Template revised January 10, 2019.
COMMISSION
AGENDA MEMORANDUM
Item No.
8h
ACTION ITEM
Date of Meeting
April 28, 2026
DATE : March 26, 2026
TO: Stephen P. Metruck, Executive Director
FROM: Sarah Ogier, Director, Maritime Environment & Sustainability
Jon Sloan, Sr. Manager, Environmental Programs
Kathleen Hurley, Sr.Env.Program Manager, Maritime Environment & Sustainability
SUBJECT: Commission Exemption for Seattle Aquarium Urban Kelp Project
Amount of this request:
$325,000
Total estimated project cost:
$325,000
ACTION REQUESTED
Request Commission to 1) determine a competitive process is not appropriate or cost effective
in accordance with RCW 53.19.020(5); and 2) authorize the Executive Director to execute a
contract with Seattle Aquarium Society, in the amount of $325,000.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
As entities located along the shores of Elliott Bay, the Port of Seattle (Port) and the Seattle Aquarium
(Aquarium) share common interests in promoting healthy coastal ecosystems, resilience, habitat
restoration, carbon sequestration, habitat improvement, and public engagement. This contracting
request
would continue the Port’s partnership with the Seattle Aquarium on coastal ecosystems
research for an additional 5 years for a total cost of $325,000. It will apply innovative methods to
monitor and understand
the bull kelp ecosystem along the Seattle shoreline. The information
generated by the research will inform bull kelp status and future restoration opportunities. Approval of
this request would allow the Port to
continue support for this vitally important work for a healthy Puget
Sound.
JUSTIFICATION
In accordance with RCW 53.19.020(5), competing this service is not reasonable or cost effective
due to the following:
The Seattle Aquarium Society, a non-profit organization, operates the Seattle Aquarium under a
long-term operating agreement with the City of Seattle. The Seattle Aquarium is a conservation
organization working to regenerate the health of Earth’s one ocean. The Aquarium works among
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8h Page 2 of 7
Meeting Date: April 28, 2026
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
global leaders to advance animal wellbeing, marine and ecosystem science, public policy, field
conservation, education and species recovery programs that benefit the ocean. They are
uniquely positioned to continue to lead and grow the kelp monitoring program which is aligned
with Port of Seattle Century Agenda goals related to support of a healthy and resilient Puget
Sound.
Staff have confirmed Seale Aquarium to be the only organizaon with the capability to provide
this specific combinaon of services to the Port. These services include remotely operated
underwater surveys via boat; access and training of volunteer cizen sciensts, training arficial
intelligence programs to process high volume of imagery; development of a habitat suitability
model to support planning of future kelp restoraon; ground-truthing imagery via scuba;
invesgang and stascally analyzing the relaonship between species-habitat associaons.
Finally, the Seale Aquarium has an unmatched capability to engage with the public via its
exhibits and educaon programs. A visual exhibit highlighng this partnership is currently
installed in the Aquarium’s original building.
Because of the Seattle Aquarium’s unique expertise, skills and knowledge, a competitive process
is not appropriate or cost effective, and a competitive exemption is appropriate in accordance
with RCW 53.19.020(5).
Diversity in Contracting
Based on consultation with the Diversity in Contract team, and based on their review of
subcontracting opportunities, this contract doesn’t appear to be viable for WMBE goal
considering its scope and intent.
The Seattle Aquarium Society has a robust engagement program to expose youth and the public
to marine world. Additionally, the Aquarium has a commitment to continued diversity, equity
and inclusion learning and practices seeking careers in the maritime industry.
DETAILS
Kelp is key to a healthy marine ecosystem as it provides habitat, contributes to marine food chain
and offers beneficial physical and chemical processes. The Port and Aquarium researchers are
looking into how we can help it thrive throughout Seattle’s Elliott Bay. The Port of Seattle and
the Seattle Aquarium have teamed up on the Urban Kelp Research Project to study the health,
habitat and population trends of bull kelp in Elliott Bay. The water column trends (temperature,
dissolved oxygen, pH, salinity, etc.) are being monitored via a scientific buoy run by Puget Sound
Restoration Fund. What is learned about the conditions in which bull kelp thrive will help achieve
the ultimate objective—to help guide successful bull kelp restoration throughout Elliott Bay and
the broader Puget Sound. Funding for this program was included in the 2026 annual budget and
will be requested annually for the duration of the contract (five years total).
