Just about any marine biologist will tell you that establishing fish and invertebrate population trends is difficult because there isn't much historical data.   There isn't even much recent data, except for some of the commercially viable species.  But now that they are taking a look at whole ecosystems, and now that municipalities are required to create and maintain shoreline management plans, they need to establish as much baseline data as they can.

John followed scientists and volunteers as they conducted a census of near-shore fauna using a seine net.  In cooperation with the local Suquamish Tribe, Bainbridge Island is one of the first municipalities to engage in an on-going systematic census of this type.  See how the fish are counted and measured, and see plenty of underwater video that explains this process.

For more information about this project, see:

Integration of Joint City of Bainbridge Island/Suquamish Tribal Beach Seining Results into Shoreline Management and Salmon Recovery Efforts in Kitsap County, Washington, by Paul Dorn, Salmon Recovery Coordinator, Suquamish Tribe and Peter Namtvedt Best, Long Range Planner, City of Bainbridge Island