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Coastal Habitats in Puget Sound Active

By Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center June 3, 2022

A Pacific Northwest icon, Puget Sound is the second-largest estuary in the United States. Its unique geology, climate, and nutrient-rich waters produce and sustain biologically productive coastal habitats. These same natural characteristics also contribute to a high quality of life that has led to growth in human population and urbanization. This growth has played a role in degrading the Sound, including declines in fish and wildlife populations, water-quality issues, and changes in coastal habitats. Natural resource managers look to the USGS as a critical science resource needed to solve problems in this important ecosystem.

The deterioration of the Puget Sound nearshore is of special concern — the area extending from the top of shoreline bluffs to a depth offshore where sunlight does not reach the bottom, and upstream in estuaries to the head of tidal influence. It includes bluffs, beaches, mudflats, kelp and eelgrass beds, salt marshes, gravel spits, and estuaries. Because the nearshore is one of the most productive parts of the Sound, improved understanding of it is vital to restoration and preservation of the entire Sound.

To develop a restoration program, Federal, State, Tribal, and local governments, non-governmental organizations, universities, and private industry joined in 2001 to create the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project (PSNERP). In December 2005, protection and restoration of Puget Sound was expanded in scope with the creation of the Puget Sound Partnership. As a task force within the Governor of Washington's Puget Sound Initiative, the Puget Sound Partnership's goal is to develop recommendations to restore the Sound by 2020.

The overall scientific goal of the CHIPS project is to provide scientific support for ecosystem recovery activities in Puget Sound. Through its diverse studies, the CHIPS project strives to demonstrate a structure and process for conducting interdisciplinary ecosystem science.

See links below for more information about USGS work in Puget Sound.

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Satellite image of study area, showing forests, a bay or inlet, and estuaries and rivers.

PS-CoSMoS: Puget Sound Coastal Storm Modeling System

The CoSMoS model is currently available for most of the California coast and is now being expanded to support the 4.5 million coastal residents of the Puget Sound region, with emphasis on the communities bordering the sound.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
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PS-CoSMoS: Puget Sound Coastal Storm Modeling System

The CoSMoS model is currently available for most of the California coast and is now being expanded to support the 4.5 million coastal residents of the Puget Sound region, with emphasis on the communities bordering the sound.
Learn More
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Illustration showing an oblique view of the Puget Sound watershed.

Estuaries and large river deltas in the Pacific Northwest

Essential habitat for wild salmon and other wildlife borders river deltas and estuaries in the Pacific Northwest. These estuaries also support industry, agriculture, and a large human population that’s expected to double by the year 2060, but each could suffer from more severe river floods, higher sea level, and storm surges caused by climate change.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
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Estuaries and large river deltas in the Pacific Northwest

Essential habitat for wild salmon and other wildlife borders river deltas and estuaries in the Pacific Northwest. These estuaries also support industry, agriculture, and a large human population that’s expected to double by the year 2060, but each could suffer from more severe river floods, higher sea level, and storm surges caused by climate change.
Learn More
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View from up high above a flat beach area lots of rocks and boulders, very little wave action.

Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Whidbey Island

From May of 2018 through November of 2019, USGS scientists collected imagery from video cameras overlooking the coast along a beach on Whidbey Island, Island County at the northern boundary of Puget Sound in western Washington.
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center
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Using Video Imagery to Study Coastal Change: Whidbey Island

From May of 2018 through November of 2019, USGS scientists collected imagery from video cameras overlooking the coast along a beach on Whidbey Island, Island County at the northern boundary of Puget Sound in western Washington.
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Below are data releases associated with this project.

Filter Total Items: 16

Time-series measurements of pressure, conductivity, temperature, and water level collected in Puget Sound and Bellingham Bay, Washington, USA, 2018 to 2021

Pressure, conductivity, temperature, and water level relative the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) were measured at seven locations in Puget Sound and Bellingham Bay, Washington, USA, from November 2, 2018 to June 4, 2021. These data were collected using submersible pressure-conductivity-temperature sensors mounted on piers to support studies of extreme water levels and flooding haza
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Eelgrass distributions and bathymetry of Bellingham Bay, Washington, 2019

This data release presents eelgrass distributions and bathymetry data derived from acoustic surveys of Bellingham Bay, Washington. Survey operations were conducted between February 16 and February 21, 2019 (USGS Field Activity Number 2019-606-FA) by a team of scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center and Washington State Department of Ecology. Eelgrass an
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at West Whidbey Island, WA, June 2019

