Age, region, and temporal patterns of trace elements measured in stranded harbor seals (Phoca vitulina richardii) from Washington inland waters, Declines in marine birds trouble scientists, Pigeon Guillemot Foraging and Breeding Survey in and Near the Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve, Indigenous Community Health and Climate Change: Integrating Biophysical and Social Science Indicators, Collaboration within the Puget Sound marine and nearshore science network, Special issue of Coastal Management focuses on social sciences in Puget Sound recovery, Washington State Department of Ecology’s Marine Sediment Monitoring Program, Spatial and Temporal Variation in River Otter (Lontra canadensis) Diet and Predation on Rockfish (Genus Sebastes) in the San Juan Islands, Washington, Species of Concern within the Salish Sea nearly double between 2002 and 2013, Regional investigations into the effects of CECs, Regional monitoring of CECs in the Salish Sea, Nitrogen as an Eelgrass Stressor in Puget Sound, Contaminants of emerging concern in the Salish Sea, Measuring Socio-Cultural Values Associated with Salmon in the Quinault Indian Nation, Statement on Salish Sea Harbor Porpoise Research and Management Needs, Harbor Porpoise (Phocoena phocoena vomerina): Washington inland waters stock, Defining and describing Puget Sound shore types, Host demography influences the prevalence and severity of eelgrass wasting disease, Salish Sea Hydrophone Network and Orca Network, Development of Puget Sound Benthic Indicators, Report: Evaluating the effects of bivalve filter feeding on nutrient dynamics in Puget Sound, Marine and terrestrial bird indicators for Puget Sound, Making science useful in complex political and legal arenas: A case for frontloading science in anticipation of environmental changes to support natural resource laws and policies, Climate change impacts and adaptations in Washington State: Technical summaries for decision makers, Effects of geoduck aquaculture on the environment—a synthesis of current knowledge, Puget Sound salmonid habitat monitoring inventory and recommendations, Puget Sound Voices: Exhibit traces Elwha restoration, Extended abstract: Ecological response and physical stability of habitat enhancements along an urban armored shoreline, Paper: Food habits of harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) in two estuaries in the central Salish Sea, Developing human wellbeing indicators for the Hood Canal watershed, Presentations: 2013 study panel on ecosystem-based management of forage fish in Puget Sound, Paper: A floating bridge disrupts seaward migration and increases mortality of Steelhead smolts in Hood Canal, Washington State, Proposed designation of critical habitat for the distinct population segments of Yelloweye Rockfish, Canary Rockfish, and Bocaccio. A summary of environmental conditions in Pacific Canadian Waters and the broader North East Pacific in 2013. Access and Habitat Program Funding – Approval; Ground Fisheries and Nearshore Logbook Report – Rulemaking; R&E Project Approval, Appointments, STEP Annual Report –Approval; PLEASE NOTE: AGENDA. 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 virus is the likely cause of sea-star die-offs on the Northeast Pacific Coast and in Puget Sound, according to a November 2014 paper published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. Download the full report and supporting data. Descriptions of each of these habitats and the types of flora and fauna associated with them are provided below. A web-based tool factors in dozens of site-specific variables for watersheds throughout the Pacific Northwest. A December 2014 paper in the journal Aquatic Ecosystem Health & Management describes a project to identify transboundary ecosystem indicators for the Salish Sea. But could a proposed port expansion in Vancouver threaten this slimy resource? Smolt survival in the Strait of Georgia during that time declined faster than it did in Puget Sound. Advances in analytical methods have allowed the detection of many of these compounds in the environment. In part one of this two-part series, scientists consider threats facing young salmon in the open waters of Puget Sound. While many possible causes of this decline are under consideration, some researchers are focusing on the combined effects of predators and disease. The University of Washington Puget Sound Institute and Stanford University in collaboration with the Hood Canal Coordinating Council report on efforts to select human wellbeing indicators relevant to natural resource management in the Hood Canal watershed. This is the Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team’s second report on key indicators of Puget Sound’s health. A 2014 Washington State Department of Ecology report provides a taxonomic guide for Puget Sound sediment-dwelling invertebrates (benthos). What is killing so many young salmon before they can return home to spawn? In this episode, we speak with Lisa Vandiver, a Marine Habitat Restoration Specialist with NOAA’s Restoration Center and Rob Ferguson, a watershed management specialist with NOAA’s Coral Reef Conservation Program, to learn about how NOAA … This is the second annual Puget Sound Update. Almost twenty years ago, volunteer biologists began an intensive survey for invasive species in the marine waters of Puget Sound. This synoptic inventory includes more than 50 habitat characteristics, including physical features such as shoreline type, vegetation types such as kelp and eelgrass, and anthropogenic features such as bulkheads. 