Front Page Featured Items – Puget Sound Institute

March 22, 2024

Water drop image courtesy of Bureau of Ocean Energy and Management

Water affordability study approved by WA Legislature

Puget Sound residents struggling to pay high water utility fees could benefit from a study funded this month by the Washington Legislature. The legislation coincides with research sponsored by the Puget Sound Institute that quantifies wastewater utility costs for the region. The funding for the study is part of Senate Bill 5950, omnibus legislation passed […]

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March 15, 2024

Aerial view of shoreline next to a road with green water on one side and green trees on the other side. A few house are seen on the left next to the water.

Social marketing basics for Puget Sound recovery

The following article was commissioned by the Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL), a cross-agency team co-led by the Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife and Natural Resources. Are you interested in responding to a Request for Proposals from the Puget Sound Strategic Initiative Leads with a project that involves behavior change? Curious about why or […]

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February 12, 2024

The words ‘in common with’ were pivotal to Judge Boldt’s ruling on Native American fishing rights

Three common words and their legal interpretation a half-century ago helped set the stage for a cultural revival among Native Americans while propelling an environmental movement that still resonates today in Washington state. It was 50 years ago today that U.S. District Judge George Boldt handed down his landmark ruling, which resolved the meaning of […]

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January 22, 2024

Cumulative effects on southern resident killer whales and contaminants of emerging concern

The Salish Sea Science Roundtable series continues on February 6th with a look at the possible cumulative effects of emerging contaminants on endangered killer whale populations. The online session will be hosted by the Puget Sound Institute and facilitated by Joe Gaydos, chief scientist at the SeaDoc Society. About the event: Southern resident killer whales […]

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January 19, 2024

Summer internships at PSI

Calling all UW undergrads: PSI is offering three paid student internships this summer. The jobs are sponsored by UW’s EarthLab with openings in the fields of science communication, oceanography, and policy research. The positions at PSI include: An Editorial Assistant Intern to help with the development of articles for the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound and […]

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December 14, 2023

Survey looks at public knowledge of estuaries

“An estuary is a partially enclosed, coastal water body where freshwater from rivers and streams mixes with salt water from the ocean.” – U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Think of it as Puget Sound’s secret recipe. Fill a large glacier-carved basin with salt water from the ocean. Add fresh water from some adjoining rivers. Stir vigorously. […]

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February 6, 2023

Scientists try to keep up with chemical blizzard entering Puget Sound

PSI researcher Andy James is Co-PI on two projects mentioned in a recent story from KUOW. James is part of a Puget Sound Partnership-funded study prioritizing some 350,000 chemical compounds related to their potential impact on organisms in the environment. James and Co-PI Ruth Sofield of Western Washington University are focusing on marine species, including southern resident killer whales. Their study will eventually extend to human health impacts. James is also working with Jennifer McIntyre (Washington State University), Suzanne Ball (formerly of Washington State University and now a consultant), and Jim Meador (NOAA retired) on a King County-sponsored study to understand the chemical constituents in wastewater effluent. The group will perform a laboratory exposure study to understand the physiological impacts of wastewater on juvenile Chinook.

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December 5, 2022

Distinguishing climate change impacts from development impacts on summer low flows in Puget Sound streams

A report from the Puget Sound Institute examines potential impacts from human sources on summer stream flows. The study found little impact from impervious cover but heightened concerns over climate change. As climate change worsens, the report’s authors say, it could further amplify natural stream flow fluctuations not currently accounted for in climate change projections. “Uncertainties about future trends in low flows may have been underestimated,” the report reads. Co-authors include Nick Georgiadis and Kevin Bogue of PSI and Curtis DeGasperi of King County.

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