An unmanned aerial system (UAS) was used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the intertidal zone at West Whidbey Island, Washington on June 4, 2019. This imagery was processed using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques to derive a high-resolution digital surface model (DSM), orthomosaic imagery, and topographic point clouds. In order to maximize the extent of the subaerially
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Lone Tree Point, Kiket Bay, WA, June 2019

An unmanned aerial system (UAS) was used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the intertidal zone at Lone Tree Point, Kiket Bay, Washington on June 5, 2019. This imagery was processed using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques to derive a high-resolution digital surface model (DSM), orthomosaic imagery, and topographic point clouds. In order to maximize the extent of the suba
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Counts, Fish Weights, and Spectral Data from a Juvenile Chinook Salmon Polyester Microplastic Fiber Exposure Study

This release includes all data collected in support of a juvenile Chinook salmon exposure study designed to understand the retention of microplastic clothing fibers (hereon referred to as "microfibers") after feeding. To understand the potential impacts of microfiber ingestion to fish, we ran a feeding experiment with juvenile Chinook salmon to determine if ingested fibers are retained and/or dige
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Species Management Research Program, Washington Water Science Center, Western Fisheries Research Center

Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Puget Creek and Dickman Mill Park, Ruston Way, Tacoma, WA, June 2019

An unmanned aerial system (UAS) was used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the intertidal zone at Puget Creek and Dickman Mill Park in Tacoma, Washington on June 3, 2019. This imagery was processed using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques to derive high-resolution digital surface models (DSM), orthomosaic imagery, and topographic point clouds. In order to maximize the exte
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Aerial imagery and structure-from-motion data products from UAS survey of the intertidal zone at Post Point, Bellingham Bay, WA, June 2019

An unmanned aerial system (UAS) was used to acquire high-resolution imagery of the intertidal zone at Post Point in Bellingham Bay, Washington on June 6, 2019. This imagery was processed using structure-from-motion (SfM) photogrammetric techniques to derive high-resolution digital surface models (DSM), orthomosaic imagery, and topographic point clouds. In order to maximize the extent of the suba
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Geochemistry of fine-grained sediment in Bellingham Bay, Nooksack River, and small creeks from June 2017 to September 2019

Elemental compositions are reported for the fine fraction of surface sediments from Bellingham Bay (June 2017 and March 2019) and in the fine fraction of streambank sediment from the Nooksack River (September 2017, March 2019, September 2019), Squalicum Creek (March and September 2019), Whatcom Creek (March and September 2019), and Padden Creek (March and September 2019). Major oxide percentages a
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data collected in 2016 offshore the Elwha River mouth, Washington, during USGS Field Activity 2016-605-FA

This data release provides bathymetry and acoustic-backscatter data collected during a 2016 SWATHPlus-M survey offshore the Elwha River mouth, Strait of Juan de Fuca, Washington. Data were collected and processed by the U.S. Geological Survey, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center during field activity 2016-605-FA. This survey, along with two other surveys (Cochrane and others, 2008, Finlayson
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Maternal transfer of PCBs in Pacific sand lance in Puget Sound, Washington

Data included in this release are from Pacific sand lance and water, sediment and suspended particulate matter collected at two sites in Puget Sound, Washington, which were evaluated for PCB concentration. PCB congener data are stored in the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Environmental Contaminant Data Management System (ECDMS), accessible through the Wildlife & Environmental Contaminants Mapper
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Biological Threats and Invasive Species Research Program, Species Management Research Program, Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory (CRRL)

Oceanographic measurements collected in the Stillaguamish River Delta, Port Susan, Washington, USA from March 2014 to July 2015

This data release includes time-series and discrete measurements made within two breaches constructed in a former flood-control levee of a restored agricultural area in Port Susan, Washington. An area of approximately 61 ha near the mouth of the Stillaguamish River was reconnected to tidal flow via levee breaches as part of a larger restoration effort that took place in 2012. These observations we
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Inorganic compositional data for fine-grained Puget Sound sediment along the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line, September 2015

Nearshore surface sediment was collected with a petit ponar grab sampler between April 22 and September 17, 2015, at five sites in Puget Sound, Washington. Four sites were adjacent to the Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail line in urban and non-urban areas, and one site was in an urban area that was not adjacent to the rail line. Total and near-total major, minor, trace, and rare earth element cont
By
Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Below are publications (USGS products, journal articles, etc.) associated with this project. See the “Data and Tools” tab for a list of Data Releases.