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. A 2015 report from the Washington State Department of Natural Resources summarizes the status and trends for native eelgrass and other seagrasses in Puget Sound from 2010-2013. Harbor seals (Phoca vitulina) are the most commonly seen marine mammals in the Salish Sea and can be found throughout the region year round. Download the full report and supporting data. They hope the data can be used to protect sea creatures from the growing amounts of trash littering the world's oceans. An October 2013 report released by the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program inventories and assesses monitoring activities of Puget Sound's ESA-listed salmon and steelhead stocks and habitats. Many of Puget Sound's Chinook salmon spend their entire lives in local waters and don't migrate to the open ocean. A 2014 report by the Kitsap Public Heath District describes the goals and achievements of the Shellfish Restoration and Protection Project including: increasing harvestable shellfish growing areas, establishing a routine shoreline monitoring program, improving water quality, and increasing education of water quality and shellfish protection. Sand lance in parts of British Columbia are ingesting small pieces of plastic that may be passed through the food web. The region's famed mollusks provide more than just money and jobs. Read an excerpt below, or download the full report. Much of the work for that document was done in the general vicinity of Puget Sound, and it has been an influential resource for major habitat mapping efforts in the region, such as Shorezone. The Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) is providing details on the effectiveness of armor-removal projects at 49 study sites. The initiative is the first of its kind in the country, and a report commissioned by the Global Ocean Health Program was released in November 2012. Proceedings of the BC/Washington Symposium on the Marine Environment, January 13 and 14, 1994. Regular and numerous anecdotal sightings in recent years show that populations of these cetaceans are now increasing and may be approaching their former status. But experts say the situations are very different with many unanswered questions. As the oceans warm due to climate change, scientists expect incidences of disease to increase in marine ecosystems including the Salish Sea. A new study shows that increased populations of seals and sea lions are eating far more of Puget Sound’s threatened chinook than previously known, potentially hampering recovery efforts for both salmon and endangered killer whales. The report and related appendices are available for download. They have been intensively studied within the Salish Sea and this species profile provides an overview of what is known about them. HARBOR PORPOISE (Phocoena phocoena vomerina): Washington Inland Waters Stock (NOAA Fisheries 2011). The number of species of concern in the Salish Sea is growing at an average annual rate of 2.6%, according to a report published in the proceedings of the 2016 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in Vancouver, B.C. Pinto abalone are the only abalone species found in Washington State. The 1992 Puget Sound Update is the third annual report of the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program (PSAMP). Seasonal declines among some regional bird species could hold important clues to the overall health of the ecosystem. This provides a visual picture of the health of Puget Sound, which they call Eyes Over Puget Sound or EOPS. Climate change could cause sea levels to rise more than four feet in some parts of Puget Sound, leaving shoreline residents with some tough decisions. A 2019 story map produced by the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute in collaboration with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife shows how shoreline armoring can often be replaced by softer, shore-friendly features. The Learning Program works to increase our effectiveness at restoring estuary and nearshore habitat, which in turn will provide the most benefits for Washington’s fish, wildlife, and residents. The journal is co-edited by Patrick Christie of our editorial board. Great Lakes coastal and nearshore habitats have deteriorated both in function and quality. Macroalgae is drifting as mats on the water in Port Madison, South Central Basin, and South Sound. Our goal is to clear the area of harmful algae to restore a marine habitat with healthy, native seagrass and alga. The average worldwide sea level has increased more over the past 150 years than during the previous 1,500 years, experts say, and the seas continue to rise at an ever-increasing pace. 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. 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. This program, initiated in 1989, is one component of the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program, a collaborative effort dedicated to monitoring environmental conditions in Puget Sound. The nearshore habitat of Puget Sound is usually defined as the area from the bluffs that line the shore to the area where water becomes too deep for light to penetrate and allow plants to grow, measured relative to mean lower low water (MLLW). It turns out that a gooey substance known as biofilm is a big deal for Salish Sea shorebirds, providing critical food for some species. The findings are important for understanding the conservation status of these previously unknown populations. Harbor porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) are one of the most frequently sighted cetaceans in the Salish Sea. Complex physical processes such as hydrology, nutrient cycling, and sediment transport are linked to water circulation patterns in Puget Sound. Eelgrass (Zostera marina L.) is an aquatic flowering plant common in tidelands and shallow waters along much of Puget Sound’s shoreline. This seventh Puget Sound Update is based primarily on the findings of the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program (PSAMP). We continue our series on the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project with a look at what helps salmon grow and prepare for life in the open ocean. Some introduced species can produce toxins that accumulate in shellfish or by