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392 posts in Publications

Scientists pilot a new method to measure the health of wild polar bears

Two polar bears - one adult and one cub - walk on land next to the water's edge. In the background, an old and rusty ship/barge is in the water.

Climate change threatens the health of polar bears across the Arctic. A study published in Conservation Physiology on March 5, introduces a new approach to measuring the health of polar bear populations, drawing inspiration from a well-known concept in human medicine: allostatic load. The lead author of the study is SAFS PhD student, Sarah Teman, working with UW Professor, Kristin Laidre, and scientists from USGS and Fish and Wildlife Health Consulting.

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Unravelling the mystery of the missing blue whale calves

Two blue whales - one adult and one calf - pictured from above in a blue ocean.

Only two blue whale births have ever been recorded in human history, an extraordinary mystery given they give birth every two to three years. Calves are also only rarely sighted—far less than would be expected from their pregnancy rates. Calves closely follow their moms and are sighted as mother-calf pairs, but why are so few detected? A new UW study by Trevor Branch proposes why. Its explanation hints at when and where the unseen births are happening and where blue whale calves spend their earliest months.

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Ghostly flight species of baleen whales avoid attracting killer whales by singing too low to be heard

A close up view of the mouth of a blue whale is pictured, with the side profile of a killer whale shown entering the blue whale mouth (to feed on its tongue after an attack). Pictured in a blue ocean with choppy white water around the whales.

Killer whales are the only natural predator of baleen whales. More solitary than toothed whales, baleen whales face predatory attacks from killer whales, especially mother and calf pairs. When attacked, some species fight back, while others choose flight. But whale species also produce loud underwater songs…what stops killer whales from homing in on their calls and attacking them? New acoustic research by Trevor Branch sheds light on why.

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A Crab Network is Connecting Communities and Generating Crucial Data for Salish Sea Fisheries

A large crab, brown in color, is held up by someone, with the background displaying ocean water and blue skies.

A collaborative network of agency and tribal scientists and resource managers, university faculty and students, and community volunteers are diligently working together to unlock the secrets of the Dungeness crab’s life cycle in the Salish Sea. The Pacific Northwest Crab Research Group (PCRG) is leading this unprecedented effort, generating vital data and fostering robust relationships to ensure the long-term sustainability of this ecologically, economically and culturally-important species.

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Small-scale fisheries essential to global nutrition, featured on cover of Nature

Small-scale fisheries play a significant but overlooked role in global fisheries production and are key to addressing hunger and malnutrition while supporting livelihoods around the world, according to research featured in Nature in Jan. 2025. The study was published by an international team of scientists, including Professor Chris Anderson from the UW SAFS.

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Evolution and elongation in deep dwelling anglerfishes

A woman smiles into the camera while holding a footballfish specimen

Working with specimens from the Burke Museum and NOAA, Elizabeth Miller, a former postdoc at SAFS, was captivated by the great diversity of shapes of anglers, which was at odds with how the species is often depicted in popular culture (think Finding Nemo). Elizabeth set out to build a family tree of anglerfishes and delve into the evolution of new shapes, such as body elongation.

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From tropics to temperate: The shifting breeding ranges of seabirds amid climate change

A bird is pictured from the side/underside view, flying over the ocean. The bird has a white head and underside, with black/brown wings.

Across the globe, species are shifting their ranges in response to environmental changes driven by climate change. However, seabirds face distinct challenges in adapting to these shifts. Amelia DuVall, PhD candidate at SAFS and member of the Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit, recently published a paper reporting on the breeding range expansion of two pantropical seabird species—the Brown Booby and the Blue-footed Booby.

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One or many? Exploring the population groups of the largest animal on Earth

A large blue whale swims through blue water, with its blowhole visible.

Hunted nearly to extinction during 20th century whaling, the world’s largest animal, the Antarctic blue whale, went from a population size of roughly 200,000 to little more than 300. The most recent abundance estimate in 2004 put Antarctic blue whales at less than 1% of their pre-whaling levels. But is this population recovering? Is there just one population of Antarctic blue whales, or multiple? Why do these questions matter for conservation? PhD student, Zoe Rand, is tackling these questions in a new study.

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Paws of polar bears sustaining ice-related injuries in a warming Arctic

Three polar bears walk across an icy landscape with paw prints zig-zagging across.

Polar bears in some parts of the high Arctic are developing ice buildup and related injuries to their feet, apparently due to changing sea ice conditions in a warming Arctic. While surveying the health of two polar bear populations, researchers led by Kristin Laidre from UW SAFS, found lacerations, hair loss, ice buildup and skin ulcerations primarily affecting the feet of adult bears as well as other parts of the body.

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