Regional Status

The Marbled Murrelet was listed as federally threatened in 1992, and is also listed as threatened by the state of Washington. The US Fish and Wildlife Service developed a recovery plan for this species in 1997. Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife participates with state and federal researchers to monitor the population at sea. The Washington coast, Strait of Juan de Fuca, San Juan Islands, and Hood Canal are routinely monitored. However populations within Puget Sound, where birds nesting in the watershed are likely to feed, are not included in this monitoring program.