Dear SMEA friends, 
Each academic year at SMEA brings new energy. This autumn, we were thrilled to welcome 34 new first-year students. As is always the case, they come from a variety of disciplinary backgrounds, ranging from aquatic and fishery sciences, biology, marine biology, other natural and physical sciences, chemical and biological engineering, to environmental studies, cinema and photography, ethnic studies, history, political science, sociology, and sustainable community development. 

The School of Marine and Environmental Affairs hosted its biennial Community Reception on November 22 at the Silver Cloud Inn, bringing together students, alumni, faculty, partners, and supporters for an evening of connection and celebration. The evening began with conversation, reconnecting, and building new relationships across the SMEA community.
Midway through the Evening, guests gathered for a short program featuring remarks from Dan Hull, Chair of the SMEA Director’s Council, Steve Metruck, Executive Director of the Port of Seattle and SMEA Professor of Practice, and SMEA Director and Professor Nives Dolšak. 

Our faculty had a productive research year. Below is the list of our 2025 publications for your easy access. The underlined co-authors are our students. We hope you enjoy learning about our newest work. 
Ere Aceves Bueno:

Clemens J, Ruesink JL, Donoghue C, Griffin PJ, Aceves-Bueno E (2025) Environmental justice in ecosystem restoration frameworks. Restoration Ecology e70165.
Lawson JM, Jean S, Steinkruger A, Castellanos-Rico M, Goto GM, Cisneros-Mata MÁ, Aceves-Bueno E, Warham MM, Sachs AM, Gaines SD (2025) Substantial gains and little downside from farming of Totoaba macdonaldi. 

Bio:
Erick Dowell is a 2024 graduate of the University of Washington’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs. Originally from North Carolina, Erick earned his undergraduate degree in Biology and Marine Sciences from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, where he studied deep-sea microbial communities.
After moving to Washington ten years ago, Erick spent much of his time on the water, captaining boats around the West Coast, leading outdoor education programs, including Washington State’s official tall ship, Lady Washington, and making optical filters essential for micro-electronic manufacturing and high-powered sensor equipment. 

Dr. Kanae Komaki (2018) wrote from Japan that she completed a course on AI and has developed a proposal for an AI-based policy tool that could be applied to the review of contractor monitoring reports to the International Seabed Authority (ISA). She presented her proposal to the 2nd ISA Expert Scoping Workshop held in Kobe, Japan, in preparation for the possible transition to the exploitation phase of deep-seabed mining in the Area beyond national jurisdiction. 

Margaret Jelsma & Diana Perry
Eager to explore her future in the marine and environmental fields, SMEA student Margaret Jelsma turned to the Alumni Mentorship Program for guidance. She was matched with Diana Perry, an alumna passionate about sharing the mentorship she once longed for. Despite living in different states, they regularly connect via Zoom and email, which has helped them grow a strong rapport founded in shared experiences and a mutual interest in supporting each other’s growth. 

Dear SMEA friends!
Greetings from SMEA. We had an exciting spring with presentations of outstanding capstone projects and thesis research, from the sea to the land, from invertebrates, bull kelp, Dungeness crab, fisheries management, aquaculture, container ships, ocean grabbing, to food forest, and salmon habitat restoration. You can watch recordings of these presentations here. We celebrated our graduates’ accomplishments. Including outstanding research and the impact our students make on our communities. 

On Thursday, June 12, 2025, the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs celebrated the Class of 2025, honoring 21 students who earned their Master of Marine Affairs (MMA) degrees. These graduates now join an esteemed community of nearly 1,000 alumni and world-class policymakers dedicated to building a resilient future in marine and environmental affairs.
The ceremony began with opening remarks from SMEA Director Dr. 

The 2025 capstone and thesis projects at SMEA showcased a diverse range of interdisciplinary research addressing important environmental and social issues. Capstone teams collaborated with external partners to tackle real-world challenges, from enhancing environmental justice in flood management to exploring community benefit agreements for equitable renewable energy expansion. Our thesis-track students engaged in rigorous, independent research with topics ranging from marine science to policy analysis. 

Dan Tonnes, like many SMEA graduates with careers in the federal government or with federal funding, informed us he was leaving NOAA and federal employment after 25 years in order to take advantage of the buyout program. His premature exit from federal service has many ramifications for him, for NOAA with the loss of experience and talent, and for SMEA, as explained below.