Coastal Habitats Research

photo of scientists doing intertidal monitoring

Sanctuary scientists study intertidal populations to monitor trends.

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary contains many kinds of habitats including rocky shores, sandy beaches, kelp forests, sea stacks and islands, open ocean or pelagic habitats, the continental shelf seafloor and submarine canyons. This complex seascape and the dynamic ocean processes that occur here are the reasons the Olympic coast is noted for its biological diversity (the number and abundance of species) and high ecological productivity.

Sanctuary research in coastal habitats, conducted in collaboration with numerous individual, government and academic partners, focuses on intertidal monitoring, nearshore kelp beds, subtidal habitats, and seafloor or benthic communities, and fish.

With impacts demonstrated throughout the world, invasive species are a threat to coastal habitats monitored by sanctuary researchers and partners.

For information on coastal habitat projects, see Coastal Habitat Projects.

Contact for page content: olympiccoast@noaa.gov