March 30, 2022
This is the third in a series of posts on a Crab Team project to develop environmental DNA (eDNA) for use in early detection and management of European green crab. The first posts provided an introduction to eDNA and the benefits and challenges it offers to invasion managers.
In developing eDNA as a useful way to detect and monitor invasive ...
Read MoreMarch 24, 2022
Floods. Erosion. Sea level rise. Tsunamis. All of these hazards threaten Washington State’s coasts — with potentially dire consequences. Although there have been many efforts and investments to respond to disaster events, geographically isolated communities on the state’s Pacific coast often lack sufficient capacity to undertake comprehensive planning efforts to ...
Read MoreMarch 3, 2022
This is the second in a series of posts sharing new research on the use of environmental DNA (eDNA) in detection of green crabs. For our introduction to eDNA, check out the previous post.
As a detection tool, the process of sampling eDNA is relatively simple, but interpreting results can actually be more complicated than you might expect. While the laboratory process and equipment might tell you – within some window of tolerance – whether green crab DNA ...
Read MoreFebruary 28, 2022
We are thrilled to welcome two new staff to the team: Andrea Chateaubriand and Sam Cheplick.
Andrea joined WSG in December 2021 as the executive assistant. In this role, she collaborates with the WSG director and leadership team and plays an integral role in managing events, projects, and overseeing elements of the overall internal operations. Andrea immigrated to ...
February 24, 2022
Early detection is one of the best ways to thwart an invasive species, but trying to find some of the first individuals to arrive in a new habitat is no easy task. WSG Crab Team built a monitoring network to meet this challenge: by using multiple search methods and finely tuning the search protocols for green crabs, we hope to be able to uncover evidence of green crabs even while they are still extremely rare. Early detection successes ...
Read MoreFebruary 17, 2022
Indigenous People have been stewarding the ocean for thousands of years. This stewardship has appeared in many different forms around the world, all of which represent a reciprocal relationship between humans and the sea rooted in deep place-based knowledge. From octopus houses in Haida Gwaii to fish ponds in Hawaiʻi, an Indigenous mariculture renaissance is making waves as groups across the Pacific seek to ...
Read MoreFebruary 1, 2022
Seattle – Washington Sea Grant (WSG) announced today over $2 million in funding for new marine research projects in 2022 and a new research partnership with the Puget Sound Partnership contributing $432,000. The combined funds totaling over $2.5 million will go toward scientific endeavors that will help lead to healthier and more resilient coastal ecosystems and communities in Washington State. In addition, WSG is pleased ...
Read MoreJanuary 26, 2022
From tribal fishermen exercising their treaty fishing rights to oyster farmers in south Puget Sound, seafood harvesting and aquaculture are vital to Pacific Northwest culture and commerce. However, forces including climate change, ocean acidification and coastal development threaten these sources of sustenance and tradition. Restorative aquaculture — that is, sustainable ocean farming ...
Read MoreJanuary 25, 2022
The Gig Harbor BoatShop and Washington Sea Grant are launching the Purse Seine Vessel Crew Member Training Program, or “Crew School,” designed to provide instruction on the fundamental skills needed to work on a commercial fishing vessel. Led by experienced captains and crew, the hands-on curriculum will be taught in the classroom, aboard commercial fishing vessels ...
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January 20, 2022
Trapping throughout 2021 indicates that the European green crab invasion has grown across Washington’s coastal estuaries, namely Willapa Bay, Grays Harbor, and Makah Bay. This year’s collaborative efforts by many partners to remove crabs and track the invasion also confirmed that green crabs are more abundant and widespread in these locations than they are along inland shorelines, and will likely continue to increase.
2021 marked the second year of intensive and systematic trapping for European green ...
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By Kathleen McKeegan, WSG Science Communications Fellow
For Captain Halee Grimes, all it took was one look at an old wooden boat while she was in college. ...
Serving as director for over 22 years, Louis Echols’ influence on Washington Sea Grant’s (WSG) mission can be seen throughout our community. Echol’s joined WSG in 1983, developing the program into a coherent and responsive organization by being an advocate for fellows and staff and by developing community partnerships. In celebration of WSG’s 50th year, we reached out to Echols about ...
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