As part of the UW Wetland Ecosystem Team’s Seattle Seawall Fish Monitoring Program, an underwater video from 2022 has been released.
Documenting what lies beneath in Year 5 of the project in 2022, the video is compiled from snorkel and SCUBA surveys to monitor effectiveness of the Seattle seawall rebuild for improving habitat for juvenile salmon and other nearshore fishes.
For more information visit http://depts.washington.edu/wetlab/
On International Polar Bear Day, the plight of these apex predators could not be more evident, as a result of a myriad of threats to their existence due to climate change.
As their name suggests, polar bears live in the Arctic polar regions of Canada, Greenland, Russia and Alaska. Kristin Laidre, a UW scientist at SAFS, shares that polar bears require ice for almost every aspect of their existence, including feeding, moving, breeding and in some places, maternity denning.
Why is International Polar Bear Day celebrated on February 27th? Because it’s the time mothers and cubs are denning across the Arctic and highlights just one of the existential threats posed by a warming climate at a particularly vulnerable time in a polar bear’s life.
Studying ecology and population dynamics of Arctic marine mammals, Laidre uses data on individual movements, foraging behavior, and life history to unite behavioral, population, and evolutionary ecology. In this time of global climate change, her research on the impacts of a warming world on ice-dependent species is of particular interest.
The conditions of a polar bear’s body are heavily impacted by the loss of ice according to Laidre. With not enough time to feed and gain the fat resources needed to survive the year, the loss of sea ice causes a cascade of issues including on reproduction, survival, and population abundance.
But is there hope for the future? Can polar bears adapt to a warming climate? Across the polar regions, Laidre says that the type of sea ice, the rate we are losing sea ice, and the productivity of the ecosystem is resulting in a variability of response of the world’s 19 polar bear populations.
However, this regional difference is underpinned by a clear prediction: a 30% reduction in the global abundance of polar bears is forecast over the next several decades if greenhouse gas emissions are not reduced.
So what inspires a new generation of scientists to get involved in polar bear research? Sarah Teman, a MS student at SAFS working in Kristin Laidre’s lab, became interested in studying polar bears due to their unique physiology and life history, and the fact that they face very challenging threats.
In her thesis project, conducted under the ‘One Health’ concept that the health of wildlife, ecosystems, and humans are deeply connected, she aims to measure the health of polar bears in the southern Beaufort Sea over time.
Understanding the health of these apex predators is not only important from a wildlife or ecosystem health perspective, but also for Indigenous communities around the Arctic who rely on bears as an important food and cultural resource.
Meanwhile, PhD student Jenny Stern, also working with Laidre, was drawn to the field due to the extreme nature of the Arctic ecosystem and is exploring what is required for top predators to survive in a rapidly changing climate.
Focusing on the Baffin Bay polar bear subpopulation, Jenny’s dissertation looks at feeding ecology and asks some important questions such as how diet varies among demographic groups and space-use strategies.
Jenny analyzes hair and fat samples collected from captured polar bears using stable isotopes and fatty acid analyses and combines this data with movement data from adult females tracked with satellite collars.
When asked about a memorable field experience, she shared that during a 40-day Arctic Research Expedition on a US Coast Guard icebreaker, she got to see a polar bear approach and stand on its hind legs whilst the ship was stuck for a few days in an ice floe. Watching her subject of research exploring and moving through its environment was a favorite memory of hers.
Research remains a critical frontier in efforts to combat the negative impacts of global climate change on species and environments around the world, and the research underway at SAFS highlights just some of the scientific work involved in that effort.
In a study led by Stanford University and Lindblad Expeditions, and co-authored by Trevor Branch from SAFS, scientists observed close to 1,000 fin whales foraging near Antarctica, while fishing vessels trawled for krill in their midst.
Read about his involvement in designing the replacement seawall along Seattle’s central waterfront and the key design features devised to make the environment as hospitable as possible for juvenile salmon, especially Chinook and Chum salmon, as they out-migrate from the river system to the ocean.
The biggest animals to have ever lived on our planet, blue whales are a charismatic species found across the world’s oceans.
Ranging in size from 79 ft in the Indian Ocean’s pygmy blue whale subspecies to more than 100 ft in Antarctic blue whales, these marine mammals were once hunted to near extinction.
In order to reconstruct past level of whales and discover if blue whale populations were recovering or not after the banning of commercial whaling in the 1980s, scientists have developed models that explain both old whaling catch records and modern-day counts.
Whaling records were incredibly detailed, recording data on every whale caught: species, size, sex, weight, fetus information, who caught them, the nationality of the boat, and date.
These historical datasets were used in decision-making by the International Whaling Commission to realize the Antarctic blue whale was almost extinct and to put a full moratorium on commercial whaling of the species in the 1960s.
Today, researchers like Professor Trevor Branch at UW are using statistical methods and models to study different whale populations across the globe and judge recovery levels.
He has been doing this work for decades. Fitting a model to data sets, he reconstructed what levels of whales there were, are now, and will be in the future, and judging whether they are in recovery or not.
There are many success stories. Almost every large whale population is recovering because whaling was the single biggest impact on these marine mammals in the past. Humpbacks are doing very well, and the blue whales on the Pacific Coast of the US have numbers suggesting they are fully recovered. Others like Antarctic blue whales are recovering but at very low levels, perhaps only 1% of pre-whaling levels.
