Name Recognition

Our name recognition survey focused on figuring out one thing: do people know what waters comprise the Salish Sea? If you don’t know the name of something, how can you protect it?

“What does everyone need to know to be better stewards of the Salish Sea?  Understanding that all the waters are connected is a good start - for example, of the freshwater in Puget Sound, about 10-30% of it originated in the Fraser River.”

— Parker MacCready

This question aimed to figure out our starting point. The answers taught us that while plenty of people have heard of the Salish Sea, there is a lot more work to do in promoting the Salish Sea name.

 

Have you heard of the Salish Sea?

When asked if they had heard of the Salish Sea, 50% of responders said they had heard of it before. 35.4% said they had never heard of the Salish Sea, while 14.6% said they might've heard the name.

If we don’t know what the Salish Sea is, why would we care about it? Defining the waters of the Salish Sea helps people understand what we are trying to protect and what issues face the waterways.

 

What best defines the Salish Sea?

When asked to define the Salish Sea only 42.2% of responders correctly defined it as The Strait of Juan de Fuca, the Strait of Georgia, and the Puget Sound. 41% of responders were not sure. 9.6% thought the Salish Sea was actually the Puget Sound, while 7.2% thought it was the San Juan Islands.