Surface ConditionsReport, April 6, 2016
Eyes Over Puget Sound
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Publication No. 16-03-072
Up-to-date observations of visiblewater quality conditions in Puget Sound and the Strait of Juan de Fuca
Start here
Critterof the Month

Dr. Christopher
Krembs (Editor)
Personalimpressions p. 3
Impressions of our Washington Conservation Corps Intern
of the Marine MonitoringUnit.
Climateconditions p. 5
As of February air temperatures remainabove normal andEl
Niño conditions prevail. River flows are upinresponse to strong
rainevents.
Watercolumn p. 6
As of February salinity is notably lower thannormal.
Temperatures are still high in Puget Sound. Recordwarm
water fromlast year persists muchlonger inHoodCanal.
Aerialphotography p. 10
As of April, jellyfish in very high numbers in Southern and Sinclair
Inlets. Spring phytoplanktonbloomacross SouthandCentral
Sound. Fish aggregations andspawning aroundVashonIsland.
Continuous monitoring p. 29
Starting onMarch25, a phytoplanktonspring bloomis quickly
increasingin size across Central Sound.
Streams p. 32
Despite warmer temperatures inMarch,snow water equivalence
remains near normal, whichis goodnews for snowpack.
LONG-TERMMARINEMONITORINGUNIT
Skip Albertson
Julia Bos
Suzan Pool
Editorial assistanceprovided by: Suzan Pool, CarolMaloy
Marine conditionsfrom 4-6-2016 at a glance
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Mattie Michalek
Jim Shedd

Ostracods - The Seed Shrimp
This month’s Critter is a
fascinating crustacean that
conceals its appendages inside a
bivalve-like shell.
Fun Ostracod Facts!
• Most aretiny - the sizeof a
sesame seed.
• They use their antennae and
other appendages (like the
caudal furca pictured below)
to capture food particles
and burrow into the mud.
• They can live in extreme
environments like the deep
sea and caves.
Because their shells fossilizewell, ostracods havethe mostcomplete fossil
record of any animal, dating back 425 million years! Scientists use them
to understand how the earth and its climate have changed through time.
Dany Burgess & Angela Eagleston
Marine Sediment Monitoring Team
Learn moreabout ostracods and other critters on Ecology’s EcoConnectblog
Critter of the Month – Ostracods, a common species in Puget Sound
Personal Field Impression
Field log Weather Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Eyes Under Puget Sound 4-6-2016
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams

Sampling and Analyzing Dissolved Oxygen
Mattie Michalek–Washington ConservationCorps Intern
Personal Field Impression
Field log Weather Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Personal Field Impression 4-6-2016
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Back at the lab, additional chemicals are
added to the sample to break up the bound
oxygen. We then titrate the sample by adding
very small, precise amounts of a solution to
the sample until it turns froma deep purple
(1) to clear (3). I enjoy running DO samples
because the analystmustuse their best
judgment and trained eye to gaugewhether a
sample is at its endpoint.
Mattie performing a Winkler titration on a DO sample
When we sample Puget Sound by sea plane
or boat, we measure dissolved oxygen (DO)
in the water with an instrument. To check
that our DO sensor is working, wealso
collect water samples for laboratory
analysis. In the field, we add two chemicals
that cause the oxygen to bind to
manganese to forma solid.
Thephases ofa
titration. The3rd
phaseis called
the“endpoint.”
1
2
3
Ready to collect a water sample in the field.

Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Natural Influence,not updated for March
Climate and naturalinfluences,includingweather,rivers,and the adjacent ocean,canaffect our
marine waters. Graphics are basedonprovisional data andare subject to change.
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/mar_wat/weather.html,page 26.
Putting the puzzle piecesof influencing factorstogether…
lowerhigher expected No data
*UpwellingAnomalies(PFEL)
ENSO = El Niño SouthernOscillation
*
Summary for February 2016:
Air temperatures remained
abovenormal in the Puget
Sound lowlands.
Precipitationlevels wereabove
normal overall.
Sunshine levels weregenerally
abovenormal, but alternated
with cloudy periods.
River flows continued above
normal.
Downwelling was strong, and
ENSO and PDO remained in their
warmphase(El Niño).

We usea boatand a
chartered float plane to
access our monthly
monitoring stations.
We communicate data
and environmental
marine conditions using:
1. Marine Water
Condition Index
(MWCI)
2. Eyes OverPuget
Sound (EOPS)
3. Anomaliesand
sourcedata
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Ourlong-termmarinemonitoringstationsinWashington
Starthere
Isl.
.

Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
ArePugetSoundconditionsnormalizing?
Year 2015 was a recordbreaker for water temperature inPuget Sound andfor global temperatures. Prematuremelting
of the snowpack inearly summer causedinitially freshconditions. This year looks better. The winter brought record-
breaking rainand, as a result, estuarine circulationhas increasedto renew the water withinPuget Sound. Yet, water
temperatures are stillhigh!
The Fraser River is the largestfreshwater sourcefor the Salish Sea, significantly affecting estuarine circulation.
As of January
2016 (left),the
Blobbelow the
surface is still
alive!
Rivers are flowinghigher andincreasingwater exchange. This is
an opportunity to bring cooler oceanwater into Puget Sound.
Inwinter andspring 2015, the Fraser
River and other rivers dischargedprematurely. Very
low summer flows followedandinhibited the
renewal of water inPuget Sound. Rivers are now
normal or running higher, but not like last year.
Estuarine circulationis as expected.
Source: http://wateroffice.ec.gc.ca/index_e.html
Higher than normal
Lower thannormal
Expected
Credit: Christopher Krembs
Readhere
Alaska“Blob”
Tracker
0
5000
10000
Dec-13
Jan-14
Feb-14
Mar-14
Apr-14
May-14
Jun-14
Jul-14
Aug-14
Sep-14
Oct-14
Nov-14
Dec-14
Jan-15
Feb-15
Mar-15
Apr-15
May-15
Jun-15
Jul-15
Aug-15
Sep-15
Oct-15
Nov-15
Dec-15
Jan-16
Feb-16
Discharge(m3s-1)

Physical conditionstracked in historicalcontext
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Explore profiles
at all stations
Still higher temperature in P. Sound ExpectedOxygenSalinity below normal
With recordhighprecipitation,salinity is notably lower thannormal. Temperatures remainhighin Puget
Sound. Recordwarmwater fromlast year persists muchlonger in HoodCanal. OxygeninPuget Sound is
expected. Conditions are comparable,but less pronouncedat the Coast.
Region
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 1 2
20162015
Whidbey Basin
Hood Canal
Central Sound
South Sound
20142014 2016 2016
Grays Harbor
Willapa Bay
North Sound
San Juan
20142015 2015

a) PacificDecadalOscillationIndex(PDO,temperature) (explanation)
b) UpwellingIndex(anomalies)(Upwelling,low oxygen) (explanation)
c) NorthPacificGyreOscillationIndex(NPGO, productivity) (explanation)
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Theoceanaffectswaterquality: OceanClimateIndices
NPGO(x10)
PDO/UpwellingIndex
Three-year running average of PDO, Upwelling, and NPGO indices scores
.
Ocean boundaryconditions are in transition: (a)water is still warm (PDO), (b) upwellingoflow oxygen
and high nutrient ocean water are normal (UpwellingIndex anomaly),and (c)surface productivityalong
the coast normalizing(NPGO).
-25
-20
-15
-10
-5
0
5
10
15
20
25
-1.5
-1
-0.5
0
0.5
1
1.5
1945 1950 1955 1960 1965 1970 1975 1980 1985 1990 1995 2000 2005 2010 2015

Summary: Aerial photography4-6-2016
Jellyfish increasing and in very high numbers in Southern and Sinclair Inlets. Spring
phytoplankton bloomacross South and Central Sound. Fish aggregations and spawning
around Vashon Island. Severallargetidal eddies documented.
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Start here
Mixing and Fronts:
Tidal fronts and eddies in Pitt and Agate Passages.
Debris:
Debris in Dana Passageand Carr Inlet, otherwiselow
occurrence.
Visible blooms:
Spring phytoplankton bloom in fully swing in all places across
South and Central Sound.
Jellyfish:
Numerous jellyfish patches in Budd, Led, Henderson, and
Sinclair Inlets.
BloomDebrisFront
Suspendedsediment:
Very little suspended sediment, some around tidally exposed
points.
Plume
Spring phytoplanktonbloominHendersonInlet
PhytoplanktonbloominQuartermaster Harbor
Bloom
jellyfish
Bloom

Strait of
Juan de Fuca
San Juan Islands
Padilla Bay
Main Basin
Hood Canal
South Sound
Whidbey Basin
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Sunny,broken ceilingnear
Bremerton
Flight Information:
Aerial photography
and navigation guide
7
Flight route
9
3
2
8
Tide data (Seattle):
Time Pred High/Low
04:40 AM 11.81 H
10:58 AM 1.58 L
05:03 PM 11.04 H
11:08 PM 1.54 L
6
10
11
12
14
13
4
5
1
Observation Maps:
Central Sound
South Sound
15

A.
A. Jellyfish patches are already very numerous in Southern Inlets.B. The granularity confirms that we see
jellyfish. Location: Budd Inlet across Butler Cove (South Sound),12:23PM.
1 Aerial photography 4-6-2016 Navigate
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Internal waves
kajak
jellyfish
jellyfish
jellyfish
jellyfish
jellyfish
jellyfish
jellyfish
jellyfish
jellyfish
jellyfish
B.

