"> Southern Resident killer whales have been hanging out in Puget Sound much longer than normal this fall, probably because of an unusually large run of chum salmon coming into Central and South Puget Sound, experts say. As of today, J pod has remained in Puget Sound for 19 straight days with the exception of a […]
November 7, 2024
"> Featured paper: Salish Sea Model examines new way to reduce ocean acidification
Mixing and dilution controls on marine CO2 removal using alkalinity enhancement In the human body, dialysis is used to remove waste, a process that helps to reduce acidity in the blood. Scientists are using a similar process to withdraw seawater, remove acid, and return the high alkalinity water to the ocean. Ocean alkalinity enhancement is being […]
October 4, 2024
"> Orca census shows declining population; researchers discuss risk of extinction
UPDATE, Oct. 11, 2024 Although the newest calf in L pod has not yet been declared missing or deceased by the Center for Whale Research, it is hard to imagine a good outcome from the description by CWR’s field biologist Mark Malleson, who observed K and L pods on Oct. 5 at Swiftsure Bank near […]
September 20, 2024
"> Publish or perish the thought: Orcas, seals, and a curious scientist
In 2022, more than three million scientific papers were published in about thirty thousand journals. This represented something like a 9% increase over the year before, and a 47% increase since 2016. “Academic publishing has a problem,” wrote Mark A. Hanson, the biologist at the University of Exeter who compiled these figures. “The last few […]
September 16, 2024
"> Modeling climate resilience in coastal communities
Puget Sound Institute research scientist Caitlin Magel is Co-PI on a collaboration with Washington Sea Grant to support the Willapa-Grays Harbor Estuary Collaborative (WGHEC). The project receives $599,533 over 3 years (2024-2027) with funding from NOAA’s Climate and Fisheries Adaptation (CAFA) program. Magel will co-develop a qualitative network model to support scenario planning, management strategies, and adaptation pathways […]
July 31, 2024
"> Photo essay: Rebirth of an estuary
More than 90 percent of Puget Sound’s tidal wetlands have been lost to development. These rare estuaries, where tidal flows mix with outputs from local rivers, are critical to the early life stages of Chinook and other salmon. A restoration project near Port Susan Bay at the mouth of the Stillaguamish River is bringing back […]
July 16, 2024
"> September 3 roundtable will share sea level rise resiliency tools
The Salish Sea Science Roundtable speaker series continues on Tuesday, September 3 from 12:30 – 1:30 pm. Washington Sea Grant works collaboratively with local communities and agency partners to assess and address coastal hazards. WSG staff Ian Miller and Sydney Fishman will share several examples of WSG’s sea level rise resiliency work. Highlighted projects will include […]
July 5, 2024
"> Southern resident orca numbers decline during census year; Bigg’s orcas continue to expand
Although the official census report won’t be submitted for a couple months, at least two southern resident killer whales have died over the past year, with one of them being a little more than a month old. This unnamed, deceased baby, designated J60, was the only new birth reported among the endangered orca population in […]
June 28, 2024
"> All killer whales will remain one species — for now, according to marine mammal committee
A formal proposal to designate resident and Bigg’s killer whales as separate species has been rejected by a committee widely recognized as the authority in naming new marine mammal species. The proposal for new orca species, put forth by a team of geneticists and marine mammal biologists, was based on the distinct genetic, physical and […]
June 26, 2024
"> Recreational boaters play an important role in protecting endangered killer whales, officials say
Noise and disturbance from boats can disrupt the normal hunting behaviors of killer whales, according to marine mammal experts. Now, with southern resident orcas facing extinction, every disruption becomes a concern, they say. Such is the thinking behind a new state law designed to better protect the endangered whales by further limiting how close recreational […]