WSG News Blog

Economic convergence in coastal Washington: How COVID-19 changed regional unemployment

October 13, 2025

By Kevin Decker, WSG Coastal Economist

For a long time, Washington’s rural coastal counties – such as Grays Harbor, Pacific, and Wahkiakum counties – had higher unemployment than the state average. This was largely due to their reliance on a few industries and their distance from the I-5 corridor. However, following the COVID-19 pandemic, new data indicate that these counties are now more aligned with state and national economic trends. When this occurs, economists refer to it as convergence.

What ...

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OCT

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coastal counties, covid-19, development, economist, economy, Kevin Decker, pandemic, rural, trends

WSG Puget Sound Science Research Fellowship launches with two new fellows

October 7, 2025

Congratulations to our new WSG Puget Sound Science Research Fellows!

We are excited to announce that Gabe Diephuis and Isaac Olson have been awarded the new WSG Puget Sound Science Research Fellowship!

Launching this year, the WSG Puget Sound Science Research Fellowship aims to support graduate students conducting research that advances Puget Sound recovery and to prepare them as the next generation of science leaders in the region. WSG administers and manages the fellowship program with funding from the ...

6
OCT

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fellowships, Puget Sound, research, science

Kate Litle, WSG interim director, wins 2025 Washington Governor’s Outstanding Leadership Award

September 30, 2025

In July, Washington Sea Grant (WSG) shared that Kate Litle, WSG interim director, had been nominated for the prestigious 2025 Washington Governor’s Outstanding Leadership Award. Now, we are so excited to say that Kate is a recipient of the award!

Along with 23 other dedicated public servants, Kate was recognized by Governor Bob Ferguson at a ceremony at the Governor’s Mansion on September 23. The ...

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SEP

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Restorative aquaculture: the science behind increasing subsistence access to basket cockles for the Suquamish Tribe

September 29, 2025

By Mel Lemke, WSG Science Communications Fellow

Basket cockles (Clinocardium nuttallii) are saltwater clams native to the Pacific Northwest. With their charismatic ruffled shells and colorful banding, they are easily recognizable at low tide, peeking out from their fine-sediment habitats among eelgrass beds. These clams are more than just beautiful: as a preferred First Food (a food gathered and consumed since time immemorial), they hold significant cultural and nutritional value for the Suquamish ...

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SEP

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aquaculture, cockles, first foods, indigenous, restoration, shellfish, Suquamish Tribe, tribal, tribes

Photo story: Training future seafood farmers

September 22, 2025

For more than 20 years, Washington Sea Grant’s NOAA Science Camp has offered hands-on science-learning opportunities for middle and high school students. This year NOAA Science Camp looked a little different: find out more about this year’s aquaculture spin with the following photo story.

Find the original post on NOAA Fisheries.

By Megan Ewald, NOAA Fisheries

Embark on a visual voyage with 50 Seattle-area middle schoolers at the first-ever NOAA Aquaculture Science Camp.

Everyone in the aquaculture industry was once a ...

22
SEP

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activities, aquaculture, farming, k-12, NOAA, science camp, shellfish, summer

WSG welcomes inaugural cohort of Coastal Resilience Fellows

September 17, 2025

Congratulations to our new WSG Coastal Resilience Fellows!

We are pleased to announce that recent graduates Anabel Baker, Elyse Kelsey, Madeleine Lucas and Rich Desanto have been awarded the Washington Sea Grant (WSG) Coastal Resilience Fellowship for 2025–2027.

This is the inaugural cohort of the new WSG Coastal Resilience Fellowship, a unique educational opportunity for early or shifting career professionals to provide additional capacity for coastal communities around coastal resilience. A two-year, paid fellowship ...

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SEP

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coastal resilience, fellows, fellowships, new

New Washington Fishermen’s Convention to spotlight state’s fishing industry

September 15, 2025

Westport — The first-ever Washington Fishermen’s Convention is coming to Westport this winter, aimed at unifying and celebrating the state’s diverse fishing industry while bringing new and prospective fishermen into the fold. The Convention will take place December 4-8, 2025. Current and aspiring fishermen ...

