Why did you decide to pursue a master of marine affairs?
Growing up on Puget Sound, coastal environments have always been dear to me. They were my favorite playgrounds, inspired curiosity, and motivated my stewardship. While studying Conservation Biology at Middlebury College, I worked as an environmental educator in places like Alaska, the Bahamas, and California, further fostering my love for marine environments and communities. 

SMEA Professor of Practice Dr. Yoshitaka Ota along with his colleagues at Ocean Nexus Center have authored an article published in PLOS Biology. The article, “Finding logic models for sustainable marine development that deliver on social equity,” covers how sustainable ocean development and equity beyond the current goals of 2030. Below is a brief summary of the article provided by SMEA alum Leah Huff, who now works with Dr. 

SMEA graduate Amy Olsen has just published her thesis research in the journal Marine Ecology Progress Series. Amy’s work describes the effect of the Pacific Marine Heatwave (2014-2015) on coral reef fish communities in West Hawai’i. Her findings reveal changes in fish abundance following with the heatwave, and suggest an association with site-specific management regimes. The research was performed in partnership with the Seattle Aquarium where Amy currently works as a Research Technician in the Conservation Programs and Partnerships Department. 

The School of Marine and Environmental Affairs is launching their quarterly Speakers Series during the month of October. Attendees will be able to attend in-person at the University of Washington Marine Studies Building, Room 268 or virtually via Zoom.
This quarter’s lineup features three speakers offering a variety of topics:
Thursday, October 13, 12-1 pm: Laura Nelson, Post-doc Research Associate, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory will present “Climate Impacts on the Traditional Seafood Species and Food Security of the Makah Tribe.”
Thursday, October 27, 12-1 pm: Yoshitaka Ota, Professor of Practice, UW SMEA, Director, Ocean Nexus will offer “What is Ocean Equity?”
Thursday, November 17, 12-1 pm: Jean Flema, Director, Ocean Defense Initiative “There’s Only One Ocean.”
If you would like to attend via Zoom, or have questions about the event, please contact Michaela Miller, mcski@uw.edu. 

The School of Marine & Environmental Affairs will hold its next faculty meeting on Thursday, October 6, 12:00pm. Please see below for location details;
Ocean Sciences Building, Room 203
A copy of the meeting agenda can be found here. Please contact Jackie Chapman (jachap@uw.edu) with any questions or for more information. 

 
Five recent SMEA graduates Abigail Ames, Kathryn Loy, Jenna Rolf, Harshitha Sai Viswanathan and Olivia Zimmerman have been awarded the Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellowship for 2022–2023. This fellowship places highly motivated, qualified individuals with marine and coastal host offices throughout Washington, providing fellows with a unique perspective on building marine policy and allowing them to share their academic expertise with the host offices. 

Describe your experience in applying to and selecting a graduate program.
I was initially very methodical with applying to graduate schools. I had various checklists of what I was looking for in a program, I had a pros and cons board of the different schools that I was looking into, and I wanted to be as proactive as possible with reaching out to professors and potential advisors to get a feel for whether I might be a good match for someone’s lab. 

SMEA graduates Samantha Klein (’21), James Lee (’21), Sallie Lau (’20), and current SMEA student Bryce Lewis-Smith, along with SMEA Assistant Professor Cleo Wölfle-Hazard and accompanying authors recently published an article in The American Naturalist titled, “Transforming Restoration Science: Multiple Knowledges and Community Research Cogeneration in the Klamath and Duwamish Rivers [journals.uchicago.edu].”
Typical practices in restoration science can perpetuate exclusionary and oppressive paradigms in both ecosystem restoration and restoration policymaking. 

SMEA alums and faculty represented at the recent PCSGA Annual Shellfish Conference held this year in Wenatchee, Washington. In attendance were SMEA alums Jessi Florendo (’22), Kalloway Page (’21), Sam Klein (’21), and Emily Buckner (’20). SMEA Professor of Practice Yoshitaka Ota was a keynote speaker. “It was fun to be among good company in an unfamiliar place!” shared Florendo.
The PCSGA Annual Shellfish Conference is a convening of growers, natural resource managers, regulators, academics, and others involved in the regional shellfish industry to gather and discuss modern problems, scientific inquiry, and collaborative solutions to all nature of problems. 

Congratulations to recent SMEA graduates Clay McKean, Caroline Potter, Kelsey Rudes and Jacquelyn Shaff on being selected as Sea Grant Fellows!
Clay McKean was one of thirteen early-career scientists and professionals to have been selected for the 2022–2023 class of Alaska Sea Grant State Fellows. The group comprises the largest fellowship cohort in the program’s history. The year-long paid fellowship matches soon-to-graduate or recently finished graduate students with hosts in Alaska-based state or federal agencies and nonprofits where they acquire on-the-job experience in marine science and policy positions.