Front Page Featured Items Archive | Puget Sound Institute

September 16, 2025

Interactive map of Columbia River Basin showing water temperatures and dam locations, with filter and download options.

October 7 roundtable about THORR, which maps river temperatures from space

The Salish Sea Science Roundtable online speaker series continues on Tuesday, June 3 from 12:30 – 1:30 pm. The University of Washington’s Thermal History of Regulated Rivers (THORR) tool transforms NASA’s Landsat satellite imagery into current and historical river temperature insights. Learn how advanced data-driven techniques enable accessible mapping of water temperatures across remote streams—vital for […]

Events

September 2, 2025

Person photographing a whale's tail fluke as it surfaces in calm water, with forested hills and residential development visible across the bay.

September series: Motivating behavior to promote Puget Sound ecosystem recovery

Co-hosted by PSI, Industrial Economics, Inc. (IEc), and Oregon State University (OSU). Join us for a three-part, virtual Lunch & Learn series on motivating behavior through incentives and other programs, with a focus on advancing understanding of behavioral science applications in Puget Sound ecosystem recovery. Each session will feature brief presentations and a structured discussion […]

Events

August 6, 2025

Shoreline view of Puget Sound overlayed with photos of a cow, human, and bird to show potential sources that can be identified by Microbial Source Tracking.

Microbial source tracking for Puget Sound

Friday, September 12 | 9:30 am – 12:30 pm PT on Zoom Co-hosted with the Shellfish SIL Effective microbial source tracking is critical for safeguarding public health, restoring shellfish beds, and targeting pollution prevention efforts. Join leading researchers and fellow practitioners to explore emerging tools, regional efforts, and practical guidance to track and reduce fecal […]

Events

August 6, 2025

August 15: Temperature-dependent oxygen supply and demand — a pilot on marine life vulnerability in Puget Sound

Friday, August 15 from 11 am – 1 pm We’re excited to continue the Science of Puget Sound Water Quality workshop series, which explores emerging science and insights to help protect water quality in Puget Sound. Not only does warmer water hold less oxygen, but it simultaneously increases how much oxygen marine species need, so […]

Events

July 30, 2025

Collected in Partnership with The Whale Museum and Cascadia Research Collective, NOAA Permit #24359

Around the Sound: Juvenile humpback whale ‘stronger and energetic’ after recent rescue

A juvenile humpback whale entangled in more than 200 feet of rope and then freed earlier this month has been spotted off Galiano Island in British Columbia, prompting cautious relief among biologists who are monitoring the whale’s recovery. The whale, named Starry Knight, was seen by whale watchers last Friday, and was breaching and appeared […]

Blog Post

July 17, 2025

Annual orca count grows by one, as the Puget Sound whales stay on the hunt for food

Although an official census report is not due until October, it appears that the population of our southern resident killer whales has increased by one over the past year. That slight increase is the net result of four births and three deaths, according to the Center for Whale Research, which is responsible for the annual […]

Blog Post

July 7, 2025

A photographic tour of the entire Puget Sound shoreline by watercraft and aircraft

Kayaker-scientist Brian Footen is back on the waters of Puget Sound this summer, paddling through inlets and circling islands on a 2,700-mile journey to photograph the shoreline and document natural and human-caused changes to the habitat. This state-funded project is Brian’s second photographic trip along the sinuous shoreline throughout the entirety of the Sound, from […]

Blog Post

July 3, 2025

August 4: Kelp & eelgrass risk assessment results workshop

Monday, August 4 from 1:00 – 2:30 pm PT UW Puget Sound Institute and the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife are leading a spatially explicit risk assessment of the current and future threats to eelgrass and floating kelp habitats in Puget Sound that can be used to evaluate the distribution of burdens associated with […]

Events

June 23, 2025

The debate over oxygen in Puget Sound

A draft nutrient reduction plan from the Washington Department of Ecology is out for public review. Now, many new developments — technical, scientific and legal — are reaching a critical stage and setting up a framework to make some major decisions. This four-part series in Our Water Ways looks back on how we have reached our present condition, including a consideration of possible solutions.

Blog Post

June 9, 2025

Sea lions resting on docks at a marina with sailboats and yachts in the background under a cloudy sky.

Follow the herring: Why sea lions have been calling Shilshole Marina home

For the past three springs, Shilshole Bay Marina has been contending with droves of California visitors occupying their guest boater moorages––California sea lions that is. To Shelby Allman, Port of Seattle Harbor Operations Supervisor, it seemed like the furry visitors arrived almost overnight. By mid-May nearly 120 animals had hauled themselves onto five “finger” docks […]

Blog Post

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