PSAMP Long-term Sediment Monitoring

PSAMP Long-term Sediment Monitoring As part of the Puget Sound Ambient Monitoring Program (PSAMP), the Washington State Department of Ecology sampled sediments at ten fixed stations each spring from 1989 through 2000 (Figure 1). Stations were chosen from a variety of habitats and geographic locations in Puget Sound. Sediments from each station were analyzed for particle size, organic carbon content, and the presence of more than 120 chemical contaminants, as well as the types and abundances of sediment-dwelling organisms. Changes in sediment condition over this time period provide evidence for both human-driven and naturally-occurring influences on the marine ecosystem.