During the summer of 1995, 110 miles of intertidal shoreline were surveyed in the Whatcom County area. Biologist Tessa Francis reports on a new study that may provide insight into the health of one of the region's most iconic forage fish. Brighter future for salmon at downtown seawall. Their work has been classified as critical by the state. Environmental samplers may provide early detection of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in Puget Sound. Data and information are available for the following projects: The ShoreZone Inventory describes physical and biological characteristics of intertidal and shallow subtidal areas along Washington State's saltwater shorelines. SeaChange has been awarded a Coastal Restoration Fund grant in the amount of $1.3 million to support the recovery of nearshore marine habitats in four regions: Gulf Islands, Howe Sound and Burrard and Sechelt Inlets. Delicious and now endangered: Can the pinto abalone make a comeback? Meet our ocean acidification expert, Stephen Gonski. In March we approached the coldest water temperatures of the year. Macroalgae is drifting as mats on the water in Port Madison, South Central Basin, and South Sound. The sunflower sea star (Pycnopodia helianthoides) is highly susceptible to sea star wasting disease. Drugs like Prozac and cocaine have been showing up in the region’s salmon. An abstract describing each study is included below. But it turns out that in many cases erosion is actually a good thing — crucial, according to scientists — because it provides the sand and gravel needed for healthy beaches. The kelp flora of the Pacific Northwest is one of the most diverse in the world. A search is underway for early signs of an invasion. Forage fish occupy every marine and estuarine nearshore habitat in Washington, and much of the intertidal and shallow subtidal areas of the Puget Sound Basin are used by these species for spawning habitat. A 2015 paper in Oikos Journal examines the impacts of great blue heron predation on species diversity in eelgrass meadows in British Columbia. In the second quarter (Oct-December) we held a half day forage fish workshop that netted a total of nine new volunteers and an evening nearshore and forage fish presentation that netted four. We asked Harvell about her new book and the need to address this rising challenge. We spent a day with a biologist spotting herring eggs and considering the future of one of our region's most ecologically and culturally important fish species. But could a proposed port expansion in Vancouver threaten this slimy resource? Lead author: Encyclopedia of Puget Sound climate change topic editor Amy Snover. The following text was written by Puget Sound Model co-creator John H. Lincoln (1915-2001) and is provided courtesy of the University of Washington School of Oceanography. That is prompting a deeper look at what makes these birds sick, and how local populations are faring. It is widely recognized for its important ecological functions, and provides habitat for many Puget Sound species such as herring, crab, shrimp, shellfish, waterfowl, and salmonids. A 2015 paper in the journal PLoS ONE identifies ongoing and proposed energy-related development projects that will increase marine vessel traffic in the Salish Sea. Topics include atmospheric forcing, precipitation patterns, oscillation trends, coastal upwelling, and climate change. Although overall eelgrass abundance appears to be stable in Puget Sound, some local areas are showing declines. Download the full report and supporting data. Pacific herring are a pelagic fish species found from northern Baja California to northern Honshu Island, Japan. It finds that management policies can benefit from increasingly collaborative planning with a focus on multiple benefits such as flood control, salmon recovery, recreation and resilience to climate change. The report, prepared by an independent team of scientists and released by NOAA, includes a regionally specific, common classification system for Chinook habitats and key ecological attributes. A priority in Puget Sound is the conservation of nearshore habitat, including wetlands, estuaries, and tidal zones that make up some of the most valuable habitat for the region’s salmon and steelhead. Kelps are large seaweeds in the order Laminariales that form dense canopies in temperate rocky intertidal and subtidal habitats less than 30 m in depth. A broad coalition of partners has released more than 20,000 young pintos into the wild with the hope that the population will start to rebound. The Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) is providing details on the effectiveness of armor-removal projects at 49 study sites. In the 1970s and 1980s, research from a division of NOAA's Montlake Lab suddenly and irreversibly changed the way scientists and the public viewed the health of Puget Sound. Its legacy of contamination predates World War II and the waterway continues to pollute Puget Sound through stormwater runoff. This article describes the first known case of conjoined twins in a harbor seal. Field notes: Are Puget