After five rounds of voting, the winner of the Grand Uncertainties Madness tournament bracket is: What type of protection and restoration actions have the largest and most lasting impact on floodplain function and which types of actions are cost effective? This research need (from the rivers group) won in a close but decisive victory over […]
March 28, 2025
PSI’s Andy James receives grant to track PCBs and PBDEs in the Hylebos waterway
The Hylebos waterway, located in White/Puyallup river watershed, is a hotspot for PCBs and PBDEs. PSI senior research scientist Andy James has received a federally supported grant for $858,000 to track the sources of PCBs and PBDEs in the Hylebos waterway in Tacoma. The waterway is a hotspot for PCBs and PBDEs, and despite ongoing […]
March 28, 2025
Grand Uncertainties Madness
Join PSI’s bracket tournament––March 28 through April 9! What are the most important scientific research questions about Puget Sound ecosystem recovery? You decide! We are pitting 32 research questions head-to-head so that YOU can vote for the top research need for Puget Sound recovery! Is it a question about chemical pollution? Solutions to hard shoreline […]
March 27, 2025
EoPS has a new look!
You might have noticed that the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound looks especially awesome these days. We just released EoPS 2.0 with more vibrant colors, improved navigation and more modern features under the hood. You’ll still find the same great articles, but they will load a little faster and will play well with new browsers and smartphones. Take […]
December 27, 2024
The importance of estuaries for adult salmon in Puget Sound
Next time you see a salmon moving upstream to spawn, consider the importance of estuaries. Estuaries, places where rivers and creeks mix with the waters of Puget Sound, help salmon adjust the ions (salts) in their bodies so they can safely make the transition from marine to fresh water. A new report by University of Washington scientist […]
December 17, 2024

Meet PSI’s Hershman Fellows
Jessica Clemens As a Hershman Fellow at Puget Sound Institute, Jessica Clemens is researching how metabolomics can be used to better understand the impacts of anthropogenic contaminants on aquatic organisms. Her project focuses on data from long-term studies on shellfish in Puget Sound. Areas of interest include how reproduction is altered by the presence of contaminants, […]
December 16, 2024
Grant will support training in collaborative leadership
The Collaborative Leadership Program at the Puget Sound Institute (PSI) will receive almost $500,000 to train the next generation of collaborative policy makers. The new project will build on lessons from Puget Sound’s groundbreaking history of salmon co-management and other natural resource policies. The support comes from the US Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Puget Sound […]
December 11, 2024
$1 million awarded for new approach to removing PBDEs from municipal wastewater
The University of Washington has been awarded a $1 million grant by the Stormwater Strategic Initiative Lead for Piloting Solutions for Contaminants of Emerging Concern in Wastewater. The project will be led by Heidi Gough, School of Environmental and Forest Sciences and Andy James, University of Washington Tacoma, Center for Urban Waters and the Puget […]
November 7, 2024
Featured paper: Salish Sea Model examines new way to reduce ocean acidification
Mixing and dilution controls on marine CO2 removal using alkalinity enhancement In the human body, dialysis is used to remove waste, a process that helps to reduce acidity in the blood. Scientists are using a similar process to withdraw seawater, remove acid, and return the high alkalinity water to the ocean. Ocean alkalinity enhancement is being […]
November 1, 2024
‘Finding Common Ground’ airs November 5th on TVW
The University of Washington Puget Sound Institute and TVW are proud to have partnered with more than 20 diverse organizations, including multiple tribes, to produce the film Finding Common Ground: Collaborative Leadership in Washington State. The new documentary, airing this Tuesday, November 5th on TVW, explores the inspiring history of collaborative governance of salmon and other […]