Forage fish, like anchovies and sardines, are a dietary staple for seabirds. Around the globe, seabirds have adapted in order to cope with natural changes in the availability of these prey fish. However, increased fishing pressure on these forage species is thought to be altering this predator-prey relationship in an adverse way for seabird populations. The natural ability of seabirds to cope with changes in prey abundance makes it difficult for researchers to determine if they are responding to natural processes or to human fishing practices. 

The region north of Greenland and the Canadian Arctic has been termed the Last Ice Area, where sea ice will remain the longest in summertime, providing a refuge for ice-dependent Arctic species. But conditions last summer show that parts of this region are already experiencing less summer ice due to climate change.

PhD candidate Natalie Mastick Jensen will be featured in an upcoming documentary premiering on June 25th on Apple TV+. As a research assistant, Natalie worked with Dr. Michelle Fournet for two weeks in southeast Alaska on a humpback whale playback study. The team worked to determine the social function of a certain non-song vocalization called the whup call.

A new paper by Katherine Pearson Maslenikov published in Ichthyology and Herpetology outlines the history of the UW Fish Collection and its long partnership with NOAA and other state and federal agencies.

The Link to Lake project, of which SAFS Ph.D. student Ashley Townes serves on the steering committee, recently secured $1 million in improvements to Rainier Beach’s Be’er Sheva Park to address waterfront inequities.

Mark your calendars for the SAFS Spring Graduation celebration: Friday, June 11th, 2021 from 3:30-5:30 pm PT

Join the SAFS community for the SEAS 2021 Open House, May 19–22! This year’s free virtual Open House offers four days of family-friendly activities to safely celebrate science and research that relates to water.

Herring are the foundation of all things we love in Southeast Alaska. These fish connect us culturally, spiritually, and historically. From salmon to seals, eagles to whales, or blanched eggs on our stove tops, herring provide critical energy and nutrition to our communities and ocean ecosystems. This documentary shows the importance of herring for thousands of years, the risks they currently face, and envisions a way forward that centers Indigenous sovereignty and traditional ecological knowledge. May 5, 2021 4:00 PM-5:00 PM PT.

The UW News office, together with editors at The Conversation, is hosting workshops for UW-affiliated faculty, postdocs, graduate students and other researchers interested in writing analysis pieces for mainstream audiences. This is the fourth year the University of Washington has offered these sessions, and the first in an all-virtual format.

Silvana González, a PhD student at the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, uses acoustic techniques to collect data in otherwise inaccessible locations. In high-latitude marine ecosystems, like the Chukchi Sea, traditional vessel-based sampling for fish and zooplankton is only possible in seasons without sea ice. This limiting factor results in an incomplete picture of the life history of these species and the ecosystem as a whole. By utilizing remote acoustic measurements recorded throughout the year and under the sea ice, González is able to piece together a more complete picture of arctic marine life.