Puget Sound Institute Research Scientist Tessa Francis is the lead author on a new paper in PLOS One describing changes in Lake Washington plankton communities from 1962 to 1994.
October 9, 2014
Citizens now the leading cause of toxics in Puget Sound
The latest issue of Salish Sea Currents reports that some of the greatest dangers to Puget Sound come from our common, everyday activities. These pervasive sources of pollution are so woven into our lives that they are almost invisible to us, but it’s becoming impossible to ignore their effects. Read the article in the Encyclopedia of Puget […]
August 11, 2014
Shedding new light on eelgrass recovery
One of the goals set by the state’s Puget Sound Action Agenda is to add 20 percent more eelgrass to the region by 2020. But three years into the effort, there’s been little or no progress, and growing perplexity. Studies show that some eelgrass beds are increasing while others are in decline. Scientists met at […]
November 22, 2013
New paper applies invasion biology to social networks
Jeff Rice Social media now proliferates across almost every sector of the Web, from commercial enterprises like Facebook to crowd sourcing of science and medical data. New online communities are created constantly, but not all of these efforts succeed, and the Web is littered with failed attempts and false starts. How can you tell which […]
October 8, 2013
PSI’s Biedenweg co-author of environmental education ebook
PSI’s Kelly Biedenweg is a co-author of the new ebook Across the Spectrum: Resources for Environmental Educators. The publication looks at foundations, strategies and trends in the field, from 18th century philosophy to present day standards-based education. The book is published by the North American Association for Environmental Education, and can be freely downloaded, shared and copied.
June 29, 2013
Are declines in eelgrass affecting Puget Sound herring?
Are Puget Sound herring limited by loss of eelgrass? PSI biologist Tessa Francis reports on her research, and looks at the broader implications for Puget Sound forage fish: http://www.eopugetsound.org/articles/notes-field-are-puget-sound-herring-limited-loss-eelgrass.
June 25, 2013
An idea whose time has come (25 years later)
We recently came across this editorial from Seattle Times writer John Hamer. The text still seems fresh, like it could have been written just a few years ago. The issues that prompted it remain pressing, but the date — January of 1985 — shows that it can take a while for words to resonate. “Nearly every […]
February 28, 2013
Characterizing coastal foodwebs
PSI’s Tessa Francis is co-author of a new paper in the ICES Journal of Marine Science. The paper, “Characterizing coastal foodwebs with qualitative links to bridge the gap between the theory and the practice of ecosystem-based management” uses qualitative modeling to compare management actions in Puget Sound, Chesapeake Bay and Galveston Bay. The authors examine loop analysis […]
June 7, 2012
Recent paper shows unarmored sites in Puget Sound taxa-rich
A recent publication in Estuaries and Coasts investigates the impacts of shoreline armoring along the Duwamish River estuary in Central Puget Sound on salmon diets, invertebrate communities and environmental conditions.
February 22, 2012
Is beer toxic to Puget Sound?
Recently spotted in Grist.org: SoundCitizen founder Rick Keil and new PSP Science Panel member Tracy Collier weigh in— Is it OK to pour beer down the drain?