Differences in the life history pathways (LHPs) of juvenile animals are often associated with differences in demographic rates in later life stages. For migratory animals, different LHPs often result in animals from the same population occupying distinct habitats subjected to different environmental drivers. 

More than a century of preserved fish specimens offer a rare glimpse into long-term trends in parasite populations. New research from the University of Washington with lead author Chelesea Wood from SAFS, shows that fish parasites plummeted from 1880 to 2019, a 140-year stretch when Puget Sound — their habitat and the second largest estuary in the mainland U.S. — warmed significantly. 

The beluga whale population in Alaska’s Cook Inlet, which connects Anchorage to the North Pacific Ocean, is listed as endangered and has declined by over 75% from about 1,300 whales in the late 1970’s to fewer than 300 today.
Understanding whether the decline is due to low birth or low survival rates, or a combination of the two, can give scientists clues about the external threats that are impacting the population. 

Taking place on Friday 9 December at 2pm, the agenda for the 2022 Alaska Salmon Program Annual Science Symposium has been announced. The event will be held in FSH 102, in the Fishery Sciences Building.

This symposium showcases the research of the UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences’ Alaska Salmon Program undergraduate and graduate students, faculty, staff and visiting scientists. 

With its unique position spanning marine and freshwater environments, the School of Aquatic and Fisheries Science (SAFS) attracts researchers, scientists, scholars and students from a wide sea of disciplines.
The first in a new series of SAFS Spotlight, we spoke with Sarah Converse, Associate Professor at SAFS and Unit Leader of the U.S. Geological Survey, Washington Cooperative Fish and Wildlife Research Unit. 

SAFS graduate student Anne Polyakov spent a summer with the UW Alaska Salmon Program studying ecosystems along three salmon streams, hoping to use the data collected to track how nutrients flow into all parts of the system — into the soil, plants and the role that fungi play in this intricate process. 

The deep sea contains more than 90% of the water in our oceans, but only about a third of all fish species. Scientists have long thought the explanation for this was intuitive — shallow ocean waters are warm and full of resources, making them a prime location for new species to evolve and thrive. But a new University of Washington study led by Elizabeth Miller reports that throughout Earth’s ancient history, there were several periods of time when many fish actually favored the cold, dark, barren waters of the deep sea. 

In a new documentary, Ocean Invaders, on NOVA PBS, join researchers from the UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS) as they uncover the hidden secrets of one of the world’s most invasive species: the lionfish.
Wreaking havoc on ocean reefs, one of the most popular ways of lionfish population control is spear fishing. However, lionfish have started to venture beyond the depth by which it’s possible to spear fish, presenting a new challenge. 

Washington Sea Grant announces that Ashley Townes, who is completing her doctorate in fisheries ecology at SAFS, has been selected as the 2022–2023 WSG Keystone Fellow. 

From the Pacific Northwest and Alaska to further afield, rivers are one of the aquatic environments where UW School of Aquatic and Fisheries Science (SAFS) researchers are actively working to ensure a healthy, sustainable ecosystem for the future.
On World Rivers Day – an international celebration and awareness day for the world’s waterways – we are highlighting some of the extensive research underway at SAFS and through partnerships with different institutions.