Posted on 04/24/2002 9:14:00 AM PDT by cogitator
Mixed Messages Seen in Puget Sound's Health
OLYMPIA, Washington, April 23, 2002 (ENS) - A new report on the health of Washington's Puget Sound finds strong signs of improvement, but also signals of problems affecting the overall ecosystem.
Today, the Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team issued its third biennial report on the health of the Sound, "Puget Sound's Health 2002." The report condenses data from several state and federal government organizations on 2,800 square miles of inland marine waters and 2,500 miles of Puget Sound shoreline.
The report also looks at 200 species of fish, 26 kinds of marine mammals, 100 species of sea birds and thousands of species of marine invertebrates in measuring 19 indicators that help biologists determine whether the Sound's health is getting better or worse.
"The good news is that we continue to make progress in protecting habitat and keeping contaminants and pollution out of the Sound in the first place," said Scott Redman, acting chair for the Action Team. "The bad news is that habitat lost and degraded over time and contamination that has been in the Sound for years continue to threaten marine life including birds, fish and shellfish."
Eight of the 19 indicators show Puget Sound's health is getting better; two measurements show the Sound's health is getting worse; three are mixed; four document continued concerns about persistent toxic contamination problems; and two are new indicators about habitats near the shores, known as nearshore habitats.
Among the measurements that show improvement are:
- Total area of commercial shellfish beds approved for harvest
- Number of beaches used by recreational shellfish harvesters
- Water quality for recreation, measured as levels of bacteria
- Size and frequency of major oil spills
- Acreage of infestation by spartina, an aquatic nuisance species
- Freshwater habitat available to salmon, including culverts allowing fish migration
- Water temperature in rivers and streams
- Marine survival of Puget Sound wild coho salmon
The populations of two marine species - scoters, a sea duck, and rockfish - have dropped, offering evidence that the Sound is not in perfect health. Scoter populations have declined by 57 percent in the past 20 years, and the spawning potential for rockfish measured in 2000 is just seven to 12 percent of the levels recorded in the late 1970s.
Two indicators spell bad news for the health of the Sound, declining populations of marine birds and fish. A look at the populations of harbor seals and herring brought mixed results in the latest report, as did measurements of marine water quality, and various types of pollution, such as contamination of bottom sediments, mussels and harbor seals.
"Some of our pollution problems came from and come from industrial activities; however, it may surprise people to know just how much each of us can hurt or help the health of the Sound," said Redman. "Our growing population continues to stress the Puget Sound region. If each of us commits to stop doing one activity that can harm the Sound, it will help. Fixing oil leaks in cars and using fertilizers and pesticides sparingly are just a couple of actions people can do to protect the Sound."
"Puget Sound's Health 2002: is available online at: http://www.wa.gov/puget_sound/
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