduce variability within this ecosystem service, changing ocean conditions and weather are key contributors to the variability of annual harvests.

Subsistence Harvest

Status Description: The capacity to provide the ecosystem service is compromised, and existing management would require enhancement to enable acceptable performance.

Rationale: Over the study period, razor clam subsistence harvest has remained relatively stable, while other species, such as the prized blueback sockeye salmon from the Quinault River, have been limited or entirely unavailable in recent years. Further, several participants across tribal communities have expressed concern about having enough species through the year to meet their needs and desires. Additionally, hard shell clams and octopus, which were gathered traditionally by Coastal Treaty Tribes, are reported to be less available.

Ornamentals

Status Description: The capacity to provide the ecosystem service is compromised, but performance is acceptable.

Rationale: A wide variety of marine resources have been, and continue to be, collected from OCNMS for decorative, aesthetic, and ceremonial purposes. However, shifts in distribution and abundance have occurred for some ornamental species from 2008 to 2018. Data gaps are present regarding the status and trends of a number of ornamental species.