Congratulations to Hannah Bassett and Jessica Hernandez on being awarded National Science Foundation (NSF) fellowships. Bassett  was the awardee for ‘political ecology’ and Hernandez was the awardee for ‘environmental justice.’ The fellowships will allow Bassett and Hernandez to continue their doctorate studies and research. In all, the NSF named 2,000 individuals as this year’s recipients of awards from its Graduate Research Fellowship Program (GRFP). 

Congratulations to SMEA Assistant Professor Ryan Kelly, Research Associate Jimmy O’Donnell and second year graduate student Jimmy Kralj on their latest publication in Frontiers in Marine Science titled: “Genetic and Manual Survey Methods Yield Different and Complementary Views of an Ecosystem.” The article published on January 9 compared results of environmental DNA (eDNA) surveys and traditional methods of measuring biodiversity and concludes that in order to confidently interpret eDNA results in the context of existing ecological study, it is necessary to compare the results of eDNA with those of more established methods of ecological sampling. 

SMEA Professor Patrick Christie, Co-PI Brad Warren of Global Ocean Health, and second year SMEA Student Haley Kennard, co-hosted a workshop with the Tulalip Tribes this past Monday, December 12th at the Tulalip Tribes Headquarters. The workshop, entitled “Navigating Coastal Squeeze: Identifying Needs and Priorities to Scale Up Estuarine Restoration in Puget Sound” was generously funded by Washington Sea Grant and the Bureau of Indian Affairs. 

The School of Marine & Environmental Affairs is excited to share the latest on the Capstone Project; Socioeconomic Impacts of Harmful Algal Blooms.
The social, economic and cultural impacts of harmful algal blooms (HABs) in the U.S. are not well documented. The human toll of HABs extends far beyond the lost fisheries landings and tourism-related income that are commonly used to assess impacts. 

Assistant Professor Ryan Kelly and SMEA second year graduate student James Kralj were recently interviewed by The Daily about their research involving eDNA and ocean ecosystems. Professor Kelly shared his excitement that this was the first time eDNA has been used to look at the interaction between humans and the ecosystem. Microbiologists have been using eDNA for a decade to take microbial surveys of the ocean, but only recently have scientists started to consider the technique for taking broader surveys of animal biodiversity. 

Written by: Jessica Hernandez
I had the honor to serve as a crew leader for the Coast Salish Mini University this summer ’16 alongside my younger brother for the Lummi Nation. Through grants from the San Juan Island National Parks and other partnerships, 12 Lummi youth were given the opportunity to return to their ancestral lands and serve as the environmental stewards of their native lands.  

Written by: Haley Kennard
Aloha from Hawai’i! This summer, I somehow talked my way into working at the NOAA Office of the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Monument (PMNM) in Hawai’i as a Policy and Evaluation Intern. Growing up on O’ahu I’ve always felt connected to the ocean and its creatures, and it was amazing to be back in my island home. PMNM was recently expanded by President Obama and is now the largest protected area (terrestrial or marine) on the planet – nearly twice the size of Texas! 

Written by: David Rivera
One of my primary job duties within the NOAA Engineering Development Division is to provide operational and technical field support to various research groups within the Pacific Marine Environmental Lab here in Seattle (PMEL). This season I participated on two major research cruises with the Ocean Climate Station research group to service two deep water mooring systems- Ocean Station PAPA and the Kuroshio Extension Observatory (KEO). 

Written by: Carrie Schmaus
In June, I was fortunate to attend a week-long colloquium in Bozeman, Montana, entitled “Property Rights, Markets, and Freedom” that was held by the Property and Environment Research Center (PERC). During this colloquium, I met students from across the county to discuss numerous topics, ranging from the origin of human rights to the merits and dangers of privatizing federal lands. 

Written by Teressa Pucylowski
Oysters are a big deal in coastal Washington; they provide a source of food, economic profit, livelihood, and cultural tradition. Taylor Shellfish is the largest growing company in Washington State, making up the majority of oysters distributed and consumed. As a soon-to-be second year graduate student with the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, I have spent the last several months looking at the sustainability of oyster production.