Abstract
Cold, temperate waters of the Olympic Coast are some of the most productive fish-growing habitats in the world. Long known for salmon, and halibut, the Olympic Coast is also rich in rockfish and other ecologically-important fish species. Historically, many commercial fisheries were developed on the Olympic Coast, including harvests of halibut, hake and salmon. Before that, Native Americans fished the plentiful waters using a wide variety of net and line techniques. Most important, however, is the sheer abundance and diversity of fish species that are not used by people, but which form the web of living things holding the complex ecosystem together. Predator and prey alike, from vast shoals of herring to solitary ocean sunfish, fish are indicators of ocean health.