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A pair of dolphins leaping out of water side by side.

Pacific white-sided dolphins in the Salish Sea

Pacific white-sided dolphins (Lagenorhynchus obliquidens) are found in the colder offshore waters of the North Pacific, but they also occasionally occur in inshore waters of the Salish Sea, and more rarely, Puget Sound. They make use of cooperative foraging techniques, and feeding at night in dark conditions means their finely tuned sonar or echolocation serves them well.

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RECENT ARTICLES

Two people kayaking during sunset over a calm body of water, with driftwood scattered on the beach in the foreground and the sillouette of land in the distance.
10/29/2024

Puget Sound Marine Waters 2023 Overview

Each year, the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program releases the annual Puget Sound Marine Waters Overview report. The latest report combines a wealth of data from comprehensive monitoring programs and provides a concise summary of what was happening in Puget Sound’s marine waters during 2023. The report represents the collective effort of 67 contributors from federal, tribal, state, and local agencies, academia, nonprofits, and private and volunteer groups.

Close-up of a shark partially submerged in water, showcasing its dorsal fin and textured, spotted skin.
10/27/2024

Puget Sound researchers uncover shark secrets, but new questions arise

Recent discoveries of two new shark species in Puget Sound have sparked public interest and may encourage greater conservation efforts. In this seven-part series, Christopher Dunagan provides an overview of sharks in Puget Sound and some of the recent work among scientists to protect these often misunderstood creatures. 

View of a shark swimming underwater above rocks.
10/27/2024

Discovery of soupfin shark surprises researchers

Soupfin sharks were not known to occur in Puget Sound until one was hooked by a fisherman in 2022. Scientists say warming oceans from a changing climate may be bringing more of the species into local waters. Our series on the sharks of Puget Sound continues with a closer look at soupfins and why they are being considered for inclusion on the Endangered Species List.    

A large grey shark swimming against a dark background above seapens attached to a rock.
10/27/2024

Is Puget Sound a nursery for sixgill sharks?

Bluntnose sixgill sharks are among the largest sharks in the world, reaching lengths of almost 16 feet. Research shows that Puget Sound may be an important place for sixgills to give birth and raise their young. We continue with part three of our series on Puget Sound's sharks. 

A shark lying on sand with a small, driftwood log and sea foam behind it.
10/27/2024

Spiny dogfish on the move

The Pacific spiny dogfish is the most abundant shark in Puget Sound, despite its former decline due to overfishing in the 20th century. Part four of our series on sharks looks at this well-known Puget Sound resident and what is being learned about its migratory habits.    

Collage with images of five species of sharks.
10/27/2024

More sharks of Puget Sound

While several shark species are observed more frequently off the coast of Washington than in Puget Sound, some are seen on rare occasions in the inland waterways. Detailed information on these sharks is limited, but the same thing might have been said for sixgills, sevengills and soupfin sharks until recent discoveries opened the door to new research. Part five of our series on Puget Sound's sharks outlines some of our region's lesser known shark species. The following information comes from various sources, including fishing and scuba diving reports, scientific studies and the book “Fishes of the Salish Sea” by Theodore Pietsch and James Orr.

A child points at shark swimming behind glass of an aquarium.
10/27/2024

Fear of sharks gives way to fascination

Local shark experts say people are often surprised to find that sharks are not ruthless eating machines; rather  these animals display complex social behaviors and even personalities. They say the more that people learn about sharks, the more they will want to protect them. Our series on Puget Sound's sharks continues with part six of seven. 

A pair of hands holding a fishing rod curving down toward open water.
10/27/2024

Shark fishing raises questions about the need for more protection

In the final installment of our series on sharks in Puget Sound, we look at how fishing regulations have changed to protect potentially vulnerable shark species. Experts say more regulations may be needed as research evolves.  

Report cover with text and image of salmon swimming underwater.
10/22/2024

The role of estuaries in the ecology of adult Pacific salmon and trout in Puget Sound

The extensive loss or modification of estuaries throughout Puget Sound creates a significant challenge for adult salmon as they migrate to their natal streams to spawn. A 2024 report by University of Washington scientist Thomas Quinn looks at how different species of salmonids use estuaries to move from marine to freshwater environments. The report was commissioned by the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency's National Estuary Program. 

