This spring, Eitan Gerstle, 2nd year SMEA student, spent time in the Stillaguamish River estuary contributing to ongoing research on estuary restoration and its benefits for salmon and their prey.

Working as a research assistant with Dr. Anne Beaudreau, Eitan joined collaborators from The Nature Conservancy, Skagit River System Cooperative, and the Stillaguamish Tribe to help monitor ecological changes in restored estuarine habitats. The project focuses on understanding how restoration efforts support salmon recovery and strengthen the broader food web that depends on these systems.

Fieldwork in dynamic coastal environments like the Stillaguamish estuary provides students with direct experience in applied marine science, connecting classroom learning with real-world ecological research and collaborative, place-based management.

This work is supported by Washington Sea Grant and reflects the importance of partnerships in advancing sustainable fisheries and ecosystem restoration across the region.

Through hands-on research experiences like this, SMEA students gain critical skills while contributing to science that informs conservation and resource management in Washington’s coastal ecosystems.