Washington Marine Vegetation Atlas
   

More than 200 surveys of seagrasses, kelp and other macroalgae in Washington State

Please send comments to the Nearshore Habitat Program.

What is the Marine Vegetation Atlas?

  • A source of information on current and historical vegetation observations to assist resource managers in protecting and restoring habitat in Puget Sound.  
  • An open-access data catalog to enhance collaborations and science‐based recommendations for resource management, regulatory decisions and marine planning.
  • An easily accessible web‐based interface to enhance public awareness of marine vegetation issues and research.

What are the practical applications of the Atlas?

  • Find the locations of vegetation types of recognized ecological importance and protected by regulations.
  • View, search, and share maps of marine vegetation data. 
  • Download reports and data.
  • Search predefined layers for protected vegetation like seagrass and kelp.  
  • Customize searches for a particular species of interest, survey data, study type, purpose, etc. 
Launch the Atlas in a separate window for full screen or mobile devices.

Additional Resources

Links to more information about coastal habitats and marine vegetation in Washington State.

  • Washington Coastal Atlas – Make a coastal map for Washington State. Download aerial photos of Washington shorelines. Map public beaches, biology, slope stability, and more. (Washington State Department of Ecology.)
  • Encyclopedia of Puget Sound – A free, open access website where scientists, policymakers and educators find and share information about the Puget Sound ecosystem. 
  • DNR’s GIS Data – Download spatial datasets, including nearshore habitat vegetation mapping and state-owned aquatic lands managed by DNR.
  • WA Department of Ecology GIS Data – Download spatial datasets covering a wide variety of environmental subjects.
  • Algaebase – A database of terrestrial, marine, and freshwater organisms.
  • Consortium of Pacific Northwest Herbaria – Provides access to specimen data and digital resources from herbaria (a collection of plant samples preserved for long-term study).
  • Seaweeds of Alaska – A searchable database of photos and detailed life histories of many seaweed species that occur in the Northern Pacific

More Aquatic Science

Questions?

For quesitons, please contact the Nearshore Habitat Section at 360-902-1100 or at nearshore@dnr.wa.gov.