Sound herring limited by loss of eelgrass? The NHV model With funding from the EPA (EPA Interagency Agreement DW-13-923276-01), scientists at the Northwest Fisheries Science Center and the University of Washington used a field and quantitative modeling ‘source-transport-fate’ assessment approach to classify the vulnerability of shellfish growing areas to closures caused by watershed and marine-derived pathogens. Process HARBOR PORPOISE (Phocoena phocoena vomerina): Washington Inland Waters Stock (NOAA Fisheries 2011). Formerly known as “Red Tide”, harmful algal blooms are a health concern for both wildlife and humans. These species are a crucial part of the Puget Sound ecosystem and are also important for commercial fisheries. A paper published in the journal Oceans in 2020 describes cases of prey-related asphyxiation in harbor porpoises along the U.S. West Coast. Canadian and U.S. governments differ on special status for bocaccio in the Salish Sea. When Cornell University ecologist Drew Harvell wrote her book "Ocean Outbreak," she couldn't have known that 2020 would be the year of COVID-19. In fall 2018, 350 linear feet of shoreline and 0.25 acres of nearshore habitat … Runoff from rain and melting snow is one of the leading causes of pollution in Puget Sound. In part two of this two-part series, researchers at the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in Seattle say the complexities of the salmon life cycle require new coordination among scientists. A September 2016 report from the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute summarizes and reviews 27 EPA-funded projects focusing on Puget Sound's marine and nearshore environments. The exchange of water, sediment, and nutrients between the land and sea is fundamental to the formation and maintenance of an array of critical habitat types. New studies show that eelgrass wasting disease is more common in warmer waters, leading to concerns over the future effects of climate change on eelgrass populations in Puget Sound. Airborne multispectral sensor data was collected at four (4) meter resolution to distinguish eight (8) intertidal vegetation types. Genetic analysis of the cutthroat trout in three of the watersheds suggest two support native populations. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has published a comprehensive set of guidelines for managing shoreline development such as bulkheads and seawalls. A better understanding is needed, however, on the importance of the nearshore to commercially important species to help managers conserve fish populations and protect essential habitats. The Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP), along with partners from the US EPA Columbia River Program and USGS Oregon Water Science Center, have developed a framework for prioritizing monitoring of Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CECs) in the Pacific Northwest. Data shows that sunflower sea stars were especially hard hit and have all but disappeared from the region. Washington State Department of Natural Resources GIS Open Data A July 2016 report from the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute summarizes and reviews 10 EPA-funded projects focusing on Puget Sound's marine and nearshore environments. WDFW's Nearshore Program focuses on protecting and restoring the natural processes that create and sustain our nearshore habitats. Many types of bivalves, both native and non-native, flourish in Puget Sound. The Shoreline Monitoring Toolbox standardizes approaches to tracking the status and health of shoreline environments in Puget Sound. Program N-1: Promote Habitat Restoration on Private Property by Offering a “Toolbox” of Nearshore Habitat Project Designs This program would promote voluntary restoration on private properties by creating a “toolbox” of stock or model habitat designs/techniques that can be applied to create needed habitats (e.g., removal of derelict Scientists argue that environmental disasters are inevitable and that it is just a matter of when and where they will occur. The Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) is an independent program established by state and federal statute to monitor environmental conditions in Puget Sound. New infrared images tell the story. The region's famed mollusks provide more than just money and jobs. This technical report produced for the Puget Sound Nearshore Partnership on Valued Ecosystem Components (VEC) summarizes existing knowledge of salmon use of nearshore habitats in order to help protect and restore these habitats. But experts say the situations are very different with many unanswered questions. Puget Sound Eelgrass Monitoring Data Viewer, 2016 Salish Sea Toxics Monitoring Review: A Selection of Research, Harbor seal (Phoca vitulina) tolerance to vessels under different levels of boat traffic, Finding a strategy to accelerate Chinook recovery, Bringing the shellfish back: How Drayton Harbor overcame a legacy of pollution, Study says predators may play major role in chinook salmon declines, Eelgrass in Puget Sound is stable overall, but some local