December 23, 2020
One of the big successes this year was the launch of a local removal effort in Drayton Harbor. In spite of COVID, in spite of wildfire smoke, in spite of everything that 2020 had to throw at us, the collaborative management team was able to make great strides in trapping the Washington’s northernmost green crab hotspot. From May through October of this year, the crew was out trapping, trapping, and … trapping, with two ...
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December 16, 2020
As we hang up our hip boots to dry until next season (right next to the holiday lights, of course), it’s a good time to stop and reflect on what we were able to accomplish in a fleeting field season that was truly unlike any before it. In addition to our continued early detection monitoring in the Salish Sea, we had ambitious goals to design and launch a broad geographic ...
Read MoreDecember 14, 2020
In a typical year, we would invite the public to join us at a king tides viewing party this week to learn about the highest tides of the year, and what they can teach us about sea level rise. We all know that this is not a typical year. Instead, we invite you to learn about king tides from Bridget Trosin, WSG coastal policy specialist, in the video below.
Learn more and see the calendar of when king tides ...
Read MoreDecember 10, 2020
WSG awarded grants for Green Shores for Homes, Sea Level Rise Exposure, Shoreline Monitoring Toolbox, and Green Crab Projects for a total of $1.15 million.
The National Estuary Program (NEP) is a place-based initiative to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance. Earlier this year, the Puget Sound NEP Habitat Strategic Initiative
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December 9, 2020
A new report details the effects of a changing climate on Puget Sound in 2019, and documents how these changes moved through the ecosystem to affect marine life and seafood consumers.
Scientists observed unusually warm water temperatures in 2019, though not as warm as during the years of “the Blob” marine heatwave of 2014-2016. Salinity was generally higher than normal throughout the Puget ...
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November 23, 2020
Trapping for European green crab has mostly concluded for the 2020 season, enabling us to take stock of all that was accomplished this year and provide some status updates on green crab. The obstacles this year were considerable, but volunteers and managers were more than equal to the task, masking, attesting, and distancing, not to mention riding out wildfire smoke, to trap for green crabs. The next few posts will provide updates on what was accomplished and what ...
Read MoreNovember 23, 2020
King tides, the annual extreme-high tides that occur whenever the moon is closest to Earth, are a dramatic feature of Washington winters – and offer a glimpse of what our future in Western Washington may look like as sea levels rise. This holiday season provides a great opportunity for people to capture these extreme tides and help scientists assemble a preview of shorelines to come. ...
Read MoreNovember 20, 2020
By Melissa Watkinson, Equity, Access and Community Engagement Lead
Heartbeats thump to the rhythm of the collective drum that echoes throughout downtown Seattle. Voices call, respond, and sing in unison. Tired feet lift up, taking long strides that are motivated by the need to move to the erupting sounds that rise along the winding concrete. Words roaring from our bellies, harmonizing with the ...
Read MoreOctober 2, 2021
By James Lee, Science Communications Fellow
Dave Sones is a fisherman and a member of the Makah Nation at Neah Bay. He’s been fishing since 1972, when he was 12 years old. As a young man, he worked at the Ozette Archaeological Site as an interpreter; later, he became fisheries manager and natural resources director for ...
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August 2, 2021
October 26, 2020
By James Lee, Science Communications Fellow
Jania’s brother Steve Wilson is a fisherman who fishes out of La Push. Years ago, Steve began selling his fish at farmer’s markets in the Seattle and Tacoma areas under the name Wilson Fish. Eventually Jania and her husband Gene took over sales side of the business. The couple have been together for over ...
Read MoreOctober 19, 2020
“Shuck, slurp, repeat.”
Washington Sea Grant is proud to announce its plan to revise and update the popular book, Heaven on the Half Shell: The Story of the Northwest’s Love Affair with the Oyster.
Heaven on the Half Shell tells the true story of oyster farming in the Pacific Northwest. Informative text and engrossing historic and contemporary photos showcase the efforts of pioneering aquaculturists, scientists, field technicians, oyster connoisseurs and others who ...
Read MoreOctober 19, 2020
By James Lee, Science Communications Fellow
Pete Knutson owns Loki Fish Company, a family business. He fishes mostly salmon, with a bit of halibut on the side. He’s the director of the Puget Sound Harvester’s Association, an industry group that represents non-treaty commercial salmon gillnet fishers, and when he’s not fishing, he’s a professor at Seattle Central Community College. Pete has ...
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