Eyes Under Puget Sound
The Washington State Department of Ecology’s Marine Sediment Monitoring Program, initiated in 1989, is one component of the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program, a collaborative effort dedicated to monitoring environmental conditions in Puget Sound. The Marine Sediment Monitoring Team collects sediments from the bottom of Puget Sound twice a year and tests them to determine their physical, chemical, and biogeochemical characteristics; and to determine the condition of the invertebrate communities that live in them. They report their findings in agency reports and story maps, and in Eyes Under Puget Sound (EUPS) blog posts.
Puget Sound sediments and the invertebrates, known as benthos, that live within them are a vital component of the Puget Sound ecosystem. Our team of scientists collect data about the sediments and benthos. These data are used to evaluate environmental threats and to guide the state’s environmental policy decisions.
Monitoring the bottom of Puget Sound
Puget Sound sediments provide critical habitat for bottom-dwelling invertebrates and fish. They can trap and release harmful chemicals, and key nutrient-cycling processes occur within sediments. Benthos play a key role in sediment processes and are a vital link in both the benthic and pelagic food webs. In addition, many Puget Sound benthic invertebrates are harvested commercially and are important to the local economy.
Sediment monitoring stations and sampling frames.
Addressing key questions
Our Marine Sediment Monitoring Team has studied Puget Sound sediments and benthos since 1989. To assess conditions in response to climate change, nutrient loading, and toxics-related pressures, the following questions are addressed:
- What is the condition of the benthic habitat, including sediments, porewater, and their associated invertebrate assemblages?
- How does benthic condition change over time in response to inputs of carbon, nutrients, and chemical pollutants to the system, and in response to climate-related pressures?
Monitoring stations
To assess sediment and benthos quality, we sample 50 long-term stations throughout Puget Sound every April. Station locations are indicated by dots on the map to the right. Our Puget Sound sampling frame is highlighted in yellow and red.
We also sample 30 to 36 stations every June from one of six urban bays nested within the Puget Sound sampling frame. These bays are shown in red on the map. Each is sampled on a six-year rotation.
What we measure
