The 2015 State of the Sound report from the Puget Sound Partnership points to lack of funding as one of the leading barriers to Puget Sound recovery. The report looks at ongoing progress to restore the health of the ecosystem, but according to the Partnership’s Executive Director Sheida Sahandy, “The rate at which we as […]
October 29, 2015
Call for nominations for 2016 Salish Sea Science Prize
The SeaDoc Society has issued a call for nominations for the 2016 Salish Sea Science Prize. The prize of $2000 is awarded every two years to scientists or teams of scientists working to improve the management or conservation of the Salish Sea ecosystem. Read more at the SeaDoc Society website.
October 19, 2015
List of Salish Sea fish grows to 253 species
Researchers updating a 1980 fish catalog have found evidence of 37 additional fish species in the Salish Sea. This information, accompanied by hundreds of detailed illustrations, is seeding a new reference book expected to gain wide use among scientists, anglers and conservationists. Read an interview with one of the book’s co-authors in the Encyclopedia of […]
October 13, 2015
Leadership Council to consider new State of the Sound report
The Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council will review a draft of the latest State of the Sound report at its October 15th meeting in La Conner. It will also hear from the UW Climate Impacts Group about a new report commissioned by the EPA and the Puget Sound Institute analyzing future climate conditions in the […]
October 5, 2015
Puget Sound Fact Book now available
Have you ever wanted to know how much water is in Puget Sound? Or the weight of a giant Pacific octopus? Where can you find the skinny on stormwater pollution or local climate change? The Puget Sound Institute provides a new reference guide with key facts about the health and makeup of the ecosystem. Download a copy today. […]
September 28, 2015
Identifying ecosystem services in Puget Sound
The ecosystem services concept has become the leading framework for understanding and communicating the human dimensions of environmental change. A new report commissioned by the Puget Sound Institute focuses on several of these ecosystem benefits, including economic, social and cultural services linked to Puget Sound recovery. Read the full report on the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound.
September 28, 2015
An in-depth look at harbor porpoise in the Salish Sea
In the 1940s, harbor porpoise were among the most frequently sighted cetaceans in Puget Sound, but by the early 1970s they had all but disappeared. Their numbers have since increased, but they remain a Species of Concern in the state of Washington. A new in-depth species profile looks at the status of harbor porpoise in the Salish […]
September 24, 2015
Salish Sea conference will feature GIS ‘speed talks’
PSI will co-sponsor a series of talks at the 2016 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference related to geospatial technology and its impact on ecosystem recovery. The conference session will feature short, 5-minute oral presentations and/or posters on a range of emerging topics and approaches within the GIS field. Abstracts for presentations are now being accepted at the conference website through 12/18/2015. Questions […]
September 21, 2015
Call for abstracts for 2016 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference
The 2016 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference is now accepting abstracts for individual presentations. The deadline for submission is Dec. 18, 2015. The biennial science conference will be held in Vancouver, British Columbia from April 13-15, 2016. Visit the conference website for more information.
September 21, 2015
Congressmen announce ‘Save Our Sound’ bill
A new bill proposed by Representatives Denny Heck and Derek Kilmer seeks to bring Puget Sound recovery efforts on par with other waterways such as Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes. The congressmen say those ecosystems receive far more funding and greater federal standing, despite Puget Sound’s national importance as an estuary. The bill, referred to as ‘Puget SOS’ […]