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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 […]


June 12, 2025

Low oxygen challenge, part 1: The debate over oxygen in Puget Sound

In Puget Sound, low oxygen levels are a proven threat to marine creatures, from fish to shellfish and even tiny organisms. This threat has long been recognized by scientists — particularly within slow-flushing bays and inlets where low levels of dissolved oxygen can impair sea life and occasionally create deadly conditions in late summer and […]


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 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

Wastewater treatment plant

$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 […]

March 28, 2024

Test tube labeled 'estrogen.'

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 […]