Estuaries such as Puget Sound have large natural variations in depth, water circulation, influences from the ocean, and seasonal conditions. All of these variables influence the quality of the water column and sediment found in the bottom of the sea and the organisms that live there.
To better understand these influences, we monitor in Puget Sound, Grays Harbor, and Willapa Bay with instruments and sampling gear deployed from a seaplane, boats, and passenger ferries. We make these scientific data available for an improved understanding of the marine environment.