Abstract |
In the winter of 2012-13 the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, with the help of citizen science volunteers, other agencies, tribes, and non-governmental organizations, conducted the first synoptic, Puget Sound-wide assessment of toxic contaminants in nearshore biota. This project was funded by EPA’s National Estuary Program (NEP) in support of Washington State’s Action Agenda and their goal of restoring the health of Puget Sound. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Department of Natural Resources awarded this grant in their role as Lead Organization for NEP’s Marine and Nearshore Protection and Restoration. This project was funded as a cross-cutting study, which drew together concepts related to three NEP-supported focal efforts in the Puget Sound: (1) Toxics and Nutrients, (2) Marine and Nearshore Protection and Restoration, and (3) Watershed Protection and Restoration. This study focused on toxic contaminants generated primarily from terrestrial sources, and conveyed to Puget Sound nearshore habitats via stormwater and other hydraulic watershed processes. |