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. […]
September 28, 2015
Identifying ecosystem services in Puget Sound
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.
September 28, 2015
An in-depth look at harbor porpoise in the Salish Sea
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 […]
September 24, 2015
Salish Sea conference will feature GIS ‘speed talks’
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 […]
September 21, 2015
Call for abstracts for 2016 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
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.
September 21, 2015
Congressmen announce ‘Save Our Sound’ bill
A new bill proposed by Representatives Denny Heck and Derek Kilmer seeks to bring Puget Sound recovery efforts on par with other waterways such as Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes. The congressmen say those ecosystems receive far more funding and greater federal standing, despite Puget Sound’s national importance as an estuary. The bill, referred to as ‘Puget SOS’ […]
September 11, 2015
Report chronicles unusual year for marine waters in Puget Sound
The Puget Sound Marine Waters Overview for 2014 is now available. The report is part of an annual effort from NOAA and the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program to synthesize marine conditions for the region. According to its authors, 2014 “was a year with notable departures from average.” In particular, the report provides details on the […]
September 11, 2015
In the news: Studying microplastics in Puget Sound
The publication Crosscut quotes PSI Director Joel Baker today in a story about microplastics in Puget Sound and the Pacific Ocean: “The Center for Urban Waters at the University of Washington has been surveying the amount of micro-plastics and types of plastic in Puget Sound for years. The center’s lead researcher Joel Baker says they’ve been asked to […]
September 3, 2015
Puget Sound Recovery Caucus calls for greater agency cooperation
Congressman Denny Heck had a stark message for participants in today’s meeting of the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus in Tacoma. The health of the Puget Sound ecosystem “is getting worse every year faster than it is improving,” he told the group, signaling a renewed urgency for the caucus that Heck started with Congressman Derek Kilmer […]
August 26, 2015
Future scenarios for climate change in Puget Sound
The University of Washington Climate Impacts Group has published a series of projections related to the effects of climate change in Puget Sound. Among the group’s findings: Many area streams will be too warm in summers for salmon by 2080, “despite rarely being in excess of these temperatures in the recent past.” “About two-thirds of the glaciated area […]