The US Global Change Research Program (USGCRP) is leading the first-ever National Nature Assessment (NNA1) to evaluate U.S. lands, waters, wildlife, biodiversity, and their contributions to our economy, health, culture, climate, and equity. The Assessment will also project future changes and their impacts. Marking the Zero-Order Draft (annotated outline) release in the Federal Register, the NNA1 is hosting in-person and virtual public engagement events to gather public comment during fall 2024. We are pleased to invite you to the NNA1 Public Engagement Event in Seattle, Washington on Friday, November 22, 2024.

SMEA is proud to share that Professor Terrie Klinger has been selected for the Western Society of Naturalists’ Lifetime Achievement Award.

SMEA faculty are committed to making our research publicly accessible. Therefore, most of our journal articles are published in open access journals and are hyperlinked in the below list. Faculty names are in bold, names of students and postdoctoral scholars trained by our faculty are underlined. The publications listed below include articles published between November 2023 and October 2024.

The UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) invites applications for a tenure-track position in Coastal and Environmental Affairs at the level of Assistant Professor.

Written by SMEA Professor, Terrie Klinger
In March, 1989, the T/V Exxon Valdez famously—and catastrophically—ran aground on Bligh Reef in the Gulf of Alaska. All sorts of agencies and entities initiated all sorts of emergency responses to investigate the incident, remove the oil, and assess damages to marine and cultural resources, among other objectives. The region was ill-prepared for the intense activity that ensued—manpower was scant, available boats were too few, and communications infrastructure was inadequate. 

This past summer, Professor Nives Dolšak collaborated with students from her Spring 2024 undergraduate course, ENVIR/SMEA 201: Climate Governance. These students volunteered to analyze climate action initiatives during the 2023-24 session of the Washington State Legislature. Their findings, presented in a comprehensive report and an interactive ArcGIS story map, are now available for viewing here.
 
  

YOU’RE INVITED!  
Alumni of UW School of Marine and Environmental Affairs present: SMEA Friends Happy Hour

With special guests: Professor Emeritus Tom Leschine & Associate Professor Emeritus Dave Fluharty

Mark your calendar and join us for an informal happy hour gathering. This is a great chance to connect with SMEA alumni, faculty, staff, students and friends!
Saturday, September 21st, 4 – 6pm
Georgetown Brewery – Tasting Room
5200 Denver Ave S, Seattle, WA 98108 

Eight recent SMEA graduates, Elise Adams, Jessica Clemens, Nika Hoffman, Jess Lechtenberg, Allison Morgan, Rondi Nordal, Katalin Plummer, and Jack Winterhalter have been selected as Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellows for 2024-2025. 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. 

FieldSound is the official podcast of UW College of the Environment, offering immersive and narrative storytelling. Hosted by Sarah Smith, the podcast features interviews with researchers from the University of Washington who share their groundbreaking discoveries. FieldSound aims to entertain and educate, highlighting the excitement and significance of environmental research.

In the latest episode of FieldSound, our own faculty member, Ryan Kelly, was featured to discuss his interdisciplinary approach to environmental research.

Dear SMEA friends!
SMEA is humming with activities. On May 10th, we had eight outstanding thesis presentations, that featured research spanning across the entire globe, from Bangladesh, to Maine, New York, Alaska, Columbia River, and Salish Sea, examining ways to manage and respond to vastly different marine and environmental challenges, such as impacts of climate change on plankton, fisheries, large marine mammals and natural-resource dependent communities, potentials of community science to improve ocean data, and factors impacting permitting of tidal energy.