By Christopher Dunagan After five weeks at sea, a team of 21 scientists from five countries returned Monday with some surprising findings about the mysterious lives of salmon in the Pacific Ocean, according to Laurie Weitkamp, a salmon biologist with NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center in Newport, Ore. “It was quite an experience,” said Weitkamp, […]
March 20, 2019
Risk of a major oil spill generates action in Olympia
This week, our magazine Salish Sea Currents takes an in-depth look at ongoing legislative activity to prevent oil spills in Puget Sound. PSI senior writer Christopher Dunagan reports on the push to adopt new rules to counter-balance the increasing risks of tanker collisions and potential catastrophic spills. Among the concerns: About 1,300 tanker ships, of all types, […]
March 19, 2019
A guide for oil spill response
Puget Sound’s ports are expected to grow rapidly in coming years, on pace with the region’s urban areas. More ships on the water could mean more accidents. Some management efforts can lessen the risk of a spill in Puget Sound. Lower speed limits for ships, more onboard monitoring, rescue tugs and double hull fuel tank […]
March 19, 2019
Meeting will address shoreline armoring in Puget Sound
The Shoreline and Coastal Planners Group spring meeting will focus on shoreline armoring in Puget Sound and will feature a presentation by Puget Sound Institute research scientist Aimee Kinney. The meeting will be held on on April 23rd at the South Seattle College Georgetown campus and will include assessments of updates to the EPA-funded Puget […]
March 11, 2019
Grant funding to study climate change risks to shellfish
The Environmental Protection Agency’s National Estuary Program has issued a call for proposals for research into climate change risks to Puget Sound shellfish, marine water quality and public health. A total of $150,000 is available to fund up to three projects. Applications are due by 11:59 PM on April 8th. The full call for proposals […]
February 28, 2019
PSI Director to present lecture at “Superheroes of Science” series
PSI director Joel Baker will present “Water in the City: Let’s Get Better At This” at the RAIN Superheroes of Science lecture series on April 8th in Tacoma. Water is ubiquitous. We all take it for granted and yet agonize over it. Most of us use 10 gallons each morning before our first cup of […]
February 21, 2019
Return of a native: Olympia oysters are making a comeback
Prior to European settlement, dense assemblages of Olympia oysters covered as many as 20,000 acres, or 26.7% of Puget Sound’s intertidal zone. Today they occupy about 5% of their original range, prompting a slew of state and federally-funded restoration efforts. Sarah DeWeerdt reports on the comeback of Puget Sound’s only native oyster for our magazine […]
February 15, 2019
Scientists from five countries seek out the secrets of salmon
The international salmon expedition will try to find out why so many salmon go out into the Pacific Ocean and never return. By Christopher Dunagan An international team of 21 scientists will embark Sunday on a wintry expedition that could help untangle some of the greatest mysteries surrounding Pacific salmon: Where do these migrating fish […]
February 8, 2019
Do financial incentives motivate farmers to conserve land?
Occasionally, this space includes reports and essays from guest writers on the subject of Puget Sound ecosystem recovery. Today’s guest blog is from Mollie Chapman, who received funding from the Puget Sound Institute in 2013 to study how financial incentives influence decisions by farmers to conserve ecologically important land. By Mollie Chapman Would you undertake […]
February 8, 2019
Marc Mangel joins PSI
By Jeff Rice How many fish are in the Salish Sea? It’s an impossible question that drives the Puget Sound Institute’s newest senior scientist Marc Mangel. Mangel has spent his career working on fish and fisheries issues and uses mathematical models to answer critical questions about species such as their population numbers and population health. […]