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Marine Data Catalog
Links and information for marine water quality, plankton, sediment, and tissue datasets. Contains access to program pages, data, and relevant documentation where available.
The map below shows all sampling sites for marine monitoring and can be filtered by program name.
Water Quality
Water quality data from 20 King County marine beaches. Samples are collected once a month and are analyzed for temperature, salinity, nutrients, and fecal indicator bacteria.
Bottle samples from Central Basin and the Duwamish River collected at various depths. Data are collected
alongside CTD profiles bi-monthly Feb-Nov, and monthly Jan & Dec. Secchi measurements are taken with every profile.
In situ water column profiles within Central Basin and the Duwamish River collected with a CTD. Data are collected bi-monthly Feb-Nov, monthly Jan & Dec; data binned in 0.5m depth intervals. Secchi measurements are taken with every profile.
Real-time water quality and meteorological data in Central Basin from fixed moorings. Samples collected every 15 minutes.
Marine carbon system parameters from bottles and mooring data. Monthly bottle samples from two depths collected at the Quartermaster Harbor Yacht Club mooring and the Point Williams buoy. Samples are analyzed by NOAA PMEL for total alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon. Other carbonate system parameters are calculated.
- Program Page
- Data - contact MarineWQ@kingcounty.gov
- Documentation
Water quality data from 5 locations in Whidbey Basin. Samples collected in bottles via Niskin rosette and analyzed in laboratory for chlorophyll-a, nutrients, and more.
Water column profiles from 10 locations in Whidbey Basin collected via CTD. Data collected monthly and binned in 0.5 m depth intervals.
Real-time water quality and meteorological data in Whidbey Basin from fixed moorings. Samples collected every 15 minutes. Penn Cove bottom data available on ~3 month delay.
- Program Page
- Data - contact MarineWQ@kingcounty.gov
Plankton
Phytoplankton composition abundance and biovolume data for 10 locations in the Central Basin. Data are collected twice monthly February-November, and monthly January & December. Samples collected bi-monthly Feb-Nov, monthly Jan & Dec from a single depth; a complete species list for each sample is available upon request. Semi-quantitative data available for three sampling locations between 2008-2014 available upon request.
- Program Page
- Quantitative Data Location
- Species List - contact MarineWQ@kingcounty.gov
- Documentation
Zooplankton abundance and biomass data for 3 locations in the Central Basin: Pt. Jefferson, Pt. Williams, and East Passage. Data are collected twice monthly February-November, and monthly January & December.
Sediment
Sediment chemistry data collected from King County beaches since 1987. Parameters include physical characteristics, nutrients, metals, semi-volatile organics, PCBs, and PBDEs.
Marine offshore sediment chemistry data from Elliott Bay, Central Basin, and embayment stations since 1988. Parameters include physical characteristics, nutrients, metals, semi-volatile organics, tributyltin, pesticides, PCBs, and PBDEs.
Marine offshore benthic invertebrate community (benthos) data from Elliott Bay, Central Basin, and embayment stations since 2015. Includes species identification and abundance data.
Fish and Shellfish Toxics
Contaminant data measured in butter clams (Saxidomus giganteus) collected at King County beaches between 1998 and 2010 (additional samples were collected in 2017). Parameters analyzed included metals and trace organic compounds. Most organics were dropped in 2006 due to low rates of detection and in 2008 polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) congeners were added.
Clams were collected at the same time and location as intertidal sediments.
- Data – contact MarineWQ@kingcounty.gov
- Documentation
Contaminant and biomarker data measured in tissues of fish collected in Elliott Bay and the main basin of Puget Sound. Contaminants measured include PCBs, PBDEs, organochlorine pesticides, total mercury, metals, and PFAS. Biomarkers include PAH-metabolites and vitellogenin.
- Program Page
- Data- contact wlrtoxicology@kingcounty.gov
- 2019 Sampling and Analysis Plan Addendum
- Other documentation - contact wlrtoxicology@kingcounty.gov
Years of collection (to date): 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, 2023
Locations sampled: Alki, Harbor Island (2 years only), Myrtle Edwards, Pier 62, Quartermaster Harbor, Shilshole Bay Marina
Species collected: English sole (Parophrys vetulus), Brown rockfish (Sebastes auriculatus), Copper rockfish (S. caurinus), and/or Quillback rockfish (S. maliger)
Tissue analylzed: composites of skinless fish fillets from multiple E. sole; single whole-body rockfish; blood plasma from individual E. sole; bile composites from multiple E. sole
Contaminants analyzed: total mercury, metals, PCBs, PBDEs, organochlorine pesticides, PFAS (beginning 2019)
Contaminant biomarkers analyzed: PAH-metabolites, vitellogenin
Contaminant data measured in tissues of crabs collected in Elliott Bay and the main basin of Puget Sound. Contaminants measured include PCBs, PBDEs, organochlorine pesticides, total mercury, metals, and PFAS.
