Eelgrass is more than a plant. It’s a quiet, essential force holding our marine ecosystem together. Let’s protect it, together.
At our recent Spring Open House, community members engaged with eelgrass in a whole new way through virtual reality, hands-on art, and powerful storytelling. We’re working to bring the power of eelgrass into view, not just through research, but through education, public art, and immersive virtual reality storytelling.
While wildflower meadows bloom on land, another kind of meadow is awakening just offshore. Eelgrass (Zostera marina)—a vital marine plant found in the shallow waters of the Salish Sea—forms underwater beds that support the entire marine ecosystem. These quiet, undulating green ribbons stabilize shorelines, shelter young salmon (which, in turn, nourish marine mammals like the Southern Resident killer whales), and store carbon.
Eelgrass may go unnoticed, but it plays a crucial role in sustaining the health of our islands.
Bringing Eelgrass to Life Through Art and Immersion
The eelgrass mural we created with Alchemy Art Center features hand-crafted ceramic tiles, each designed by a different community member. Together, these individual pieces form long, flowing blades of eelgrass. On their own, the tiles are delicate but assembled, they become a vibrant living mosaic. It’s a powerful metaphor for the meadows themselves, and for the way people working together can protect this essential plant.
The mural is temporarily on display at our office—drop in and take a look! But our dream with Alchmey Arts is to give it a permanent public home, where it can serve as a lasting piece of community-powered education. Once installed, the tiles will be grouted into a wall and expanded into a complete eelgrass meadow. A nearby plaque will tell the story of eelgrass and how everyone—whether visitor, resident, or steward—plays an important role in protecting it.
Like eelgrass, this mural thrives through community connections. And we need your help to make it grow.
Here’s how you can get involved:
- Suggest a location for the permanent mural installation by emailing [email protected].
- Share your eelgrass or tile-making story with us—your voice can help build public support with the Town of Friday Harbor and other potential partners.
- Sign up to volunteer for the eelgrass mural project—whether you’d like to help make more tiles or assist with the final installation, we’d love let you know as more opportunities arise!
- Subscribe to monthly e-news updates and be the first to hear new eelgrass science and news about the mural.
Together, we can help people see eelgrass meadows for what they are—a hidden force beneath the surface, full of life and connection.
Watch: Eelgrass in Peril, Tracing the Mystery
We’re excited to share the latest release in our immersive education video series: Eelgrass in Peril: Tracing the Mystery. Produced by Friends of the San Juans, this short video brings viewers beneath the surface of the Salish Sea to explore the vital role eelgrass plays in our marine ecosystem.
The underwater footage was captured by Jess Newley, Friends’ Community Science and Education Director, while snorkeling with a waterproof camera in the San Juan Islands. It showcases eelgrass science in action, featuring collaborations with Friends, Friday Harbor Labs, and researchers and community science volunteers from the Department of Natural Resources. Jess uses these 360-degree immersive videos to engage groups of all ages—youth, adults, boaters, and community members—on the species that define our bioregion and the science and policy work Friends leads to protect them.
Originally created as a tool for youth education, this video (and the full series it belongs to) has grown into a powerful resource for community-wide learning. Whether viewed on a virtual reality headset, smartphone, or computer, it offers an unforgettable window into the living systems just beneath the waves. Friends has been a regional leader in bringing virtual reality into marine place-based education, helping people connect with and care about local ecosystems in a whole new way!
Did you know?
There are multiple pressures on eelgrass leading to its decline, but there is one that we can control: boating activity. Anchoring, poorly installed mooring buoys, and docks put unnecessary pressure on this important habitat. Learn how you can help protect these vital underwater meadows on our Green Boating page.
The Latest Eelgrass Research
Explore preliminary results from Friends’ led collaborative eelgrass project here: Taking the Pulse of Resilience in Conserving Seagrass Meadows
