Environmental DNA (eDNA) is transforming how researchers monitor biodiversity, but how do people come to trust it as scientific evidence?
SMEA Assistant Professor Shana Hirsch, SMEA Postdoc Pedro Brandao-Dias, Michelle Hauer, SMEA Research Scientist Yin Cheong Aden Ip, and UW doctoral candidate Sayan Bhattacharjee examine how experience with eDNA shapes perceptions of its validity, usefulness, and trustworthiness.
Their findings highlight the importance of building trusted communities of practice alongside technical standards for responsible eDNA adoption. 

SMEA Senior Research Scientist, Chris Sergeant, was lead author of a recent publication in the journal Climatic Change. The seven-author research team described the diversity of water temperature patterns in the massive, roadless, and undammed T’aakú (Taku) watershed, which is widely known as a stronghold for Pacific salmon. Some tributaries run icy cold thanks to glaciers, while others, especially those below big lakes, get warm enough to stress salmon. 

The first Global eDNA Conference is coming to Seattle, bringing researchers and practitioners together to explore the growing role of environmental DNA (eDNA) in understanding and monitoring ecosystems.
The conference highlights the increasingly interdisciplinary nature of eDNA research and its potential applications across environmental science, conservation, and resource management.
SMEA is represented in this conversation by Dr. Shana Hirsch and Dr. 

The University of Washington School of Marine & Environmental Affairs (SMEA) is proud to congratulate Research Professor and Director Phil Levin on his election to the Washington State Academy of Sciences (WSAS).
Election to the Academy recognizes scientists and engineers whose work has made significant contributions to their fields and who are committed to using their expertise to help address Washington state’s most pressing challenges. 

The University of Washington School of Marine & Environmental Affairs (SMEA) is pleased to welcome Dr. Phil Levin as the School’s new Director.
An internationally recognized conservation scientist, Dr. Levin has dedicated his career to advancing interdisciplinary approaches that connect science, policy, and communities to address complex environmental challenges. His work bridges the natural and social sciences, helping develop innovative tools that support the conservation of marine, freshwater, and terrestrial ecosystems while recognizing the needs of the people who depend on them. 

SMEA Director Dr. Nives Dolšak is a co-author of a new study exploring how U.S. environmental nonprofits have integrated social justice into their missions and activities between 2011 and 2023.
The research examines how organizations have responded to changing societal expectations and finds that many incorporate social justice in ways that align with their environmental missions and expertise.
Read the full publication here 

The Coastal Fisheries & Communities Lab at SMEA published a new paper in the journal Aquaculture, which is available to read and download at this link: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0044848626006447?via%3Dihub. The paper documents the Gulf of Alaska mariculture industry at a pivotal moment in its development, as told through the perspectives of people whose knowledge, advocacy, and deep commitment have built new opportunities for their communities from the ground up. 

We are excited to welcome Dr. Shana Hirsch as the newest faculty member at SMEA. As a qualitative social scientist with a background in natural resource politics, policy, and management, Shana’s work explores how emerging technologies shape sustainability, environmental management, and climate resilience. Her research spans offshore wind, wave, and tidal energy, and the environmental monitoring and restoration

technologies, with a strong focus on how these innovations impact communities, policy, and equity.  

Tanya Pelach is a citizen of the Quinault Indian Nation and serves as Deputy Director of the Quinault Indian Nation’s Division of Natural Resources. In this role, she helps lead efforts to steward and protect Tribal lands, waters, and treaty-reserved resources, supporting the Nation’s long-term environmental and cultural priorities.
Before joining the Quinault Indian Nation, Tanya served as the Natural Resource Program Manager for the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians (ATNI), where she worked on fisheries, forestry, and environmental policy issues affecting Tribal communities throughout the region. 

SMEA Associate Professor Dr. Sunny Jardine is a co-author of a newly published article in PLOS ONE, contributing to research that advances our understanding of environmental sustainability and resource management.
The publication highlights the value of interdisciplinary collaboration in addressing complex environmental challenges and reflects SMEA’s commitment to producing impactful research that informs policy, management, and decision-making.
We congratulate Dr. Jardine and her co-authors on this accomplishment and are proud to celebrate the continued contributions of SMEA faculty to environmental scholarship.