Eyes Over Puget Sound: Surface Conditions Report - May/June 2019

Warm and dry conditions this spring are predicted to persist into summer, resulting in saltier and warmer than normal Puget Sound water conditions. Early upwelling and a premature melt of the snowpack means nutrient-rich ocean water likely already entered Puget Sound. This sets the stage for a lot of biological activity. From the air, it is obvious that the productive season is in full swing. We saw large algae blooms in Central Sound along with abundant Noctiluca.  Huge numbers of anchovies were documented in Case Inlet and other finger inlets in South Sound, attracting hundreds of marine mammals.

Eyes Over Puget Sound report cover
Eyes Over Puget Sound report cover
Title

Eyes Over Puget Sound: Surface Conditions Report — May and June, 2019

 
Publication number Date Published
19-03-073 June 2019
VIEW NOW: Eyes Over Puget Sound: Surface Conditions Report — May and June 2019 (Number of pages: 42) (Publication Size: 7.74MB)
 
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Author(s) Krembs, Christopher
Description

Warm and dry conditions this spring are predicted to persist into summer, resulting in saltier and warmer than normal Puget Sound water conditions. Early upwelling and a premature melt of the snowpack means nutrient-rich ocean water likely already entered Puget Sound. This sets the stage for a lot of biological activity. From the air, it is obvious that the productive season is in full swing. We saw large algae blooms in Central Sound along with abundant Noctiluca.  Huge numbers of anchovies were documented in Case Inlet and other finger inlets in South Sound, attracting hundreds of marine mammals.

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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
About the Author: 
Christopher Krembs, Ph.D., is the Lead Oceanographer at the Washington State Department of Ecology and oversees the Eyes Over Puget Sound monitoring program.