A catalyst for ecosystem recovery

The University of Washington Puget Sound Institute provides analysis, research and communication to inform and connect the science of ecosystem protection.

The big picture: Our comprehensive approach

Ecosystem management in Puget Sound has become increasingly complex. Scientists now recognize that what happens on the land is intricately tied to the health of the water. We face climate change and unprecedented population growth, and researchers have identified thousands of different human-caused pressures on the ecosystem. Given limited resources, how can managers and policymakers make informed decisions about where to focus their recovery efforts?

More: About PSI

 

The Puget Sound Institute provides expertise across three major areas:

1. Science for policy

Technical assistance to resource managers and policymakers
PSI and our partners receive major funding from the Environmental Protection Agency to support and enhance new strategies for improving the health of Puget Sound.

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United States Environmental Protection Agency

Puget Sound Partnership

human wellbeing indicator wheel
The human wellbeing indicator wheel was developed to provide a social science perspective on ecosystem management.

2. Research

Scientific studies
Our expertise is strongly grounded in original research. Since 2010, PSI scientists along with our collaborators at the Center for Urban Waters have published on a range of topics, including the ecology of forage fish, stormwater, microplastics, social science and emerging contaminants.

More: Research and products

3. Communication

Trusted, decision-critical information
We bring together scientific findings from around the region through synthesis, study panels, technical peer-reviews and publications such as the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound and Salish Sea Currents.

More: Connecting the science

Browse: Encyclopedia of Puget Sound

A collection of Salish Sea Currents printed flyers.
Salish Sea Currents stories are published online in the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound and also printed as annual booklets and flyers.

 

Recent blog posts

PSI monthly roundup: June 2022

June 26, 2022
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VIEW THE FULLY FORMATTED NEWSLETTER in your browser Boundary spanning in Puget Sound Ecosystem-based management is often a large-scale collaborative effort involving many distinct groups.…

Audrey Rhodes is the recipient of this summer's stormwater internship at the Center for Urban Waters.

Meet our intern: Audrey Rhodes

June 25, 2022
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We are pleased to welcome Audrey Rhodes as a summer research assistant at the Center for Urban Waters. Audrey will be working in cooperation with the Stormwater Equipment…

View of the Elwha River above the site of the former Glines Canyon Dam in 2021. Photo: Sylvia Kantor

Magazine series looks at salmon returns in the Elwha River

June 22, 2022
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It has been more than ten years since the first of the Elwha River’s two dams was breached, and scientists are gaining new perspectives on the…

BPA toxicity debate approaches regulatory decisions at both state and federal levels

June 14, 2022
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As Washington state authorities get ready to ban the chemical bisphenol A (BPA) from drink cans and customer sales receipts, the U.S. Food and Drug…

Governor Inslee appoints Dennis McLerran as chair of the Puget Sound Partnership’s Leadership Council

June 10, 2022
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This is a reprint of a press release from the Puget Sound Partnership. FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEJune 10, 2022 MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Hyde, 360.819.3045, kevin.hyde@psp.wa.gov OLYMPIA…

The Center for Urban Waters along the Foss Waterway in Tacoma

New paper describes PSI’s support of ecosystem-based management

May 24, 2022
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Right now, researchers across Puget Sound are carefully measuring the salinity and temperature of the water, searching for harmful algal blooms and studying the feeding…

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