October 20, 2021

We are thrilled to welcome Jenna Keeton as the new fisheries specialist at Washington Sea Grant (WSG)!

Jenna works to address the needs of Washington’s fisheries-dependent communities through targeted outreach and collaborative research. At Washington Sea Grant, Jenna’s overarching motivation is to strengthen networks among sustainable commercial fisheries, the seafood industry and consumers. Specifically, she strives to 1) support commercial fishers in developing economic resiliency, 2) coordinate career development workshops to encourage the next generation of the commercial fishing fleet, and 3) lead community-based needs assessments to appreciate local needs and concerns related to the fishing and seafood industries.

Prior to joining WSG in 2021, Jenna studied and worked throughout the Pacific Northwest, Alaska and the Intermountain West. She began her career in fisheries as an undergraduate with the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington. Here, she also studied with the Alaska Salmon Program in Bristol Bay, Alaska. Jenna expanded her foundational knowledge of commercial and tribal fisheries management at NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, where she monitored salmon populations in the Columbia River headwaters. Jenna earned her master’s degree in aquatic ecology from Utah State University studying aquatic invasive species management. Most recently, she worked with the agriculture industry in central Oregon to develop and implement sustainable water conservation practices. Jenna has always held fisheries close to her heart and she joined the commercial fleet in 2021 as a deckhand in the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon fishery.

Jenna pays close attention to socioeconomic characteristics of Washington’s fisheries because she believes they can help tell a story about the complex interactions between sustainable fisheries and the communities who depend upon them.

Welcome aboard, Jenna!