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April 17, 2025

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Eating fish: Court order may end the battle over toxic standards in Washington state waters

It appears that a decade-long battle to establish allowable levels of toxic chemicals in Washington state’s waterways may finally be over. Strict toxic standards, first imposed on the state in 2016 by the Environmental Protection Agency, seem to have prevailed. Primary chemicals of concern in the long battle over human health criteria include polychlorinated biphenyls, […]


April 2, 2025

The “unstructured grid” used in the Salish Sea Model allows for greater resolution (smaller triangles) when studying complex water circulation, such as around the Hood Canal bridge. Graphic: Tarang Khangaonkar">

Unpacking uncertainty: How experts recommend improving Puget Sound modeling

An external scientific review by independent experts is a common and valuable practice, particularly when the models have significant management implications. This ethos is why peer review is foundational to science in general. By providing an objective assessment, external reviewers can help ensure the models are robust and appropriate for the management decisions they’re being […]


December 27, 2024

Adult fall Chinook salmon. Photo: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory">

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 16, 2024

A distributary channel created by The Nature Conservancy as a shortcut for juvenile Chinook as they move from freshwater to saltwater environments. Photo: Sylvia Kantor/PSI">

Ask a scientist: What is a distributary channel?

In a natural state, a river passing through a floodplain will have many side channels and tendrils that distribute the water, fanning it out across the delta. However, these channels are often lost when rivers are diverted to make room for farmland or other human development. In many cases, even after the dikes and levees […]


December 12, 2024

Photo credit: C̀háʔba· and NEMO moorings. Photo: John Mickett/UW">

Annual report documents Puget Sound’s marine conditions

The Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) has released its 13th annual overview of Puget Sound’s marine water conditions. The report is funded in part by the Puget Sound Institute and is produced by 67 contributors from federal, tribal, state, and local agencies, academia, nonprofits, and private and volunteer groups.  The compilation looks back on the […]


December 11, 2024

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$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 […]