Puget Sound defines much of the Pacific Northwest region. The health and robustness of the local economy and local residents can be traced to the Sound. Until recently, there has been little scientific information on the marine nearshore, the shallow fringe where sunlight can reach the floor, essential for the lives of many marine plants and creatures.

In 2001, a convergence of factors turned a common vision of a major nearshore project into a reality: tribal, federal, local and state governments, along with private sector and nonprofit organizations began to work together by combining their talents and funds; the Endangered Species Act listing of salmon and eight other species in the nearshore added urgency; technology became available for monitoring, conducting remote sensing and working with historic data; and groups with common interests created a coalition-building atmosphere.

The result was the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project, a cooperative effort among government organizations, tribes, industries and environmental organizations to preserve and restore the health of the Sound's nearshore.