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Aerial view of curved coastline showing forested hills, winding river delta with mudflats, and long sandy beach meeting bright blue ocean waters.

Major river deltas of Puget Sound

Puget Sound serves as the ultimate drainage destination for many rivers that carry fresh water from the Olympic and Cascade mountain ranges to the ocean. When this freshwater mixes with the ocean’s saltwater it creates biologically rich environments known as estuaries. These estuaries provide critical habitat for young salmon, migratory birds, and many other species including forage fish and

Guadalupe fur seal. Credit: NOAA Fisheries

Threatened Guadalupe fur seals are finding their way into the Salish Sea

The Guadalupe fur seal is not officially recognized as a Washington state marine mammal, but more than 160 strandings along the coast, and several sightings in the Salish Sea, suggest they are more common here than previously thought.
Report cover

Priority Science to Support Puget Sound Recovery: A Science Work Plan for 2025-2029

Priority Science to Support Puget Sound Recovery: A Science Work Plan for 2025-2029 describes the information, learning, and interaction needed to support the coordinated efforts to recover, protect, and improve the resilience of the Puget Sound ecosystem.
Two people on a rocky beach with driftwood, holding sticks, surrounded by seagulls under a partly cloudy sky.

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 kayaker seen paddling in open water with a suspension bridge and land with trees in the background.

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

A stream flows through dense greenery, with fallen logs in the water and trees and vegetation crowding both banks under a clear blue sky.

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
A group of translucent jellyfish floating in greenish water, with sunlight reflecting off the surface.

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
Aerial view of marina with boats, nearby water treatment plant with four circular tanks, surrounded by buildings, roads, and green space.

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
Close-up of a crab with a dark brown shell and orange-tipped legs on a wooden surface, claws extended and shell texture visible.

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
Panoramic view of Strait of Juan de Fuca from Vancouver Island British Columbia Canada with rocky shoreline in the foreground and Olympic Mountains in the distance.

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?