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Giant Pacific OctopusWhen Archibald Menzies, the Naturalist on the Vancouver expedition, did his own walking tour here in 1792, he could not have imagined the emphasis placed today on maintaining ecological balance among all species, human and otherwise. Menzies marveled at the range and variety of new flora and fauna that he encountered up and down the west coast. The native Lushootseed peoples were already deeply aware of the natural world around them and they had always sought to maintain a balance with all plant and animal life. But they did so within a worldview that blended the natural and the supernatural. What would both Menzies and the original inhabitants think about the following list of research projects currently underway along the same north shore of Mukilteo that they both visited?

Studies on the effect of chemical contaminants (e.g., crude oil, pesticides, and metals in storm-water run-off) and naturally occurring toxins (e.g., algal blooms, viral and bacterial pathogens) on the health of fish and other marine organisms.
Studies on cultured marine species (e.g., rockfish, Pinto Abalone) to investigate the impacts of overfishing, habitat loss, and other factors.
Investigations on the effectiveness of restoration strategies in Puget Sound ecosystems to recover juvenile salmon and other species.
Studies on impact of ocean acidification on marine ecosystems, including the marine food webs and species of economic importance, such as oysters and crabs.
Studies on the basic characteristics of the Puget Sound ecosystem and how they might be affected by human influences.

These are just some of the activities of the Mukilteo Research Station, a facility that is located along the shore next to the Silver Cloud Inn. A part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the station has conducted research that has been at the forefront of ecosystem recovery and marine pollution abatement in Puget Sound for more than four decades. The City of Mukilteo has drawn from this research in two large studies in the past ten years that detailed the range of natural species and their habitats in preparation for further development all along the north shore. You can see one result of the research in the large driftwood logs, eelgrass, and Nootka roses, all visible examples of the effort to restore the shoreline to an earlier state.

Both Menzies and the Native Americans would be more comfortable with a second process that takes place with frequency in our walking tour area: environmental education. Families, youth organizations, science clubs, and all kinds of school groups are frequent visitors to the Mukilteo Beach throughout the year. Even fishers, clam-diggers, and crabbers are always on the look-out here for greater understanding of the behavior of the aquatic life, much as the Native Americans did for centuries, and continue to do today. And there is much to study. Eight species of native “salmonids,” for example, have been identified within the nearshore environment: Chinook, chum, Coho, sockeye, pink salmon, cutthroat, steelhead, and bull trout. There are at least 16 types of crabs, more than a dozen species of sea stars, and all kinds of lined chitons, anemones, and mussels. Finally, the 900-foot deep waters just off the shore attract scuba divers, although increasingly the divers are using the community beach just north of the Silver Cloud Inn due to the strong currents along the shore here.