- Program Page
- Data - contact wlrtoxicology@kingcounty.gov
- Elliott Bay and Puget Sound Crab Tissue Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP)
- 2014 Crab Data Report
- Other documentation - contact wlrtoxicology@kingcounty.gov
Years of collection (to date): 2014, 2018, 2022
Locations sampled: Shilshole Bay Marina North, Shilshole Bay Marina South, Terminal 86 Pier, Tramp Harbor
Species collected: Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister) and/or red rock crab (Cancer productus)
Tissue analyzed: composites of muscle from multple crabs; composite of hepatopancreas from multiple crab
Contaminants analyzed: total mercury, metals, PCBs, PBDEs, organochlorine pesticides, PFAS (beginning 2022)
Contaminant and biomarker data measured in tissues of English sole collected from nearby sites after the 2017 flooding event at the West Point Treatment Plant. Contaminants measured include PCBs, PBDEs, organochlorine pesticides, total mercury, and metals. Biomarkers include stable isotopes, xenoestrogens, PAH-metabolites and vitellogenin.
- Data - contact wlrtoxicology@kingcounty.gov
- West Point Flooding Event 2017 English Sole Muscle Tissue Chemistry Report
- 2017 West Point Flooding Event: English Sole Tissue Monitoring Final Report
Year of collection: 2017
Locations sampled: Shilshole Bay Marina North, Shilshole Bay Marina South, Myrtle Edwards, Smith Cove
Species collected: Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister)
Tissue analyzed: composites of muscle from multple crabs; composite of hepatopancreas from multiple crab
Contaminants analyzed: metals, PCBs, PBDEs, PAHs
Contaminants measured in tissues of marine and freshwater fish collected from Pier 62 (Elliott Bay) and Lake Union (Seattle) in 2021. Contaminants measured include PPCPs, triclosan, methyl triclosan, octylphenol, nonylphenol, and nonylphenol ethoxylates.
- Data - contact wlrtoxicology@kingcounty.gov
- Chemicals of Emerging Concern in Marine and Freshwater Fish, Quality Assurance Project Plan (QAPP)
- Chemicals of Emerging Concern in Marine and Freshwater Fish in King County, Final Report
Year of collection: 2021
Locations sampled: Pier 62, Lake Union
Species collected: Brown rockfish (Sebastes auriculatus), Quillback rockfish (S. maliger), Smallmouth bass (Micropterus dolomieu)
Tissue type analyzed: single whole-body fish
Contaminants analyzed: PPCPs, triclosan, methyl triclosan, octylphenol, nonylphenol, nonylphenol ethoxylates
Contaminant data measured in tissues of crabs collected in Elliott Bay and the main basin of Puget Sound. Contaminants measured include PCBs, PBDEs, organochlorine pesticides, PAHs, and metals.
- Data - contact wlrtoxicology@kingcounty.gov
- 2017 West Point Incident Response: Crab Tissue Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP)
- West Point Flooding Event Dungeness Crab Tissue Report
Year of collection: 2017
Locations sampled: Shilshole Bay Marina North, Shilshole Bay Marina South, Myrtle Edwards, Smith Cove
Species collected: Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus magister)
Tissue analyzed: composites of muscle from multple crabs; composite of hepatopancreas from multiple crab
Contaminants analyzed: metals, PCBs, PBDEs, PAHs
Contaminant data (PCB Aroclors) measured in the tissues of Sand sole collected in 2017 from the Lower Duwamish Waterway.
- Data - contact wlrtoxicology@kingcounty.gov
- Duwamish Sand Sole Tissue Compositing, Processing and Analysis Plan - contact wlrtoxicology@kingcounty.gov
Year of collection: 2017
Location sampled: Lower Duwamish Waterway
Species collected: Sand sole (Psettichthys melanostictus)
Tissue type analyzed: composites of skin-on fillets from multiple fish
Contaminants analyzed: PCB Aroclors
Contaminant data measured in the tissues of squid collected in 2016 from Terminal 86 Pier (Elliott Bay) and Redondo Pier (Des Moines). Contaminants measured include PCBs, PBDEs, organochlorine pesticides, butylins, Base/Neitral/Acid extractable compounds (BNAs), total mercury, and metals.
- Data - contact wlrtoxicology@kingcounty.gov
- 2016 Elliott Bay Market Squid Tissue Monitoring Sampling and Analysis Plan (SAP)
- 2016 Squid Contaminant Data Report
Year of collection: 2016
Location sampled: Terminal 86 Pier, Redondo Pier
Species collected: Squid (Doryteuthis opalescens)
Tissue type analyzed: composites of mantle and tentacles from multiple squid
Contaminants analyzed: total mercury, metals, PCBs, PBDEs, organochlorine pesticides, butyltins, Base/Neutral/Acid extractable compounds (BNAs)