beaches suffering, Puget Sound marine and nearshore grant program results, final analysis report, Shoreline Armoring in an inland sea: Science-based recommendations for policy implementation, A review of Puget Sound marine and nearshore grant program results, Part 3, Concerns rise over rogue chemicals in the environment, Devastating transboundary impacts of sea star wasting disease on subtidal asteroids, Salish Sea snapshots: Invasive species and human health, Second invasive green crab found in Puget Sound, Salish Sea snapshots: Plastics in fish may also affect seabirds, Green crabs could impair Puget Sound shellfish operations, Building a baseline of invasive species in Puget Sound, Invasive marine species: Washington state priorities, A review of Puget Sound marine and nearshore grant program results, Part 2, Salish Sea snapshots: Detecting harmful algal blooms, Advances in technology help researchers evaluate threatened Puget Sound steelhead, Mystery remains in deaths of young salmon, Contaminants higher in resident 'blackmouth' Chinook, The growing number of species of concern in the Salish Sea suggests ecosystem decay is outpacing recovery, Conference snapshot: The number of species of concern in the Salish Sea is growing steadily, State guidelines offer new approaches to shoreline protection, Sources of sand: maps show crucial “feeder bluffs”, Studies point to gap in permits for shoreline armoring, Shoreline restoration turns to private property owners, Spawning habitat for forage fish being lost to rising tides, Forage fish are losing places to lay their eggs, Shoreline armoring's effect on the food web, Disappearance and return of harbor porpoise to Puget Sound, Contaminants of emerging concern in a large temperate estuary, Population diversity in Pacific herring of the Puget Sound, Water and nutrient circulation in Puget Sound, Conjoined fetal twins in a harbor seal (Phoca vitulina). Complex physical processes such as hydrology, nutrient cycling, and sediment transport are linked to water circulation patterns in Puget Sound. The Washington Invasive Species Council evaluated more than 700 invasive species in and around Washington, considering their threats to the state’s environment, economy, and human health. The decaying seawall along Seattle’s waterfront is providing scientists with an opportunity to improve long-lost habitat for migrating salmon. consistent and valid estimates of habitat impacts, the habitat values need to be determined with a consistent and reliable method. The projects were conducted between 2011-2015 with support from the EPA's National Estuary Program. The study indicated exposure to trace elements (naturally occurring, human-introduced, or both) in the Salish Sea; however, the study reports that trace element toxicity is not a major threat to harbor seal health. A 2018 paper in the journal Ocean and Coastal Management examines and compares planning approaches used to develop marine protected areas and estuary restoration projects in Puget Sound. The blueback salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) is a unique strain of sockeye that returns primarily to the Quinault river system. Evaluating Coastal and Nearshore Habitat Projects and Data Needs in the Great Lakes Issue. Mālama Maunalua implements strategies to remove and prevent regrowth of invasive alien algae (IAA). The case was documented in the Salish Sea region where harbor seals are often used as indicators of contaminant levels. This in-depth profile looks at harbor porpoise in the Salish Sea, and was prepared by the SeaDoc Society for inclusion in the Encyclopedia of Puget Sound. The Salish Sea: Jewel of the Pacific Northwest brings together more than 230 extraordinary images of the Salish Sea. By the end of 2010, the PSP Science Panel’s efforts had reached the stage where an independent review by the WSAS (Washington State Academy of Sciences) was timely and useful to help guide its future indicator development efforts. This Puget Sound Update is the eighth report of the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program (PSAMP) since the program was initiated in 1988 by the State of Washington. A 2015 paper presented to the International Whaling Commission compares the impacts of kayaks and powerboats on killer whale populations. After an almost complete collapse in the 1970s, harbor porpoise populations in Puget Sound have rebounded. It is a collaborative effort between the Pacific Northwest National Lab, the Washington State Department of Ecology and U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. An independent review conducted by the Puget Sound Institute (PSI) is featured in findings by the Environmental Protection Agency and the Washington State Department of Ecology that there is currently “no compelling evidence” that humans are the cause for recent trends in declines in dissolved oxygen in Hood Canal. This is the Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team’s second report on key indicators of Puget Sound’s health. The restoration of eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) is a