The Salish Sea Model (SSM) has been used as a tool to help inform issues such as population growth, increasing nutrient loads, watershed runoff and pollution, and shoreline development. The predictive ocean-modeling capabilities have been used for coastal estuarine research, restoration planning, water-quality management, and climate change response assessment. It is also being used for the analysis of the response of the Salish Sea to sea level rise, climate change, and propagation of global ocean acidification into the inner estuarine environment.
The PNNL modeling team conducts numerous applications of this model on behalf of our collaborating partners to assist with nearshore habitat restoration planning and design, analysis in support of re-establishment of fish migration pathways, and assessment of basin-wide water quality impacts.
Projects