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. […]
February 4, 2019
The Orca Docs: When should medical experts intervene to save a killer whale?
This week we present “The Orca Docs,” a two-part series from our senior writer Christopher Dunagan. The series focuses on some of the issues related to proposed medical intervention for Puget Sound’s endangered orcas. The death of a young female orca in September has sparked a discussion of how and whether scientists should step in […]
January 31, 2019
Shoreline armoring is “death by a thousand cuts” for ecosystem
Puget Sound Institute research scientist Aimee Kinney was quoted in a January 25th story on KUOW radio about the removal of shoreline armoring in Puget Sound. The story focuses on recent progress by the state to remove widespread seawalls and bulkheads that harm salmon and alter the ecological balance of the shoreline. Kinney has been part […]
January 23, 2019
Health assessments planned for two ailing orcas
By Christopher Dunagan Killer whale experts who are not employed by the federal government are preparing to assess the health conditions of two Southern Resident orcas that appear malnourished and may be dying. Any decisions regarding potential medical treatment would be made later. During a conference call on Tuesday, marine mammal biologists, veterinarians and other […]
January 22, 2019
The lost tidal forests of Puget Sound
Hundreds of years ago, old-growth cedar and spruce loomed over estuaries and bottom lands throughout Puget Sound, creating what are known as tidal forests. These forests were the Pacific Northwest’s answer to the Everglades — giant spongy swamps with a touch of saltwater that made up some of the finest salmon habitat in the region. […]
December 20, 2018
The latest numbers on shoreline armoring
By Jeff Rice Washington state has released the latest statistics for Puget Sound’s shoreline armoring Vital Sign, comparing armoring creation and removal in 2017. Those familiar with the Vital Sign will know that the state’s goal is to finally see, by 2020, a net decrease in the length of shoreline armoring throughout Puget Sound. Armoring […]
December 12, 2018
Test your herring knowledge
By Jeff Rice One of the first steps in protecting any species is understanding as much as you can about it. When it comes to Pacific herring in the Salish Sea, much is known but until recently many of the key scientific findings about the species had not been gathered together in a single place. […]
November 30, 2018
Debate over water quality standards takes a new turn
Many people thought the issue of regulating toxic chemical discharges into Puget Sound was settled when the federal government forced Washington state to use stricter criteria, but the debate may be underway once again. By Christopher Dunagan An unlikely disagreement between state and federal authorities over water-quality standards has flared up again. Two years ago, […]
November 16, 2018
Orca task force releases recommendations
By Jeff Rice The governor’s Southern Resident Orca Task Force released its final report and recommendations today, focusing on three key threats to Puget Sound’s endangered orcas: Lack of food, disturbance from noise and vessel traffic, and toxic contaminants. In all, the report makes 36 recommendations for recovering the fast-declining orca population, which now stands at […]
October 22, 2018
Harbor porpoises become increasing players in the Puget Sound food web
An explosive growth in the number of harbor porpoises in Puget Sound could be creating a ripple effect through the food web, with potential consequences for salmon, seals and even orcas. PSI senior writer Christopher Dunagan reports in Salish Sea Currents.