The Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) is a collaborative network of subject matter experts from many monitoring organizations and different parts of the region. Together, they generate, organize, synthesize, and communicate scientific information, across political and organizational boundaries, to track ecosystem conditions that directly address management and science questions critical to Puget Sound recovery.

To achieve this mission, PSEMP has the following objectives:

1. Increase collaboration across monitoring programs by creating and maintaining forums for open communication, data sharing, synthesis, and effectiveness assessment.
2. Support adaptive management of recovery efforts by facilitating dialogue among PSEMP participants, planners, managers, and decision-makers.
3. Improve communication within and beyond the monitoring and assessment community to improve access to credible information to guide recovery decisions.

The Puget Sound Partnership supports and assists PSEMP and facilitates communication among the Partnership's programs, the Puget Sound Science Panel, the Ecosystem Coordination Board, the Leadership Council, and the Salmon Recovery Council. The monitoring program is called for in the Partnership's enabling statute (RCW 90.71.290)

For more information about each group in the PSEMP Network, please click on the links below
	COORDINATING BODIES
	Steering Committee		Work Group Leads
	WORK GROUPS
	Diseases	Forage Fish and Food Webs	Freshwater	Marine Birds
	Marine Mammals	Marine Waters	Modeling	Nearshore
	Salmonids	Spatial Data	Stormwater	Toxics
	SUBCOMMITTEES
	Communications Subcommittee

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Collaboration

PSEMP is a coordinated network of the Puget Sound monitoring community, working together to accelerate Puget Sound recovery. PSEMP members track ecosystem and human wellbeing conditions and, in topical work groups, determine trends, monitoring priorities and effectiveness of recovery actions – all intended to inform recovery actions throughout Puget Sound. The network is supported by Puget Sound Partnership and fueled by significant in-kind contributions of participating organizations, especially those who serve in leadership roles.

Adaptive Management

Information and products coming out of the PSEMP network provides the relevant, credible, and timely information needed to support adaptive management of recovery efforts. The four major elements of the Adaptive Management Framework are described in this image. More information about PSEMP’s Adaptive Management roles can be found in the PSEMP Strategic Plan.

Communication

The recently produced PSEMP Communications Strategy lays the groundwork for improving access to, and use of, credible information to guide Puget Sound recovery decisions.  Our primary communication goals are to foster dialogue and information sharing within the monitoring and assessment community and to those who are making decisions on the ground, in policy and in funding decisions. 

Last updated: 9/5/24