Visitors to Aiston Preserve from land and water alike may notice that four new mooring buoys have been installed in Smuggler's Cove. We strongly encourage boaters visiting Aiston Preserve to make use of the mooring buoys rather than anchoring in the shallows.

Recreate Responsibly in Smuggler’s Cove: Buoys and Eelgrass Conservation

LIHT is currently working with the Northwest Straits Commission to establish a voluntary no-anchor zone within the cove, which will be published through commonly used navigational apps. These measures are part of an effort to conserve and restore our native eelgrass meadows, a species that provides critical habitat for marine life and is facing major threats and ongoing decline in the Salish Sea due to a range of factors including human disturbance through anchoring.

Please heed signs posted on the Aiston Preserve for responsible use of the buoys and please note that access to Abner Point is prohibited. Have questions? Don’t hesitate to reach out to us at outreach@liht.org.

Mooring Buoys in Smuggler’s Cove

Photo courtesy of Skylar Magee.

The maps below visualize data drawn from the Department of Natural Resources’ seagrass monitoring in the Puget Sound. Data is collected via underwater video, using a camera pulled by a research vessel. You can find more data and details on the data collection process here.

Common Eelgrass (Zostera marina)

Eelgrass (Zostera marina) is a keystone species in the Salish Sea ecosystem and plays a foundational role in the marine food web. A vital habitat for salmon and forage fish like surf smelt and herring, these eelgrass meadows are also relied upon by the Smuggler’s Cove resident family of river otters.  

Eelgrass faces significant threats from changing environmental conditions, disease, and human activity. One such activity is the dropping of recreational boat anchors, which causes substantial destruction to eelgrass meadows. Unlike kelp, which is an algae, eelgrass is a vascular plant. Just like its terrestrial relatives, eelgrass relies on photosynthesis and is restricted to high-light conditions. It grows in shallow, sheltered areas: often ideal conditions for anchoring boats.

More about common eelgrass

Resources

Interested in learning more about native eelgrass and how you can do your part to conserve this species by recreating responsibly?