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

Closeup of a weather-cracked tire tread against a green background.

Tire companies race to replace deadly tire chemical

A chemical found in tires is leading to the deaths of untold numbers of coho salmon in Puget Sound every year. Chemical companies are searching for an alternative but say the unique chemistry and function of 6PPD are major challenges. This article is part one of a three-part series.
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A single salmon swimming underwater with brown kelp against a blue background.

State and federal governments address 6PPD problem

Formal legal processes are underway in Washington and California to seek alternatives to the highly toxic chemical in tires. We continue with part two of our three-part series on efforts to find a replacement for 6PPD.
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Tire manufacturing facility with l tire positioned on industrial equipment and multiple tires stacked throughout

Players in the race for 6PPD alternatives

With a worldwide market valuation somewhere around $1 billion a year for the single chemical 6PPD, tire companies and their chemical suppliers are working overtime to find a safe and effective replacement for the tire additive. The financial stakes are enormous, since virtually every tire on the market today contains 6PPD.

“The environmental concerns surrounding 6PPD have spurred significant R&D investment in next-generation antiozonants,” states Intelmarket Research, a market-analysis company based in India. “Several manufacturers are developing modified PPD formulations with reduced environmental impact while maintaining performance characteristics. Early adopters of such technologies may gain first-mover advantages in positioning

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A pod of orcas swimming in Puget Sound with the Seattle skyline in the background.

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 throughout the country, representing wide-ranging fields of study related to the natural environment.

After President Donald Trump ended the project during the first week of his second term in 2025, the effort

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Circular wastewater clarifier with mechanical equipment under cloudy sky at sunset

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.
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A large indoor facility containing a wide expanse of dark, thick, biosolids spread across the floor beneath a roof structure.

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.
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