high priority for Puget Sound ecosystem recovery. A 2015 report from the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute summarizes and reviews 14 EPA-funded projects focusing on Puget Sound's marine and nearshore environments. Pinto abalone are the only abalone species found in Washington State. An algal bloom is a rapid increase or accumulation in the population of algae in a water system. A 2015 paper in the journal Ecological Economics evaluated “personal use” and subsistence use of seafood among commercial operators in Washington and California, as well as the extent, range, and species diversity of noncommercial wild ocean seafood subsistence harvests. Scientists say eelgrass, an unassuming flowering plant found just off shore in Puget Sound, is vital to the health of the ecosystem. A 2017 report from the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program presents an overview of selected recent monitoring and research activities focused on toxic contaminants in the Salish Sea. In a little over a week of hunting, they found 39 such species, including 11 never before seen in the region. As the oceans warm due to climate change, scientists expect incidences of disease to increase in marine ecosystems including the Salish Sea. Puget Sound has over 4,000 km (2,500 miles) of shorelines, ranging from rocky sea cliffs to coastal bluffs and river deltas. Proceedings of the BC/Washington Symposium on the Marine Environment, January 13 and 14, 1994. Spring and fall Chinook salmon were thought to be alike until researchers discovered a gene for early migration. The 1994 Puget Sound Update—the fifth annual summary report of this program—evaluates the data collected by the PSAMP in 1993 (the most recent year for which the data have undergone quality assurance review and interpretation) and compares these data to past information on Puget Sound. Salmon recovery demands both dedication among people with different interests, and sustained resources. The Puget Sound Marine Waters 2012 Overview from the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program synthesizes conditions measured in 2012 and has been expanded to include observations on seabirds that rely on marine waters. HomePrograms and ServicesAquaticsAquatic Science. Social scientists at Oregon State University have been analyzing a trove of more than 17,000 public comments sent to the Washington state governor's southern resident orca recovery task force. Plants, animals, and pathogens all can be invasive. A 2014 article in the journal Northwestern Naturalist shows how Harbor Seal tissues can reflect regional and temporal trends in contaminants in Puget Sound. The resource was developed by the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group with support from the EPA, the US Army Corps of Engineers and the Center for Data Science, University of Washington-Tacoma. The Puget Sound ecosystem is shaped by its physical environment. This monitoring program is satellite- and aerial-imagery-based, covering large river, floodplain, delta, and nearshore … New discoveries of non-native green crabs in Puget Sound have highlighted that concern here at home, but invasive species can impact more than just the food web. The Encyclopedia of Puget Sound spoke with Seattle Times reporter Lynda Mapes about the exhibit Elwha: A River Reborn, which opened at the University of Washington Burke Museum on November 23rd. An annual State of the Pacific Ocean meeting is held to review the physical, biological and selected fishery resources and present the results of the most recent year’s monitoring in the context of previous observations and expected future conditions. Videography was collected during low tides from a helicopter and the video image was spatially referenced with GPS. ESRP’s Learning Progam: the future of nearshore restoration The Learning Program was developed to assess the results of completed restoration work at Often seen as a culinary curiosity, the geoduck has only been commercially harvested on a large scale since the 1970s, and the clam's current popularity is based mostly on demand from Asian markets. A 2016 paper in Environmental Pollution identifies dozens of pharmaceuticals and other compounds that are accumulating in Puget Sound fish such as salmon. This article looks at Puget Sound's geologic history as well as dynamic factors such as the flow of its rivers and currents. The authors hypothesize that these factors may help explain the variability in diet among harbor seals observed at different haul-out site groups in the Salish Sea. Nevertheless, this deep-burrowing mollusk has always been a signature part of the Salish Sea ecosystem. Once a month, Washington State Department of Ecology marine scientists take to the air to obtain high-resolution aerial photo observations and gather water data at the agency's monitoring stations and via state ferry transects. The study, published in the journal Conservation Biology proposes that long-term changes in the availability of forage fish are pushing the declines. 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