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Puget Trough Outstanding Biodiversity Features
- Puget Sound—a globally important estuary. Home to orcas, porpoises, and harbor seals, with rich nearshore and deepwater habitats. Puget Sound’s distinctive underwater topography makes it vulnerable to activities onshore and upstream.
- Salmon, linking freshwater and saltwater habitats. Salmon are icons of the region, but several salmon species are at-risk due to habitat degradation.
- Grasslands and oak woodlands that support rare species. Many rare grassland species are declining because this habitat type has become highly fragmented. Fire suppression and invasive species are significant problems.
- Accessibility, rich natural resources, and economic potential. These factors have encouraged over 75% of Washington’s people to live here. The result is a mosaic of land uses that fragment high quality native habitats.
For details of this ecoregion within Washington, click a subheading in the left column.
View the more general description of this ecoregion in North America
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