February 25, 2019
Garfield High School Team Wins First Place at Statewide Orca Bowl Competition
The Junior Olympics of Marine Science in the Northwest
On Saturday, February 23, 2019, 20 teams of high school students from Seattle to Soap Lake descended upon the University of Washington (UW) Fishery Sciences Building for the 22nd annual Orca Bowl. The teams tested their knowledge of marine ...
In the 1990s, the endangered status of the short-tailed albatross catalyzed efforts to reduce the number of birds accidentally killed as bycatch in Alaska, home to the country’s biggest fisheries. Marine fisheries scientist Ed Melvin, at Washington Sea Grant at the University of Washington, and research associate Kim Dietrich, an independent contractor, were at the forefront of a collaborative research effort that led to Alaska’s longline fisheries adopting streamer lines in 2002, a technology that is towed behind vessels ...
Read MoreFebruary 1, 2019
Congratulations to Washington Sea Grant Assistant Director for Programs Kate Litle for her nomination for the 2019 University of Washington Distinguished Staff Award. Kate is responsible for WSG program planning and reporting; oversees WSG competitive processes, including research and program development grants; and coordinates integration of WSG program components. She is an essential part of WSG and deserves this nomination. Thank you Kate for all that you do!
January 23, 2019
Three European green crab have been found in Samish Bay, north of Mt. Vernon, a new detection location for the globally-damaging invasive on Washington’s inland shorelines.
The three adult crabs, including an egg-bearing (gravid) female and two males, were captured by shellfish growers working for Taylor Shellfish Farms on three successive nights in early January. The growers recognized the crabs as invasive while handling oysters and sorting out other animals, and quickly reported them to Washington Department of ...
Read MoreJanuary 10, 2019
Congratulations to Washington Sea Grant Marine Education Specialist Maile Sullivan for earning the 2018 Outstanding Informal Educator of the Year award! Maile has worked with the awarding group, the Northwest Aquatic and Marine Educators, for many years and is currently the co-director of the WA chapter. Great work Maile!
And a second congratulations to WSG Boating Specialist Aaron Barnett – he was recognized for outstanding environmental leadership by Northwest Yachting in their January issue. Barnett works closely with Washington State ...
Read MoreDecember 18, 2018
The ability to smell is critical for salmon. They depend on scent to avoid predators, sniff out prey and find their way home at the end of their lives when they return to the streams where they hatched to spawn and die.
New research from the University of Washington and NOAA Fisheries’ Northwest Fisheries Science Center shows this powerful sense of smell might be in trouble as carbon emissions continue to be absorbed by our ocean. Ocean ...
Read MoreKing5 News covered the spread of invasive European green crab in a recent article.
“Since the first spotting in 2016, green crab have now been located at seven different sites. McDonald and others are worried that the crabs will get more challenging to remove if they’re able to make it to the south Sound, because the offspring in the area would likely stay in the area.”
Read more in the article.
Read More
November 1, 2018
The turning of the leaves signals a winding-down of green crab trapping activities. Just as it feels right to us to hunker down and stay warm, cooler water temperatures also cause green crab to become less catchable in the fall and winter. Crab Team monitors have pulled and stored their last traps, and, as of today, all of the data are into Crab Team HQ here in Seattle. While we have provided snapshots and updates ...
Read MoreOctober 17, 2018
NOAA Sea Grant announced the award of $11 million in grants for 22 projects to further advance the development of a sustainable marine and coastal aquaculture industry in the U.S.
Washington Sea Grant is pleased to receive funding for one of the 22 projects titled: Consumer-focused strategies for understanding market acceptance of domestic finfish aquaculture
Although finfish aquaculture has advanced its methods and addressed many legitimate public concerns, throughout the US, and Washington State in particular, the ...
Read MoreOctober, 2018
This month, Washington Sea Grant joins in on Seafood Month celebrations with weekly stories from our programs that support fisheries, aquaculture and the people who are at the center of them.
Week One: Fisheries and People
The theme of the week is fisheries and people. Read about WSG’s partnership with Olympic Coast tribes to study their social and ecological vulnerabilities to ocean acidification: https://wsg.washington.edu/partnering-with-indigenous-communities-to-anticipate-and-adapt-to-ocean-change/
Week Two: Seafood Safety
In honor of this week’s theme – seafood safety – read about the ...
Read MoreOctober 3, 2018
A new story in the Sequim Gazette featuring WSG aquatic invasive species specialist Emily Grason details how far invasive European green crab have spread on the Olympic Peninsula.
Read the story here: http://www.sequimgazette.com/news/european-green-crabs-reach-stretches-across-north-olympic-peninsula/
Read MoreOctober 1, 2018
A feature article in The Revelator tells the story of what researchers including WSG coastal hazards specialist have learned since the two dams that once sat on the Elwha River were removed.
The key takeaway? That recovery is possible. “When we go into these large-scale ecosystem-restoration projects, it’s hard for our human brains to wrap our heads around what to expect … because it’s a very complex ecosystem,” Miller said. “But in general, you walk away with a sense that ...
Read MoreSeptember 27, 2018
As demand for seafood continues to increase, how can we sustainalby grow Washington’s shellfish farming industry? If more tideland is used for aquaculture, can it still serve as habitat for intertidal species? With funding from Washington Sea Grant, The Nature Conservancy in Washington is investigating these questions.
Learn more:
Read More