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 […]
November 7, 2024
Some orcas extend their stay in Puget Sound; others visit capture site for first time in years
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]
May 31, 2024
Decision time approaches for two new orca species, as other issues bring new questions
Killer whales worldwide are currently identified as a single species, Orcinus orca. But two new species of orca, representing thousands of whales in the North Pacific, could be added to the scientific nomenclature within the next month. Evidence supporting the new species, which I described in the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound, has been submitted for […]
May 2, 2024
Hood Canal summer chum could be first-ever salmon removed from Endangered Species List
Are species consigned to the Endangered Species List destined for extinction? Some species may be, but certainly not all. We know this from the recovery of the bald eagle, gray wolf, humpback whale and other rebounding species removed from the list. Still, 28 populations of salmon remain at risk, seemingly stuck on this roster of […]
May 1, 2024
Key job changes at Hood Canal Coordinating Council set the stage for summer chum delisting
Scott Brewer, who has served as executive director of the Hood Canal Coordinating Council for the past 16 years, has stepped down from that position to focus his attention on the council’s efforts to remove Hood Canal summer chum from the Endangered Species List. This unique population of chum salmon, listed as threatened, has made […]
March 28, 2024
Ask a scientist: Are human-derived hormones like estrogen harming fish in Puget Sound?
Hormones such as estrogens that humans create in their own bodies are entering Puget Sound through wastewater, raising concerns about their effects on fish and other wildlife. We spoke with Puget Sound Institute scientist Maya Faber about how environmental exposure to human-derived estrogen can alter the reproductive cycles of male and female fish. The effects […]
November 8, 2023
Puget Sound ecosystem holding on, but recovery remains uncertain, says latest status report
Efforts to restore ecological health to Puget Sound have largely failed to meet recovery goals, yet fish and wildlife populations are still hanging on, according to a new report that describes many struggling populations as neither increasing nor decreasing to a significant extent. The latest State of the Sound report, released last week by the […]
October 12, 2023
A no-death census year for Puget Sound’s orcas, with observations about a recent shift to more female births
For the first time since Census Year 1993, no deaths were reported this year among the Southern Resident killer whales, which frequent Puget Sound, according to the official census report. Two new births were reported among the whales, increasing the population from 73 to 75. I would also like to share some potentially hopeful information […]