[narrator] The Pacific Northwest s
Puget Sound. Its waters form the
nation s second-largest estuary and comprise
the southern half of the greater Salish Sea.
With more than 4 million people calling it home,
the Puget Sound region is known for its natural
wonders both above and below the surface.
[brian] The real beauty of Puget
Sound is what lies under the surface.
[narrator] More than two dozen kelp species
create an underwater haven for marine mammals,
hundreds of fish species, and a diverse
array of invertebrates and other organisms.
[betsy] Puget Sound is a biodiversity
hotspot. Kelp forests themselves
are fueling, powering, supporting the marine
ecosystem and the fisheries on which we depend.
[brian] Everything eats kelp. It's in the shrimp
and the clams and the salmon and the whales.
Kelp is the reason why
estuaries are productive places.
[brooke] They are these giant underwater
forests that are just totally irreplaceable.
[narrator] Kelp forests have played
an essential role in this ecosystem
for many thousands of years. As early
peoples migrated into the Americas,
a lifeway of kelp beds supported them with
food and safe passage on their journey.
Their descendants - known as the Coast Salish -
comprise a loose grouping of indigenous nations
who still live here. Kelp plays a
significant role in their shared cultures.
[leonard] It s also a very big indicator of
the health of the sea and of
our ancestral waters here.
[narrator] In recent years, Tribal
citizens and Western scientists alike
have observed that kelp is in
serious decline in some areas.
[tom] We've seen significant
losses. The first maps that we had
were done in the 1870s and there was kelp
marked all over South Sound. It's gone.
People are beginning to realize
it matters. It makes a difference.
[casey] Kelp is very important to all marine
species. It's also important to us as humans.
We don't want to think about what
happens if we lose it. If it disappears,
it's more than just the kelp that will disappear.
[narrator] Resource managers, scientists, tribal
citizens, and advocates across Puget Sound are
working together to solve the mysteries
of conserving and restoring kelp forests.
What does this region s
interconnected history with kelp
reveal about its current health? And
how will kelp persist in the future?