Environmental Threats

WSG, Washington CoastSavers and partners awarded funding to tackle marine debris

April 21, 2023

The partners will receive $299,965 through the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law to lead collaborative marine debris efforts in coastal Washington 

Marine debris is a persistent issue in Washington, as trash enters the ocean and threatens the health of ecosystems. Washington Sea Grant, together with the National Marine Sanctuary Foundation, and Washington CoastSavers have been awarded $299,965 from the National Sea Grant Marine Debris Community Action Coalitions ...

Read More
0

Sea Gardens Across the Pacific in Signals Magazine

March 15, 2023

screen shot of cover of signals magazine article. photo shows an ancient clam garden in British Columbia. Indigenous peoples have been stewarding the ocean for thousands of years. This stewardship has appeared in many different forms around the world, all of which represent a reciprocal relationship between humans and the sea rooted in deep place-based knowledge. From ...

Read More
0

More than just a cute face: What otters can tell us about the health of the environment

December 27, 2022

The River Otter Project used community science to shed light on contamination in the Lower Duwamish River


By Andrea Richter-Sanchez, WSG Science Communications Fellow

   

“Otters are an easy way to engage people to care about the environment. If there is one thing that almost everyone can agree on, it’s how cute otters are,” says Michelle Wainstein, a conservation biologist and lead of Otter Spotter at the Woodland Park ...

Read More
0

Monitoring the Damage in the Heat Wave’s Wake

From the Autumn 2022 Sea Star

Washington Sea Grant rapidly provided funding to two projects to survey the impacts of the historic June 2021 heat wave on intertidal marine life

By Samantha Larson, WSG Science Writer

In June 2021, the peak of an unprecedented heat wave coincided with extremely low tides in the Salish Sea, wreaking havoc on intertidal ecosystems. As a “heat dome” settled above the Pacific Northwest for several days and the temperatures climbed well above 100 degrees Fahrenheit, many ...

Read More
0

Community Science Volunteers Discover Invasive European Green Crab in Hood Canal

Read More
0

State Parks Clean Vessel Act Grant Program Funds $700K in New Pumpout and Floating Restroom Project

April 10, 2022

CONTACTS:
MaryAnn Wagner, Washington Sea Grant, 206-371-7656, maryannb@uw.edu
Catherine Buchalski Smith, CVA Grant Program, Catherine.BuchalskiSmith@parks.wa.gov
Christina Rohila, Pierce County, christina.rohila@piercecountywa.gov
Jeff Barney, Pierce County, jeff.barney@piercecountywa.gov
Paul Henriksen, Port of Lopez, paulh@portoflopez.com 

It will now be easier for recreational boaters to safely pump out vessel sewage and keep Washington’s waters clean with an expansion of mobile pumpout services in South Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. The State Parks Clean ...

Read More
0

New Staff: WSG Welcomes Michelle Lepori-Bui

March 30, 2022

Washington Sea Grant is thrilled to welcome Michelle Lepori-Bui, marine water quality specialist, to the team.

Michelle partners with Native tribes, aquaculture businesses, natural resource managers, environmental education centers, and other community groups and volunteers to monitor and address marine water quality issues in Washington. She provides technical assistance and support to the SoundToxins program, which focuses ...

Read More
0

How can we better prepare for natural hazards on our coasts? Inter-organizational collaboration to assist local efforts may be key

March 24, 2022

A newly completed project lays the foundation for a team to help Washington’s coastal communities be better prepared for floods, erosion and other coastal hazards

Floods. Erosion. Sea level rise. Tsunamis. All of these hazards threaten Washington State’s coasts — with potentially dire consequences. Although there have been many efforts and investments to respond to disaster events, geographically isolated communities on the state’s Pacific coast often lack sufficient capacity to undertake comprehensive planning efforts to ...

Read More
0

Swinomish Receives Funding to Build the First Modern-Day Clam Garden in the U.S.

November 9, 2021

Federal grants will enable the Tribal Community to revitalize the ancient Indigenous mariculture practice

La Conner, Wash. – In the 1990s, members of the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community began to notice that they weren’t finding as many native littleneck clams on their traditional harvest sites. With climate change and ocean acidification—issues that particularly affect shellfish—this trend was likely to worsen. The Tribe realized that these and other changes could continue to affect their access to traditional foods, cultural practices and, ...

Read More
0

Good News for Water Quality

New pumpout boat services expand this summer in South Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands

July 20, 2021

It will now be easier for recreational boaters to safely pump out vessel sewage and keep Washington’s waters clean with an expansion of mobile pumpout services in South Puget Sound and the San Juan Islands. The Read More

0

Mobile App Helps Boaters Follow Puget Sound No Discharge Zone Rule

April 15, 2021

“Pumpout Nav” is a free, simple tool that helps boaters locate pumpout services and comply with the law.

Boating season is right around the corner, and knowing where to pumpout is important for following the Puget Sound No Discharge Zone (NDZ) Rule. In August 2020, Washington Sea Grant, along with the Washington State Parks Clean Vessel Act ...

Read More
0

Planet Ocean Teaches Middle Grade Readers How to Speak Up For The Sea

March 31, 2021

We are thrilled to announce the release of Planet Ocean, a nonfiction book for middle-grade readers (ages 8 and up) written with an underwater perspective about how climate change and pollution affect the sustainability of our sea. In addition to some cool science, Planet Ocean readers discover our unbreakable connection to the sea. Writer Patricia Newman and diver/photographer Annie Crawley give voice to stories from inspirational scientists, Indigenous peoples, and kids and teens impacted by ocean changes and working to combat them.

Meg Chadsey, ...

Read More
0
Page 1 of 4 1234