Juvenile sand lance, Ammodytes hexapterus, are a critical component of our marine ecosystems. One member of a group known as 'forage fish', they are the food source for Chinook and coho salmon, marine birds, and whales. Here a shoal of juvenile sand lance rest and feed along the central Strait nearshore. Conserving habitats of these forage fish is imperative to saving, and restoring, our coastal systems.