The year 2025 has been fairly mystifying to experts who make their living studying natural systems in the Puget Sound region. Unusual observations this year include record-low dissolved oxygen levels, unexpected gray whale visitations, and the sudden arrival of an astounding number of short-tailed shearwaters — a seabird almost never seen in Puget Sound. Cold […]
October 27, 2025
Experts expect the recent arrival of chum salmon to bring orcas back to Puget Sound
UPDATE: Monday, Nov. 3 Whales return to Central Puget Sound without youngest calf All three pods of southern resident killer whales traveled into Central Puget Sound Sunday, making it as far south as the southern end of Vashon Island, if not farther. The past few days, various whales have been spotted in the San Juan […]
September 30, 2025
What is driving ongoing contamination in Commencement Bay?
Despite more than four decades of a Superfund cleanup along Tacoma’s industrial Tideflats, research suggests that large amounts of toxic chemicals like PCBs and PBDEs may still be entering the waterway. Our affiliates at the Center for Urban Waters are co-leading a new project to identify contaminant hotspots. When it was first designated in 1983, […]
September 16, 2025
October 7 roundtable about THORR, which maps river temperatures from space
The Salish Sea Science Roundtable online speaker series continues on Tuesday, October 7 from 12:30 – 1:30 pm. The University of Washington’s Thermal History of Regulated Rivers (THORR) tool transforms NASA’s Landsat satellite imagery into current and historical river temperature insights. Learn how advanced data-driven techniques enable accessible mapping of water temperatures across remote streams—vital for […]
August 6, 2025
Microbial source tracking for Puget Sound
Friday, September 12 | 9:30 am – 12:30 pm PT on Zoom Co-hosted with the Shellfish SIL Effective microbial source tracking is critical for safeguarding public health, restoring shellfish beds, and targeting pollution prevention efforts. Join leading researchers and fellow practitioners to explore emerging tools, regional efforts, and practical guidance to track and reduce fecal […]
August 6, 2025
August 15: Temperature-dependent oxygen supply and demand — a pilot on marine life vulnerability in Puget Sound
Friday, August 15 from 11 am – 1 pm We’re excited to continue the Science of Puget Sound Water Quality workshop series, which explores emerging science and insights to help protect water quality in Puget Sound. Not only does warmer water hold less oxygen, but it simultaneously increases how much oxygen marine species need, so […]
July 30, 2025
Around the Sound: Juvenile humpback whale ‘stronger and energetic’ after recent rescue
A juvenile humpback whale entangled in more than 200 feet of rope and then freed earlier this month has been spotted off Galiano Island in British Columbia, prompting cautious relief among biologists who are monitoring the whale’s recovery. The whale, named Starry Knight, was seen by whale watchers last Friday, and was breaching and appeared […]
July 16, 2025
Annual orca count grows by one, as the Puget Sound whales stay on the hunt for food
Although an official census report is not due until October, it appears that the population of our southern resident killer whales has increased by one over the past year. That slight increase is the net result of four births and three deaths, according to the Center for Whale Research, which is responsible for the annual […]
June 12, 2025
Low oxygen challenge, part 4: Many actions may be needed to improve Puget Sound waters
A grand plan to reduce human sources of nitrogen in Puget Sound started coming into focus in 2019 when the issue of regulations reached a decisive point. After years of study and advances in computer modeling, experts at the Washington Department of Ecology were beginning to see what it would take to reduce human sources […]
June 12, 2025
Low oxygen challenge, part 3: Computer models spell out the extent of the water-quality problem
After more than eight years of study amid ongoing discussions, the Washington Department of Ecology has made public a far-reaching plan for reducing human sources of nitrogen that contribute to the destructive low-oxygen conditions in Puget Sound. The plan, called the Puget Sound Nutrient Reduction Plan, calls for reductions in nitrogen from sewage-treatment plants, agricultural […]