April 9, 2025
By Jack Winterhalter, Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellow
As stewards of the natural environment, the habitat and natural resource teams at the Port of Seattle work to restore and enhance ecosystems impacted by historic development and Port operations. The maritime and aviation teams are committed to restoring, creating, and enhancing 40 additional acres of habitat in the Green/Duwamish watershed and Elliott Bay. In 2023, the Port adopted the Land Stewardship Principles to guide management of trees, forests, and habitat across aviation and maritime Port properties. These principles helped inform the SEA Land Stewardship Plan and Tree Replacement Standards, which integrate forest health and habitat connectivity into operations and future development on Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA) property. In addition to providing clean air and flood resilience to local communities, these habitats are home to a variety of animal and plant life. Let’s take a closer look at some of these fascinating species in our backyard!
American osprey (Pandion haliaetus carolinensis)
The American osprey, a subspecies of osprey, has a range that stretches from Alaska to most of Central and South America. Also known as a sea hawk, they are a cultural icon of Seattle and the Pacific Northwest. Ospreys feed exclusively on fish and can even close their nostrils when diving into the water to hunt. They are commonly seen around our shorelines, especially during the summer breeding season. Their distinct white bodies and heads are hard to miss as they soar above the water, scanning the surface for their next meal. You may even catch a glimpse of a mated pair perched atop the osprey platform at the Duwamish River People’s Park and Shoreline Habitat!
Douglas fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii)
The mighty Douglas fir is a conifer tree species (although technically not a true fir) found throughout the Port’s habitat sites. Another classic emblem of the Pacific Northwest, it is one of the tallest growing trees in the world. In fact, one historical specimen found in Washington named the “Nooksack Giant” may have been the tallest tree ever reported at 465 feet. Known as čəbidac in the Lushootseed language, these trees have traditionally been used by the Coast Salish peoples for firewood and tools. Douglas fir seeds are a food source for many small mammals, and mature trees are the primary habitat of the red tree vole and the endangered spotted owl. Its thick bark also makes it highly resistant to forest fires, a testament to its resilience and grandeur. These trees can be seen throughout many of the Port’s public access and habitat sites. At community planting events hosted by SEA, volunteers have helped plant Douglas fir along with western red cedar, big leaf maple, and a variety of shrubs. At the most recent event, community members helped plant around 300 trees and shrubs — adding to the total of about 440,000 planted by the Port since 2006!
Eelgrass (Zostera marina)
Eelgrass is the most common seagrass species found in the Pacific Northwest. You may be asking yourself if grass can really grow in the ocean. Yes! Like many terrestrial plants, seagrasses produce flowers unlike other marine plant-life such as kelp. Seagrasses share a similar evolutionary history to marine mammals, slowly adapting from terrestrial ecosystems into the ocean over millions of years. Eelgrass in the Pacific Northwest provides a slew of benefits to other organisms. They provide complex shelter for juvenile fish, crustaceans, and are the base of intricate marine food webs. They are crucial ecosystems for coastal communities as well. Eelgrass stabilizes shorelines, reduces wave action, improves water quality, and stores vast amounts of carbon. In 2018, the Smith Cove Blue Carbon Project sought to enhance eelgrass habitat on Port property. Over four years of monitoring, eelgrass density nearly doubled, with positive effects extending beyond the study area! You can view this eelgrass at low tide from Smith Cove Park or Elliott Bay Marina.
Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha)
No spotlight of species at Port habitat sites would be complete without mentioning our beloved salmon. Chinook salmon, also known as king salmon, are one of five species of salmon native to Washington (also including coho, chum, pink, and sockeye). Their unique life history makes them an especially valuable species, both ecologically and culturally. Salmon are anadromous fish, meaning they spend part of their lives in freshwater and part in saltwater. They are born in upland rivers and streams, sometimes as far inland as Idaho! After hatching, they make their way downstream, seeking food and shelter along the way, until they reach the ocean. After spending a few years at sea, they’ll make their way back to their native streams to spawn. Our commitment to healthy watersheds and restoring estuarine habitat is one way that we support these species throughout all stages of their life. In fact, SEA was the first airport in the U.S. to achieve Salmon-Safe certification — a certification also held by our maritime parks — for our commitment to protection of water quality and wildlife habitat. Juvenile Chinook salmon have even been observed utilizing the recently restored off-channel marsh habitat at the Duwamish River People’s Park and Shoreline Habitat! Supporting salmon like Chinook supports the vast diversity of animal life that depends on these fish, like the endangered southern resident killer whales.
Habitat restoration at the Port comes in many shapes and sizes. From the 60-acre Auburn mitigation site to the floating wetlands at Fishermen’s Terminal, these habitat initiatives prove that economic activity does not have to come at the cost of habitat and wildlife. These natural spaces can be shared by people, animals, and plants!
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