We are nearing the end of the academic year, a time that naturally leads us to reflect the past year, and to look ahead to the next. Doing so fills with deep pride and admiration for SAFS, as our faculty, staff, and students have achieved so much despite numerous challenges. They continue to make important scientific breakthroughs on so many topics: unraveling equity in seafood trade, decoding whale vocalization, identifying threats of climate change to kelps and steelhead, documenting gaps in river conservation and much more.

Connor Whalen received the College of the Environment’s Exceptional Mentoring of Undergraduates award. This award, given annually to faculty, students and staff throughout the college, recognizes individuals for their efforts to develop undergraduate student research and the intellectual vibrancy of the College of the Environment.
Connor is a parasitologist, currently pursuing a M.S. in SAFS.
Connor’s nomination was noteworthy in that it was led by a large group of undergraduate students who have had the opportunity to work with him.    

The 2026 Bevan Symposium on Sustainable Fisheries celebrated the careers and successes of recently retired NOAA Fisheries professionals. Ten individuals from around the country visited the School to reflect on their careers, their accomplishments, and the future of the fisheries in the U.S.
The symposium, in its 24th year, brings in the world’s experts to discuss their contributions to pressing topics in sustainable fisheries with faculty, students and staff.  

The School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS) at the University of Washington is dedicated to sustaining healthy freshwater and marine environments. Within SAFS is Columbia Basin Research (CBR), a research center that provides public data access and quantitative approaches to issues involving Salmon and Steelhead migrating through regulated river systems.
CBR consists of a group of a dozen employees dedicated to providing important data services and research to the region. 

Steven Roberts is seeking two undergraduate students (or recent graduates) to participate in a funded summer research opportunity through the University of Washington eScience Institute.
The program supports undergraduate researchers interested in exploring how emerging AI tools can be applied to scientific research. Participants will work full-time (40 hours/week) for 10 weeks beginning June 22, 2026, as part of a cohort of students from across the UW system. 

The Applied Ecology Lab within the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences is hiring one part-time undergraduate research assistant to help with angler surveys on Lake Sammamish this summer (end of June-beginning of September). This work will contribute to ongoing Kokanee salmon conservation efforts by the Kokanee Work Group and Trout Unlimited through the collection of data on what fish species recreational anglers are targeting and catching in Lake Sammamish. 

A research opportunity is currently available with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) located in Tacoma, Washington. The USGS mission is to monitor, analyze, and predict current and evolving dynamics of complex human and natural Earth-system interactions and to deliver actionable intelligence at scales and timeframes relevant to decision makers. As the Nation’s largest water, earth, and biological science and civilian mapping agency, USGS collects, monitors, analyzes, and provides science about natural resource conditions, issues, and problems. 

Markus Min and Stephanie Valdez were selected as recipients of the 2026 David H. Smith Conservation Research Fellowship. This is a highly competitive and prestigious award that recognizes future leaders in conservation science. Markus will advance conservation of groupers by developing A.I. image classification tools, and Stephanie will explore how Olympia oyster restoration benefits Dungeness crab. 

Our very own Professor Daniel Schindler was elected to the 2026 class of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in recognition of his groundbreaking research on climate change, freshwater ecosystems and fisheries. Professor Schindler’s work has helped advance understanding of salmon habitats, watershed health and ecosystem resilience across Alaska and the Pacific Northwest.

In a new study, University of Washington scientists eavesdropped on Cook Inlet belugas, recording more than 1,700 calls representing 21 different behavioral encounters. This work builds on a 2023 study showing that noise from commercial shipping, the primary industry in the region, masks common beluga calls. Although many marine mammals rely more on sound than sight, our understanding of acoustic communication among these animals is limited.