Filter Total Items: 91

Can coastal habitats rise to the challenge? Resilience of estuarine habitats, carbon accumulation, and economic value to sea-level rise in a Puget Sound estuary

Sea-level rise (SLR) and obstructions to sediment delivery pose challenges to the persistence of estuarine habitats and the ecosystem services they provide. Restoration actions and sediment management strategies may help mitigate such challenges by encouraging the vertical accretion of sediment in and horizontal migration of tidal forests and marshes. We used a process-based soil accretion model (
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Monica Mei Jeen Moritsch, Kristin B. Byrd, Melanie J. Davis, Anthony J. Good, Judith Z. Drexler, James T. Morris, Isa Woo, Lisamarie Windham-Myers, Eric E. Grossman, Glynnis Nakai, Katrina L. Poppe, John M. Rybczyk
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Land Management Research Program, Science and Decisions Center, California Water Science Center, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Western Ecological Research Center (WERC), Western Geographic Science Center

Long-term changes in kelp forests in an inner basin of the Salish Sea

Kelp forests form an important biogenic habitat that responds to natural and human drivers. Global concerns exist about threats to kelp forests, yet long-term information is limited and research suggests that trends are geographically distinct. We examined distribution of the bull kelp Nereocystis luetkeana over 145 years in South Puget Sound (SPS), a semi-protected inner basin in a fjord estuary
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H.D. Berry, T.F. Mumford, M. Calloway, L. Ferrier, B. Christiaen, Nathan R. vanArendonk, Eric E. Grossman, P. Dowty
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

An assessment of vertical land movement to support coastal hazards planning in Washington state

The sea and land change elevation spatially and temporally from a multitude of processes, so it is necessary to constrain the movement of both to evaluate how coastlines will evolve and how those evolving coastlines will impact the natural and built environment over time. We combine land movement observations from global navigation satellite systems (GNSSs), leveling of geodetic monuments, and tid
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Tyler Newton, Ray J. Weldon, Ian M. Miller, David Schmidt, Harriet Morgan, Eric Grossman, Guillaume S. Mauger
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Fish assemblages in eelgrass beds of Bellingham Bay, Washington, Northern Puget Sound, 2019

Puget Sound is a critical part of the Pacific Northwest, both culturally and economically. Eelgrass beds are an important feature of Puget Sound and are known to influence fish assemblages. As part of a larger site-characterization effort, and to gain a better understanding of the fish assemblages in Bellingham Bay, Washington, four eelgrass beds (Zostera marina) along the shoreline were surveyed.
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Morgan I. Andrews, Theresa L. Liedtke
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory (CRRL)

Maternal transfer of polychlorinated biphenyls in Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes personatus), Puget Sound, Washington

We measured polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in multiple age and size classes of Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes personatus), including eggs, young-of-the year, and adults to evaluate maternal transfer as a pathway for contaminant uptake and to add to the limited information on the occurrence of PCBs in sand lance in Puget Sound. Sampling was replicated at an urban embayment (Eagle Harbor) and a sta
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Theresa L. Liedtke, Kathleen E. Conn
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory (CRRL)

Distribution and transport of Olympia oyster, Ostrea lurida, larvae in northern Puget Sound, Washington, USA

As efforts for restoring Olympia oyster (Ostrea lurida) populations have expanded, there is an increased need to understand local factors that could influence the long-term success of these projects. To address concerns over potential limitations to recruitment at a restoration site in northern Puget Sound, Washington, USA, a study was developed to characterize physical processes governing larval
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S.K. Grossman, Eric E. Grossman, Julie S. Barber, S.K. Gamblewood, Sean C. Crosby
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Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Legacy and current-use toxic contaminants in Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes personatus) from Puget Sound, Washington

Forage fish are primary prey for seabirds, fish and marine mammals. Elevated levels of pollutants in Puget Sound, Washington salmon and killer whale tissues potentially could be sufficiently high to elicit adverse effects and hamper population recovery efforts. Contaminant transfer and biomagnification of the toxic compounds measured in this study likely contribute to those elevated concentrations
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Kathleen E. Conn, Theresa L. Liedtke, Renee K. Takesue, Richard S. Dinicola
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Washington Water Science Center, Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory (CRRL)

