The 2026 capstone and thesis projects at SMEA showcased a diverse range of interdisciplinary research addressing important environmental and social issues. Capstone partnered with communities and organizations to address real-world environmental challenges, including tribal perspectives on offshore wind development, fish barrier removal coordination with the South Whidbey Basin, and the continuation of Chief Leschi School’s food forest. Thesis students conducted independent research on topics ranging from critical mineral sourcing, forced labor in fisheries, and vessel strike reduction. Together, these projects reflect SMEA’s commitment to advancing innovative research, community collaboration, and solutions-oriented approaches to complex environmental issues.

Below is a list of our students’ projects and links to watch their presentations.

Thesis:

May 15th, 2026:

Anna Lewis: Beyond Supply Chains: A just mining index for assessing critical mineral sources (10 a.m.) Link

Justin Hirsch: Assessing the Prevalence of Forced Labor Indicators in the US North Pacific Albacore Tuna Fishery (10:30 a.m.) Link

Isaac Olson: Comparing ocean acidification communication strategies and effectiveness in marine education centers (2:30 p.m.) Link

Emma Klessig: How Countries Frame Their Climate Commitments: Explaining Cross-National Variation in NDC Policy Implementation Specificity (3 p.m.) Link

May 22nd, 2026:

Hannah Brown: Dungeness crab (Metacarcinus Magister) molt data utility in life-stage linkages and abundance estimates in Puget Sound (10:30 a.m.) Link

Emily Bews: Predictive habitat suitability modeling of Nereocystis Luetkeana in San Juan County, WA (2 p.m.) Link

Meredith Dirkman: Economic Valuation of the Ecosystem Services Provided by Nereocystis Luetkeana in the Puget Sound (2:30 p.m.) Link 

Marisa Campbell: A probabilistic framework for evaluating ship strike hazard and the effectiveness of vessel speed reduction policies (3 p.m.) Link

Maddie Gard: Blooming Concerns: Alexandrium Catenella in Puget Sound (3:30 p.m.) Link

Capstones:

May 15th, 2026:

Maya Ades, Sawyer Jenkins, and Dietrich Truman: Assessing the ORHAB (Olympic Regional Harmful Algal Bloom) Partnership  (11 a.m.) Link

Rebecca Ballantyne, Margaret Jelsma, and Jane Wybenga: Tribal Perspectives on Offshore Wind Development & Tribal Benefit Agreements (11:50 a.m.) Link

Eitan Gerstle, Erica Mackenzie, and Elise Wilson-Leedy: Addressing Data Gaps and Coordination Challenges in Fish Barrier Removal in the South Whidbey Basin (1:45 p.m.) Link

May 22nd, 2026

Josh Hymes, Marissa Scott, and Miriam Stearns: Communicating Subsistence Management to Broaden Pathways for Public Engagement in Southeast Alaska (11 a.m.) Link

Will Burnham and Zoe DeGrande: Taking Root: Reflections on Collaborative Food Forest Creation with Chief Leschi Schools (11:30 a.m.) Link