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8h Page 3 of 7
Meeting Date: April 28, 2026
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
Scope of Work
The objective of this work is to better understand the conditions in which bull kelp thrives in
urban environments to enable effective restoration efforts via:
• Strategic monitoring of canopy forming and understory kelps, along
with the surrounding benthic invertebrates and fishes using an
underwater remotely operated vessel (ROV).
• Expand ongoing efforts to build collaboration between organizations undertaking
kelp research.
• Continued research into priority stressors negatively affecting kelp forests on
the sub-regional scale and promoting awareness.
• Engagement, education, and action from the public, youth, and other stakeholders.
• Development of a habitat suitability model for bull kelp.
It will apply innovative research methods to monitor and understand the bull kelp ecosystem
along the Seattle shoreline. These innovative research methods include use of an Remotely
Operated Vessel (ROV) to collect data, customization of the ROV for this purpose, use of AI to
process collected imagery, development of a habitat suitability model, among others. The
information generated by the research will inform status of bull kelp and future restoration
opportunities.
Key tasks within the scope of work are proposed to include:
(1) Annual ROV kelp surveys during both summer and winter at existing survey locations.
(2) Consider additional survey locations and/or revisions in methodology, as needed.
(3) Analysis of imagery using open-source Artificial Intelligence (AI) algorithm, which will be
publicly available.
(4) Outreach, engagement, and education
Schedule
Anticipated annual schedule and milestones, which will be reviewed at the start of each program
cycle.
Activity
Commission authorization of competitive
exemption.
Contract execution
Workplan development
Summer surveys
Winter surveys
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8h Page 4 of 7
Meeting Date: April 28, 2026
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
Annual Reports
Project ends
Cost Breakdown
2026
Total Project
Year 1
60,000
$300,000
Contingency
0
$25,000
Total
$0
$325,000
Years 2-5 budget is anticipated to be $60,000/year for a total of $300,000 over five years. Based
on input from Contracting and Procurement, we have included a contingency of $25,000 for
unanticipated program needs. This will be used at the direction of the Port program manager.
The $60,000 for 2026 is included in the Port adopted 2026 budget.
ALTERNATIVES AND IMPLICATIONS CONSIDERED
Given the Seattle Aquarium’s unique position to develop and implement a bull kelp monitoring
program in Elliott Bay utilizing underwater ROVs, artificial intelligence, citizen scientist
volunteers, development of a habitat suitability model, and extensive outreach and engagement
opportunities, there is not a comparable program in Washington State to easily evaluate
alternatives.
Alternative 1 – Decide against continued funding of the Urban Kelp Project implemented by the
Seattle Aquarium
Cost Implications: Reduces expense budget by approximately $60,000 annually for 5 years.
Pros:
(1) Reduces the Maritime Environment and Sustainability’s Center of Excellence’s expense
budget by approximately $60,000 annually
Cons:
(1) Negatively impacts the Port’s Green Marine certification level related to aquatic
indicator performance.
(2) Forego an opportunity to contribute to the scientific body of knowledge on a key
ecosystem in Puget Sound that is important for salmon recovery.
(3) Forego the opportunity to partner with an entity with specific resources and skills to
undertake both scientific research and public awareness/engagement.
(4) Forego the opportunity to increase understanding of the conditions under which bull
kelp thrives in urban areas to better inform effective conservation and restoration
efforts in Puget Sound, which includes the Port’s habitat mitigation bank.
This is not the recommended alternative.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8h Page 5 of 7
Meeting Date: April 28, 2026
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
Alternative 2 – Pursue a competitive contract to implement this scope of work
Cost Implications: It is highly unlikely the Port would be able to contract this scope of a program
including the public engagement and educational component along with scientific research
without resulting in a higher cost to the Port.
