Featured:
Northern river otters (Lontra canadensis) are vulnerable to biomagnification of persistent organic polutants such as PBDEs. Photo: Andrew Reding (CC BY-NC-ND 2.0) https://www.flickr.com/photos/seaotter/16613609682
A new report about toxics in the Salish Sea brings together findings from over 40 research programs and includes case studies of Chinook salmon, shellfish and killer whales, among other species. The report from the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program and co-edited by PSI’s Andy James highlights trends for toxics during 2016. While some of the news was positive, such as gradual declines in contaminants in sediments, much of the report shows severe and continuing impacts from a wide variety of harmful chemicals.
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Related talk:
Scientists know that stormwater can be extremely toxic. It can kill exposed fish such as coho salmon within hours. But figuring out exactly what is in stormwater has been a complex puzzle that has so far confounded scientists. New analytical techniques using time of flight mass spectrometry are making it easier to identify and localize sources of contaminants. Center for Urban Waters researcher and PSI collaborator Ed Kolodziej will be presenting some of his stormwater findings at the Northwest Fishery Sciences Center today (May 18th) at 11 AM.
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New in the Encyclopedia:
The state of Washington estimates that the Puget Sound area will grow by more than 1.5 million residents within the next two decades. That is expected to have profound effects on the environment as more and more people move to undeveloped areas. The race is on to protect this critical rural habitat, but planners say what happens in the cities may be just as important.
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 Recent papers:
Can nature make you happy? Science weighs in: A recent study by PSI social scientist Kelly Biedenweg found that Puget Sound residents reported increasing happiness the more they engaged with the natural environment.
Also available...
(co-authored by Andy James)
Legault, E.K., James, C.A., Stewart, K., Muiznieks, I., Doty, S.L., & Strand, S.E.. (2017). A Field Trial of TCE Phytoremediation by Genetically Modified Poplars Expressing Cytochrome P450 2E1. Environ. Sci. Technology. DOI: 10.1021/acs.est.5b04758
(co-authored by Ed Kolodziej)
Wammer, K.H., Anderson, K.C., Erickson, P.R., Kliegman, S., Moffat, M.E., Heitzman, J.A., McNeill, K., Martinovic-Weigelt, D., Cwiertny, D.M., Kolodziej, E.P. 2016. “Environmental Photochemistry of Altrenogest: Photoisomerization Followed by Reversible Photohydration.” Environ. Sci. Technol. 50(14). 7480-7488. DOI 10.1021/acs.est.6b02608
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Grants and funding:
- Stormwater Chemical Characterization and Watershed Prioritization. Near Term Action (NTA) project. WA Department of Ecology/EPA National Estuary Program. PI Dr. Edward Kolodziej, University of Washington (Tacoma/Seattle), Center for Urban Waters. Total Award $232,000. 4/1/2017-3/31/2019.
- Identification and Treatment of Toxicants in Highway Runoff Using Green Stormwater Infrastructure and Bioassays. WA Department of Transportation, Federal Highway Administration. PI Team: Dr. Jenifer McIntyre (WSU-Puyallup Stormwater Research Center), Dr. Nathaniel Scholz (NOAA-NMFS Montlake Lab), Dr. Edward Kolodziej University of Washington (Tacoma/Seattle). Total Award $176,000 Kolodziej Lab: $69,099. 11/1/2016 - 9/30/2017.
- Collaborative Research: Integrated In Silico and Non-Target Analytical Framework for High Throughput Prioritization of Bioactive Transformation Products. National Science Foundation. Team: PI: Dr. David Cwiertny, University of Iowa; Co-PI Dr. Edward P. Kolodziej, University of Washington (Tacoma/Seattle); Co-PI Dr. Ruben Abagyan, University of California, San Diego; Co-PI Dr. Eric Patterson, SUNY-Stonybrook. Total Award $696,000. Kolodziej Lab: $156,000. 9/1/2016 - 8/31/2019.
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Upcoming events:
The Puget Sound Institute is sponsoring a session at the November 2017 meeting of the Coastal & Estuarine Research Federation (CERF) in Providence, Rhode Island. The session will focus on technical support for ecosystem management.
Save the date: The next Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference will be held in Seattle from April 4 - 6, 2018.
We'll be there and we'll be reporting some of the highlights for our online magazine Salish Sea Currents. Here's some of what we did for last year's conference: Themes from SSEC16
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Snapshot: Northwest tribal leaders making the case for saving Puget Sound
PSI was part of a delegation that visited Washington, D.C. earlier this month as part of Puget Sound Day on the Hill. The event was a chance to talk with D.C. policymakers about the importance of protecting the Puget Sound ecosystem. Photo: Tessa Francis
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