Eyes Over Puget Sound: Surface Conditions Report - February 21, 2019
Although fall and winter were warm, February brought cold snowy weather and low river flows. Despite colder air temperatures, the productive season has already started in Hood Canal and Holmes Harbor. Puget Sound waters were warmer than expected through January, and the warmest waters were in Hood Canal, possibly creating a thermal refuge for cold-sensitive species such as anchovies. We saw lots of sea lions feasting on anchovies in Case Inlet, and we may have captured some herring spawning activity. Unusual for mid-winter, we saw jellyfish patches in Eld and Budd inlets. See the new publication about ocean acidification featuring twenty-five years of our marine monitoring data!
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Eyes Over Puget Sound: Surface Conditions Report — February 21, 2019 |
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| VIEW NOW: | Eyes Over Puget Sound: Surface Conditions Report — February 21, 2019 (Number of pages: 39) (Publication Size: 7034KB)
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| Author(s) | Krembs, Christopher | ||||
| Description | Although fall and winter were warm, February brought cold snowy weather. Despite lowland snow, river flows were lower than expected because precipitation was generally low.
The productive season has already started in Hood Canal and Holmes Harbor despite colder air temperatures. Puget Sound waters were warmer than expected through January, and the warmest waters were in Hood Canal, possibly creating a thermal refuge for cold-sensitive species such as anchovies. We saw lots of sea lions feasting on anchovies in Case Inlet, and we may have captured some herring spawning activity. Suspended sediment made it difficult to distinguish between sediment and spawning fish. Unusual for mid-winter, we saw jellyfish patches in Eld and Budd inlets. Twenty-five years of our marine monitoring data contributed to understanding ocean acidification. The observations are shared in a new publication and help us understand the effects of ocean acidification on Puget Sound estuaries. See the new publication featuring our marine monitoring data! |
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| REQUEST A COPY | The mission of the Department of Ecology is to protect, preserve, and enhance Washington’s environment. To help us meet that goal, please consider the environment before you print or request a copy.
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| Contact | Christopher Krembs at 360-407-6675 or EAPPubs@ecy.wa.gov | ||||
| Keywords | EOPS, marine monitoring, marine waters, aerial observations, Eyes Over Puget Sound, Puget Sound |
