All Articles
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
The Cascadia Research Collective has prepared an overview of the status and trends for gray whales in our region.
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.
How salmon shape regional identity and conservation in Puget Sound
A 2026 paper in the journal Environmental Management explores how salmon contribute to "sense of place" and regional identity among Puget Sound residents. The paper was produced by researchers at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.
False killer whales in the Salish Sea
Overview
The false killer whale is a tropical to warm temperate species of dolphin that is not normally found in the Salish Sea. However, the species does occasionally appear in small numbers in Pacific Northwest waters of Washington and British Columbia, and even sometimes as far north as Alaska. They are highly social animals that typically feed on large pelagic fish, such as tuna and mahi mahi.
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Humpback whales of the Salish Sea
Overview
Humpback whales have made a remarkable recovery in Puget Sound and throughout the Salish Sea. While their numbers vary through the season, they can be seen in almost any month of the year. In essence, this has been a return to waters they formerly used prior to commercial whaling that wiped out the local population. Humpback whales around the world have made strong recoveries from whaling