Category: Newsletters

Interview: Can ’Silicon Valley North’ change the way we think about Salish Sea recovery?

Wide angle view of commuters in city
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By Jeff Rice, Puget Sound Institute A strong economy driven by a world-leading technology industry is expected to draw millions of new residents to the Salish Sea region within decades. This changing population brings with it new strains on the environment but also new perspectives. Incoming residents may not see Puget Sound the same way as previous generations. Many will have different relationships to the natural world or come from other cultural backgrounds and traditions. Technology will also play a role, not just as an economic driver, but as an […]

Year in review: 2016

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This year has been as busy as any we have had since our founding in 2010. As we look forward to year seven (!) of our organization, we have put together a sort of highlight reel of accomplishments. At various points, PSI scientists worked to prioritize emerging contaminants in our waterways. We studied the health of forage fish populations, analyzed eelgrass abundance and brought together key scientific findings for Puget Sound’s marine and nearshore.  Most recently, our team began helping to develop new state and federal Implementation Strategies that will prioritize future […]

New report details the broad sweep of climate change in Puget Sound

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A new report commissioned by the Puget Sound Institute and the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound provides the most comprehensive assessment to date of the expected impacts of climate change on the Puget Sound region. The report was produced by the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group, and is meant as an easy-to-read summary that covers topics such as increasing landslides, flooding, sea level rise, impacts on human health, agriculture and rising stream temperatures for salmon. Partners in the report include NOAA, The Nature Conservancy, the Puget Sound Partnership, the WWU Huxley […]

State report says lack of funding is a major barrier to Puget Sound recovery

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The 2015 State of the Sound report from the Puget Sound Partnership points to lack of funding as one of the leading barriers to Puget Sound recovery. The report looks at ongoing progress to restore the health of the ecosystem, but according to the Partnership’s Executive Director Sheida Sahandy, “The rate at which we as a community are continuing to damage Puget Sound is greater than the rate at which we are fixing it.” Overall, funding has fallen far short of critical needs, the report argues. Projects described in the […]

Call for nominations for 2016 Salish Sea Science Prize

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The SeaDoc Society has issued a call for nominations for the 2016 Salish Sea Science Prize. The prize of $2000 is awarded every two years to scientists or teams of scientists working to improve the management or conservation of the Salish Sea ecosystem. Read more at the SeaDoc Society website.    

List of Salish Sea fish grows to 253 species

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Researchers updating a 1980 fish catalog have found evidence of 37 additional fish species in the Salish Sea. This information, accompanied by hundreds of detailed illustrations, is seeding a new reference book expected to gain wide use among scientists, anglers and conservationists. Read an interview with one of the book’s co-authors in the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound. 

Leadership Council to consider new State of the Sound report

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The Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council will review a draft of the latest State of the Sound report at its October 15th meeting in La Conner. It will also hear from the UW Climate Impacts Group about a new report commissioned by the EPA and the Puget Sound Institute analyzing future climate conditions in the region. View the media release from the Puget Sound Partnership.

Puget Sound Fact Book now available

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Have you ever wanted to know how much water is in Puget Sound? Or the weight of a giant Pacific octopus? Where can you find the skinny on stormwater pollution or local climate change? The Puget Sound Institute provides a new reference guide with key facts about the health and makeup of the ecosystem. Download a copy today. Funding for this project was provided by the EPA and the Puget Sound Partnership.

Identifying ecosystem services in Puget Sound

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The ecosystem services concept has become the leading framework for understanding and communicating the human dimensions of environmental change. A new report commissioned by the Puget Sound Institute focuses on several of these ecosystem benefits, including economic, social and cultural services linked to Puget Sound recovery. Read the full report on the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound.

An in-depth look at harbor porpoise in the Salish Sea

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In the 1940s, harbor porpoise were among the most frequently sighted cetaceans in Puget Sound, but by the early 1970s they had all but disappeared. Their numbers have since increased, but they remain a Species of Concern in the state of Washington. A new in-depth species profile looks at the status of harbor porpoise in the Salish Sea, and brings together some of the most comprehensive information to-date about their regional ecology and behavior. The profile was prepared by Jacqlynn Zier and Joe Gaydos of the SeaDoc Society for inclusion in the Encyclopedia of Puget […]

Salish Sea conference will feature GIS ‘speed talks’

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PSI will co-sponsor a series of talks at the 2016 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference related to geospatial technology and its impact on ecosystem recovery. The conference session will feature short, 5-minute oral presentations and/or posters on a range of emerging topics and approaches within the GIS field. Abstracts for presentations are now being accepted at the conference website through 12/18/2015. Questions about the talks can be sent to session leader Kris Symer at ksymer (at) uw.edu. The conference will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia April 13-15, 2016.

Call for abstracts for 2016 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference

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The 2016 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference is now accepting abstracts for individual presentations. The deadline for submission is Dec. 18, 2015. The biennial science conference will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia from April 13-15, 2016. Visit the conference website for more information.