SMEA Director Terrie Klinger was part of a panel of scientists from California, Oregon and Washington that recently published a paper in the January edition of the journal BioScience titled “What Changes in the Carbonate System, Oxygen, and Temperature Portend for the Northeastern Pacific Ocean: A Physiological Perspective”.  The study takes an in-depth look at how the effects of stressors such as ocean acidification and low-oxygen conditions, or hypoxia, can impact organisms such as shellfish and their larvae, as well as organisms that have received less attention so far, including commercially valuable fish and squid. 

Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?
I decided to pursue this degree because it is the perfect combination of my interests.  I have always been enamored with the ocean.  Ever since I was a child I knew I belonged near or in the water. It is my happy place. However, my other happy place is whenever I have food, especially good food.  

How did you decide to become a professor?
My decision to become a professor is born of experiences I had in living and working in Asian and Latin American fishing communities. The job gives me a chance to work at the interface of research and action. Besides, I don’t like having a boss.
What do you like most about your work? 

SMEA faculty and students have been out and about this fall quarter!
During the last week of October, SMEA Director Terrie Klinger, Professor Eddie Allison, Post-doctoral Researcher Nina Bednaršek and SMEA Graduate Student Hannah Bassett attended the IMBIZO IV conference in Trieste, Italy. The theme of IMBIZO IV was Marine and Human Systems: Addressing multiple scales and multiple stressors. Bassett presented a talk entitled “A Framework of Frameworks: Assessing existing tools for implementation of Ecosystem-Based Fisheries Management (EBFM)”.  

What led you to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?
I’ve always had an affinity for the oceans and a few years into my undergraduate degree, I knew I wanted to do something that involved the oceans. Initially, I thought I wanted to simply study what we didn’t know, but as I got to learn of the threats facing our oceans, I decided I wanted to pursue something that would allow me to help make a difference. 

This past weekend SMEA was invited to participate in the Seattle Aquarium’s Discover Science Weekend, a wonderful opportunity for the public to get a chance to interact with scientists and researchers from organizations all across the Puget Sound. 

SMEA Professor Eddie Allison and graduate student Hannah Bassett co-authored a paper titled “Climate change in the oceans: Human impacts and responses” that was recently published in Science. The paper was part of a special issue of Science dedicated to informing the upcoming COP21 meeting in Paris. As an article from UW Today explains, the paper “looks at scientific understanding of changes to the world’s oceans and how people around the world are responding to those changes. 

On November 6 the UW School of Law brought together many of the world’s leading experts on ocean acidification in its first-annual Environmental Law Symposium. The symposium had a large turnout of 250+ attendees and included speakers such as Jay Manning of Cascadia Law Group PLLC and Dennis McLerran of EPA Region 10. SMEA Director Terrie Klinger and Affiliate Assistant Professor Jan Newton kicked off the morning science panel talking about the latest research and findings on ocean acidification. 

 
SMEA Director, Terrie Klinger, met up with eleven of SMEA’s finest at the 17th annual Marine Resources Committee Conference which took place on November 6th – 7th. This is a great example of how SMEA Alums are using their diverse skills to support the work of the the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative. 

What led you to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?
As an Inuit person from a coastal community that derives sustenance from the ocean, the Arctic marine environment has shaped a large part of my identity. Inuit people are involved in decision-making on marine affairs and my home state of Alaska has to manage the longest coastline in the U.S. I am pursuing a Master of Marine Affairs to continue to be involved in making decisions that will affect the Arctic marine environment that includes Inuit.