Pollution from stormwater has been called one of the greatest threats to Puget Sound. How much will it cost to hold back the rain? A new EPA-funded study says the price could reach billions per year, a figure that dwarfs current state and federal allocations. Read the article in Salish Sea Currents.
November 21, 2014
Nature inspires new approach to flood control
Every year, winter rains bring the threat of millions of dollars in property damage, or even the loss of life, from floods. Rivers have historically been channeled and tamed to protect towns and farms in low-lying floodplains, but research shows that this approach may actually be making flooding worse while at the same time threatening […]
October 31, 2014
Brighter future for salmon at downtown seawall
The decaying seawall along Seattle’s waterfront is providing scientists with an opportunity to improve long-lost habitat for migrating salmon. It could also show the way for habitat enhancements to crumbling infrastructure worldwide. One University of Washington researcher describes the project. Read more about the Seattle seawall in Salish Sea Currents.
October 22, 2014
Shifting plankton communities in Lake Washington
Puget Sound Institute Research Scientist Tessa Francis is the lead author on a new paper in PLOS One describing changes in Lake Washington plankton communities from 1962 to 1994.
October 9, 2014
Citizens now the leading cause of toxics in Puget Sound
The latest issue of Salish Sea Currents reports that some of the greatest dangers to Puget Sound come from our common, everyday activities. These pervasive sources of pollution are so woven into our lives that they are almost invisible to us, but it’s becoming impossible to ignore their effects. Read the article in the Encyclopedia of Puget […]
August 11, 2014
Shedding new light on eelgrass recovery
One of the goals set by the state’s Puget Sound Action Agenda is to add 20 percent more eelgrass to the region by 2020. But three years into the effort, there’s been little or no progress, and growing perplexity. Studies show that some eelgrass beds are increasing while others are in decline. Scientists met at […]
June 26, 2014
SSEC14 by the numbers
The Salish Sea’s premier science conference concluded last month in Seattle, and judging strictly by the numbers, it was one of the most successful in conference history. The 2014 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference, or #SSEC14 as it came to be known in various social media, featured several significant firsts. It was the largest in its […]
April 28, 2014
Contaminants of Emerging Concern
Thousands of different chemical compounds find their way into Puget Sound every day, but little is known about their effects on the environment. Known as Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs), these compounds range from pharmaceuticals to industrial products and even caffeine and artificial flavorings. A special session at the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference looks […]
April 21, 2014
Where it all started
Before it was SSEC14, it was the Puget Sound Research Conference. It was 1988, the cold war was still in swing and researchers in Seattle were gathering for the very first science conference dedicated to the waters of Puget Sound. Check out research priorities then and now. Download a complete collection of past Salish Sea […]
April 1, 2014
PSI Visiting Scientist key advisor in halt to Japanese whaling
By Jeff Rice A March 31st ruling by the United Nations to halt Japanese whaling in the Antarctic draws heavily on analysis by PSI Visiting Scientist Marc Mangel, who served as an Independent Scientific Expert in the case. The Japanese government had argued that whaling in the region was primarily for scientific research, but had been challenged […]