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Being an ecological detective: modeling population dynamics for humpback whales
Since 2017, Kristin Privitera-Johnson has been working with André Punt on creating a population model for North Pacific humpback whales as part of the work of the Scientific Committee of the International Whaling Commission. This population is modeled using various datasets – new, old, hidden, lost. Working with other members on their team, they’re uncovering new ways to deliver deeper insights into this population of humpbacks, including use of genetic and photo IDs data on population connectivity.
Read moreNew paper: Shellfish aquaculture farms as foraging habitat for nearshore fishes and crabs
As interest and investment in shellfish aquaculture have expanded both locally and globally, so has interest in how these farms modify intertidal habitat and whether the complex structure created by the shellfish and shellfish growing gear provides ecosystem services that are comparable to those of unfarmed areas, such as mudflats and eelgrass meadows.
Read moreESA 2024 grad student policy award cohort named, includes Helena McMonagle
The Ecological Society of America (ESA) has announced the recipients of the 2024 Graduate Student Policy Award, for students engaged in advocacy with an interest in science policy, which includes SAFS grad Helena McMonagle.
Read moreMicroplastics in the marine environment: research in Tetiaroa
Transitioning from a SAFS research scientist to a graduate student in Fall 2023, Kat Lasdin is familiar with the world of microplastics research. As a member of Jacqueline Padilla-Gamiño’s lab, one of the projects Kat has been involved in focuses on water, sand, and microplastics in Tetiaroa, an atoll in French Polynesia. Tetiaroa is also the site of a breadth of other UW-led work, including seabirds and shark research.
Read moreExamining the impact of settler colonialism on Indigenous food systems
Working at the intersection of environmental justice, food sovereignty, and community-based research, Nicole Doran is centering Indigenous perspectives in her work. Nicole’s research for her masters degree, as a member of Mark Scheuerell’s Applied Ecology Lab at SAFS, has involved a deep dive into available literature to examine the impact of settler colonialism on Indigenous food systems.
With this year marking the 50th anniversary of the Boldt Decision, which upheld the rights of members of several Western Washington Indigenous tribes to fish in accordance with terms of treaties signed in the 1850s, discussions around this topic remain deeply relevant.
Looking ahead: what does climate change have in store for Pacific Coast fish?
From Alaska to California, researchers are looking into the impact of climate change on the distribution of fish that live near the seafloor. Focusing on species such as halibut, pollock, sablefish and rockfishes, which have commercial and environmental importance for the Pacific Coast of the US, these fish are impacted in different ways by shifting ocean temperature and oxygen, resulting in a myriad of knock-on effects.
Read moreWill the tides change on tidal energy in the US? Quantifying fish encounters with tidal turbines
Diving into the world of marine renewable energy, Jezella Peraza, a masters student at SAFS, has recently published a paper looking into the probabilities of fish-turbine encounters and impact.
Whereas the renewable energy sector utilizing solar and wind energy is booming in the United States, the uptake of tidal energy is off to a slower start. Tidal turbines, placed on the sea floor, generate energy when water moves through a constricted area.
Taking a deeper look: using fish eye lenses to explore invasive fish impacts on native fish communities
Fighting for the little guy. That’s one of the things Jess Diallo, PhD candidate at SAFS, likes about her work. Her research encapsulates this idea as she explores the impact of invasive fish on native fish food webs, based in a tributary to the lower Colorado River.
Part of Julian Olden’s Freshwater Ecology and Conservation Lab, Jess’ fieldwork in 2021 involved collecting samples for stable isotope analysis, including fish eye lenses, to provide a deeper look into how fish move throughout the food web.
Arial Brewer speaks with OPB about the impact of ship noise on beluga whales
SAFS PhD student, Arial Brewer, joins the Oregon Public Broadcasting ‘Think Out Loud’ series to share her research into the impact of ship noise on Alaska’s Cook Inlet beluga whales.
Read moreSpecial issue on Building Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Ocean Sciences features SAFS scientists
With contributions from SAFS scientists including Jackie Padilla-Gamiño, Corey Garza and Xochitl Clare, Oceanography’s special issue addresses structural and cultural obstacles encountered by underrepresented and marginalized scholars.
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