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 ...
Read MoreSeptember 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 ...
Read MoreSeptember 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
Everyone in the aquaculture industry was once a ...
Read MoreSeptember 17, 2025
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 ...
Read MoreSeptember 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 ...
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 ...
Read MoreSeptember 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 ...
Read MoreSeptember 2, 2025
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 ...
Read MoreBy 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 ...
Read MoreBy Jess Davis, WSG Science Communications Fellow
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 ...
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 ...
Read MoreJuly 24, 2025
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 ...
Read MoreJuly 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 ...
Read MoreJuly 14, 2025
Seattle, WA – Moon jellyfish blooms are a stunning sight to see, their white and translucent colors making them appear light and delicate. However, these jellyfish are hidden predators lurking for their next meal. A research paper published in Marine Ecology Progress Series found that moon jellyfish (Aurelia labiata) ...
Read MoreJuly 1, 2025
WSG is excited to welcome Ava Vaughan as the Community-Engaged Intern! In her role, Ava will work with community engagement specialist Sanpisa Sritrairat, coastal hazards specialist Ian Miller, and partners at Washington Emergency Management Division to support coastal hazard mitigation planning and social vulnerability assessments.
Ava is currently pursuing a ...
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