Shoreline bulkheads, which can damage beaches and destroy fish habitat, could come under more extensive review and permitting as the result of a revised shoreline policy announced last week by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The revised policy (PDF 163 kb), which resulted from a federal lawsuit, now requires a Corps of Engineers permit […]
January 22, 2020
New technique casts a wide net for concerning chemicals
By Sarah McQuate, UW News Scientists are working to identify which of the thousands of chemicals that flow into Puget Sound are most harmful to the environment. Researchers know that runoff from land in the urbanized areas of Puget Sound often contains harmful chemicals such as PCBs, but many other potentially dangerous compounds have gone […]
November 7, 2019
PSI in the news: ‘Salmon on Prozac’ and more
PSI’s Andy James is collaborating with scientists at NOAA and Washington State University to understand how wastewater affects juvenile salmon in Puget Sound. The study is led by Jim Meador of NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Sciences Center and focuses on discharge from three major sewage treatment plants in King County. Wastewater will be analyzed at the […]
June 4, 2019
Kolodziej, Peter Featured in SIFF Documentary on Seattle’s Thornton Creek
A new documentary featuring PSI collaborators Ed Kolodziej and Kathy Peter was selected to premiere at the 2019 Seattle International Film Festival (SIFF) on Saturday, June 8. The 70-minute documentary, “Engineering with Nature – An Ode to Water, Wood, and Stone” was directed by environmental filmmaker Shelly Solomon and is distributed through Leaping Frog Films. […]
May 30, 2019
Young herring ‘go with the older fish’ a key finding in Ocean Modeling Forum’s efforts
Puget Sound Institute lead ecosystem ecologist Tessa Francis was quoted in a recent article in UW News. From UWT News Service: “Young herring ‘go with the older fish’ a key finding in Ocean Modeling Forum’s efforts,” by Michelle Ma, UW News, May 29, 2019, http://www.washington.edu/news/2019/05/29/young-herring-go-with-the-older-fish-a-key-finding-in-ocean-modeling-forums-efforts/. Tessa Francis is both the lead ecosystem ecologist at the […]
January 31, 2019
Shoreline armoring is “death by a thousand cuts” for ecosystem
Puget Sound Institute research scientist Aimee Kinney was quoted in a January 25th story on KUOW radio about the removal of shoreline armoring in Puget Sound. The story focuses on recent progress by the state to remove widespread seawalls and bulkheads that harm salmon and alter the ecological balance of the shoreline. Kinney has been part […]
May 31, 2018
PSI research on opioids in mussels receives international coverage
Our May 9th report on the discovery of opioids in Puget Sound mussels continues to be picked up by many national and international news organizations. The research was conducted by PSI’s Andy James in collaboration with scientists at the Puget Sound Mussel Monitoring Program at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Traces of oxycodone […]
December 1, 2017
The perils of holiday glitter
By Jeff Rice, Puget Sound Institute You might want to think twice before adding that extra bit of sparkle this holiday season. A growing number of environmental activists and scientists are saying it’s time to hold the glitter. PSI Director Joel Baker is quoted this week in The New York Times on the connection between glitter […]
April 7, 2017
PSI study links happiness to interactions with nature
Can nature make you happy? Science weighs in. A recent study by PSI social scientist Kelly Biedenweg found that Puget Sound residents reported being happier when they engaged with the natural environment. “We (in the Pacific Northwest) are pretty much the leaders in trying to understand how happiness and integration with the environment relate to each other,” Biedenweg […]
February 14, 2017
Where does Seattle coffee go after it’s poured down the drain?
PSI’s Director Joel Baker was quoted in a story by KIRO News on how caffeine and other chemicals like Prozac find their way into Puget Sound. “Scientists like Dr. Baker say caffeine levels in our waters have not reached a crisis level,” KIRO reports, “but the studies point out why in the future, technology must […]