Image of dark blue ocean water surface overlaid with a light blue double helix graphic.
10/7/2024

How eDNA is changing the way scientists track species in Puget Sound

Scientists can now identify the presence of species just by testing the water for traces of DNA. The relatively new technique is being compared to the invention of the telescope or the microscope as a significant new tool for understanding ecosystems like Puget Sound. It could be a revolution for tracking the movements of all kinds of species, from salmon and killer whales to invasive green crabs. 

Cruises of the R.V. Brown Bear 1952 – 1965 (cover)
9/30/2024

Cruises of the R.V. Brown Bear 1952 – 1965

The University of Washington research vessel R.V. Brown Bear made 381 scientific cruises between 1952 and 1965.

1977 The Use, Study, and Management of Puget Sound Symposium Proceedings (cover)
9/30/2024

1977 The Use, Study, and Management of Puget Sound Symposium Proceedings

"Since man is sometlmes nearsighted in establishing the routes to achleve his goals, it is good practice to review those routes occasionally to see if indeed the correct track is being folIowed." – Alyn  C. Duxbury, 1977

The 1977 sypmposium, The Use, Study, and Management of Puget Sound, posed questions about the uses of Puget Sound, the regulations that govern the uses, and the effects of those policies on the environment and its users.

2001 Puget Sound Research Conference Abstracts and Biographies (cover)
9/30/2024

2001 Puget Sound Research Conference Abstracts and Biographies

The Pugert Sound Action Team and generous co-sponsors, including state and federal agencies, local governments, universities, and businesses, convened the fifth Puget Sound Research Conference in 2001 in Bellevue, Washington.

2007 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference: Abstracts and Biographies (cover)
9/30/2024

2007 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference: Abstracts and Biographies

Over 900 delegates attended and participated in the 2007 Georgia Basin Puget Sound Research Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia.

2005 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Ecosystem Conference: Abstracts and Biographies (cover)
9/30/2024

2005 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference: Abstracts and Biographies

On March 29-31, 850 scientists, First Nations and Tribal government representatives, resource managers, community leaders, policy makers, educators and students convened at the Washington State Convention and Trade Center in Seattle, Washington, U.S.A. to share science and information about the condition and management of the shared Puget Sound Georgia Basin ecosystem.

Aerial view of Puget Sound showing multiple rivers and inlets. The text reads ‘The role of estuaries in the ecology of juvenile Pacific salmon and trout in Puget Sound’ by Thomas P. Quinn from the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, University of Washington.
8/20/2024

The role of estuaries in the ecology of juvenile Pacific salmon and trout in Puget Sound

This overview describes the different ways that juvenile Pacific salmon and trout use estuaries, and why those differences are important for ecosystem recovery efforts. The report was commissioned by the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute with funding from the Environmental Protection Agency's National Estuary Program. 

An open motor boat sitting in sill water as to people place a fishing net across the channel.
8/7/2024

A new beginning for endangered Chinook

The Stillaguamish River is home to what may be the most endangered stock of Chinook salmon in all of Puget Sound. What scientists are learning here at the Stillaguamish estuary on Port Susan Bay could help turn the tide for these fish and other salmon around the region. 

A fin whale spouting water as it surfaces.
7/21/2024

Fin whales in the Salish Sea

Fin whales are the second-largest species of animal on the planet. Their occasional presence in the Salish Sea is notable because they are rare and listed as Endangered federally and in Washington State. Sightings today are considered most likely to occur in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, which is closest to their migration route on the outer coast.

Residents and Bigg’s killer whales will be listed as subspecies by the Society for Marine Mammalogy. Here, in this 2013 photo, several southern residents pass by Seattle in Puget Sound. // Photo: Candace Emmons, NOAA
6/30/2024

All killer whales will remain one species — for now, according to marine mammal committee

A formal proposal to designate resident and Bigg’s killer whales as separate species has been rejected by a committee widely recognized as the authority in naming new marine mammal species.

A group of black and white killer whales swimming in open water.
6/14/2024

Decision time approaches for two new orca species, as other issues bring new questions

Scientists are making the case that the world's orcas should be divided into two new species. Voting for the proposed change was scheduled to take place last week at the Society for Marine Mammalogy. [Update: Read about the decision here.]

