"> By Eric Wagner A few weeks ago, biologists with the Australian Antarctic Program published a study on bioRxiv, a preprint service that allows scientists to share their work before it has been peer-reviewed. The study was titled, “Mass mortality of southern elephant seals during multi-species outbreak of HPAI H5N1 on sub-Antarctic Heard Island.” In it, the […]
June 26, 2026
"> How Puget Sound became a proving ground for environmental social science
Environmental social science is the study of how people and ecosystems shape each other. Often seen as useful but rarely as essential, it has long played a supporting role in ecosystem recovery. A new introduction to a special issue of Coastal Management, written by Sara Jo Breslow and thirteen co-authors, argues that this position is […]
June 23, 2026
"> June 30 roundtable explores hatchery effects on trait variation in Pacific salmon
The Salish Sea Science Roundtable online speaker series continues on Tuesday, June 30 from 12:30 – 1:30 pm. Enhancement of Pacific salmon stocks through the use of hatchery production is one approach to support vulnerable stocks and harvest. Integrated hatcheries support these goals by adding artificial spawning habitat to natural habitats, which produces elevated egg-to-release survival […]
May 15, 2026
"> Seabirds, science, and a packed house
Thanks to all who attended Seabirds Live! on May 13th at the University of Washington Tacoma. We are grateful to Eric Wagner, Peter Hodum, and Jeff Rice for such a memorable evening — and to our sponsors: University of Washington Tacoma, University of Puget Sound, University of Washington Press, and King’s Books in Tacoma. The event featured […]
May 6, 2026
"> Summer internships immerse students in marine science research at Friday Harbor Labs
Researchers from all over the world come together at the University of Washington Friday Harbor Laboratories to ask and study questions about marine science and engineering. This summer, two UW Tacoma undergraduates will join them as part of a full immersion research experience that offers one-to-one guidance from marine scientists. The internship
March 24, 2026
"> Seabirds Live! A conversation with author Eric Wagner on May 13
What can one of the world’s largest gatherings of rhinoceros auklets tell us about the health of the Salish Sea? Get the inside scoop on the remote and often enigmatic seabirds of Protection and Destruction Islands. Author Eric Wagner will be on stage with seabird biologist Peter Hodum for a live conversation on May 13 […]
March 24, 2026
"> April 14 roundtable highlights 36 years of repeated photo-monitoring after the Exxon Valdez oil spill
The Salish Sea Science Roundtable online speaker series continues on Tuesday, April 14 from 12:30 – 1:30 pm. Join Gary Shigenaka and Alan Mearns (NOAA, retired) to explore more than three decades of shoreline photo-monitoring after the Exxon Valdez oil spill. Using standardized photo points and percent-cover estimates, they track multi-decade changes in foundational intertidal species […]
March 23, 2026
"> Out of sight, back to the Sound
Tucked along the shoreline of Commencement Bay, the Chambers Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant is one of dozens of wastewater treatment plants that discharge directly into Puget Sound. It serves more than 320,000 people — roughly a third of Pierce County’s population — in an area that includes Tacoma, Lakewood, University Place, and surrounding communities, processing […]
March 17, 2026
"> Nature assessment describes both peril and promise, as humans relate to the natural world
The past, present and future of natural conditions in the United States are described in a new report, which has traveled a bumpy road to its current draft form, now out for public review and comment. “The Nature Record,” originally titled the “National Nature Assessment,” was launched in 2022 as a government project — the […]
March 13, 2026
"> Seabirds as Sentinels: Auklets, Puffins, Shearwaters, and the View from Destruction Island
Our staff writer Eric Wagner’s new book, Seabirds as Sentinels, is out this month and features writing inspired by some of his reporting for our magazine, Salish Sea Currents. The book, published by the University of Washington Press, follows a team of scientists who have spent more than a decade studying the remote seabirds of […]