Salish Sea Currents magazine

Salish Sea Currents is an online magazine founded in 2014 focusing on the science of ecosystem recovery. Browse individual stories below or visit the Salish Sea Currents magazine homepage to see them organized by topical series.

We regularly compile stories into printed yearbooks intended as special reports for Puget Sound policymakers. These are also available for viewing as PDFs:

 

 

Related Articles

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 the San Juan Islands in the north, as well as the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Hood Canal. When conditions warrant, Brian uses a motorized skiff or inflatable raft, especially where strong currents impede his travels.

The project

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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 Institute blog.
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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 Institute blog.
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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 Institute blog.
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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 looks back on how we have reached our present condition, including a consideration of possible solutions. Subsequent parts of the series are available through a link at the conclusion of this article.
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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?
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