Heidi Wilken, lead dive safety officer, front, and Olivia Castro, diver, head out to an area in Puget Sound near Tacoma’s Owen Beach to survey kelp, Monday, July 24, 2023.

Across much of Puget Sound, they’re fighting to survive. According to the Puget Sound Kelp Conservation and Recovery Plan , bull kelp forests in South Puget Sound have declined by 62% since 1870.

OLYMPIA, Wash. — Puget Sound is about 100 miles long. Its shores touch several large cities, including Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Olympia, and Bremerton. The Sound, called "Whulge" by the Salish ...