Monitoring

Monitoring encompasses the routine measurement of ecosystem indicators to assess the status and trends of ecosystem structure and function. Broadly, there are two goals for monitoring in the Puget Sound ecosystem. The first goal is to monitor status and trends of the ecosystem. This may take the form of snapshots of specific regions, or, more usefully, status monitoring tracks variability in carefully selected indicators over time. Status monitoring is fundamentally concerned with documenting spatial and temporal variability in ecosystem components and thus ideally relies on consistent long-term monitoring in a network of sites. A second aim of monitoring is to evaluate the effectiveness of management strategies. Effectiveness monitoring thus aims to detect changes in ecosystem status that are caused by specific management actions.

Sources:

Puget Sound Science Review

Additional resources:

Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program

Eyes Over Puget Sound

Overview

Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program

The Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) is an independent program established by state and federal statute to monitor environmental conditions in Puget Sound. 

Read More
PSEMP logo

Related Articles

A red boathouse extends from a wooden pier over calm, misty waters with forested shorelines under an overcast sky.

Researchers zero in on low-oxygen areas of concern in Puget Sound

Low dissolved oxygen levels put aquatic life in Puget Sound at risk – but not everywhere. A combination of careful monitoring efforts and powerful computer models are now enabling scientists to identify which areas of our regional waters are most prone to low oxygen levels, when, and why. This article is part of a series of reports funded by King County about the quest to define healthy oxygen levels in Puget Sound.
Read More
A researcher in red clothing aboard a "CETACEAN RESEARCH & RESPONSE" boat monitoring an orca swimming nearby in sparkling blue waters with forested coastline in the background.

Research and whale watching enhanced with artificial intelligence to identify individual orcas

Artificial intelligence is emerging as a powerful new tool for whale identification. New software can be adapted and used to identify any animal with a dorsal fin on its back.
Read More
Two people kayaking during sunset over a calm body of water, with driftwood scattered on the beach in the foreground and the sillouette of land in the distance.

Puget Sound Marine Waters 2023 Overview

Each year, the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program releases the annual Puget Sound Marine Waters Overview report. The latest report combines a wealth of data from comprehensive monitoring programs and provides a concise summary of what was happening in Puget Sound’s marine waters during 2023. The report represents the collective effort of 67 contributors from federal, tribal, state, and local agencies, academia, nonprofits, and private and volunteer groups.
Read More
Image of dark blue ocean water surface overlaid with a light blue double helix graphic.

How eDNA is changing the way scientists track species in Puget Sound

Scientists can now identify the presence of species just by testing the water for traces of DNA. The relatively new technique is being compared to the invention of the telescope or the microscope as a significant new tool for understanding ecosystems like Puget Sound. It could be a revolution for tracking the movements of all kinds of species, from salmon and killer whales to invasive green crabs.
Read More
Cover of the Pacific Whale Watch Association 2023 Sightings and Sentinel Actions report, featuring a photograph of an orca whale breaching with a boat in the distance.

Pacific Whale Watch Association 2023 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 2023 PWWA annual report summarizes wildlife sightings and sentinel actions logged by members throughout the year. Sentinel actions are protective measures taken by professional whale watchers, such as warning vessels near whales or removing marine debris.
Read More
Report cover for Strategic Initiative Lead investments 2016-2023

Habitat protection and restoration in Puget Sound: An overview of Strategic Initiative Lead investments 2016-2023

Between 2016 and 2021, $21 million provided by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) funded 100 different projects to protect, restore, and study critical habitats in Puget Sound. This publication presents an overview of many of the key accomplishments and lessons learned from these efforts. It is a catalog of some of the ‘big ideas’ presented by the scientists and conservationists involved, and it is meant to inform and guide future Puget Sound recovery efforts. This overview is based on the full synthesis report, “Synthesis of Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead 1.0 2016-2023 Investments for Puget Sound Recovery," published by the Puget Sound Institute.
Read More