Encyclopedia of Puget Sound Homepage

Overview

The false killer whale is a tropical to warm temperate species of dolphin that is not normally found in the Salish Sea. However, the species does occasionally appear in small numbers in Pacific Northwest waters of Washington and British Columbia, and even sometimes as far north as Alaska. They are highly social animals that typically feed

Untold numbers of hatchery fish may be dying from exposure to tire-contaminated runoff, according to a new study.

A 2025 paper in the journal Ecological Applications found that male cougars prefer to hunt in habitats where they are more likely to encounter humans. The authors hope the findings can be used to better understand and potentially minimize human-cougar conflicts.

The Puget Sound Water Quality Management Plan was Washington State’s long-term strategy for protecting and restoring Puget Sound. This report was released in 2000 and also served as the federally approved Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Puget Sound under Section 320 of the federal Clean Water Act.

This report presents results of the 2024 survey to monitor the subjective human wellbeing Vital Signs prepared for the Puget Sound Partnership by Oregon State University. The specific categories of human wellbeing covered in this report include good governance of natural resources, local foods, sound stewardship, nature-based work, psychological

The year 2025 has been fairly mystifying to experts who make their living studying natural systems in the Puget Sound region.

Unusual observations this year include record-low dissolved oxygen levels, unexpected gray whale visitations, and the sudden arrival of an astounding number of short-tailed shearwaters — a seabird almost never seen in Puget