WSG News Blog

Raising the next generation of endangered pinto abalone

A WSG-funded project informs future restoration efforts and resilience for pinto abalone populations in the Pacific Northwest.

June 9, 2025

Seattle, WA – You may know abalone by its shimmery shell, but the pinto abalone, Washington’s only native abalone species, is now better known for its sharp decline. Between 1992 and 2017, pinto abalone populations in Washington plummeted by 97%. Despite over a decade of restoration efforts, recovery has been slow—and new research suggests climate change ...

9
JUN

0

Second Annual Salish Sea-wide Molt Blitz coming June 20

June 2, 2025

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 single-day dataset of crab molts collected in our state.

Molts are the old shells that 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 ...

2
JUN

0

Green Crab Monitoring, WSG News Blog

Washington Clean Vessel Act Program expands pumpout options for boaters

May 22, 2025

With the boating season officially underway, it’s time for Washington boaters to brush up on their knowledge for leaving a healthy wake for all to enjoy. This includes being able to safely and effectively dispose of sewage from a boat’s holding tank.

With more options for pumping out — including more mobile pumpout boats — properly disposing of onboard waste is easier than ever.

As recreational boating continues to become more popular in the state, Washington State Parks’ Clean Vessel ...

22
MAY

0

With Washington Sea Grant Skills and Drills training, aspiring commercial fishermen get their sea legs

May 20, 2025

By Alison Lorenz, WSG Communications Project Coordinator

“Mayday! Mayday! Mayday!” The student called a distress signal, indicating their boat had an emergency. Fortunately, there was no real danger at Washington Sea Grant (WSG)’s South Bend office. Students were practicing mayday calls as part of WSG’s Skills and Drills training, a new course designed to equip aspiring commercial fishermen with the skills they need to succeed.

Washington state supports a vibrant commercial fishing industry that sustains thousands ...

20
MAY

0

WSG welcomes Mel Lemke, Graduate Science Communications Fellow

May 15, 2025

Mel is shown smiling while holding a deep-sea mussel.

Mel Lemke is a self-proclaimed creepy-crawly-enthusiast who loves the deep sea. Hailing from the mountains of Colorado, Mel has always had an awe and appreciation for the complexity of marine systems, leading her to complete her B.S. in marine biology from the University of Oregon in 2021. During her undergraduate education, she ...

15
MAY

0

Celebrating 20 Years of the Clean Marina Washington Program

May 14, 2025

By Luciana Calle, WSG Science Communications Fellow

On a sunny Wednesday morning, Aaron Barnett and Bridget Trosin, who manage the Clean Marina Washington Program, walked on the deck of Boat Street Marina, admiring one of the many marinas helping to protect Washington’s waters and marine life. In this marina, small black ducks swam between parked boats while geese sunbathed on the warm wooden panels of the deck, carefully preening their backs with their ...

14
MAY

0

Boating, Outreach, WSG News Blog

Dr. Nicole Naar Receives 2025 College of the Environment Outstanding Community Impact Award

May 12, 2025

We are happy to announce that Dr. Nicole Naar, WSG social science and education specialist, was selected to receive the UW College of the Environment’s 2025 Outstanding Community Impact Award. This award recognizes stakeholder engagement that stimulates, inspires and drives interactive uses of environmental science and information to impact the broader community. The Awards Committee was impressed with the way Nicole exemplifies the spirit of this award by engaging with diverse constituents to convey complex information ...

12
MAY

0

Washington Sea Grant Tide’s Out trainings help to skill up the shellfish industry

May 1, 2025

Over a few days this winter, aspiring leaders and supervisors of farmhands, plant workers, and nursery staff from shellfish companies up and down the West Coast found themselves back in the classroom – well, at least part of the time. The rest of the time they practiced hands-on first aid, ran through interpersonal work scenarios, and learned proper ergonomics to help prevent injuries on the job.

They were attending Tide’s Out, Washington Sea Grant’s (WSG) new training series focused ...

1
MAY

0

WSG Director update: Our federal funding status

14
APR

0

New research reveals genetic insights key to eelgrass restoration efforts

April 14, 2025

A Washington Sea Grant-funded study shows that nature, not just nurture, explains whether eelgrass flowers

Native Washington eelgrass (Zostera marina) is in trouble. Due to declines in some areas of the Salish Sea and Pacific coast over the last 20 years, restoring eelgrass – and the crucial habitat and ecosystem services it provides – is a high priority for Washington state.

Restoring eelgrass meadows often looks like simply taking eelgrass from one ...

14
APR

0

Who brings your seafood to you? An interview with Jesse Holden, fisherman, shellfish farmer and geoduck diver

April 4, 2025

By Alison Lorenz, WSG Communications Project Coordinator

One of the first questions to ask in a fisherman profile is what all the fisherman catches. Many fishermen specialize in one or two species, but some target several. With Jesse Holden, the answer was: everything.

“Crabbing, shrimping, gilnetting, diving, pretty much anything,” Holden lists, explaining what he can do off the boat he recently purchased, his largest yet. He crabs for Dungeness, catches prawns, gillnets for salmon, and dives for geoduck, sea ...

4
APR

0

Researchers to map the genome of the invasive European green crab

April 2, 2025

With state funding, Washington Sea Grant will work with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution to shed light on a highly invasive species

SEATTLE – Washington state will soon have another tool to support long-term management for one of the highest priority invasive species, European green crab, thanks to additional state funding dedicated to genetic research.

Last fall, Washington Sea Grant (WSG) received $185,000 in state appropriations to work with Washington Department of Fish ...

2
APR

0

Economic Recovery Corps Fellow Jessika Tantisook helps to shape a resilient ocean economy on Washington’s Pacific coast

March 28, 2025

By Maddie Gard, WSG Science Communications Fellow

Washington’s maritime industries have long shaped our coastal communities, economies and cultures. Today, the maritime sector is facing complex regulatory frameworks, the consolidation of industries, the graying of the fleet, and changing climate conditions, which are presenting economic challenges for coastal communities at large. In response, industry and community leaders are seeking to bolster marine-based economies through prioritizing thriving working waterfronts and workforce development as well as sustainable commercial fishing, ...

28
MAR

0

Tacoma SOTA Wins the 2025 Orca Bowl Competition

March 18, 2025

By Luciana Calle, WSG Science Communications Fellow

On March 1, Washington Sea Grant (WSG) held the 2025 Orca Bowl Competition, Washington state’s regional National Ocean Sciences Bowl® (NOSB) event. This day-long event brings high school students from across Washington to compete in teams of four through a round-robin competition style followed by a double elimination round. Students tackle questions in all areas of marine studies, including ocean-related physics, chemistry, biology, geology, policy and technology, through ...

18
MAR

0

Spring 2025 WSG Director update: Continuing to provide value to Washington state

March 13, 2025

Dear Partners and Friends of Washington Sea Grant:

For more than 50 years, Washington Sea Grant has served the State of Washington, the Pacific Northwest, and the nation by funding marine research, providing technical assistance, and working with communities, managers, businesses, educators, and the public to advance regional understanding and sustainable use of ocean and coastal resources. WSG’s work in 2018-2023 brought more than $190 million in services and economic benefits to the state. As a non-partisan state-federal partnership, ...

13
MAR

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