Puget Sound Restoration Fund

RESTORE

iconic species and habitats that are
imperiled or diminished

RENEW

our connections to marine resources

RECOVER

a healthy ecosystem that supports diverse species - including us

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Photos by Cameron Karsten, Marc Shor, Lisa Merrill

Our Projects

Olympia Oyster Restoration

Re-establish self-sustaining native oyster beds to provide natural filtration and structured habitat for a diverse community of organisms, including juvenile salmon prey.

Pinto Abalone Recovery

Raise and outplant hatchery-reared abalone using state-of-the-art techniques to recover a vanishing species and maintain the health of rocky reef habitat.

Community Shellfish Farms

Operate community shellfish farms in Henderson Inlet and Port Madison in order to 1) restore and maintain clean water; 2) spur pollution control efforts; and 3) re-forge connections between local communities and healthy marine resources.

Port Gamble Bay

Re-build native marine resources and habitats.

Kelp Restoration

Re-establish kelp beds as a key component of a healthy nearshore system to help recover salmon and other fish populations, and remediate ocean acidification.

Nutrient Mitigation

Develop or adapt innovative approaches to restoration and water quality improvements

Ocean Acidification

Participate in cutting-edge research and investigate potential strategies for mitigating ocean acidification.

Shellfish Gardening

Engage people in growing food on the beach in order to provide tasty incentives for good stewardship practices.

Restoration Hatcheries

Recover native species that have lost breeding populations, maintain genetic diversity, and conduct research on the effect of changing seawater conditions.

Washington Shellfish Initiative

Enhance shellfish resources in the
coastal waters of Washington State

Oyster Give-Away Program

Promote clean and healthy shorelines by rewarding regular septic system maintenance with free oysters from our Community Shellfish Farms.

Our Mission, Our Goal

Restore. Renew. Recover.

Founded in 1997, Puget Sound Restoration Fund works collaboratively to restore marine habitat, water quality, and native species in Puget Sound through on-the-ground projects. We are committed to a vision of a clean and healthy Sound that is productive, full of life, and capable of sustaining us. The populations we rebuild to achieve that vision – oysters, abalone, kelp – are key to maintaining ecosystem health. The community shellfish farms we've launched are designed to spur clean water efforts and re-forge connections between people and resources.

Upcoming Events

Walrus & Carpenter Low Tide Picnics

Gather for a moonlit winter picnic on Taylor's Totten Inlet oyster bed at low tide. Icy gusts of wind off the bay will invigorate your experience. Take a shucking lesson before dining on these plump, sweet oysters just rousted from their beds. Devour the freshly opened delicacies paired with award-wining "oyster wines" served in sparkling Reidel stemware. The perfect blend of magic and madness. As the tide rises, revel in a blazing bonfire awaiting you on the beach and savor a steaming cup of Geoduck chowder. This is an experience not to be missed. Two memorable picnics are available in 2019 on January 17th and February 17th. All proceeds for these unique events benefit PSRF. More info...

Tickets go on sale November 1st!
Buy tickets for January 17 picnic.
Buy tickets for February 17 picnic.

SAVE THE DATE: Oyster New Year 2018
November 3, 2018, at Elliott's Oyster House
Tickets will go on sale June 1st! http://www.elliottsoysterhouse.com

News and Events

Food, innovation and resilience in the face of climate change

Washington food and wine producers are used to natural weather variations, but things are growing less predictable. https://www.seattletimes.com/pacific-nw-magazine/food-innovation-and-resilience-in-the-face-of-climate-change/

Can Kelp and Seagrass Help Oysters Adapt to Major Ocean Change?

Read, or listen to, the article "Can Kelp and Seagrass Help Oysters Adapt to Major Ocean Change?" from Oregon Public Broadcasting.

A Greener Future for Oysters?

Oyster farming is a more than $100 million industry in Oregon and Washington. But concerns over the impact of ocean acidification on oyster production has many in the industry worried about the future. Read more...

Congratulations on 25 years to the NOAA Restoration Center

Click here to view a wonderful video celebrating the NOAA Restoration Center, and explaining what the Restoration Center does. It is an honor to have PSRF highlighted in their anniversary video.

Oyster lovers become oyster farmers

Read an excellent article in the Kitsap Sun, Oyster Lovers Become Oyster Farmers, about the Port Madison Community Shellfish Farm.

Phillipe Cousteau Jr. interviews Laura Spencer about ocean acidification

@EarthEcho is launching their new Expedition: Shell Shocked exploring ocean acidification. Our work with ocean acidification and native oyster restoration is featured in their video, Shell Shocked: Saving Shellfish. Watch staff member Laura Spencer being interviewed by Philippe Cousteau, Jr! These videos are meant to inspire youth worldwide to act now for a sustainable future. Watch the video...

Watch a 4-minute NOAA video about our Manchester hatchery

Read an excellent article in The New Yorker regarding kelps and other seaweeds.

One of PSRF’s biggest new initiatives is to investigate the potential for kelps and other seaweeds to mitigate ocean acidification. Seaweeds can potentially do all manner of good from drawing down CO2 in the water, to improving conditions for sensitive marine critters, to providing tasty sea vegetables that don’t require irrigation. It’s great that The New Yorker is highlighting the “new leaf” in their November food issue and that government, scientists, and entrepreneurs are banding together to build toward a sustainable future.

Read the article...

BECU awards PSRF a $5,000 Community Benefit Award

Puget Sound Restoration Fund is honored to be awarded a Community Benefit Award through Boeing Employees Credit Union's (BECU) People Helping People awards program. This program supports local, member supported non-profits, and the money will be used to support Olympic College interns who are interested in the field of restoration aquaculture and also to upgrade some of our equipment so we can expand our algae culture program to support the various native shellfish species that we are working to restore.Thank you to our friends at BECU!

$1.5 million dollar grant awarded to PSRF

Puget Sound Restoration Fund has been awarded a $1.5 million dollar grant from The Paul G. Allen Family Foundation for their Puget Sound Ocean Acidification mitigation project. Learn more…

Stay in Touch - Join Our Mailing List

Get added to our mailing list to keep informed on our projects through our annual newsletters, and to learn about our lively events, like the Walrus and Carpenter Picnics!

Donate

Donations are the life blood of the work we do. At Puget Sound Restoration Fund your contributions are put to productive use to help recover marine resources that form the basis of life here in Puget Sound. There is much still to enjoy, many opportunities for restoration, and myriad ways for each of us to make a difference. Please include Puget Sound Restoration Fund in your giving and know that your contributions will be managed and directed wisely — and with a sense of adventure. As a 501(c)(3) organization, your gifts are tax deductible — whether you give $25 or a million…

The Puget Sound Restoration Fund is a proud member of ONE CALL FOR ALL. For every donation through OCFA, the Puget Sound Restoration Fund receives additional non-designated funds.