Category: Puget Sound Science Panel

Puget Sound fish and wildlife populations fall short of 10-year recovery goals

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A final report on the 2020 ecosystem-recovery goals for Puget Sound outlines habitat improvements for some streams, shorelines and wetlands, but it also describes ongoing declines among fish and wildlife populations that use those habitats. The latest State of the Sound report, released this week by the Puget Sound Partnership, summarizes the status of 52 individual ecosystem indicators used to measure the health of Puget Sound. While 11 indicators point in a positive direction, suggesting that conditions are getting better for Puget Sound, 22 indicators tell us that things are […]

Remembering Bill Ruckelshaus

William Ruckelshaus is sworn in as the first head of the EPA in 1970. Photo courtesy of the Nixon Library.
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It was a turning point in the history of environmental policy. In 1972, the first head of the EPA, William Ruckelshaus, faced “a preponderance of the evidence” showing the effects of the pesticide DDT on birds and other wildlife. By then, Rachel Carson’s book Silent Spring had become a classic, clearly laying out the adverse effects of the pesticide. DDT sprayed on crops was poisoning the ecosystem, causing the thinning of eggshells for birds like the bald eagle, accumulating in the fatty tissues of animals and wiping out many more […]

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 […]

Science Panel: Are Puget Sound recovery efforts working?

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The Puget Sound Science Panel will discuss the state of effectiveness monitoring in Puget Sound at its October 16th meeting in Edmonds. Also on the agenda are updates to new biophysical and human wellbeing indicators of Puget Sound health. The meeting will be held from 9:00 AM to 4:00 PM at the Center Conference Room at the Edmonds Center for the Arts. The meeting is immediately followed by the science panel’s speaker series from 4:00 to 5:30 p.m. Edmonds Community College. Puget Sound Institute Director Joel Baker will give a […]

New Puget Sound Science Panel members announced

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The Puget Sound Leadership Council has appointed four new members to the Puget Sound Science Panel, including two Canadian scientists. Ian Perry of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, and Terre Satterfield of the University of British Columbia join Nives Dolsak and Tim Essington of the University of Washington. Bill Labiosa was re-appointed. Their terms extend to November 2017. Nives Dolšak is Associate Professor at the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (University of Washington Seattle campus) and School of Interdisciplinary Arts and Sciences (Bothell campus). She is also a Visiting Associate […]

PSP soliciting nominations for Puget Sound Science Panel

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The Leadership Council of the Puget Sound Partnership is calling for nominations for appointment to the Puget Sound Science Panel. The panel serves as an advisory group to the Puget Sound Partnership, and is made up of leading scientists from around the Salish Sea region. Scientists can nominate themselves or others, and scientists from the U.S. or Canada are welcome to apply. The deadline for applications is November 4th. Download the full solicitation. 

Science Panel meeting reduced to single day due to federal government shutdown

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The Puget Sound Science Panel meets today in Mount Vernon, but will not meet tomorrow (October 2nd) as scheduled due to the federal government shutdown. This is to accommodate panel members with federal affiliations. A revised meeting agenda is not yet available online, but the original meeting materials are available at the Puget Sound Partnership website: http://www.psp.wa.gov/SP_meetings.php.

PSI co-sponsors state of the science workshop on Puget Sound floodplains

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Floodplains are considered a critical vital sign of Puget Sound recovery by the Puget Sound Partnership. Yet according to the agency, “there is currently no agreed-upon definition of a floodplain,” and much remains to be understood about the social and ecological implications of their protection and management. A June 6th workshop at the Center for Urban Waters in Tacoma explored the state of the science of floodplains in the region. Approximately 60 people attended the workshop, which was organized by the Puget Sound Partnership, the Puget Sound Institute and the Puget Sound Science […]

Action Agenda update adopted

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The Puget Sound Partnership’s governing board has unanimously adopted the 2012 Action Agenda Update, a science-based “blueprint for restoring the health of Puget Sound by 2020.” View the final document at the Partership’s Action Agenda Update Center.  

Tracy Collier named Science Director for Puget Sound Partnership

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Tracy Collier has been named the new Science Director for the Puget Sound Partnership. Collier replaces outgoing Science Director Ken Currens, who returns to the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission after a two-year temporary appointment. Collier was most recently a member of the Puget Sound Science Panel, which serves as an advisory body to the Puget Sound Institute.

New PSP science hires

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Dave Peeler and Leska Fore have joined the Puget Sound Partnership’s science team to support the monitoring program.

Joe Gaydos begins term as Science Panel Chair

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Newly elected Chair of the Puget Sound Partnership Science Panel Joe Gaydos began his term on January 25th, with Bill Labiosa serving as Vice Chair. Gaydos is the Chief Scientist for the SeaDoc Society, a marine ecosystem health program of the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center. Gaydos has been a member of the Science Panel since 2009, and has spent the past eight years collecting and distributing scientific data on Puget Sound.