Jefferson County MRC members set the mussel cage
Recording the data
The cage with three stakes to hold it in place.
Photos by Al Bergstein of the Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee.
Volunteers will spread out across Puget Sound on Friday night to install cages filled with mussels, which will help scientists track the health of the ecosystem. “They will be zip tied to sides of the cage, and they will sit there suspended above the bottom,” said Puget Soundkeeper Alliance Executive Director Chris Wilke. A top cover keeps predators out, and for 90 days, water will flow through. It allows for scientists to record contaminants over a larger period of time and compare to past results. The mussels are donated by Penn Cove Shellfish and the cage placement is done almost entirely thanks to volunteers. Alison Morrow reports. (KING)