Pros:
(1) This option could provide the opportunity to competitively procure services for similar
work.
Cons:
(1) Pursuing a competitive contract for similar work would likely incur a much higher cost
for this scope of work. For example, a single survey of submerged aquatic vegetation
(albeit via other means), at one site is estimated at $20,000 for a single survey. This
program included surveys at eight sites, twice per year.
(2) There are no known entities that undertake the specific combination of work
encompassed in the current program – provision of continuity in a scientific dataset;
implementation of scientific kelp surveys using an ROV; use of AI algorithms to process
data; abundant opportunities for public engagement and education.
This is not the recommended alternative.
Alternative 3 – Fund the Seattle Aquarium Urban Kelp Project at the requested level of $325,000
over 5 years
Cost Implications: Requires annual funding of $60,000 from the expense budget.
Pros:
(1) Supports continuity in progress related to kelp conservation and research already
established by the Urban Kelp project;
(2) Cost efficient method to achieve goals around healthy shorelines, including Green
Marine certification, alignment with state goals related to kelp forest conservation and
research, support Port capital project permitting, and further the Port’s mitigation
banking objectives.
Cons:
(1) None
This is the recommended alternative.
FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS
This phase of the project is anticipated to run from Q2 2025 through Q4 2030; $60,000 is the
Port’s cost to support the program of work annually. We anticipate an annual budget request of
$60,000 for a total of $300,000 over five years. For unanticipated contingency, CPO
recommended including an additional $25,000 that may be authorized for contingency purposes
by the project manager.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8h Page 6 of 7
Meeting Date: April 28, 2026
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
Cost Estimate/Authorization Summary
Capital
Expense
Total
COST ESTIMATE
Original estimate
$0
$325,000
$325,000
AUTHORIZATION
Previous authorizations
0
$120,000
$120,000
Current request for authorization
0
$325,000
$325,000
Total authorizations, including this request
0
$445,000
$445,000
Remaining amount to be authorized
$0
$325,000
$325,000
Annual Budget Status and Source of Funds
To date, the budget for this work has been included in the Environment and Sustainability’s
Center of Excellence annual budget.
Financial Analysis and Summary
Project cost for analysis
$325,000 over 5 years
Business Unit (BU)
Maritime Environment & Sustainability/Center of
Excellence
Effect on business performance
(NOI after depreciation)
NA
IRR/NPV (if relevant)
NA
CPE Impact
NA
Future Revenues and Expenses (Total cost of ownership)
There will be annual budget requests of approximately $60,000/year through 2030. Total
anticipated budget over the five years is $325,000.
ADDITIONAL BACKGROUND
The Port initially engaged with the Aquarium to research existing kelp beds along the Seattle
shoreline starting in 2022. This originated from a kelp enhancement project the Port initiated at
Smith Cove in 2019 and 2021 in partnership with Puget Sound Restoration Fund. The kelp
enhancement at Smith Cove failed, which led to questions about why kelp thrived in nearby
locations. The first phase of the Aquarium Urban Kelp Project focused on fine-tuning the methods
to collect data using an ROV, developing processes for image and data analysis, while beginning
to better understand differences among the eight sites along the Elliott Bay shoreline.
Understanding this urban ecosystem is on-going and has identified key differences among sites.
The data are also being used to build a habitat suitability model to better inform future kelp
restoration initiatives. The work has generated significant benefit for the kelp research
community, in Washington State, and beyond.
COMMISSION AGENDA – Action Item No. 8h Page 7 of 7
Meeting Date: April 28, 2026
Template revised June 27, 2019 (Diversity in Contracting).
ATTACHMENTS TO THIS REQUEST
(1) Presentation slides
PREVIOUS COMMISSION ACTIONS OR BRIEFINGS
April 26, 2022, Item 10c – The Commission authorized a competitive exemption request for
the first phase of this project.