Ryan Kelly, Associate Professor in the School of Marine and Environmental Affairs, is among the 28 teams that received the Department of Defense Multidisciplinary University Research Initiative (MURI) award for the FY 22 competition for his project entitled “Environmental DNA-based Monitoring of the Marine Environment.”
According to the press release: “By supporting teams whose members have diverse sets of expertise, the MURI program acknowledges that the complexities of modern science and engineering challenges often intersect more than one discipline and require creative and diverse approaches to tackle these problems.  

On the shores of the Chukchi Sea in far northwest Alaska, climate change is already impacting the traditional way of life of the Iñupiaq people. The inhabitants of this region have lived off the land for thousands of years, hunting caribou and bearded seals, fishing for salmon and sheefish, and foraging wild berries and plants. But as the planet warms and Arctic sea ice thins, accessing and harvesting these traditional foods has become more difficult. 

Thesis work on marine conservation tourism and public engagement programs with the Giant Pacific Octopus has evolved into an accepted article for the journal Regional Studies in Marine Science. SMEA alum Manjari Misra ’20 and her advisor Professor Marc Miller developed the draft following the completion of Misra’s thesis work. Misra reports, “this paper was regarding the marine conservation tourism programs at the Seattle Aquarium. 

School of Marine and Environmental Affairs Director, and Stan and Alta Barer Professor of Sustainability, Dr. Nives Dolšak sat for an interview with Joseph Peters of ABC 10 News San Diego last week. She shared her expertise and understanding in why the US saw an increase in usage of coal-driven electricity in 2021. The cost of coal competitor, natural gas, nearly doubled in 2021, so coal became financially attractive for power. 

If you’re looking for a last-minute holiday gift for an inquisitive kid in your life, you might consider a copy of the recently published  “The Rockfish Kids Book”, a beautifully illustrated book designed to connect children of all ages in the Puget Sound with an important marine species. The School of Marine and Environmental Affairs has had a long history in helping to shape the scientific knowledge about rockfish, and has produced many alumni who have been critical to their recovery in the Puget Sound. 

School of Marine and Environmental Affairs Director Dr. Nives Dolšak was featured in a recent piece in the Washington Post about how environmentalists “travel with the climate in mind”. Dolšak and her husband Dr. Aseem Prakash, the founding director of the Center for Environmental Politics, detail their approach to reducing carbon emissions by traveling infrequently and opting for train or road trips when possible. 

SMEA Research Assistant Professor Dr. Yoshitaka Ota and Dr. Steven Hare ’88 are among the authors of a new piece published this summer in Nature Sustainability. Their work helps to examine the options tuna-dependent Pacific Island fisheries have in the face of a changing climate. The team of authors of “Pathways to sustaining tuna-dependent Pacific Island economies during climate change”, provide compelling data that a drastic reduction in greenhouse gas emissions is necessary to slow the loss of tuna biomass in currently, commonly fished areas surrounding the Pacific Islands. 

A trio of recent publications feature a host of School of Marine and Environmental Affairs affiliates, and cover a wide array of topics. This is a good snapshot of the breadth of topics and material addressed through SMEA research and coursework.
Recent graduate Tressa Arbow ’19 was on a team of authors including Affiliate Professor Eddie Allison, which addressed the lagging change toward healthy and sustainable food sources. 

Stan and Alta Barer Professor of Sustainability Science, Dr. Nives Dolšak offered her expertise and insights to NBC News in their review of the climate pledge made by global business giant Amazon. Dolšak’s work on climate neutrality and global climate change policies has been featured across many outlets, and in the wake of Amazon’s climate pledge announcement, she has been interviewed and consulted on what the pledge means, its efficacy, and how it shifts the landscape for private business. 

The National Center for Atmospheric Research has named SMEA Professor Cleo Woelfle-Erskine, to its Early Career Faculty Innovator Program, as was recently featured in UW News.
The designation comes with a $400,000 award and Woelfle-Erskine is among the new program’s second cohort, working with School of Environmental and Forest Sciences doctoral student Sofi Courtney.
The Faculty Innovator Program aims to support faculty researchers in the social, policy and behavioral sciences and graduate students for two years as they develop interdisciplinary research projects in partnership with the center.