SMEA alumna Lindsay Gordon is helping bring global attention to climate change and sea-level rise through film as the Impact Producer of the award-winning documentary Oceania: Journey to the Center. The feature-length film tells the story of life on an atoll in the Pacific island nation of Kiribati, which scientists predict could become uninhabitable by 2030 due to rising sea levels and warming temperatures driven by climate change. 

The School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) at the University of Washington is pleased to announce that Dr. Shana Hirsch will join the faculty as an Assistant Professor beginning in Fall 2026.
Dr. Hirsch is a qualitative social scientist with a background in natural resource politics, policy, and management. Her research focuses on emerging technologies and their impact on individuals, communities, and policies related to sustainability and equity. 

One of the many advantages of studying at SMEA is the opportunity to engage with the vast resources available across the University of Washington.
Recently, students in the Marine Science in the Coastal Zone course, taught by Assistant Professor Erendira Aceves Bueno, Ph.D., visited the UW Fish Collection, a globally significant archive of fish biodiversity. During their visit, students had the chance to observe an incredible diversity of species up close, from beautifully preserved coastal fishes to the striking and unforgettable deep-sea anglerfish. 

Research led by SMEA Professor Ryan Kelly and research scientist Aden Yincheong Ip is currently featured on the University of Washington website’s front page.
Their study highlights an innovative method for monitoring salmon populations using airborne environmental DNA (eDNA). By collecting genetic material from the air, researchers can detect the presence of salmon without relying solely on traditional counting methods.
This approach offers a less invasive, more efficient way to track fish populations and could expand monitoring efforts in remote or difficult-to-access areas. 

Second-year School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) graduate students Amie Kusch and Clare Knife were recently invited to attend the FAO Expert Workshop: Turning Guidance into Action: Regional Insights for Implementing the Guidelines for Sustainable Aquaculture at the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) headquarters in Rome, Italy.
The invitation came from their FAO client, Amber Himes-Cornell, whose collaboration with the students is part of their SMEA capstone project. 

SMEA Director Nives Dolsak, Ph.D., is serving as a guest editor for a special issue of Business & Society titled “Our Oceans as a Business-Society Nexus: Advancing the Interplay of Blue Economy, Blue Governance, and Blue Justice.”
The issue is co-edited with Matevž (Matt) Rašković, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand, and brings together interdisciplinary research examining the interactions between ocean-based economic activity, governance, and social equity. 

The University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) would like to thank everyone who participated in our Winter 2026 Speaker Series. Over several weeks, the series brought together leaders from the maritime industry, government, environmental organizations, and the Port of Seattle to share their expertise and perspectives with our community.
We are deeply grateful to our guest speakers, Tong Zhu, John Wolfe, Toshiko Hasegawa, Steve Metruck, Captain Mark McDonnell, Sandy Kilroy, Alex Adams, Jon Sloan, Kathleen Hurley, Delaney Cyphers, Andy Gregory, and Bookda Gheiser, for generously sharing their knowledge and professional experiences. 

The School of Marine and Environmental Affairs will hold its next faculty meeting on Thursday, March 5th, at 12:00 pm. Please see below for location details:
MAR Room 268 or via Zoom
A copy of the meeting agenda, 3-5-26 Faculty Meeting Agenda, is provided. Please contact Hailie Borges (hrb25@uw.edu) with any questions or for more information. 

Please join us in celebrating Dr. Terrie Klinger on her retirement and transition to Professor Emeritus in 2026.  
A benthic ecologist, Dr. Klinger’s research has focused on applying ecological theory to practical management solutions, including ecosystem-based approaches to managing natural resources in the ocean, the ecological effects of environmental stressors, such as ocean acidification and habitat loss, and how rocky intertidal communities respond to and recover from disturbance. 

SMEA Professor Ryan Kelly is featured in a new piece from the David and Lucile Packard Foundation highlighting the impact of environmental DNA (eDNA) research and the foundation’s long-standing support for scientific partnerships in this field.
The post showcases how eDNA research is advancing new ways to monitor biodiversity and understand ecosystems, an area where Kelly and his collaborators have made significant contributions.