Hood Canal
Hood Canal is a long (60 miles in length) arm of the Puget Sound, directly west of the main basin. While the bottom water in southern end of Hood Canal has
historically had low dissolved oxygen during parts of the year, this condition has become more widespread in the last decade, and dissolved oxygen concentrations
are at their lowest in recorded history. The area of low dissolved oxygen is getting larger, spreading northwards, and the periods of low dissolved oxygen
last longer. Hood Canal suffered significant fish kills during both 2002 and 2003, affecting thousands of juvenile perch (June 2003) and numerous fish, octopi
and sea cucumbers (fall 2002 and 2003).
As part of the science contingency studying this phenomenon, there are currently 4 ORCA moorings deployed in Hood Canal, Washington. Click the markers on the map below to view data from that location. The ORCA moorings are also equipped with weather stations; click here to view the current weather conditions at each buoy ( updated approximately every 10 minutes ).