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Coming into the colony
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.
A photographic tour of the entire Puget Sound shoreline by watercraft and aircraft
Kayaker-scientist Brian Footen is back on the waters of Puget Sound this summer, paddling through inlets and circling islands on a 2,700-mile journey to photograph the shoreline and document natural and human-caused changes to the habitat.
This state-funded project is Brian’s second photographic trip along the sinuous shoreline throughout the entirety of the Sound, from Budd Inlet in the south to
Many actions may be needed to improve Puget Sound waters
Scientists at the Washington Department of Ecology along with many other researchers have spent years studying and debating the problem of low oxygen in Puget Sound. Now, many new developments — technical, scientific and legal — are reaching a critical stage and setting up a framework to make some major decisions. This is part four of a four-part series originally published in the Puget Sound
Computer models examine the extent of Puget Sound's low oxygen water-quality problem
Scientists at the Washington Department of Ecology along with many other researchers have spent years studying and debating the problem of low oxygen in Puget Sound. Now, many new developments — technical, scientific and legal — are reaching a critical stage and setting up a framework to make some major decisions. This is part three of a four-part series originally published in the Puget Sound
Water-cleanup plans and the search for ‘reasonable’ actions
Scientists at the Washington Department of Ecology along with many other researchers have spent years studying and debating the problem of low oxygen in Puget Sound. Now, many new developments — technical, scientific and legal — are reaching a critical stage and setting up a framework to make some major decisions. This is part two of a four-part series originally published in the Puget Sound
The debate over oxygen in Puget Sound
Scientists at the Washington Department of Ecology along with many other researchers have spent years studying and debating the problem of low oxygen in Puget Sound. Now, many new developments — technical, scientific and legal — are reaching a critical stage and setting up a framework to make some major decisions. This four-part series was originally published in the Puget Sound Institute blog and
Ocean water sets a baseline for oxygen in Puget Sound
About 83% of the water in Puget Sound comes from the ocean. That brings with it all kinds of benefits, including an ocean-size amount of life-giving nutrients that feed the creatures that live here. But it has one potential drawback. That ocean water is notoriously low in oxygen. Why is that and what does it mean for the future of Puget Sound?
A century of warming has reduced dissolved oxygen in Puget Sound
A new study outlines the strong link between dissolved oxygen declines and increasing water temperatures, raising questions about the effect of future climate change on Puget Sound.
Science letter: Bird declines in North America and Puget Sound
Citizen science bird counts are providing more detail than ever about North American bird declines. While the overall numbers are discouraging, new levels of understanding may help conservation efforts. Biologist Eric Wagner writes that despite larger trends, species recovery can be important on a very small scale, perhaps a few birds at a time.
How do you evaluate the effects of reduced oxygen on aquatic life?
There is an ongoing concern that human activities can cause reductions in the amount of oxygen available to fish and other marine species. In Puget Sound, scientists are working to evaluate when and where some of these reductions could have an adverse ecological impact. As part of a series of workshops on Puget Sound water quality, the Puget Sound Institute asked Dr. Tim Essington of the