The UW Aquatic Sciences Open House is back on Saturday 17 May, offering a free and family-friendly day of hands-on learning to celebrate science and research that relates to water. Visitors can step on board a research boat used for local science, and experience real working science labs here at the university. We also have hands-on activities led by current UW students, staff, postdocs, and faculty across the College of the Environment and by organizations from the greater Seattle area.

New research led by UW Medicine, and involving Jacqueline Padilla-Gamiño from SAFS, has revealed that certain protein particles distinguish resilient corals from those that succumb to bleaching, offering new molecular tools for reef conservation and climate resilience.

While conducting early detection monitoring for invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas), Washington Sea Grant Crab Team discovered a non-native shrimp Palaemon macrodactylus, hitherto unreported along Washington’s portion of the Salish Sea. By examining prior data, and tracking this species closely over subsequent years, the team which included researchers from SAFS, were able to consistently monitor the spread and increase of this species across the region.

The International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) is seeking to hire an undergraduate or recently graduated intern for Summer 2025 to work at the IPHC Headquarters (HQ) located in Salmon Bay, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A.
Overview
The Internship Program is designed to provide interns exposure to a variety of tasks associated with the management of an international fisheries resource. Each intern is assigned a research project that involves work in the IPHC Biological Laboratory but that can also include work in other areas relevant to IPHC activities. 

A new video by ICES explores a solar-powered acoustic monitoring system that tracks fish migrations and provides near-real-time data to support sustainable fishing, featuring John Horne.

In a new paper co-authored with researchers from the Federal University of Paraná, Julian Olden explored changes in biogeographic patterns in global fish diversity caused by the spread of non-native species, teasing apart the geographic and taxonomic drivers of change.

Whether it is food or clothing, people care about where their products come from. Seafood is no different. Governments, retailers, and customers care about the source of the seafood on their plate as it is an important factor for evaluating the product’s sustainability and whether it aligns with their values. In a new perspective piece published in npj Ocean Sustainability, Jessica Gephart worked with a team of researchers to look into a specific case of seafood traceability in relation to US imports after sanctions on Russia.

The Roberts Lab in the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences is seeking a motivated undergraduate student to assist with general lab maintenance, logistical support, and shellfish husbandry. Responsibilities will include maintaining a clean and organized lab environment, preparing and restocking supplies, assisting with routine equipment maintenance, and supporting ongoing research projects by caring for live shellfish, monitoring water quality, and ensuring proper system functioning. 

It’s not just fish being studied at SAFS. Undergraduates get to learn about a huge range of species, from teeny tiny parasites and insects, to seabirds and the largest mammals on Earth. And it’s not just animals either. It’s all the habitats in which these animals live and depend on. For Stevan Pekich, his capstone project is exploring how urbanization and insect health are affecting riparian-obligate bird species in our local King County.

Seattle City Light is recruiting for an internship based at the Native Salmonid Conservation Facility (NSCF) in Usk, WA, in Pend Oreille County. It provides a hands-on learning experience focused on conservation-based native fishery restoration, supporting Boundary Dam FERC licensing obligations. The 2025 Hatchery Internship offers students an opportunity to develop entry-level biological data collection and animal husbandry skills within an environmental restoration context.