In an increasingly globalized world, aquatic foods have followed the same trend. Seafood is one of the most highly traded foods in the world and is a critical resource for human nutrition, livelihoods, and revenue. But despite this globalization trend, researchers have revealed that the basic characteristics of aquatic food trade remain largely unknown.

On 16 September 2024, the newest faculty member will join SAFS, Assistant Professor Carter Smith. Carter is an interdisciplinary coastal ecologist whose interests lie at the intersection of multiple disciplines including community ecology, conservation and restoration science, and coupled human natural systems research.

The WSG-funded research informs the future of eelgrass restoration in Washington, and the study is headed by UW Professors Kerry Naish (SAFS) and Jennifer Ruesink (Biology), as well as SAFS doctoral student Bryan Briones Ortiz. Their research first looked at the baseline genetic structure of the eelgrass population in Washington.

Call for participants and mentors for the 2024 GRFP workshop. The National Science Foundation’s Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP) offers 3 years of support for graduate students, and hybrid workshops will be held during September and October to pair participants with mentors to offer guidance and advice for the application.

In a new study challenging conventional thinking about how populations of large baleen whales recover from whaling, researchers have revealed that populations continue increasing rapidly for a wide range of recovery levels, only slowing once approaching pre-whaling levels.

Recent graduate of the SAFS master’s program, Jezella Peraza, has been chosen as the 2024 Washington Sea Grant (WSG) Keystone Fellow. As the 2024 WSG Keystone Fellow, Jezella will work with the Seattle Aquarium on an integrated conservation effort for pinto abalone. In collaboration with Indigenous Peoples and local communities, Jezella will help shape and implement engagement strategies to support pinto abalone recovery and honor cultural connections.

In the most recent cohort of University of Washington (UW) students participating in the NOAA Marine Mammal Lab internship program organized through SAFS, Chris Moon spent the summer of 2024 working with Dr. Tony Orr from NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center (AFSC), studying northern fur seals and California sea lions on San Miguel Island, California.

In a special update from the field, the Alaska Salmon Program shared their excitement at showing University of Washington President, Ana Mari Cauce, and College of the Environment Dean, Maya Tolstoy, around the field camps in Alaska. The Alaska Salmon Program has been running for more than 75 years, conducting research and providing hands on learning for UW students.
“We had a lot of fun showing UW President Ana Mari Cauce and UW College of the Environment Dean Maya Tolstoy why Bristol Bay is such a special place. 

During a multi-day workshop organized by SAFS Assistant Professor Jessica Gephart, nine researchers working on projects related to the seafood trade got together for a hackathon-style research event. The overarching goal was to facilitate use of the ARTIS (Aquatic Resource Trade in Species) database by providing support and answering questions about the data.

During the summer, UW Marine Biology senior, Ashley Rendon, is working with the Marine Landscape and Ecology Lab, led by Professor Corey Garza at SAFS. Using drones, Ashley has been surveying pinniped distribution along the California coastline and mapping the intertidal zone in British Columbia.