Salish Sea

[ sey-lish see ]

noun

1. a marginal sea of the Pacific waters of Washington State and British Columbia, Canada, comprising Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca, and the Strait of Georgia. 6,900 sq. mi. (18,000 sq. km).

Word History and Origins

Origin of Salish Sea¹

First recorded in 1985–90; named after the Coast Salish ( def )

Example Sentences

Ben Goldfarb, a nature journalist who is currently writing a book about fish, noted that dams still affect the orcas that inhabit the Salish Sea off Washington state and British Columbia.

From Slate

The summer chum are in many ways the low-hanging fruit: They tend to spawn lower in rivers and streams and they emerge from freshwater early in the year when food is more bountiful in the wider Salish sea and Pacific Ocean.

From Seattle Times

The remaining heavy oil tends to sink, making cleanup unlikely in the Salish Sea’s deep straits.

From Seattle Times

This marks the completion of the pipeline expansion project — jeopardizing the shared waters of the Salish Sea and threatening our ecosystems, economy, Indigenous sovereign interests and fight against climate change.

From Seattle Times

These water bodies connect with other marine waters of the Salish Sea, where the tribe has treaty-protected rights to fish.

From Seattle Times