Pacific Shellfish Institute

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!

03/18/2026

S***k and Span!

Last month PSI adopted 10 Muppet-inspired storm drains in downtown Olympia as part of the Adopt-A-Drain program (https://wa.adopt-a-drain.org). This week we got to work sweeping, scooping, weighing, and admiring our handy work! We crafted up the coolest datasheet (if you love data like we do!) and can’t wait for next month’s cleaning! Is that weird?

Contact us if you’d like to join us for April’s cleaning Mupp-extravaganza! Thank you to the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment, Inspire Olympia, and Olympia Surfrider Chapter for your support and partnership.

03/13/2026

So much fun with MCD in Shelton School District this week!

03/13/2026

02/23/2026

Thank you to all the amazing folks that joined us at Three Magnets Brewing Co. for the Sip and Sci with PSI Mini-Conference! Our hearts are full!

We are so grateful to Three Mags for providing the perfect venue, Vics for donating delicious pizza, Thurston County Solid Waste for allowing us to pilot their "Borrow a Plate" kit (almost available to the public), and Calm Cove Oysters for surprising us with fresh-off-the-beach Olympia and Pacific oysters!!! What a special and memorable community gathering. Of course, none of this would be possible without support from Inspire Olympia. Thank you!

02/15/2026

Roses are red,
Oysters are briny.
Check out these larvae,
That are oh, so tiny!

Huge thanks to Clara Duncan at Aquatechnics for sending over what might be the most amazing valentines treat one has ever received - a stack of seed & larvae prepared slides. These incredible educational resources are a treasure that we will share with the South Sound community. Happy Valentine’s Day everyone!

02/11/2026

We are so excited about this and would LOVE to see you! Thank you, Inspire Olympia, for supporting this fun and educational event!

02/06/2026

PSI is excited to announce that we (in partnership with Olympia Surfrider Chapter) have ADOPTED 10 new storm drains in downtown Olympia through Adopt-a-Drain WA. The 10 drains are located in an area that does not receive ANY prior treatment before flowing into Budd Inlet.

In honor of the Muppets 50th Anniversary, we have named the storm drains after our most beloved Muppet characters. Join us monthly to clear your favorite character of leaves, trash and debris to reduce pollution and help prevent flooding. Stay tuned for more information!

A special thank you to the Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment for supporting this important community work.

01/22/2026

What an amazing MLK Jr. Day of Service with Thurston Conservation District’s Teens in Thurston program. Soooo many students and even a few parents braved the cold to build and plant 32 oyster bags!!! This equates to 3,200 oysters that will grow up to filter 160,000 gallons of south Puget Sound water every day! Kudos to the students that calculated average seed size (15mm), weight (.55g/oyster), and mortality (1.6%) for us.

Thank you, Elijah (TCD), Dan Mazur (Olympia Oyster Olympia Oyster Seed Planting Project), and Rose Foundation for Communities and the Environment for making this event possible!