Once a month, we take to the air and travel by boat to obtain high-resolution aerial photo observations and gather water data at our monitoring stations and state ferry transects. This provides us a visual picture of the health of Puget Sound, which we call Eyes Over Puget Sound or EOPS.
Eyes Over Puget Sound empowers you to:
- See what is currently happening in Puget Sound.
- See how weather and climate are shaping Puget Sound water quality.
- Use Eyes Over Puget Sound as free educational material for your own endeavors.
Summary for 2019 year in review
The year started with snow, and the summer drought kept river flows low. As a result, salinity in Puget Sound was elevated year-round.
Warmer surface water temperatures in spring gradually extended to greater depth by late summer. The spring algae bloom was strong, and South Sound provided optimal conditions for anchovies that showed up in high numbers. A coccolithophore bloom stained Hood Canal turquoise, and Port Angeles and Discovery Bay were colored red-brown by strong algae blooms.
Noctiluca and microalgae, both known as eutrophication indicators in coastal regions, were abundant in Central Sound and extended into South Sound and Whidbey Basin. Large numbers of jellyfish occurred in Quartermaster Harbor, Sinclair Inlet, and parts of Orcas Island.
Learn more about Eyes over Puget Sound