Growing human population and changing climate threaten habitats and species, as well as the social and economic systems that depend on them. A major challenge is to understand how future conditions, and our decisions to manage them, will affect the interconnected natural and human systems and minimize trade-offs across multiple regional goals.
The connections among terrestrial, freshwater, marine and social systems are poorly understood and the Puget Sound region lacks the tools to make well-informed choices. Effective decision support tools must span the terrestrial-freshwater-marine gradient and human systems while accounting for future changes from climate, land conversion, and population growth.
A connected terrestrial-freshwater-marine-human system modeling framework will help us understand the interactive effects of future threats to our region, and evaluate their impacts on ecological, social, and economic objectives.
Linked models with high spatial and temporal resolution will simulate exchanges of water, carbon, nutrients, contaminants, sediments, and organisms across habitats, under current and future conditions.
This tool will support decision makers and inform recovery planning for Puget Sound.
Want to learn more about each of the component models? Click on the infographic pieces at right.
Watch our team describe the project goals and how each of the models fit together.
If you’re interested in learning more, check out the recording, EasyRetro, and slides from our October 18, 2024 workshop with managers from the Puget Sound recovery community.
University of Washington Tacoma publicly announces the project via press release.
Project kickoff meeting held at Center for Urban Waters in Tacoma, WA
Engagement focus group hosted virtually
Engagement workshop hosted virtually
Principal Investigator (current)
Puget Sound Institute, UW Tacoma
Principal Investigator (on leave)
Puget Sound Institute, UW Tacoma
Project Co-Lead
Puget Sound Institute, UW Tacoma
Puget Sound Institute, UW Tacoma
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Oak Ridge Associated Universities
CSIRO
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center
NOAA Northwest Fisheries Science Center
Salish Sea Modeling Center, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory
Puget Sound Institute, UW Tacoma
Puget Sound Institute, UW Tacoma
U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Puget Sound Institute, UW Tacoma
Long Live the Kings
Puget Sound Institute, UW Tacoma
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, University of Washington
University of Washington, School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences
Thornwell Labs, Contractor for U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, University of Washington