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Gulls are perhaps our most familiar seabird. Pick a seashore or even an occasional landfill, and you are likely to see at least a few. But casual sightings don't always paint a true picture of population health. Recently, scientists took to the field to see how glaucous-winged gulls are faring in the Salish Sea. The gulls were ready for them.

Priority Science to Support Puget Sound Recovery: A Science Work Plan for 2025-2029 describes the information, learning, and interaction needed to support the coordinated efforts to recover, protect, and improve the resilience of the Puget Sound ecosystem.

The Guadalupe fur seal is not officially recognized as a Washington state marine mammal, but more than 160 strandings along the coast, and several sightings in the Salish Sea, suggest they are more common here than previously thought.

Puget Sound serves as the ultimate drainage destination for many rivers that carry fresh water from the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges to the ocean. When this freshwater mixes with the ocean’s saltwater it creates biologically rich environments known as estuaries. These estuaries provide critical habitat for young salmon, migratory birds, and many other species including forage f...

In August 2024, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe signed an agreement to become co-managers of two national wildlife refuges in the Puget Sound region. It was the first agreement of its kind in the state, and since that time, the tribe has been leading site operations at Dungeness Spit and Protection Island, greeting visitors, fixing roads, and hosting scientists. We spoke with refuge manager Fawn Wagner to get her insights into what it means for both wildlife and the tribe's strong historical and cultural relationship with the region.

The largest of the beaked whales, Baird’s beaked whales can grow to a length of nearly eleven meters and weigh nearly twelve thousand kilograms. Due to their preference for deeper waters, Baird’s beaked whales are somewhat rare in the Salish Sea with sightings mostly confined to the recovery of stranded animals.

Crab Team members maintain a massive surveillance program to track the population’s advance, while researchers probe the inner workings of the invasive species.

Their genetic makeup, shaped through history, has given European green crabs remarkable advantages over native species.