Oceanic photos and call to action

Dipper nests are situated on cliff ledges or tucked behind waterfalls to be inaccessible to predators.
The pigeaon guillemot is the only alcid species that resides in the Salish Sea year-round. Its red feet assist with wing propulsion as it dives.
These ochre and purple sea stars in rockweed are carnivores and savor mussels as well as barnacles, snails, small crabs and other shellfish.
The cloud-like growths of the cloud sponge provide shelter for an array of wildlife, including species such as juvenile rockfish.
A glaucous-winged gull, foraging intertidally, will eat anything that can fit in its bill, including an ochre sea star.
As juvenile Steller sea lions age, they travel farther, and by the age of one they are as capable as adults in their diving behavior.
Bystanders are dwarfed by the 6-foot dorsal fin of a passing male killer whale.

The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest
Audrey Benedict and Joseph Gaydos
147 pages,
softcover:$24.95.
Sasquatch Books, 2015.

The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest pays homage to the Strait of Georgia, Strait of Juan de Fuca and Puget Sound. Writer-scientists Audrey Benedict and Joseph Gaydos blend education with art and persuasion, describing the Sea’s geology, ecology and history and documenting its extraordinary biodiversity. Dozens of gorgeous color photographs reveal its intricate beauty, and the book ends with a ringing call to action and a vision for protecting the region. This volume itself is a step toward that goal: All the royalties from its sale will be donated to the Puget Sound-based marine conservation center, the SeaDoc Society.

This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Oceanic photos and call to action.

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