A recent influx of anchovies into Puget Sound may have saved some steelhead from predators, but researchers seek more evidence to prove the connection. Our series on the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project continues with a look at these and other potential impacts from predators on the region’s salmon and steelhead. Read the story in […]
June 25, 2018
Opening the black box: What’s killing Puget Sound’s salmon and steelhead?
An intensive research program in the U.S. and Canada is studying why so few salmon in the Salish Sea are returning home to spawn. They are uncovering a complex web of problems involving predators, prey and other factors that put salmon at risk as they migrate to the ocean. Puget Sound Institute senior writer Christopher […]
June 12, 2018
New book helps kids discover the Salish Sea
Kids around the region are learning about the Salish Sea thanks to a new book that is being offered — in many cases free of cost — to Washington schools and libraries. Explore the Salish Sea from Sasquatch Books in Seattle inspires the next generation to appreciate and perhaps someday protect the environment close at hand. Read a […]
June 7, 2018
Despite WA ban on farmed salmon, BC impacts may flow across border
A high-profile salmon escape led to a ban on salmon farms in Washington earlier this year. But just across the border, scientists say salmon farms in British Columbia expose migrating fish from Puget Sound to potential maladies like parasites, bacteria and dangerous viruses. They say simply getting rid of salmon farms in Washington does not […]
May 30, 2018
Ocean acidification may be twice as extreme in Puget Sound’s seagrass habitats, threatening Dungeness crabs
Ocean acidification could be up to twice as severe in fragile seagrass habitats as it is in the open ocean, according to a study published last month in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. The conditions may threaten Dungeness crabs by 2050 and will be especially pronounced in the winter, the study says. […]
May 21, 2018
Stormwater mimics oil spill’s effect on Pacific herring
Pacific herring exposed to stormwater in Puget Sound show some of the same effects as fish exposed to major oil spills. Symptoms include heart and developmental problems. Read the story from Katie Keil in our magazine Salish Sea Currents.
May 18, 2018
Diving deeper to understand eelgrass wasting disease
New studies show that eelgrass wasting disease is more common in warmer waters, leading to concerns over the future effects of climate change on eelgrass populations in Puget Sound. We continue our series on science findings from the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. Robin McLachlan reports for Salish Sea Currents.
May 9, 2018
![Bay Mussels (Mytilus trossulus) on Edmonds Ferry Dock. Photo [cropped]: brewbooks (CC BY-SA 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/brewbooks/8840874065](https://www.pugetsoundinstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/8840874065_da3b29ce56_crop_1200.jpg)
Bay mussels in Puget Sound show traces of oxycodone
By Jeff Rice The opioid epidemic has now hit the waters of Puget Sound. State agencies tracking pollution levels in Puget Sound have discovered traces of oxycodone in the tissues of native bay mussels (Mytilus trossulus) from Seattle and Bremerton area harbors. The mussels were part of the state’s Puget Sound Mussel Monitoring Program. Every […]
May 3, 2018
Kelp continues steady decline in Puget Sound
This week marks the beginning of an occasional series we’ll be producing on findings from the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in Seattle. Last month, we sent more than a dozen student and professional writers to the conference to gather stories on the latest science influencing Puget Sound recovery. We’ll be rolling those stories out […]
April 4, 2018
Future of orcas takes center stage at Salish Sea conference
Gov. Jay Inslee joined former Interior Secretary Sally Jewell to open three days of science talks at the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in Seattle. The conference will include about 700 scientific presentations on topics ranging from orcas to habitat restoration, from climate change to toxic chemicals. Read the story in Salish Sea Currents.