About the Puget Sound Institute

Contents
References ................................................................................................................................. 28
Pollutants ............................................................................................................. 32
Persistent contaminants ........................................................................................................... 32
Stormwater .......................................................................................................... 34
Summary .................................................................................................................................................... 34
Annual rainfall ........................................................................................................................................... 34
Impervious surfaces and stormwater runoff ............................................................................................ 34
Known pollutants in stormwater .............................................................................................................. 34
Stormwater effects on salmon ................................................................................................................... 35
Impaired waterbodies ................................................................................................................................ 36
Combined sewer overflows ........................................................................................................................ 36
References .................................................................................................................................................. 37
Climate change .................................................................................................... 40
An overview for Puget Sound ................................................................................................... 40
Flooding and snow pack ........................................................................................................................... 40
Impacts on salmon ..................................................................................................................................... 41
Increased algal blooms .............................................................................................................................. 41
Ocean acidification..................................................................................................................................... 41
Sea level rise ............................................................................................................................................... 42
Higher ground? .......................................................................................................................................... 42
References .................................................................................................................................................. 43
Expected impacts ...................................................................................................................... 45
Summary .................................................................................................................................................... 46
Attribution .................................................................................................................................................. 46
Greenhouse gases ....................................................................................................................................... 46
Air temperature .......................................................................................................................................... 46
Precipitation ............................................................................................................................................... 47
Ocean temperature ................................................................................................................................... 48
Sea level ..................................................................................................................................................... 48
Ocean acidification..................................................................................................................................... 49
Snow ........................................................................................................................................................... 49
Streamflow ................................................................................................................................................. 50
Stream temperature ................................................................................................................................... 51
References .................................................................................................................................................. 51
Habitats ................................................................................................................ 54
Estuaries ................................................................................................................................... 54
Summary .................................................................................................................................................... 54
The diverse estuarine ecosystems of the Puget Sound............................................................................. 54
Tidal wetlands of deltas and embayments................................................................................................ 55
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