2 NavigateAerial photography 4-6-2016
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Jellyfishpatches are already very numerous in Southern Inlets.
Location: Led Inlet (South Sound),2:29 PM.
Bloom
boat
jellyfish
jellyfish
jellyfish
jellyfish
jellyfish
jellyfish

3 NavigateAerial photography 4-6-2016
Mussel rafts have visible impact on water flowing past them.
Location: Totten Inlet,Gallagher Cove (South Sound),12:31 PM.
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
rafts
boat Bloom
boat
boat
clear

4 Navigate
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Aerial photography 4-6-2016
Water rich in phytoplankton from Peale Passage flowing past Boston Harbor.
Location: Off Dover Point, near Dana Passage (South Sound),12:33 PM.
boat
boat
Bloom
Debris
Debris

5 NavigateAerial photography 4-6-2016
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Water rich in phytoplankton from Peale Passage flowing dowards Boston Harbor.
Location: Squaxin Island, near Dana Passage (South Sound),12:33 PM.
Bloom
Bloom

Phytoplankton rich water from finger inlets meet less colored water from Case Inlet at entrance to Dana
Passage. Location: Across Henderson Inlet (South Sound),12:36 PM.
6 NavigateAerial photography 4-6-2016
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
boat
Bloom
Debris
Henderson Inlet

A.
A. Long streaks of organic material.B. Schools of fish aggregating near McCormick Creek.
Location: Henderson Bay,Carr Inlet (South Sound),12:46 PM.
7 NavigateAerial photography 4-6-2016
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Bloom
B.
Debris
fish
fish
fish
fish

Patches of jellyfishamongst more dispersedpatches (not shown).
Location: Sinclair Inlet, (Central Sound),12:54 PM.
8 NavigateAerial photography 4-6-2016
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
jellyfish
barge

A.
A. Schooling fish or eelgrass,keeping them apart remains a guessing game! B. Internal waves in Bay.
Location:A. Battle Point,B. ManzanitaBay,Bainbridge Island (Central Sound),1:01 PM.
9 NavigateAerial photography 4-6-2016
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
ealgrass
B.
fish?
Debris
internal waves

10 NavigateAerial photography 4-6-2016
Eddy rich in phytoplankton in Agate Pass.
Location: Near Agate Pass Bridge, Bainbridge Island(CentralSound),1:02 PM.
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
boat
Bloom
eddy
boat
Debris
Debris
Debris
boat
Agate Pass Bridge

NavigateAerial photography 4-6-2016
Phytoplankton bloom staining water green.
Location: Treasure Island, Port Madison (Central Sound),1:03 PM.
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
11
boat
Bloom
Treasure Island

A. B.
C. D.
NavigateAerial photography 4-6-2016
Suspended sediment or spawning herring. A challenge from 2500 feet around Vashon Island!
Location: A.Point Vashon,B. off SW 127th St ,C. Point Heyer, D. off SW 268th St (Central Sound),1:19 PM.
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
12
sediment
spawn
spawn
sediment
fish
fish
eelgrass
eelgrass
eelgrass

NavigateAerial photography 4-6-2016
Large eddy rich in phytoplankton.
Location: Across Shaws Cove, Carr Inlet,(South Sound),1:25 PM.
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
13
boat
Bloom
eddy
Shaws Cove

NavigateAerial photography 4-6-2016
Tidal exchange and phytoplankton-rich water in Pitt Passage.
Location: Pitt Passage (South Sound),1:27 PM.
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
14
boat
Bloom

A. B.
NavigateAerial photography 4-6-2016
Phytoplankton-rich water in A. Pitt Passage B. Across Anderson Island with large eddy, C. Nisqually Reach
Location: Around McNeil and AndersonIsland (South Sound),1:30 PM.
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
15
boat
Bloom
eddy
Bloom
C.

n.a.
Hood Canal Central Sound
Numbers on map refer to picture numbers for spatial reference
Date: 4-6-2016
Qualitative aerial observer map during transit Navigate
Numbers on map refer to picture numbers for spatial reference
9
11
12
10
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
8

Date: 4-6-2016
Qualitative aerial observer map during transit
Numbers on map refer to picture numbers for spatial reference
Navigate
South Sound
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
15
1
2
3
4
14
13
5
6
7

Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Continuousmonitoring 4-6-2016
Summary of Victoria Clipper IVferry data:
The ferry was in dry-dock until mid-Marchwhenit resumed sailing. Spatial plots (next
page) show data fromTuesday,April 3rd. Over the last two weeks,near-surface water on
the ferry route was near 10 °C. WithinPuget Sound, chlorophyll concentrations increased.
The Victoria
Clipper IV carries
sensorsin its sea
chest. The
sensorsallow us
to plot overtime
transects of:
A. Temperature
B. Chlorophyll
C. Turbidity
D. CDOM
Over time,we
see the dynamic
of these
variablesin
surface water
betweenSeattle
and Victoria,BC.
C.
B.A.
D.
Suzan Pool

Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Continuousmonitoring 4-6-2016
Victoria
Olympic
Peninsula
Seattle
Victoria
Olympic
Peninsula
Seattle
Victoria
Olympic
Peninsula
Seattle
Victoria
Olympic
Peninsula
Seattle
A. B.
C. D.
Figures show daily sensor data
installedonthe ferry which
measure near-surface water at
5-sec intervals while the Victoria
Clipper IV transits between
Seattle andVictoria,BC.
A. Sea Surface Temperature:
Water was isothermal onentire
route.
B. Chlorophyll: Concentrations
were low inthe Strait and
increasedin Puget Sound.
C. Turbidity: Turbidity was low
onentire route.
D. Colored Dissolved Organic
Matter(CDOM): Particulates in
the water were low inCentral
Basinand nearly absent in the
Strait of Juande Fuca.

Check out our posters that we presentedat the Coastal and Estuarine Research
Federation conference in Portland, Oregon during November 2015.
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Continuousmonitoring 4-6-2016
Bos,J.,S. Albertson, C. Krembs,S. Pool,C. Falkenhayn
Maloy,andB. Sackmann. 2015. EcosystemThresholds
in Surface Waters of the SalishSea using Continuous
Measurements fromFerry Sensors. Poster presented
at Coastal Estuarine andResearchFederation2015
Conference,Portland,Oregon. WashingtonState
Department of Ecology PublicationNo. 15-03-041.
https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/documents/1
503041.pdf
Pool,S.S.,C. Krembs,J. Bos,andB. Sackmann. 2015.
Physical,Chemical,andBiological Conditions during
Noctiluca Blooms inanUrbanFjord, Puget Sound.
Poster presentedat Coastal Estuarine andResearch
Federation2015 Conference,Portland,Oregon.
WashingtonState Department of Ecology Publication
No. 15-03-040.
https://fortress.wa.gov/ecy/publications/documents/1
503040.pdf

Wet and warm weatherkeep rivers flowing
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Puget Sound Basin streamflows remained higher than normal in March. Many
mountain streams reported much abovenormal flows (>90th percentile) responding
to high snow fall and warmair. Despite warmer temperatures, snow water
equivalence remains near normal, which is good news for snowpack.
Jim Shedd,
Ecology
Temperatureswere about 2 to 3 degrees(F) higherthan
normal throughout much of the PugetSound Regionin March.
Precipitationremainedhigherthannormal in March, reporting
up to 150% of normal in the PugetSound lowlands. Upward of
200% normal precipitationwasreportedin the northeast
Olympicsand Hood Canal basin.

Wet and warm weatherkeep rivers flowing
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
PugetSound Basin streamflowsremainedhigherthannormal in
March. Many mountain streamsin both the Olympicsand
Cascades reportedmuch above normal flow conditions(>90th
percentile).
Snow Water Equivalence remainsnearnormal throughout the
Puget Sound Basin,good news forretainingsnowpack. Last year
at this time snow water equivalence was20 percent or lessin
some areas of the PugetSound Basin.

Accessmooring
data:
ftp://www.ecy.wa.gov/ea
p/Mooring_Raw/Puget_S
ound/
Continuous monitoring :
Suzan.Pool@ecy.wa.gov
Get data from Ecology’sMarine MonitoringPrograms
Long–Term
MonitoringNetwork
Real–Time
Sensor Network
Accesscore
monitoringdata:
https://fortress.wa.gov/ec
y/eap/marinewq/mwdata
set.asp
christopher.krembs@ecy.w
a.gov
Ecology’s long-termmarine
monitoring stations
Continuous track
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams
Riverand Stream WaterQuality
Monitoring
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/fw_riv
/rv_main.html
Discontinued (fundingcuts)

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Many thanks to our business partners: Clipper Navigation,SwantownMarina,andKenmore Air.
We are looking forfeedbackto improve ourproducts.
Dr. ChristopherKrembs
christopher.krembs@ecy.wa.gov
Marine Monitoring Unit
EnvironmentalAssessment Program
WA Department of Ecology
Field log Climate Water column Aerial photos Continuous monitoring Streams