Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs? 
I decided to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs because I was really looking to pursue an interdisciplinary graduate career. After I graduated from the University of Michigan, I worked seasonal positions across the United States. Many of these experiences allowed me to explore various disciplines within marine ecology, from research to education and outreach. 

In Washington state, thousands of barrier culverts block salmon from accessing critical upstream habitat, violating tribal treaty rights and hindering efforts to rebuild populations of this iconic species. These barrier culverts are owned by a large number of entities including federal agencies, the state, counties, cities, and private landowners.
Each of these entities is independently ramping up efforts to correct barrier culverts and, in the next decade, billions of dollars will be devoted to fish passage restoration projects in the state. 

Molly Daly, SMEA second-year student, Dr. Eduardo Gallo-Cajiao, a Smith Fellows Postdoctoral Scholar at SMEA, and Nives Dolšak, SMEA faculty, presented their research at the 2022 Annual meeting of the Pacific Northwest Political Science Association in Walla Walla. Molly presented preliminary findings of the project entitled “Evaluation of Multi-level Governance of Shorebird Management and Conservation in Puget Sound,” a capstone project with Elley Donnelly, SMEA second-year student, Drs. 

The North Pacific snow and red king crab seasons are canceled this year, affecting entire communities that support the industry. Factors such as dropping populations from overfishing and climate change contributed to crab harvests being suspended this year.
SMA alumna Jamie Goen is the Executive Director for the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers. In a KIRO 7 news article Jamie said in 2018 there were a lot of small snow crabs in the ocean and things were looking really good. 

How would you describe yourself as an undergraduate student?
Not quiet. Challenging but modest and scared.
When and how did you discover your passion/interest in marine and environmental affairs?
Mostly through working with fishers in various places and found they are not always in the best position to be part of solution, which felt not just.
Did you have any mentors who guided you along your educational pathway? 

As the world gears up for COP27, it is vital to understand what progress countries have made to reach the Paris goals. A large number of countries have announced net-zero emission pledges (NZEP). Inhwan Ko, Nives Dolšak, and Aseem Prakash analyze these pledges in their paper published in PLOS Climate [journals.plos.org]. The credibility of NZEP varies because countries have committed to different target years. 

The School of Marine & Environmental Affairs will hold its next faculty meeting on Thursday, November 3, 12:00pm. Please see below for location details;
Ocean Sciences Building, Room 203
or via Zoom
https://washington.zoom.us/j/91358659778
A copy of the meeting agenda can be found here. Please contact Jackie Chapman (jachap@uw.edu) with any questions or for more information. 

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.