The Game that Science Built: 10 Years of Survive the Sound
More than 30,000 people participate in Survive the Sound every year. Not because they’re salmon scientists, but because an adorable fish cartoon with a cute name is hard not to root for. For 10 years, the simple idea that started as fantasy football for fish has been turning curious newcomers into passionate salmon stewards. Here’s how it all started.
From Data to Game: How Survive the Sound Was Born
Over 10 years ago, researchers from Long Live the Kings shared some disappointing findings with the organization’s Board of Directors. Results from the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project showed that salmon and steelhead were dying in record numbers throughout Puget Sound, especially at the Hood Canal bridge. We wanted to communicate these findings but couldn’t figure out the best way to engage with community members who weren’t already familiar with salmon or marine science. One board member had an interesting proposition: What if we took our data and made a game out of it?
From that kernel of an idea, Survive the Sound was born. Using data collected from NOAA scientists and adorable fish designed by a local artist, we built a unique combination of science, art, and technology that could be used to tell the story of our declining salmon and steelhead populations.
The Early Years: Learning as We Go
The first Survive the Sound migration took place in May 2017. It looked a lot different than what current players are used to. Rather than a free experience, the debut campaign was a “Sponsor a Fish” event where players could select multiple fish to follow at a price tag of $25 each. A fundraiser is always nice for a small environmental non-profit organization, but we quickly realized that keeping this unique educational experience behind a paywall was not going to have the intended effect of building a diverse and well-informed community that is passionate about salmon conservation.
From then on, Survive the Sound has been a free and easily accessible experience that is designed to introduce players to the challenges facing salmon and steelhead. It is a platform for turning science into stories, where you can claim a cute character as your own and build a personal connection that you remember long after your fish-of-choice gets devoured by a seal or poisoned by stormwater runoff.
A Growing Community of Salmon Stewards
The game has grown and changed over the years. By starting small and building on the successes and lessons learned from each previous migration, we have developed a dedicated following that continues to grow.
Teachers and students began to flock to Survive the Sound as a fun way to bring salmon science into their classrooms. We worked hard to support them by providing a free suite of activities and lesson plans for educators. With new activities added each year, this collection now covers a wide range of content for students from kindergarten to high school. The impact adds up: local teachers have reported using Survive the Sound and its related curriculum to teach more than 75,000 students in recent years.
What’s New in 2026: A Sleeker Experience with More Ways to Play
This year, Survive the Sound is gearing up for our biggest and best migration yet. With support from Boeing, we were able to upgrade the website and provide a sleek, modern experience that players will love. While the heart of the game remains the same (pick your fish, build a team, and enjoy some friendly competition), new features now give players a chance to engage on a deeper level and earn points in the game. Players can accrue these points by answering salmon trivia questions, by building teams and expanding the community of salmon lovers, and of course by picking a surviving fish!
Thank You for 10 Years
As we look back on 10 years of Survive the Sound, we are incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together. None of this would have been possible without our community. Survive the Sound is a collaboration that involves staff from Long Live the Kings, research partners, individual donors, generous private sponsors, and the talented artists and web developers who have been with us every step of the way.
Thank you to everyone who has played and helped support this game over the years. The next decade starts now, and we’d love for you to be part of it. Join the migration April 27-May 1 at http://www.survivethesound.org/. Pick your fish, build your team, and help us write the next chapter.