Who brings your seafood to you? An interview with Roger Bain, fisherman of the Makah Tribe

From the Summer 2025 Sea Star

July 10, 2024

By Jess Davis, WSG Science Communications Fellow

Growing up in Washington state and a member of the Makah Tribe, Roger Bain’s ancestral and more-recent family history might suggest that he was destined to become a fisherman. The Makah people refer to themselves as qʷidiččaʔa·tx̌, which translates approximately to “The People who live near the Rocks and the Seagulls.” Aquatic organisms are integral to the Makah way of life, and ...

10
JUL
2024

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WSG News Blog

Local marinas help to keep Washington’s waters clean

July 1, 2024

Thirteen Washington marinas have recertified under the state’s Clean Marina program so far in 2024.

To become a certified Clean Marina, a marina must meet a set of minimum pollution prevention requirements, identify sustainability goals and activities, and create a plan to achieve them over a three-year period. For example, a ...

1
JUL
2024

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Boating, WSG News Blog

Dr. Terrie Klinger to step in as WSG faculty director July 1

June 27, 2024

The Dean’s Office of the University of Washington’s College of the Environment and Washington Sea Grant (WSG) have announced a new model for WSG leadership that will add a faculty director to the WSG leadership team. WSG is excited to welcome Dr. Terrie Klinger, professor in the College of the Environment’s School of Marine and Environmental Affairs (SMEA) and longtime Sea Grant partner, on July 1 as the initial faculty director on an interim ...

27
JUN
2024

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WSG News Blog

Who brings your seafood to you? An interview with Nick Mendoza, founder of a seafood snack company

June 27, 2024

By Alison Lorenz, WSG Science Writer

To friends and family, Nick Mendoza has always been “the fish guy.” From what he describes as an “uncanny obsession” with fish in his youth to his work as a marine scientist, a love of the ocean is as inherent to Mendoza as his entrepreneurial spirit. Perhaps these traits explain why, amid constant texts from loved ones asking how to eat more, and more sustainable, seafood, Mendoza saw not a challenge, ...

27
JUN
2024

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WSG News Blog

Protocol in Focus: Why do we measure native crabs, too?

June 18, 2024

Why Measure Native Species?

When it comes to interactions between crabs, whether of the same species or of differing species, size matters. When crabs run into each other out on tide flats, in lagoons, or channels, they might compete for food or shelter, or they may actually try to prey on each other. In these encounters, the general rule of #CrabLife is that bigger crabs win over smaller crabs. So knowing the size of not only green ...

17
JUN
2024

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Green Crab Monitoring

WSG welcomes new Science Communications fellows

Washington Sea Grant (WSG) is happy to welcome two new Science Communications fellows, Jess Davis and Brian McGreal. As part of the communications team, Jess will contribute to the WSG News Blog, monthly newsletter and social media. Brian will write for the communications team as well as focus on event planning initiatives for WSG’s River & Ocean Film Festival.

Learn more about Jess and Brian below!

12
JUN
2024

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WSG News Blog

Salish Sea-wide Molt Blitz coming June 20

June 10, 2024

Are you one of the millions of Washington residents living on or near the Salish Sea? Join the Salish Sea-wide Molt Blitz on June 20 to contribute to the largest-ever single-day dataset of crab molts collected in our state.

Molts are the old shells crabs shed when they grow. Collecting and recording these molts provides valuable data on which species of crab are present in an area, including invasive European green crab (Carcinus maenas). The emerging invasion of green ...

10
JUN
2024

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WSG News Blog

New staff: WSG welcomes Allison Spooner

June 3, 2024

Washington Sea Grant (WSG) is excited to welcome Allison Spooner as the new HR and equity manager. Allison joins WSG as a key member of the operations team.

During her seven-year tenure at the University of Washington, Allison’s journey was a whirlwind adventure of challenges and triumphs, guided by her unwavering commitment to making a difference. Her dedication to DEI extends beyond her professional endeavors. She actively contributes to ...

3
JUN
2024

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WSG News Blog

New staff: WSG welcomes Azalea Hermann

June 3, 2024

Washington Sea Grant (WSG) is pleased to welcome Azalea Hermann as the new fellowships and workforce development specialist. In this role, Azalea collaborates with the WSG fellowships team on fellow recruitment, engagement, professional development and more.

Azalea is a born and raised Texan and has called the PNW her home for the last 5 years. Her professional background spans various roles ...

3
JUN
2024

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WSG News Blog

Who brings your seafood to you? An interview with Riley Starks, fisherman and co-founder of the Salish Center

June 3, 2024

By Alison Lorenz, WSG Science Writer

Riley Starks had never fished a day in his life and had rarely been on the water when he graduated college in 1972. But he had a whole year ahead of him before he started law school, he needed money, and a friend of his had just bought a boat. When his friend asked Riley to come crew with him that winter, Riley did. “And it was just one of those moments when ...

3
JUN
2024

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WSG News Blog

Crab Team Welcomes Zach Bengtsson as Student Assistant

May 23, 2024

This winter, WSG Crab Team was joined by a second graduate student assistant, Zach Bengtsson. Zach is currently pursuing his Ph.D. at UW’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences researching stress responses of marine invertebrates. We asked Zach to share some of his story with us to introduce himself to the broader Crab Team community.

What brought you to Crab Team? What interested you in the position?

My current graduate work ...

23
MAY
2024

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Green Crab Monitoring

“Oceanography” special issue spotlights Sea Grant

May 8, 2024

Sea Grant-funded research and work with coastal and Great Lakes communities across the nation are the focus of a special issue of “Oceanography,” the official journal of The Oceanography Society.

This special issue, published in April 2024, features 36 articles contributed by Sea Grant authors across 29 programs and the National Sea Grant Office.

The articles cover a ...

8
MAY
2024

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WSG News Blog

2023 Green Crab Status Summary: Part 2 (Coast)

May 7, 2024

Continuing our summary of 2023 green crab status and trends

Pacific Coast

The momentum and dedication to extensive trapping for European green crab on Washington’s Pacific coastline continued to grow through 2023. Over the course of the year, nearly 355,000 green crabs were removed from the coastal estuaries and shorelines. Let’s take a closer look at what the catch data showed about population status and trends.

Newer sites with high abundances

7
MAY
2024

0

Green Crab Monitoring

WSG director update

May 6, 2024

WSG is pleased to provide an update on its search for a new director. The Dean’s Office of the University of Washington’s College of the Environment and WSG are jointly exploring a new model for WSG leadership that would add a faculty director to our leadership team. We believe this new model will serve to maintain existing WSG programs and partnerships while providing additional valuable connections to research, expertise and resources for the benefit of Washington’s coastal communities.

Dr. ...

6
MAY
2024

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WSG News Blog

Mobile pumpout boats gain popularity, continue to expand throughout Puget Sound

May 1, 2024

Mobile pumpout boats improve water quality in the Puget Sound and provide options for recreational boaters with bilges.

Puget Sound — Options for recreational boaters to pump out boat sewage safely and efficiently are expanding throughout Puget Sound as the number of traveling “pumpout boats” grows.

When combined with stationary pumpout units at marinas, these grant-funded mobile pumpout boats keep an estimated 8-10 million gallons of sewage out of Puget Sound annually, protecting shellfish beds and improving overall water quality. Recreational boating ...

1
MAY
2024

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WSG News Blog