Mussel Watch

Shellfish

The Whatcom MRC participates in "Mussel Watch", the large-scale mussel monitoring project led by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). This study supports the Washington Department of Ecology's (DOE) Stormwater Action Monitoring (SAM) program efforts to measure stormwater impacts to the environment and to evaluate the effectiveness of stormwater management actions.

Mussel Watch Program StoryMap

Using mussels as the study organism, WDFW assesses toxic contaminants appearing in key nearshore habitats throughout the Puget Sound. The program began in 2015 and is conducted every two years. WDFW reports on the status and trends of nearshore contaminants using a study design that groups sites within marine areas and urban embayments. You can view the reports of the study below.

2015/16 Report

2017/18 Report

2019/20 Report

2021/22 Report

To learn more about the development of mussel watch and the ongoing work, view the recorded presentation below.

Mussel Watch