A western pond turtle perched on log next water.
6/3/2024

A head start for Puget Sound's endangered turtles

The Puget Sound region is known for its salmon-filled estuaries and coastal forests, but on the southern portion of its range, evergreens give way to small patches of rolling grasslands that are home to some of Washington's rarest species. One of those species, the northwestern pond turtle, was recently proposed for listing under the Endangered Species Act. A captive breeding program is preparing these turtles for the challenges of life in the wild.

5/16/2024

The voice of eelgrass

Wade out into the shallows of Puget Sound on a warm, sunny day and put your ear close to the water. You might catch the faint, champagne-like bubbling of eelgrass.

Three people wearing chest waders walking on a mudflat with blue sky above.
5/15/2024

Rare tidal marshes set the table for salmon recovery

Tidal wetlands are crucial to Chinook salmon recovery but are among the most threatened habitats in Puget Sound. In 2012, The Nature Conservancy began restoring a 150-acre section of tidal marsh on Port Susan Bay at the mouth of the Stillaguamish River. That project is entering a new phase and may soon connect with other adjacent restoration efforts put forth by the Stillaguamish Tribe. 

A chum salmon in spawning condition swimming in shallow water.
5/1/2024

Hood Canal summer chum could be first-ever salmon removed from Endangered Species List

Summer chum salmon in Hood Canal are making a remarkable comeback. Could it be enough to support their removal from the Endangered Species List?

Underwater view of large shark with its mouth opened wide to filter feed.
4/22/2024

Will these gentle giants return to the Salish Sea?

A shark species the length of a bus was once common in the Salish Sea. Then it was labeled a "destructive pest" and nearly wiped out. Can the gentle and often misunderstood basking shark make a comeback?

View of a single black and white Dall's porpoise swimming near the surface of the water.
3/28/2024

The decline of Dall’s porpoise in the Salish Sea

Dall’s porpoises have declined in the Salish Sea since the early 1990s for reasons that are unknown. However, the species, which remains abundant in inshore waters of Alaska and in open coastal and offshore waters of the North Pacific Ocean, is not considered threatened or endangered. Major threats to Dall’s porpoise populations include direct hunting, by-catch in fisheries, and the impacts of environmental contaminants.

Two pairs of killer whales swimming in open water with spray coming from their blow holes. Land with green trees and vegetation is in the near background.
3/27/2024

Under a new proposal, our local orcas — resident and Bigg’s killer whales — would each become a new species

A scientific paper, published on March 27th, spells out the unique physical and genetic characteristics that should make each group a separate species, with the proposed scientific names Orcinus ater for residents and Orcinus rectipinnus for Bigg’s.

Report cover
3/25/2024

Habitat protection and restoration in Puget Sound: An overview of Strategic Initiative Lead investments 2016-2023

Between 2016 and 2021, $21 million provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded 100 different projects to protect, restore, and study critical habitats in Puget Sound. This publication presents an overview of many of the key accomplishments and lessons learned from these efforts. It is a catalog of some of the ‘big ideas’ presented by the scientists and conservationists involved, and it is meant to inform and guide future Puget Sound recovery efforts. This overview is based on the full synthesis report, “Synthesis of Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead 1.0 2016-2023 Investments for Puget Sound Recovery," published by the Puget Sound Institute.

Underwater view of a single salmon swimming above gravelly river bed.
3/22/2024

The words ‘in common with’ were pivotal to Judge Boldt’s ruling on Native American fishing rights

Three common words and their legal interpretation a half-century ago helped set the stage for a cultural revival among Native Americans while propelling an environmental movement that still resonates today. Environmental reporter Christopher Dunagan revisits the legal reasoning behind the famous Boldt decision that upheld tribal fishing rights in the state of Washington. 

Two seabirds with black and white plumage floating on water.
3/6/2024

Science notebook: Winter studies of Puget Sound's threatened marbled murrelets

For years now, scientists have been braving the cold winter waters of Puget Sound to study one of the region's most enigmatic seabirds, the marbled murrelet. Listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act in Washington, Oregon, and California, marbled murrelets nest in old-growth forests but find their food at sea. Much research on the birds has centered around the spring and summer breeding season, but less is known about what the murrelets do in winter. That puzzle prompted a team of scientists from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to head out on the water last January. Writer and biologist Eric Wagner joined the expedition and brought back these notes from the field.  

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