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SEP

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Meet Danielle Brady, 2025-2026 WSG Keystone Fellow

September 10, 2025

Washington Sea Grant (WSG) is excited to announce that Danielle Brady, a current graduate student at Virginia Tech, has been selected as the 2025-2026 WSG Keystone Fellow. Danielle will be working with host Puget Sound Partnership.

The WSG Keystone Fellowship seeks to build pathways into marine science, policy ...

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SEP

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fellows, fellowship, keystone, new

Supporting community-led coastal resilience on the Lower Willapa River

September 5, 2025

By Sydney Fishman, WSG Coastal Management Specialist

The Lower Willapa River, including the cities of Raymond and South Bend, is beloved by its residents for its access to nature, sense of community, and small-town charm. The Willapa River and nearby Pacific coastline support a variety of commercial and recreational activities. Yet there are tradeoffs to living in this low-lying part of Washington state. While waterfront challenges like flooding and erosion have always been a fact of life ...

5
SEP

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adaptation, coastal resilience, COHORT, community, hazards, Pacific County, Willapa, workshops

Three recent graduates selected for the 2025-2025 WSG Hershman Fellowship

September 2, 2025

Congratulations to our new WSG Hershman Fellows!

We are pleased to announce that recent graduates Delaney Cyphers, Cirque Gammelin, and Courtney Skalley have been awarded the Washington Sea Grant Hershman Fellowship for 2025–2026. This fellowship places highly motivated, qualified individuals with marine and coastal host offices throughout Washington, providing fellows with a unique perspective on building marine policy and allowing them to share their academic expertise with the host offices.

This year’s host offices are ...

2
SEP

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Removing the barriers to salmon recovery

A new tool weighs the multifaceted factors involved in efforts to improve habitat

From the Summer 2025 Sea Star

By Brian McGreal, WSG Science Communications Fellow

In 2018, in a case brought forth by 21 Northwest Tribes, the Supreme Court ruled that Washington State has a duty to protect tribal treaty rights by preserving fish runs. The main focus of this case was replacing culverts — infrastructure that allows streams to pass underneath a road or path, and ...

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AUG

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culvert, recovery, research, salmon

The Salmon and Climate Initiative brings a broader perspective to recovery efforts

From the Summer 2025 Sea Star

By Jess Davis, WSG Science Communications Fellow

Chinook salmon underwater Big actions often start with simple dreams. Nearly 40 years ago, many Washington state salmon fishermen began noticing declining stocks in salmon populations. Livelihoods impacted, a group of these fishermen felt a sense of urgency to initiate an effort to reinvigorate Washington salmon fishery ...

21
AUG

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long live the kings, recovery, research, restoration, salmon

Summer 2025 Sea Star

The newest issue of our biannual magazine is here!

August 21, 2025

Washington Sea Grant (WSG) is excited to share about our research, outreach and education programs through Sea Star, our biannual magazine.

The summer 2025 issue is, unofficially, the “salmon issue,” with five feature stories highlighting the rich variety of WSG’s work through the ...

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AUG

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Terrie Klinger reflects on her year as WSG’s interim faculty director

July 24, 2025

Kate Litle stepped into the role of WSG interim director as of July 1

One year ago, I assumed the role of interim faculty director at Washington Sea Grant (WSG). This represented a new leadership model for WSG, and my goal was to pilot the new model for 12 months while actively helping to recruit a permanent director from among the UW faculty. A second goal—no less important—was to expand the role of WSG ...

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JUL

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Kate Litle, WSG interim director, nominated for Washington Governor’s Outstanding Leadership Award

July 18, 2025

WSG is thrilled to share that Kate Litle, WSG interim director and deputy director, was nominated for the prestigious 2025 Washington Governor’s Outstanding Leadership Award.

The award recognizes state managers who “not only met high standards of leadership, but who also advanced innovation, equity and continuous improvement in the work they do every day,” Washington Governor Bob Ferguson wrote in the call for nominations. Kate embodies all of these qualities, and more.

Since joining ...

18
JUL

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