Not all large whale populations are in good shape, however. North Atlantic right whales are still dying from entanglement with fishing gear and ship strikes, causing a decline in their numbers and raising the risk of extinction given their small population size.
Branch says it’s important to highlight the success stories in conservation of large whale species. Putting research intro practice, sharing why and how it helped recovery, and using it for other populations is vital.
His current work is focused on the assessment of pygmy blue whale populations in the Indian Ocean, with every population having a unique song. The whales repeat these songs over and over, and they are thought to have a mating function since only males sing them. These distinct calls stay stable over many decades, and he is using this information to figure out where each population resides, and therefore how many were caught from each during the whaling era. This will help him to assess trends in number over time for each of these populations… all based on their song!
On World Whale Day, we’re recognizing the importance of whales to the planet’s ecosystems and celebrating the recovery levels seen in most species whilst continuing to conduct research to tackle the continued negative impacts on the few that are still in danger due to human actions.
Growing up on the shores of Lake Michigan, Ben Makhlouf, now a researcher at SAFS, started off as an Ecology undergrad at UW. Taking a limnology course during his studies, he was inspired to get involved in research in Alaska when seeing someone with an Alaska Salmon Program t-shirt on. It amazed him that people were able to visit and work there.
He ended up being able to work in Alaska on a summer project involving otoliths as part of the Alaska Salmon Program and it lit his brain on fire.
Find out more about the path that led him to where he is now, carrying on his late mentor’s otolith microchemistry work, in a new episode of the The Fisheries Podcast.
From salmon ecologists and scientific divers to conservation geneticists and marine biologists, the halls of UW’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences and Marine Biology are filled with women in science.
Some are just beginning their journey with undergraduate degrees while others are pursuing research as retired professors, and we’re celebrating them all and the diversity among them.
For the UN International Day of Women and Girls in Science, we share thoughts from more than 20 women, about their inspirations, the barriers they’ve overcome, and tips for being women in science.
Growing up by the sea, asking questions, collecting things, facing climate anxiety, scuba diving, taking boat trips, attending summer science school – this is just a snapshot of the inspiration that led these women to become scientists.
For Chris Mantegna, giving back to her community through science is important to her. How does she do this? One way is using molecular techniques to study the genes of oysters and mussels and how they are changed by the environment, to ensure the highest quality and cleanliness.
Aisha Rashid met a biotech teacher who demonstrated that solving small-scale climate issues can translate into big impacts. This transported her out of feeling hopeless in the face of climate anxiety to being inspired to take action.
The unknown is what Sarah Yerrace shared as her big inspiration. Science focuses on answering questions, but what about what we don’t even know we don’t know? The excitement of possibilities and questions we don’t even know to ask yet continues to be a big pull for her.
Recurring themes popped up in discussions about overcoming barriers as women in science. Not seeing yourself represented in a male-centric world, notions of imposter syndrome and not being taken seriously as a woman, were just a few of the barriers shared.
For some, these obstacles reinforced their passion and determination to be in science and to carve out a space of belonging. Samantha-Lynn Martinez, who studies marine biology, wanted to bring her Filipino culture and background into science and especially into her passion for science communication.
Kelly Ann Neal shared insight into the idea of imposter syndrome being a systemic issue and one which women shouldn’t be responsible for overcoming. Instead, tackling the inherent issues in the system that makes women feel like outsiders and unworthy should be the focus instead.
“You know yourself best” is what Kat Lasdin shared. Don’t be afraid of the barriers put upon you because of gender, and instead insist and advocate to get the help you need, to get to where you want to be, and to achieve your goals.
Finding and forming a community in your field is essential. Having supportive mentors – especially female leaders – is helping many women to feel welcome and encouraged in their studies and career. Take chances, ask questions, feel confident in your abilities, be passionate, advocate for yourself, were all sentiments shared by the group.
An insightful piece of advice from Kerry Naish, conservation geneticist and director of the UW Marine Biology program, is to get involved in research as soon as possible. Marta Gomez-Buckley, who has returned to academia after 20 years to get her PhD and is an undergrad mentor, said it is important to give back through mentoring to help students pursue their passion for science.
Science is about progress. Seeing women in the student body, being taught by female professors, working with female researchers and being mentored by female leaders goes a long way to continuing the upward trend of women in science.
Today and every day we celebrate women in science.
The Open House offers a free and family-friendly afternoon of hands-on learning to celebrate science and research that relates to water.
Some of the most biologically diverse ecosystems found on our planet, wetlands are filled with unique plant life and organisms that contribute to the ecological health of the surrounding environment.
An area which is saturated or flooded with water, the distinction of a wetland is the aquatic vegetation which has adapted to thrive in these permanently saturated soils.
Understanding, managing and protecting wetlands has been some of the impetus behind a new Freshwater Minor announced at the School of Aquatic and Fisheries Sciences (SAFS). And on World Wetlands Day, celebrated globally since 1997, new courses specifically focused on freshwater ecosystems are important to highlight.
Led by SAFS Professor Julian Olden, the new Minor recognizes the complex relationships between freshwater ecosystems, such as wetlands, and human societies including topics associated with climate change, land use, watershed management and water pollution.
Delivering a hands-on experience for students to get directly involved in field-based research, the Freshwater Minor at SAFS is focusing on a holistic approach of science, management and sustainability to give students a deeper understanding of the myriad of environmental challenges facing freshwater ecosystems.