SMEA students Lindsay Gordon and Grace Ferrara recently returned from a 3-day ‘think-tank’ in Honolulu, Hawaii where they focused on the Human Dimensions of Large-Scale Marine Protected Areas. This think-tank was hosted by large-scale marine protected area network Big Ocean and SMEA professor Patrick Christie along with other contributing organizations and sponsors such as National Geographic, NOAA, Conservation International, and Pew Charitable Trusts. 

Why did you decide to pursue a Master of Marine Affairs?
My background is in Environmental Science and over the years I have developed a love for ocean and environmental conservation. In our current political climate, it is more important than ever for scientists and academics to be able to communicate the knowledge we have and to take steps towards protecting our world. 

The School of Marine and Environmental Affairs had a strong showing at this year’s Arctic Encounter Symposium, a yearly meeting hosted at the University of Washington’s Law School. Students and faculty were speakers, moderators, representatives of consulting firms, as well as there to just learn as much as possible from the diverse gathering. 

This year two of our 2015 School of Marine and Environmental Affairs graduates were awarded the Marc Hershman Marine Policy Fellowship. This fellowship teams up recent graduates with mentors in state government or NGO host offices in Olympia, Tacoma, or Seattle. This year-long fellowship offers them the opportunity to work on ocean and coastal science and management issues, with many former fellows going on to jobs in state and local government, private industry, and NGOs. 

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.