This entry has not changed in 10 plus years. What constitutes indicators of a healthy Puget Sound and Straits? From the Puget Sound Partnership’s efforts, a partial list. No particular order. Just a list.
- Swimmable beaches – Doing well.
- Marine Water Quality – Not so well.
- Water availability – Still a problem, getting worse with global warming.
- In stream flows are important for humans and species.
- Freshwater Quality
- Salmon Abundance – Getting worse.
- Orca population – Getting worse.
- Commercial Fisheries harvested
- Recreational fishing permits sold
- Likely to be higher if fish stocks are plentiful!
- Jellyfish
- Can be indicators of an unhealthy environment
- Terrestrial bird species numbers – Getting worse.
- Eel Grass extent – Monitoring underway but belief is getting worse.
- Shoreline Armoring
- Less is better, but unlikely to get to zero.
- Toxics in fish – Getting worse.
- Toxics in sediment
- Land use vs. Land Cover
- Included impervious surface indicators.
- Personal Vehicle Miles Traveled:
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- Less is more for the health of the Sound until all electric vehicles arrive
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Hi Al,
I thought you might be interested in reading my book which just came out on Amazon.com yesterday. In the search bar, type in “truth” and “Gately.” I have a chapter on climate change and much about contaminants in fish.
I always read your newsletter and appreciate your writing it.
Stay well!
Glenn
Thanks Glenn. I’ll get it!