SMEA Affiliate Professor Eddie Allison was one of the more than 50 UW faculty and researchers named on the annual Highly Cited Researchers 2020 list from Clarivate.
The list identifies researchers who demonstrated significant influence in their chosen field or fields through the publication of multiple highly cited papers during the last decade. Their names are drawn from the publications that rank in the top 1% by citations for field and publication year in the Web of Science citation index. 

 
Congratulations are in order for SMEA capstone alums Katy Dalton, Marlena Skrobe, Henry Bell, Benjamin Kantner, and Dave Berndtson, SMEA Professor Patrick Christie, and their Brazilian collaborators, including Dr. Leopoldo Gerhardinger, on their newly published paper “Marine-Related Learning Networks: Shifting the Paradigm Toward Collaborative Ocean Governance” published in Frontiers in Marine Science. The paper is a result of the first internationally-focused SMEA capstone, and the collaboration helps solidify connections between SMEA and Brazilian capstone counterparts who are fostering large and impactful learning networks there. 

The School of Marine & Environmental Affairs is excited to launch their Fall Quarter Environmental Justice Speakers Series beginning with the first talk on October 15th.
The series this quarter features a variety of speakers all of whom will address unique aspects of environmental justice from their work, research, and/or advocacy. Each talk takes place on a Thursday from 12:00-1:00pm PST via Zoom. 

SMEA Professor Cleo Woelfle-Erskine is part of a Simpson Center initiative for trans students, postdocs, staff, and faculty. The tri-campus online writing group for trans faculty, staff, and graduate students who work across the University of Washington system is part of the Imagining Trans Futures crossdisciplinary research group, funded by the Simpson Center. Whether working on a book, journal article, dissertation, or a creative project, this group will provide community and accountability for trans scholars in the UW system. 

Social inequalities, specifically racism and classism, are impacting the biodiversity, evolutionary shifts and ecological health of plants and animals in our cities.
That’s the main finding of a review paper led by the University of Washington, with co-authors at the University of California, Berkeley, and University of Michigan, which examined more than 170 published studies and analyzed the influence of systemic inequalities on ecology and evolution. 

SMEA Core Faculty member Dr. Cleo Woelfle-Erskine will be working closely with one of 6 master’s students selected for the inaugural Future Rivers cohort. UW School of Environmental and Forest Sciences student, Sofi Courtney, will be one of 12 master’s and doctoral students who will be helping to contribute to the growing body of knowledge on freshwater ecosystems and how changes in climate and the environment are protecting these vital resources. 

The University of Washington and The Nippon Foundation today announced the Nippon Foundation Ocean Nexus Center, an interdisciplinary research group at the UW that studies changes, responses and solutions to societal issues that emerge in relationship with the oceans. The Center will bring uncompromised, critical voices to policy and public conversations to enable research and studies equaling $32.5 million spread over 10 years. 

 
Eelgrass, a species of seagrass named for its long slippery texture, is one of nature’s superheroes. It offers shade and camouflage for young fish, helps anchor shorelines, and provides food and habitat for many marine species.
A University of Washington study adds one more superpower to the list of eelgrass abilities: warding off the toxin-producing algae that regularly close beaches to shellfish harvests. 

Check out these recent publications from SMEA faculty, staff and alumni!
A halo of reduced dinoflagellate abundances in and around eelgrass beds was published by SMEA staff member Emily Jacobs-Palmer, alumna Kelly Cribari, Associate Professor Ryan Kelly, and colleagues in collaboration with the Washington Department of Natural Resources. The findings suggest that eelgrass seems to knock down (sometimes toxic) dinoflagellate populations at a distance. 

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is pledging $10 billion to fight climate change. How should it be spent? Research and development? Politics? The oceans? Professor Nives Dolšak sat down with KUOW’s Bill Radke to discuss how to spend the money in order to have the most impact. She believes Bezos’ Earth Fund should revitalize the American Rust Belt instead of chasing technological solutions.