"> Join the next Salish Sea Science Roundtable 11.7.2023 from 12:30 – 1:30 pm PT Emerging Salmon Science with Fisheries and Oceans Canada Chrys Neville Program Head – Salmon Marine Interactions Program, REEF/ESDThe story of coho salmon in the Strait of Georgia is complex. Historically it supported a very lucrative recreational fishery. However, the fishery collapsed in the 1990s […]
April 22, 2023
"> Ed Kolodziej among finalists for Frontiers Planet Prize
Puget Sound Institute affiliate Dr. Ed Kolodziej is one of 20 finalists for the prestigious Frontiers Planet Prize honoring “impactful research breakthroughs” in global sustainability science. Kolodziej was selected by an international jury as the United States representative earning him the title of National Champion and advancing him to compete for a prize of one […]
March 2, 2021
"> Salmon experts predict more wild coho but fewer Chinook in Puget Sound this year
Greater numbers of wild coho salmon are expected to return to Puget Sound later this year, according to forecasts released last week, but threatened Puget Sound Chinook stocks are likely to see another decline. The 2021 salmon forecasts were announced Friday during an online video conference with sport and commercial fishers and other interested people […]
December 4, 2020
"> Discovery of toxic chemical in tires spurs scientific and regulatory interest
The discovery of a mysterious chemical that kills coho salmon in urban streams is expected to spawn new research throughout the world while possibly inspiring new demands for protective regulations. The deadly chemical, associated with automobile tires, was identified by researchers at the University of Washington’s Center for Urban Waters, which is affiliated with the […]
December 3, 2020
"> Could tire discovery go beyond impacts on coho?
Scientists have suspected for several years that chemicals from tire wear particles are to blame for the deaths of thousands of coho salmon that have returned to spawn in Puget Sound’s urban streams. Sometimes referred to as “pre-spawn mortality” or “urban runoff mortality syndrome,” these deaths typically occur in streams near roads, and scientists have […]
November 6, 2020
"> Copper is being phased out of brake pads to reduce harm to salmon, other creatures
Manufacturers of automobile parts are facing their first deadline for removing copper from brake pads. Most seem to be well prepared to meet the new requirements under Washington state law. In 2010, Washington was the first state in the nation to outlaw copper in brake pads, after scientists discovered that the metal can severely affect […]
January 22, 2019
"> The lost tidal forests of Puget Sound
Hundreds of years ago, old-growth cedar and spruce loomed over estuaries and bottom lands throughout Puget Sound, creating what are known as tidal forests. These forests were the Pacific Northwest’s answer to the Everglades — giant spongy swamps with a touch of saltwater that made up some of the finest salmon habitat in the region. […]
September 19, 2018
"> Chemicals from automobile tires suspected in coho deaths
Findings authored this month by University of Washington scientists at the Center for Urban Waters and their collaborators provide new insight into “urban runoff mortality syndrome” affecting Puget Sound coho. By Jeff Rice Chemicals linked to automobile tires have been found in stormwater associated with the widespread deaths of coho salmon in Puget Sound. The […]
August 27, 2018
"> PSI collaborator receives NSF grant to study coho deaths
PSI collaborator Ed Kolodziej has received a $330,000 National Science Foundation grant to expand his research on toxic pollutants in Puget Sound. Kolodziej’s project will identify chemicals in stormwater that are killing coho salmon and endangering some spawning runs. The project includes a collaboration with citizen scientists who will alert project members to salmon die-offs […]
July 16, 2018
"> New studies on emerging threats to salmon
Chemicals, disease and other stressors can increase a salmon’s chance of being eaten or reduce its ability to catch food. We wrap up our series on the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project with a look at some of the lesser-known, but still significant factors contributing to salmon declines in the Salish Sea. Read the story in […]