Pacific Shellfish Institute

09/02/2026

Final “What’s Blooming in Budd?” event POSTPONED to Friday, the 3rd, from 10-12 at Port Plaza!

The kids are back in school and the rain has returned. Looking through microscopes is no fun when they are drizzled on and steamed up. So, please join us for the “What’s Blooming?” grand finale this coming Friday. We’ll serve up pumpkin bread muffins to celebrate that “Fall’s-in-the-air” feel.

Thank you, Inspire Olympia , Stream Team of Thurston County, and Port of Olympia, for supporting these fun, educational events.

08/12/2026

A big thanks to Marine Landscape Ecology Lab for capturing drone imagery on oyster beds with us today!

Can drones help us count live versus dead oysters on the tideflats? Stay tuned as we explore this exciting opportunity.

Shout-out to Pacific Seafoods for hosting on their shellfish farm in beautiful Willapa Bay! 🦪🌊

07/31/2026

Super fun day down on the dock yesterday with volunteer, Jeanne Koenings, Shoreline Community College student, Sophie Alexiou, and parter-in-crime, Mary Elizabeth! Over 90 people, 4 pelicans, and several harbor seals stopped by to check out What’s Blooming in Budd!

This week, visibility was lovely at 2.5 meters, and the sample was a nice mix of diatoms and dinoflagellates: Skeletonema, Ditylum, Chaetoceros, and Scrippsiella. Dinophysis (5 different species) increased from last week from 30 to 661 cells/L.

Thank you, Inspire Olympia and Stream Team of Thurston County, for supporting these free, educational, all-age events!

07/02/2026

🌊Welcome to Naukati Bay, AK! Home to sumptuous oysters gently tumbled and fueled by a rich plankton community all year long 🦪💦

During the solstice, PSI had the opportunity to learn how oysters are grown in subtidal floating bag systems here in Naukati Bay, AK, along the shore of Prince of Wales Island. 🙏A huge thanks to Blue Starr Oyster Co. and Tommaso Shellfish for partnering with and hosting PSI on their farms!

Beyond a tasty oyster, shellfish farms provide important ecosystem services in estuarine systems. PSI and partners in AK and WA are quantifying the diversity of life on shellfish farms throughout the changing seasons. Follow along as we explore these unique habitats! 🦪💦

06/24/2026

Plankton Fan Zone – Percival Landing Pavilion dock!

PSI is kicking off the “What’s Blooming in Budd?” season tomorrow, Thursday, from 10-12 at the dock in front of the Percival Landing Pavilion, downtown Olympia. Please note the TEMPORARY NEW LOCATION since Port Plaza has become the fan zone for the exciting World Cup!

“What’s Blooming in Budd?” events will resume every Thursday this summer at PORT PLAZA (10-12) from June 24th to September 3rd.

Join us for community fun and exploration as we collect SoundToxins samples and see who’s dominating the plankton world this week.

Thank you, Stream Team of Thurston County and Inspire Olympia, for supporting these events.

06/17/2026

It was a gorgeous day to collect plankton samples for SoundToxins with long-time volunteer, Jeanne Koenings, and Tumwater HS student, Lorenzo Larios.

Plankton cell counts combined with WDOH shellfish testing prove to be a highly effective way to better understand harmful algal blooms (HABs) and protect human health and the shellfish industry. Learn more at www.soundtoxins.org.

Today, the water was thick with Akashiwo sanguinea (5,500 cells/L), Noctiluca scintillans, and Tripos fusus. Dinophysis, the species responsible for diarrhetic shellfish poisoning (DSP) and the current recreational shellfish harvest closure in Budd Inlet, is still common.

Come see what's in the water next Thursday (10:00-12:00) as we kick off the “What’s Blooming in Budd?” summer season at the Port Plaza dock! All are welcome!

06/16/2026

PSI recently retrieved our shell bags from a catch basin at Port of Olympia’s Marine Terminal! Might I say they were a bit stinky! 😊

Last April, over 200 pounds of oyster shell were placed into a catch basin to test their ability to naturally remove copper and zinc from stormwater runoff. Since that time, we collected stormwater samples during 2 storm events under both low-flow and high-flow conditions. Data is currently being analyzed and will help guide follow-up experiments this coming fall.

A HUGE shout out to the Port of Olympia staff for being flexible and “ready to go!” when the rain rolled in and their commitment to stormwater solutions. And a BIG thank you to the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment for supporting efforts to keep Budd Inlet clean and healthy!

06/09/2026

05/12/2026

Oyster Shell Testing with the Port of Olympia!

Two weeks ago, PSI loaded over 200 pounds of oyster shell into a catch basin at Port of Olympia’s Marine Terminal. PSI and the Port are working together to test the use of recycled oyster shell as a natural and environmentally friendly method to remove trace metals from stormwater before it flows into Budd Inlet.

On Wednesday - as the rain returns – PSI will collect stormwater samples upstream, within, and downstream of the shell-laden catch basin to evaluate changes in metal concentrations. Stay tuned for the results!

Thank you to the wonderful team at the Port of Olympia and the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment for supporting this exciting work!

04/22/2026

Happy Earth Day, Earthlings!!!

PSI is excited to celebrate the day in partnership with our friends at Olympia Surfrider Chapter. Come show your love for Budd Inlet by joining us at one of these fun events in downtown Olympia.

• Adopt-A-Drain (or 10!!) cleanup at PSI’s favorite Muppet-inspired locations; meet at the corner of Gonzo & Animal (East Bay Drive NE & Olympia Ave NE) from 1:00-2:00. Adopt-a-Drain MN

• “Hold On To Your Butt!” Cigarette Butt Cleanup; meet in front of Olympia City Hall from 5:30-6:30.

Thank you to Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment for supporting local efforts to protect Budd Inlet water quality!