directly infecting the human body. A 2019 report from Oregon State University examines how community members, including non-property owners, value shorelines in Puget Sound. Eight aquatic reserves, managed by the Washington Department of Natural Resources, have been established to protect important ecosystems on state aquatic lands. New research looks at the pronounced biological and ecological effects of these common shoreline structures, especially for tiny beach-dwelling creatures that make up the base of the food web. The report was produced by the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program and assesses the condition and quality of the waters of Puget Sound. The case was documented in the Salish Sea region where harbor seals are often used as indicators of contaminant levels. Scientists are celebrating the recovery of the species sometimes known as the "puffing pig.". The Salish Sea Model is used to predict spatial and temporal patterns in the Salish Sea related to factors such as phytoplankton, nutrients and Dissolved Oxygen. 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. Hypoxia, defined as dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations less than 2 mg / L, has become widespread throughout estuaries and semi-enclosed seas throughout the world (Diaz 2001). Eight aquatic reserves in Puget Sound are being studied by volunteers working under the direction of state experts. 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. Protection Island, a National Wildlife Refuge in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, provides important habitat for seabirds and marine mammals. A new Chinook monitoring framework is designed to build cooperation among managers and policymakers working across the Puget Sound watershed. Here’s how the community cleaned up its act, potentially showing the way for shellfish recovery throughout Puget Sound. Scientists are just starting to understand the extent of these losses. The entire tribal population is approximately 4,000 and growing. Studies show that piling removal projects can ease the impacts, but only if carefully done. While most are innocuous, there are a small number of algae species that produce harmful toxins to humans and animals. Fecal bacteria are found in the feces of humans and other homeothermic animals. The State of Our Watersheds Report is produced by the treaty tribes of western Washington, and seeks to present a comprehensive view of 20 watersheds in the Puget Sound region and the major issues that are impacting habitat. A 2014 report describes a research and monitoring study of Pigeon Guillemot conducted in and near the Nisqually Reach Aquatic Reserve. Approximately 28 species of rockfish are reported from Puget Sound, spanning a range of life-history types, habitats, and ecological niches. New, smaller acoustic tags will allow scientists to track steelhead migrations in Puget Sound in ways that were once impossible. The report is an analysis of findings on invasive species, toxics, oil spill, and integrated risk assessment. Juvenile Puget Sound Chinook salmon spend their first critical months in saltwater feeding and growing in the sheltered water of nearshore habitat. Where did they go? Plants, animals, and pathogens all can be invasive. As threatened Chinook populations in Puget Sound continue to lose ground, the state is looking to new strategies to reverse the trend. The state's stay-at-home order has halted much of the field research that would normally be underway in Puget Sound this spring, but a small group of scientists and volunteers have been able to continue their search for an invading marauder along the shoreline. Birds that dive for fish while wintering in the Salish Sea are more likely to be in decline than nondiving birds with less specialized diets, according to a 2014 study led by the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of California, Davis. Toxics research that changed Puget Sound history. The 1993 Puget Sound Update—the fourth annual report of this program—evaluates the data collected by PSAMP in 1992 (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 water quality. Officials from county and nonprofit groups have been offering assistance and finding new ways to connect with property owners. Download presentations from the Study Panel on Ecosystem-based Management of Forage Fish held August 25, 2013 at the University of Washington’s Friday Harbor Lab, San Juan Island. 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. This bounty program ceased in 1960, and in 1972, harbor seals became protected under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act and by Washington State. 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. We assessed nearshore structural habitat (aquatic vegetation, CWS, and riparian features), a lake-wide fish index of biotic integrity (IBI), and nearshore components of the fish IBI relative to the development measures derived from docks. In recent decades, hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent to restore habitat for Puget Sound salmon. This biennial report tells the story of the progress made to date and the challenges ahead. New and increasingly urgent efforts to restore it brought a group of researchers to the 2014 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. The NHV model Scientists hypothesize that declining forage fish may be the cause. The Shoreline Monitoring Toolbox standardizes approaches to tracking the status and health of shoreline environments in Puget Sound. A 2015 article in the journal Environmental Science and Technology presents additional isotopic evidence that glaucus-winged gulls in the Salish Sea are shifting their diets from marine to terrestrial sources due to human impacts. Report on key indicators of Puget Sound water quality data to examine the relationship between environmental condition and of... 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