Puget Sound

Puget Sound, the nation’s second largest marine estuary, faces a number of challenges related to population growth and development, habitat loss, and pollution. We work with local and tribal governments, state and federal agencies, non-profits, and private sector partners to protect and restore the Sound.
Puget Sound, the nation’s second largest marine estuary, faces a number of challenges related to population growth and development, habitat loss, and pollution. We work with local and tribal governments, state and federal agencies, non-profits, and private sector partners to protect and restore the Sound.

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What's bugging Puget Sound benthos?
Ecology’s Marine Sediment Monitoring Team tracks the health of the sediments and invertebrates at the bottom of Puget Sound. They've been on the decline for decades – what could be contributing?
Dark got you down? Shine a little light with the lamp shells
It's that special time of year when we feel like we dwell in darkness 24 hours a day. Let’s shed a little light on the gloom with this month’s critter group: the lamp shells.
It’s slime time! The slime tube worm lives in a house of horrors
Sliiiime. Just saying the word conjures up images of monsters from scary movies like The Blob, The Thing, and Ghostbusters. But to the slime tube worm, all this ooze looks like Home Sweet Home.
These worms are boring! ... into oyster shells, that is
Shell-boring worms make their homes in mollusc shells. These parasites are sometimes called mud blister worms, because the burrows that they create inside the shells fill with mud and detritus.
There's a new sign for a healthier Puget Sound
Free signs are available to help protect Puget Sound.
Nutrient pollution modeling shows different futures for Puget Sound
This week, we shared our latest Salish Sea modeling results, which are moving us another step forward on regional efforts to reduce nutrients.
Towards a goal of zero spills
Ongoing improvements have built on a record of zero spills from cargo vessels in Puget Sound Ports. This approach helped lead marine safety improvements across the shipping spectrum.
Another day, another (Pacific sand) dollar
If you escaped to the Washington’s coastline this summer to beat the heat, you probably walked by the remains of this month’s critter: the Pacific sand dollar.
Tackling Toxics: Helping Joint Base Lewis-McChord replace toxic receipt paper
Ecology worked closely with Joint Base Lewis-McChord (JBLM) to reduce its use of toxic receipt paper. So far, the base has reduced phenol use on base by 460 pounds per year.
The gaper clams live in the shadows of giants
Nothing says “summer” like digging for clams in Puget Sound, but finding a gaper clam often brings disappointment. Geoduck hunters, don’t despair — the humble gaper is a treasure in its own right.