Sampling locations

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Statewide map of Washington showing marine toxin sampling areas in the Puget Sound

English sole

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Map of English sole Puget Sound sampling locations
Photo by WDFW

Baseline Stations
Baseline stations are classified as "urban", "near-urban" or "non-urban", based on their proximity to urban centers or industrialized areas. Because of the complex, unmeasurable factors associated with describing the contaminant-condition of sediments, we use this subjective classification scheme. The urban locations represent some of the largest cites along the Puget Sound shoreline. The non-urban areas are situated far from these cites, greater than 10 km and often separated by deep basins. Near-urban locations are between urban and non-urban.

Where possible, monitoring stations were located near sediment quality stations (sampled by the Department of Ecology) to facilitate correlation of sediment chemistry with muscle tissue chemistry.

Focus Stations
Focus studies have been carried out in Elliott BayCommencement Bay and Sinclair Inlet to further characterize the areal extent of contamination and associated biological effects in English sole. Focus stations were distributed so as to expand the spatial coverage around the baseline station of interest. Click the preceding station names for detailed maps of the Focus Study sites.

Historic Stations
Historic stations are those at which PSAMP has discontinued sampling.

Mussels

2019-20 mussel monitoring cage locations

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Map of toxics sampling location for mussels

Pacific herring

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Pacific herring sampling locations
Photo by WDFW

Baseline Stations
Distinct stocks of Pacific herring are monitored at 3 pre-spawning locations: Semiahmoo in the Strait of Georgia (northern Puget Sound), Port Orchard in central Puget Sound and Squaxin Pass in southern Puget Sound. The fish are sampled from pre-spawning aggregates near known spawning grounds, so the sampling locations vary somewhat from year to year.

Focus Stations
In 2000, concerns over major declines in the abundance of the Cherry Point herring stock prompted a focus study to examine the possibility that contaminants are affecting their survival. Adult males, egg skeins from mature females, and spawned eggs were collected in the Cherry Point area to compare against those collected at other Puget Sound stations.

Juvenile Chinook

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Map of juvenile Chinook sampling locations
Photo by WDFW

Pilot, exploratory sampling of toxic chemicals in juvenile Puget Sound Chinook salmon by TBiOS began in 2013 in five river-estuary systems representing a range of non-urban to urban landscapes: the Skagit, Snohomish, Green/Duwamish, Puyallup, and Nisqually rivers. Samples were also taken from sites deeper offshore in Puget Sound. The sampling area was expanded to 12 locations in 2016, across a wider range of urban to non-urban landscapes, covering most major river-estuaries of Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and Lake Washington. Although the final sampling design for long-term monitoring of juvenile Chinook has not yet been determined, a study focused on the Green/Duwamish River and Elliott Bay took place in 2018.  In 2021, another Puget Sound wide survey is scheduled in addition to a study focused on the Puyallup River and Commencement Bay. 

Data from the 2016 study were included in the Contaminants in Juvenile Chinook indicator of the Puget Sound Toxics in Aquatic Life Vital Sign.  The Puget Sound Partnership adopted these Vital Signs and indicators to monitor the health of the Puget Sound ecosystem and measure the progress toward recovery goals.  

Adult Chinook

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Adult Chinook sampling map

Past TBiOS studies of Pacific Salmon (Chinook and coho) focused on measuring contaminant exposure in adults returning to their natal streams. Fish were collected from terminal “in-river” fisheries at five baseline stations ranging from the Nooksack River in the north to the Deschutes River in the south. Currently, these studies are not a regular part of the TBiOS monitoring plan but may occasionally take place in the future. 

Most recently, in 2016 and 2017, resident Chinook salmon (e.g. Blackmouth) were collected by recreational anglers and a tribal test fishery from eight of ten WDFW Marine Areas (MAs) in Puget Sound, roughly corresponding to Puget Sound oceanographic basins (see map).  Muscle samples from the Chinook salmon were analyzed for a wide range of persistent organic pollutants (POPs). 

Data from the 2016/2017 study were included in the Contaminants in Adult Chinook indicator of the Puget Sound Toxics in Aquatic Life Vital Sign.  The Puget Sound Partnership adopted these Vital Signs and indicators to monitor the health of the Puget Sound ecosystem and measure the progress toward recovery goals.