SMEA research scientist Aden Yincheong Ip and Professor Ryan Kelly have published a groundbreaking study in Scientific Reports exploring how airborne environmental DNA (eDNA) can be used to monitor salmon populations. Their study demonstrates that DNA from Coho salmon can be detected in the air, even 10–12 feet from waterways, opening new possibilities for non-invasive aquatic species monitoring.
Last fall, the team placed air filters at multiple locations along Issaquah Creek near the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery. 

New research co-authored by Nives Dolšak, Ph.D., director of SMEA, explores how different audiences perceive the emerging issue of deep-sea mining. The study, published in Environmental Research Letters, compares perspectives between the general public and environmental organizations.
The findings suggest that public support for deep-sea mining can shift depending on how the issue is framed, for example, emphasizing economic benefits or environmental risks, while environmental organizations tend to hold more consistent views. 

Faculty from the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs will host an upcoming workshop focused on the role of public comment in shaping policy. “The Power of Public Comment” will explore how science and research can be used to inform and strengthen public participation in policymaking.
The workshop will feature Ryan Kelly, PhD, JD, professor and associate director at SMEA—along with Lauren Kuehne, MS. 

The School of Marine and Environmental Affairs is pleased to announce Rear Admiral Steve Metruck, U.S. Coast Guard (retired), and Executive Director of the Port of Seattle, has joined us as Professor of Practice in addition to his role as Executive Director of the Port of Seattle.
With a distinguished over forty-year career spanning maritime leadership and public service, Metruck brings extensive experience as both a U.S. 

The School of Marine and Environmental Affairs will hold its next faculty meeting on Monday, September 29, at 2:30 pm. Please see below for location details:
MAR Room 268  or via Zoom
A copy of the meeting agenda,9-29-25 Faculty Meeting Agenda is provided. Please contact Hailie Borges (hrb25@uw.edu) with any questions or for more information. 

The international community has taken an important step toward protecting ocean ecosystems beyond national borders with the BBNJ Treaty, the Agreement on the Conservation and Sustainable Use of Marine Biological Diversity of Areas Beyond National Jurisdiction. The agreement expands the global ocean governance framework established under the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea and focuses specifically on conserving biodiversity on the High Seas. 

SMEA faculty P. Joshua Griffin and Erendira Aceves‑Bueno, along with collaborators, co‑authored a new article in Restoration Ecology titled “Environmental justice in ecosystem restoration frameworks.” This research provides a systematic review of global restoration frameworks and reveals a significant gap: most current approaches to ecosystem restoration do not explicitly integrate environmental justice principles.
The article not only identifies this gap but also proposes a novel restoration framework that centers on recognition, procedural justice, and community empowerment throughout the restoration planning and implementation process. 

SMEA is proud to share a new paper published in Fisheries Research titled Assessing the social-ecological dimensions of Dungeness crab fishery closures in Southeast Alaska from analysis of public records.
The study was led by SMEA alum Rondi Nordal (Class of 2024), with faculty coauthors Anne Beaudreau and Erendira Aceves-Bueno, in collaboration with NOAA colleagues.
Drawing on more than a decade of public meeting records, the research takes a deep look at how decisions about fishery closures are shaped not only by ecological goals, but also by social, cultural, and subsistence needs. 

A new study co-authored by SMEA Director Dr. Nives Dolšak has been published in PLOS ONE, examining how the nationality of waste-to-energy (WtE) facility operators influences public support for these projects.
The research focuses on Thailand, where WtE projects are gaining attention as a potential solution to both energy and waste management challenges. Through a large-scale survey experiment, the study explores how public perceptions, environmental values, and international partnerships intersect when it comes to sustainable infrastructure. 

Professor Terrie Klinger, Ph.D., a marine ecologist at the University of Washington School of Marine and Environmental Affairs and co-director of the Washington Ocean Acidification Center, was quoted in The New York Times discussing how increasingly acidic ocean waters threaten oyster farming and shellfish hatcheries. Her insights help explain how changing ocean chemistry, particularly during critical larval stages, is shaping the future of aquaculture and highlighting the broader impacts of climate change on marine ecosystems.