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Players in the race for 6PPD alternatives
With a worldwide market valuation somewhere around $1 billion a year for the single chemical 6PPD, tire companies and their chemical suppliers are working overtime to find a safe and effective replacement for the tire additive. The financial stakes are enormous, since virtually every tire on the market today contains 6PPD.
“The environmental concerns surrounding 6PPD have spurred significant R&D
A spatial assessment of risks and threats to eelgrass and canopy kelp in Puget Sound
A 2026 report assesses region-wide cumulative risks for eelgrass and kelp in Puget Sound, identifying hotspots of concern, the relative threats, and projected future risks across eight marine subregions.
Distribution of risk to marine vegetation in Puget Sound workshop video
Researchers at the Puget Sound Institute and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife present the first comprehensive risk assessment of threats to eelgrass and canopy kelp in Puget Sound.
Sounds of rhinoceros auklets and chick
Audio recordings of rhinoceros auklets on Protection Island.
Pacific Whale Watch Association 2025 Sightings and Sentinel Actions
The Pacific Whale Watch Association (PWWA) is a community of ecotourism professionals with a shared commitment to education, conservation, and responsible wildlife viewing in Washington state and British Columbia. The 2025 PWWA annual report summarizes wildlife sightings and sentinel actions logged by members throughout the year. Sentinel actions are protective measures taken by professional whale
Nature assessment describes both peril and promise, as humans relate to the natural world
The past, present and future of natural conditions in the United States are described in a new report, which has traveled a bumpy road to its current draft form, now out for public review and comment.
“The Nature Record,” originally titled the “National Nature Assessment,” was launched in 2022 as a government project — the first of its kind. The effort involved more than 160 leading scientists from
Gray whales of the Salish Sea
Overview
Gray whales are among the more commonly sighted large whale species in the Salish Sea and along the coast of the Pacific Northwest, but a clearer understanding of the multiple ways they use our waters has only come into focus in recent years. Gray whales were historically mostly known for their annual migrations past the Washington Coast including the entrance to the Salish Sea: southbound
State adjusts strategy to address low-oxygen levels in Puget Sound
The Washington State Department of Ecology is responding to new legal rulings and public concerns with changes in planning and potentially future enforcement. We continue our occasional series on water quality and wastewater management in Puget Sound. Funding for the series is provided in part by King County.
Concerns over "forever chemicals" pose biosolids challenge for treatment plants
Increasing concerns surround PFAS in products from wastewater treatment plants. How great a risk do they pose, and are there feasible approaches to removing them? We continue our occasional series on water quality and wastewater management in Puget Sound. Funding for the series is provided in part by King County.