The Whatcom County nearshore environment provides important migratory corridors and habitat for forage fish spawning. Surf smelt and sand lance are schooling plankton feeder fish that are preyed on by a variety of animal species in the marine food web.

Both surf smelt and the sand lance spawn along marine shoreline areas, depositing their eggs on protected upper intertidal sand or sandy-gravel beaches. Juvenile fish rear in nearby bays and nearshore areas.