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A 2026 report assesses region-wide cumulative risks for eelgrass and kelp in Puget Sound, identifying hotspots of concern, the relative threats, and projected future risks across eight marine subregions.

Researchers at the Puget Sound Institute and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife present the first comprehensive risk assessment of threats to eelgrass and canopy kelp in Puget Sound.

Audio recordings of rhinoceros auklets on Protection Island.

The past, present and future of natural conditions in the United States are described in a new report, which has traveled a bumpy road to its current draft form, now out for public review and comment.

“The Nature Record,” originally titled the “National Nature Assessment,” was launched in 2022 as a government project — the first of its kind. The

Overview

Gray whales are among the more commonly sighted large whale species in the Salish Sea and along the coast of the Pacific Northwest, but a clearer understanding of the multiple ways they use our waters has only come into focus in recent years. Gray whales were historically mostly known for their annual migrations past the Washington Coast

The Washington State Department of Ecology is responding to new legal rulings and public concerns with changes in planning and potentially future enforcement. We continue our occasional series on water quality and wastewater management in Puget Sound. Funding for the series is provided in part by King County.