Evidence for rapid gut clearance of microplastic polyester fibers fed to Chinook Salmon: A tank study

Marine and freshwater plastic pollution is a challenging issue receiving large amounts of research and media attention. Yet, few studies have documented the impact of microplastic ingestion to aquatic organisms. In the Pacific Northwest, Chinook salmon are a culturally and commercially significant fish species. The presence of marine and freshwater microplastic pollution is well documented in Chin
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Andrew Spanjer, Theresa L. Liedtke, Kathleen E. Conn, Lisa K. Weiland, Robert W. Black, Nathan Godfrey
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Ecosystems Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Washington Water Science Center, Western Fisheries Research Center, Columbia River Research Laboratory (CRRL)

Sediment transport in a restored, river-influenced Pacific Northwest estuary

Predicting the success of future investments in coastal and estuarine ecosystem restorations is limited by scarce data quantifying sediment budgets and transport processes of prior restorations. This study provides detailed analyses of the hydrodynamics and sediment fluxes of a recently restored U.S. Pacific Northwest estuary, a 61 ha former agricultural area near the mouth of the Stillaguamish Ri

Authors
Daniel J. Nowacki, Eric E. Grossman
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, polychlorinated biphenyls, and metals in ambient sediment at mussel biomonitoring sites, Puget Sound, Washington

Caged mussels used as biomonitors can provide insights about ambient contaminant assemblages and spatial patterns, sources of contaminants, and contaminant exposure risks for consumers of wild and farmed mussels. This study explored the potential role of ambient sediment in the uptake of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), and potentially toxic inorganic elem

Authors
Renee K. Takesue, Pamela L. Campbell‐Swarzenski, Kathleen E. Conn
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Water Resources Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Washington Water Science Center, Organic Geochemistry Laboratory

Extreme coastal water level in Washington state: Guidance to support sea level rise planning

This document provides guidelines for assessing exposure to future coastal flooding during extreme coastal water level events – whether these are due to tides, surge, wave run-up, or, more likely, a combination of the three. These guidelines provide information about the current and future magnitude of extreme coastal water levels across Washington State and the underlying processes that influence
Authors
I.M. Miller, Nathan R. vanArendonk, Eric E. Grossman
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Natural Hazards Mission Area, Coastal and Marine Hazards and Resources Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center

Sediment storage and transport in the Nooksack River basin, northwestern Washington, 2006–15

The Nooksack River is a dynamic gravel-bedded river in northwestern Washington, draining off Mount Baker and the North Cascades into Puget Sound. Working in cooperation with the Whatcom County Flood Control Zone District, the U.S. Geological Survey studied topographic, hydrologic, and climatic data for the Nooksack River basin to document recent changes in sediment storage, long-term bed elevation
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Scott W. Anderson, Christopher P. Konrad, Eric E. Grossman, Christopher A. Curran
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Water Resources Mission Area, Washington Water Science Center

Below are data releases associated with this project.

Chinook Salmon Use of Eelgrass Habitats Skagit River Delta Washington

The degree to which eelgrass on river deltas provides critical habitat for estuarine fishes, especially out‐migrating juvenile salmon, is an important scientific and management issue that bears on efforts to conserve and restore both eelgrass and fish.

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Ecosystems Mission Area, Species Management Research Program, Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center, Western Fisheries Research Center

Below are news stories associated with this project.

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Eelgrass research in Puget Sound

In an effort to understand the function of nearshore habitats and develop approaches to restore them to be resilient into the future, USGS and...

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USGS participates in Puget Sound Day on the Hill

Pacific Coastal and Marine Science Center director Guy Gelfenbaum and NW Region Staff Scientist Bill Labiosa represented the USGS in the Puget Sound...

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Video cameras monitor coastal change on Whidbey Island, Washington

Video cameras installed by the USGS Remote Sensing Coastal Change project overlook the coast on Whidbey Island, Washington, about 25 miles north of...

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Eelgrass in Puget Sound—A New Study of Flow, Sediment Transport, and Zostera marina

Meadows of eelgrass (Zostera marina) provide essential habitat to a wide range of fish and wildlife in the nearshore parts of Puget Sound, Washington...

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