The Friends of the San Juans used this funding for the Assessment of Eelgrass Restoration project, which was intended to attempt to restore eelgrass (Z. marina) in the Westcott Bay complex - a biologically rich area that sustains migratory and resident species including salmon, herring, surf smelt, and crab. Recent surveys indicated that more than 45 acres of this valuable resource had disappeared from Westcott Bay. The original scope was to conduct environmental assessments in the Westcott Bay region in order to understand the causes of dramatic eelgrass declines, followed by a pilot seed buoy dispersal project to restore eelgrass at appropriate locations within Westcott Bay. Initial environmental assessment results, coupled with data from complementary research programs, indicated that environmental conditions in Westcott Bay are not likely to support eelgrass restoration at this time. In addition, serious eelgrass declines were documented at numerous other embayments in San Juan County (Wyllie-Echeverria and Mumford in prep, DNR 2005, Dowty et al. 2005). Through the Assessment of Eelgrass Restoration Project, a collaborative research effort was implemented that is at the forefront of an extensive research program to explore the causes of eelgrass declines and inform protection and restoration efforts. Partners included: University of Washington, Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Ecology, United States Geological Survey, Friends of the San Juans and genetics experts from the University of Southern Alabama.